Thanksgiving was last week. This is a holiday full of family traditions. I know my family has them. A common tradition among many people is to sit around the table, and one-by-one share one thing they are thankful for. Maybe it is a new job/car. Maybe it is family or friends. Maybe it is the delicious food. Sure enough, most people can at least find one thing that they are thankful for during this holiday.
Now imagine sitting in a “Bizarro” world. There is no Superman anymore. It is like a Seinfeld episode gone wrong. In this world, every one at the Thanksgiving table says not what they are thankful for, but they say what they are unthankful for instead. Maybe it is family or friends. Maybe it is untimely circumstances. Maybe it is Obamacare. Hopefully it isn’t the meal. It would be a truly eerie feeling to be a fly on the wall during a situation like this. It’s a Bizarro World, so it is okay for flies to have feelings.
This is one of only a couple letters in which Paul doesn’t give a word of thanksgiving to the church he is corresponding with. And when Paul doesn’t give a thanksgiving, it is not good! It was customary during the time to have a section of praise to the people being written to. Imagine how the people must have felt when they realized this section was skipped. They knew that when this section was skipped that Paul must have been upset. They knew Paul was writing with urgency.
Paul didn’t include a thanksgiving, possibly because he had nothing to be thankful for.
The people were about to accept a false gospel, and Paul wanted to make sure that they knew he didn’t agree with it. He wasn’t happy with them. He wasn’t thankful.
If Paul were to write a letter to you, what would he have to say in his thanksgiving? Would he say anything at all? Or would he be so worried about what is going on in your life, or with your friends, or in your church, that he wouldn’t even take time to touch on what he would be thankful for?
Take time today to remember someone who you are thankful for today, and let them know how much you appreciate them! And take time today to make yourself someone who others might be thankful for.
Oh!.. and if you don’t have anything nice to say, follow Paul’s example, and say nothing at all.
BOBERT HILL 