How Punks Give Thanks

Many of us will give thanks this week as we celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. As one of the lesser known legacies of Abraham Lincoln's presidency, American Thanksgiving was standardised throughout the Union on the final Thursday of November. Modern day traditions include football, turkey, and shopping. And if you are like me, someone in your family will initiate a time of sharing with others. Its a great moment to talk about life and the perfect platform give thanks like a punk.

"I am thankful for..."

Here is how a punk gives thanks: "I am thankful for how awesome I am." And more grievous, "I am thankful that I _____ more than _____." Dont brag or compare yourself to others when you share this year. Giving thanks is an expression of gratitude and is not an exercise in social relativity.

You know who else doesn't want you to be a punk this Thanksgiving? Jesus. He once told a story describing how punks give thanks.

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

-Luke 18:10-14

There is an important lesson to be learned about how we give thanks. There is a more important lesson about how we evaluate ourselves before God. This year is a great opportunity for you to take stock in who you are and what you have been given. Be reminded of the great love God has blessed you with. Dont neglect a posture of humility before others. And seriously, remember to pass the mashed potatoes.