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Thanksgiving blogging II

Ill just let Norman Rockwell illustrate it for me...

yeah, even if you are agnostic or an atheist, you often overlook how important that little idea is to your life, don't you? Ask the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, ask the Druze and Muslims in Lebanon, ask the Sihk and Hindu of India whether or not this is a fine idea. The idea itself is a gift from God, but the practice and care in which we live it goes unnoticed for the miracle that it is.

look deeply at this painting and think of the emotional impact that this painting has on you and the images of your own life that it brings forth. Then try to imagine the impact that it had on the audience of people of the Great Depression and the World War and imagine the hope and promise that this same image mustve held for people of that generation.

Notice the look of joy on each of the faces, look at the man in the lower corner as he beckons you, the viewer, to join in the proceedings. Its not the turkey that is being celebrated here, it is the family, the gathering itself and the miracle of life that has provided the conditions that have allowed it to occur.

This painting captures a scene of peace and beauty while showing the reality of life that is just over the horizon. Look at the headlines on the newspaper. The world goes on in its horror, but this man and woman are at peace by the simple act of putting their children to bed. The children are unaware of the horrors of the news and all they care about is that mom and dad are there to see them off to sleep.

This man stands and speaks his mind in public. By this simple act, he announces for all that he is a free man. He stands for all of us. Even today in the modern age, we face daily assault on our ability to speak freely in a public arena. We live in an age where the abilty to speek freely is being felt in parts of the world where just a few years ago, such a thing was unthinkable. To the people of the Plymouth colony, this was the miracle that they were willing to throw away everything they had to achieve. To the people of 1776, this was the idea that caused them to be willing to rebel against their King and Country. To the people of 1860, the idea that black men were not to be afforded this basic right was enough to cause the Union itself to dissolve. Today, people all over the world are struggling with this idea; an idea that people in our country have struggled with for over 400 years. It is a struggle that each of us bares each and every day, but the same face is there out in front of each us, the face of one man standing in public and speaking his mind without fear of retribution. This - is what Democracy looks like. We take for granted the miracle of this simple act and the power it holds for each of us.

Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy this day for the miracle that it truly is and be sure to give thanks to one and all for helping make this miracle come into being.

Posted @ November 24, 2005 12:11 PM | Current Affairs