The month of November is a period of Thanksgiving celebration in USA. It has become a time for families and friends to get together, to eat special meal and drink, watch some football games as well as give thanks. The centerpiece of contemporary thanksgiving in USA (and Canada) is a ridiculously large meal centered on a large roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mush potatoes, gravy, pumpkin, pie and vegetables. Thanksgiving is the most celebrated holidays in USA. Many homes are decorated with horns of plenty, dried corn and other ‘symbols’ of thanksgiving. In US, thanksgiving for 2013 shall be celebrated on the last Thursday, (November, 28th) of the year. Parades are held in some cities and towns on or around Thanksgiving Day. However, some common beliefs about the origins and celebration of this holiday are based more on myth than fact.
Most government and corporate offices, schools and other organizations are closed on Thanksgiving Day and some others allow their staff to take Friday off, making it a four-day weekend. Thanksgiving Day is one of the busiest periods to travel in the US. Some people find this long weekend favorable time to make trips and travel to visit family and loved ones. This increases the congestion and over-crowding experienced during parades. It also marks the opening of the Christmas shopping season. Thanksgiving had been an annual holiday in USA since 1863.
Most societies and communities set aside this day to openly acknowledge and thank God for His numerous blessings and mercies. Many families look forward to celebrate home coming with other members and loved ones. During thanksgiving, food items are given away to the less privileged, and the poor as a means of helping people – Almsgiving. Almost all religion practice almsgiving as part of fasting tenets. The reason some people wonder whether almsgiving has anything to do with Thanksgiving.
Merriam Webster dictionary defines Almsgiving as the giving of necessities and especially money to the needy. “Any material favor done to assist the needy or material service rendered to the poor and promoted by charity is almsgiving (Catholic Encyclopedia 1913). Also, Glen Williams of People of Faith.com defines Christian Almsgiving as a habit of giving things to fill the needs of perfect strangers. Almsgiving is not only tied with lenting/fasting, it’s also associated with thanksgiving. Most people are taught that giving is about the tithes and offerings that we give to support the Church and her ministers, who work and serve the Church. This may leave an important aspect of giving untaught and grossly misunderstood. However, Christian giving includes to missions, the Church and worthy charity. Sometimes we donate food items to Food Bank organizations, who in turn distribute them to the needy.
We consider as “Almsgiving” giving our time and goods to the needy: such as donating time for soup kitchen, giving clothes to Charity, visiting the shut-in, driving those without transportation and other similar assistance. It includes attending to the sick, visiting the imprisoned and passing “home made” food to the hungry. “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord. And He will repay him for his good deeds” (Prov. 19:17). “If you won’t help the poor, don’t expect to be heard when you cry out for help” (Prov. 21:13). Prophet Isaiah wrote, “And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted; then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday” (Isaiah 58:10).
It’s often human practice to hoard and to give to those who give to them. A high percentage of parcels and season’s cards that pass through our Postal System are delivered to those who usually give to us. These people ignore the poor and needy. “The one who gives to the poor will not be in need but one who turns his eyes away will receive many curses” (Prov. 28:27). 1 John 3:17 asks, “But whoever has the world’s goods and see his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Jesus asked, “For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn’t invited Me in” (Matt. 25:35/36). Also read: Prov. 3:7, 22:9; 2 Corinth. 9:7; Acts 20:35 and Rom. 12:20).
Those who give (or reciprocate) to those who give them have received their rewards. Are you puzzled that most Christians are selfish and stingy; you wonder whether they read the scripture with understanding or to mean what they want. Some are only responsive to offering to the Church than giving to the needy. After all, the money we give to the Church benefits us with good speakers, better programs, music, study materials, furniture, transportation, etc. When we give to the needy who can do nothing for us, it’s difficult to see the benefits except by the eyes of His promises in the scriptures. Only God, who sees in secret, repays us. All three, tithes, offerings and alms are equally important. However, when we give to help the needy and others it causes them to praise God. By charity we serve one another. “Let us use the opportunity we have to serve one another with love” (Gal 5:13b).
In our modern world, where Government provides social welfare, disability, security or retirement programs for people who can not provide for themselves, one may be tempted to think there is absolutely no reason to go hungry or homeless on more than temporary basis. Yet our streets are littered with beggars. As Christians feel good to give money to the needy on the streets, in some cases it helps to support their harmful lifestyles – drug addition and alcoholism. Writing on Christian Almsgiving, Glen Williams opines, “In modern world, poor people don’t need money, they need more work. Addicts don’t need to be supported, they need to recover sobriety. If we’re really interested in helping someone, we must seek to satisfy their needs not their wants.” The lame at the beautiful gate begged for alms but the disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit spoke life into him (Acts 3:6-7).
As we celebrate this year’s festivity, we gather as community and family to enjoy our rich foods, and should remember to give alms out of our possession. Do not turn our faces away from the poor, so God’s face will not be turned away from us. Thanksgiving is about celebration and giving thanks. It is incomplete if we forget to share our joy with the needy members of God’s family and community of faith. “I assure you: whatever you did for one of the least of these “brothers of Mine” you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). Also the Psalmist wrote, “Happy is one who cares for the poor, the Lord will save him in a day of adversity. The Lord will keep him and preserve him; he will be blessed in the land. You will not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (Psalm 40:1-2).
I exhort you this season to give alms to your nation and to present offerings. May your thanks and alms ascend as a memorial before God (Acts 24:17, 10:4). You are only asked to remember the poor… the only thing you are eager to do. By so doing you’ve obeyed the instruction to do good, to be rich in good works; to be generous and ready to share… (Gal. 2:10; 1 Tim. 6:18). Finally, Apostle Paul exhorted, in everything I have been an example on how to work diligently to support the weak ones and remember that our Lord Jesus Christ said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Happy Thanksgiving to you and loved ones!!!
Reach: Evangelist/Elder Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: Email: weefreeministries@yahoo.com; Web: weefreeministries.org OR P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272. Phone: 832.881.3929©.