Giving Thanks

Leading researchers who study the effects of gratitude, i.e., giving thanks, have noted that people who spend time writing down the things that they are grateful for, managers who thank their staff for the work that they do, and folks in committed relationships who take the time to share their gratitude with one another, experience greater happiness, deeper inter-personal connections, and have fewer visits to their physicians. Some studies have shown that the positive effects of giving thanks are most intensely (and positively) felt by those with a more developed sense of emotional maturity, i.e., adults.

There are intriguing theological considerations as well. In the story of the ten healed lepers, the gospel writer notes that the one returned to give thanks is the one who is “saved.” In our contemporary world, the idea of being “saved”, at least in Christian contexts, has layered, complex, and fraught meanings. Much has been said about salvation. In this story, though, Jesus suggests that to be saved, to have a faith that makes one well, is to have a faith that gets up and goes. Moments of deep personal transformation (i.e., healing, salvific moments) are seemingly rooted in an embodied attitude of gratitude, expressed in the notion of being on a journey.

In the long history of Christian theological reflection, much has been said about salvation – more than could possibly be said in a short blog post. In one way or another, most of us have likely had some cultural engagement with that history. The lesson for me, at least, is that the degree to which I embrace an orientation towards gratitude, love, empathy, and compassion the greater my capacity to express those values to others around me. The more I live into my own journey of faith, the more I realize the importance of getting up and going.

So let me say how incredibly grateful I am for the opportunity to be a part of the Council of Churches, and how deeply moved I am by the work and relationships embodied in the long history of this organization that knows how to get up and go. As we head toward the end of the year, amid a world full of pain and strife, I hope that each of us can find moments of gratitude and transformative healing, especially as we prepare for the journey ahead.