Honest Memory: A Thanksgiving Day Reflection

(This post is an updated version of a meditation I wrote over 20 years ago. I share it today in hopes that it will continue to spark reflection, conversation, repentance, and gratitude)

Psalm 78:1-4
    Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
        incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
    [2] I will open my mouth in a parable;
        I will utter dark sayings from of old,
    [3] things that we have heard and known,
        that our ancestors have told us.
    [4] We will not hide them from their children;
        we will tell to the coming generation
    the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
        and the wonders that he has done.
 

For Christians, memory is vital. Whenever we partake of Holy Communion, we are called to do this “in remembrance” of Jesus Christ.  Christians are not just called to have a good memory; we must learn to have an honest memory. Christians must tell our story truthfully. As Psalm 78 reminds us, we must not hide our history, even the “dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us.” Only then can we truly proclaim the glorious deeds of the Lord to every generation.

Thanksgiving is a day for remembrance. The history of this day goes back to the Puritans’ observance of special fast and feast days. It was a time for them to give thanks to God for all of God’s gifts. In America, we trace the history of Thanksgiving to the Pilgrims who arrived at Cape Cod in 1620. That first winter was very harsh. Many Pilgrims died and others became deathly ill. Finally, spring and summer came. By the next autumn, the Pilgrims found that they had a plentiful harvest and were blessed with abundance. They decided to celebrate God’s gifts with the Native Americans in a special three-day feast. Later, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.

When most of us think of Thanksgiving, some version of this is what we remember. A day when those people in the funny black clothes went around cooking turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green beans. The problem is that our memory is faulty. Research shows us that there is a lot we don’t know about those early European settlers. For one thing, the Pilgrims did not wear black and they did not carry copies of Pilgrim’s Progress around in their pockets. They may or may not have cooked turkey for their first and only Thanksgiving feast. We do know that they cooked deer, ducks, geese, and swan, that was all brought by the Wampanoag Indians. Sorry, but there was no cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie. If you really want to have an authentic Thanksgiving meal this year, you may find yourself eating Applemoyse, Ipocras, Stewed Pompion, Peasecods, and maybe a little sauce for Stubble Goose.

The actual meal at Thanksgiving is not the only thing we often tend to forget about. There is a “dark saying” woven deep into the fabric of this story about Pilgrims who landed at Cape Cod. It is not as pleasant as reading about the three-day feast, but it is important to learn it, tell it, and share it with future generations. Soon after the Pilgrims landed, they signed a treaty with the Native tribe called the Wampanoags. This document was then used to justify taking over the American Indian land. The Wampanoags, who were already weakened by an epidemic, were unable to resist the English invaders. What was happening at Plymouth was happening throughout both North and South America.

Statistics often vary, but even the most conservative historians estimate that by the time the Pilgrims landed in 1620 – over 60 million American Indians had already died in the Americas from war and disease caused by the Western invaders. As Christians, it is our responsibility to face this history truthfully – not hide from it. As Christians, we must tell this story to our children. Thanksgiving is not a time to forget the sins of the past or we will undoubtedly make them the sins of our present and our future. Thanksgiving is a time to remember both God’s gracious gifts and humanity’s sin and separation from God.

So this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to give thanks to God for all of God’s gifts and provision … and don’t forget to tell our story truthfully – the good, the bad, and the ugly. After all, Christ has taught us that the truth shall set us free – free to face our past, blemishes and all. Free to be redeemed and transformed by God’s saving love. Free to be reconciled to God and neighbor – particularly our Native American sisters and brothers who have suffered much and from whom we can learn much. To help with this holy work of re-membering well, here are some resources for children from Native voices that share some of the traditions around gratitude and seasonal harvests from the National Museum of the American Indian.

I leave you with two thoughts. First, a passage from Matthew 26:26-30 from the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament. Secondly, a table blessing that my family sings regularly at our table.

A New Peace Treaty

“Then, during the meal, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) took some of the frybread, lifted it up, and gave thanks. He broke it into pieces, gave some to each of his followers, and said, “This is my body. Take it and eat it.” Then he took the cup of wine, lifted it up, and gave thanks. He gave it to his followers and said, “Drink from this cup, all of you, for this is my lifeblood of the new peace treaty, poured out to release many people from their broken ways. “I tell you now, I will not drink from the fruit of the vine again until I drink it with you in a fresh and new way when we walk together on my Father’s good road.” Then, after they sang a ceremonial song together, they walked to Olive Mountain. – Matthew 26:26-30 (FNV; emphasis mine)

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.