A Message of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 2020
It can be difficult, if not impossible, to find good southern cooking on Long Island, New York, but I lucked out when I found my UCC church nine years ago after moving here. My pastor and my associate pastor are both Southern transplants, like myself. Since arriving, I have celebrated Thanksgiving every year with my newfound church family and have truly enjoyed some delicious Southern cooking!
Each year, I Google and Pinterest new Thanksgiving dishes and decorations in order to bring my offerings to their table. But this year is different. All you will find in the headlines and Google searches are Thanksgiving Day safety recommendations from the CDC, state and national officials and from doctors and hospitals. Even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade will be virtual with no crowds! COVID-19 and 2020 continue to be the uninvited guests that won’t leave!
So how do we celebrate this holiday that has traditionally been about spending time with your family and friends recalling all of the things and people we are thankful for when we can’t be with those we are most thankful for?
As we have done this entire year, we must be creative. We must find creative ways to “see” one another and have those meaningful conversations and re-create our favorite rituals and remind ourselves that “this too shall pass” and that when we are able to be together again, we will be more thankful for that person, more thankful for their love, more thankful for their hug and kiss, more thankful for their impact on our lives, more thankful that God has put them in our lives for great and holy reasons, and more thankful for that home cooked meal!
This year, we have been so creative in helping others find comfort and meaning and support during the most difficult days of their lives. For this holiday season, let’s turn some of that creativity toward ourselves to find meaning and true thanks-giving in a new and special way.
Rev. Amy Karriker MDiv BCC lives in New York City and is a member of the APC Board of Directors.
