Some thoughts on Thanksgiving

Jean Chatzky in her book, The Difference (New York: Crown Business, 2009) was reviewed in USA Today (3/30/09). Chatzky argues that the rich are different from other people: “Yes, in fact, the rich are different than you and me, to paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald. They are different in their attitudes, behaviors (financial and non-financial), personalities, and goals. They are more passionate, more optimistic, more resilient, more visionary, more connected to others, have greater confidence in their relationships and their overall life, and they are grateful for their good fortune.”

None of that is necessarily bad news, according to Chatzky. "The good news: These are all things you can learn," she enthuses.

Chatzky’s reporting and advice is based on a 2008 study of more than 5,000 individuals in the United States, conducted by Harris Interactive in cooperation with Merrill Lynch. The research revealed four distinct groups of people: the wealthy, the financially comfortable, the paycheck-to-paychecks, and the further-in-debtors. Unfortunately, the breakdown shows that most Americans are still struggling, she concludes. A whopping 54% of those surveyed fell into the paycheck-to-paycheck category; while only 3% were wealthy, i.e., $2 million in assets apart from their principal residence.

The percentages of wealthy and financially comfortable likely decreased in 2009. The number of hungry people in the U.S., for example, increased this past year. Personal bankruptcies and foreclosures also hit new highs in 2009. Charities, meanwhile, struggle to meet the greater demands on their services this year.

Information is power. This Thanksgiving many individuals may feel strongly tempted to wallow in self-pity, regretting financial conditions over which they perceive they have little control. The loss of a job when one’s company lays off employees because of the recession, for example, can trigger a cascading series of events that include foreclosure, personal bankruptcy, relationship difficulties, and health problems. How does one – anyone – break that spiral? What prevents everyone in that situation from committing suicide?

Chatzky’s research on what sets the rich apart from the rest of us highlights important aspects of why not not everyone trapped in a downward spiral commits suicide. Passion, degree of optimism, resilience, vision, degree of connection with others, and confidence are all critical factors. My thirty plus years of ministry provides ample anecdotal evidence to confirm what her research showed.

But that’s not the entire answer. Openness to God also makes a difference. A higher power permeates the universe, including each person’s life. That power offers strength for the day, courage to face the next moment, wisdom for the next step, and hope that not everything ends in brokenness and defeat.

This higher power – God – is not like an electric outlet, easily identified and easily accessed. No words are adequate to describe God, no symbol fully expressive of God. God is not a commodity that the Church, another organization, or anybody can distribute to others.

At best, humans can increase their awareness of God. Multiple paths exist for nurturing this awareness. Christianity teaches that a variety of techniques – regular prayer, meditation, reflection on Scripture, acts of love for others, appreciation of God's handiwork in nature, music, conversation with a spiritual director, the sacraments, to name but a few – can help a person can grow in their ability to discern God's presence and activity. Nobody finds every technique helpful, much less has time to pursue every technique. Instead, one important aspect of spiritual wisdom is for each individual to select, perhaps with the assistance of a spiritual guide, the technique(s) most appropriate to her or his spiritual journey.

This Thanksgiving, if life is good for you, give thanks. If you find yourself struggling or depressed, remember Chatzky’s research about the differences between the rich and the rest of us. Work at developing those skills and attitudes. Next year will be different.

In either case, whether life is good or difficult, remember God. The ability to relate to that higher power we call God, the creator of the cosmos, is truly a precious gift well worth cultivating. For this, I say, Thanks be to God!