How can a faith-centered person of influence (me) write such words in a season of thanksgiving? It’s not so far-fetched.

Allow me to give you several reasons. I will preface each non-thankful admission with that for which I am deeply grateful. Then perhaps you’ll agree with my assessment.

*I’m thankful for our annual American day of Thanksgiving with its rich heritage. Accounts of the historical Pilgrims and Sojourners who arrived early on our east coast are quite inspiring. I’m NOT thankful for revisionist history that leaves modern students questioning the truth.

*I am thankful for the American statesmen like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who called our citizens to pause and reflect on God’s blessings in their Presidential proclamations. I am not appreciative of the shopping zeal for Black Friday deals and sports programming (often now with heavy gambling messages) that steals families away from more meaningful interpersonal celebrations.

*My heart overflows with thanks that a young man named Charlie Kirk lived true to his values and sought to bring a generation at drift back to truth. I am horrified and unthankful for a weak-minded young man unwilling to engage Charlie with dialogue, and instead rob his generation of Kirk’s brilliant wisdom.

*I am deeply gratified for what technology has brought us. Our means of communication are stunning. Everything from radio, television, film, computers, cellphones, the internet, and the like, give us access to mountains of information instantly. We can learn so much. Conversely, all of these resources, when used to satisfy our most sinful desires, often lead me to be ungrateful for their very existence.

*An extension of this is AI—where opportunities abound to change our world. When it actually helps people, I am thankful. When it only leads to mass unemployment and creates massive amounts of fear, my thankfulness dissipates.

*In politics, I’ve learned to value differing viewpoints and our right to vote in a primarily two-party system. In Illinois, we shamefully have basically a one party form of government. Thus, I don’t appreciate 2 a.m. last minute legislation that rips at the pocketbooks of taxpayers increasingly.

*Along this line, I’m thankful I live in a land where we can freely express our views—even in the form of public protests. My enthusiasm wanes quickly when it becomes the product of billionaire dollars manipulating the agenda behind the scenes. Even worse, the disparaging of fellow citizens as “fascists” if they don’t agree with a certain perspective. No thanks.

*I’m personally grateful for the miraculous advances in medicine. My 5-way bypass surgery over 20 years ago was a modern day miracle. Advances in all forms of healthcare are mind-boggling. And yet, in Illinois, preserving life takes a back seat to the devastating murder resulting from abortion. And more recently, assisted suicide. Can we really ask God to bless a land that does such things?

*While speaking of God, how grateful I am to freely worship in this land! I’ve been to numerous countries where this exercise of freedom does not exist. Yet when I consider the landscape of religious freedom in America today, I see frequent victories of the group Freedom from Religion Foundation whose mission is to end federal and state government support for faith-based programs, such as our military chaplaincy services. I cannot find myself thankful for such groups.

*I am grateful for the abundance of food we have in our nation and how most of our Thanksgiving plates will be filled. I’m grateful for homeless shelters and food banks that provide for the less fortunate. I find those who take advantage of the goodness of others wearing on my thankful spirit—like the New Mexico woman who has been on SNAP for some 30 years!! And “fumes” about being cut off.

*All citizens should be thankful for reliable and capable emergency workers including our police. It’s shameful to see cities “cancelling” a police force. I grieve for the lack of appreciation shown by such folk.

I think I’ve made my point.

Perhaps the most appropriate Scripture to share for this time of year is to pray Philippians 4:6-7:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)