Thursday, November 24 is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. Character in action in many lives provides a cornucopia of reasons for thanksgiving.
Take, for example, the victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Add to their number the victims of tornadoes in the Midwest and floods in the Northeast. Factor in victims of wildfires in the west, and of many other tragic natural disasters in the months since our last Thanksgiving Day. Many of these people lost loved ones in the storms and their aftermaths. Many lost their homes, and remain homeless. Many lost businesses and employment. Many lost irreplaceable keepsakes, such as family photographs.
It would seem that these people have little for which to be thankful this Thanksgiving Day, but that is not so. Despite their tragic losses, they have experienced the compassion and love of many people. They have been recipients of that kind of caring the little beagle learns in the enchanting children’s book, Pandora Puppy’s Caring Circle, Character Companions™ Series, Vol. #5.
Victims received gifts of food, clothing, shelter, employment, and money from the government. More importantly, they received similar gifts from fellow citizens. They had caring arms around their shoulders, helping them cope with the disasters. Families who had no personal relationship to victims offered them room and board in private homes.
America’s faith community manifested compassion and love to disaster victims. Churches across the nation collected clothing and household furnishings for victims. Many organized mission trips to rebuild amidst the ruins. Other mission trips accompanied them to feed and support the workers doing the rebuilding.
The list is long, and it shows that we do not rely on our government for compassion and love to those in need. Indeed, we ought not to rely on government for those things. Those are character traits, and government cannot exercise character.
Victims were shown compassion by those who saw their need, and knew what made them feel bad. Those same, dreadful feelings touched the hearts of the observers, and made them want deeply to do something to help the victims – to relieve their hurt. Those who had the means to exercise such feelings showed compassion. These did not give food, clothing, and shelter to get attention, though some might have done so. These did not do it to garner good will for their corporation, though some may have been motivated by that. People who showed true compassion did so from their hearts. They had learned the meaning of compassion, embraced it in their hearts as a trait they valued, and put it into action when the need arose.
Victims were shown love by those who had learned the meaning of love. These citizens knew that love is a verb; that love is character-in-action. They knew that love is exercised by doing what is best for the person you love. Love for the victims required giving them what they most needed – not expensive gifts or homes, but basic necessities.
On Thanksgiving Day, we need to pause and be thankful for the compassion and love we each received in some measure during this past year.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?