Gratitude As Resistance

Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow in the United States we celebrate a national holiday of giving thanks. As far as national holidays go, this is one of my favorites. Probably because it involves stuffing and pumpkin pie. But, I realize that many people dread family obligations around this time of year. This year feels particularly tense and fear-filled due to anxiety over the incoming presidential administration. How can we be grateful when our world seems to overflow with injustice and cruelty and new threats arise every day to women, trans and queer people, immigrants, the economy, health care, and so on?

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

In the aftermath of the election, I’ve been thinking a lot about my values and what it means to follow Jesus in response to injustice in the world. Because of that, I can’t help but connect what I’m grateful for with my values and priorities. I’m not sure I have any great revelations, but it’s made me think about the costs of our desires. I wonder if we shouldn’t be asking questions like how many people of color will be improperly imprisoned to give our society the illusion of safety? Or how much of the earth will be polluted to give us cheap gas? I’m not saying we shouldn’t be grateful for possessions or conveniences, but if we’re reflecting on gratitude in the face of injustice maybe it’s worth thinking about the cost of our desires as well.

I also don’t want to downplay the importance of gratitude. When our values align with God’s values, when they align with love and compassion for all people, then I believe gratitude becomes an especially powerful tool for the resistance of injustice. When I think about the things that bring love and support to my life, that connect me to something bigger than myself, such as my friends, my church communities, animals and the earth, the gratitude I feel seems like it’s on an entirely different level. It makes me happy. It reminds me I belong, that I’m God’s beloved.

Those who seek power at the expense of others, who rally their supporters by demonizing the marginalized, don’t want those who oppose them to be happy or grateful. They want them demoralized and divided. They want them to give up, thinking they’re not enough. If we expect nothing, that’s usually what we get. Because of that, taking time to find the blessings of life, because they’re always there even in the darkest of times, and giving thanks for them is an act of resistance. It’s an act that says all is not lost. It’s an act that creates expectation and hope.

Scientific studies have also shown that gratitude helps us build relationships and stay healthy, two things which are going to be important for resisting injustice.¹ Gratitude helps us make friends, improves both physical and psychological health, enhances empathy, reduces aggression, improves sleep and self-esteem, and increases mental strength, reducing stress and helping us overcome trauma.

Gratitude connects us to God, to each other, makes us healthier, and helps us sustain resistance to evil and injustice. As we reflect on gratitude and what we’re grateful for this Thanksgiving, perhaps we might also think about how we arecalled to pass that gratitude on. Can we give some of our resources, time, or talents in the service of God’s love to help bring peace and justice and hope to God’s people in the world? To bring some joy and love to someone who really needs it right now?

Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving, filled with love!

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude