Thanksgiving reflections on grace and growth for uncertain times

To call the past few years a time of upheaval is a pretty huge understatement. Gender roles and gender identity, race and justice, capitalism and socialism, hyperpolarization, wars, and pandemics – all have brought disruption at levels unseen in generations. Now we’re witnessing what economists are calling the Great Resignation, the unprecedented decision by many Americans to voluntarily quit their jobs, step back, and ask what they really want from work and life. 

In some ways, this time of year is about doing just that. Yes, there are turkeys and presents and holiday music. But amid all that is time for reflection on what really matters. We gather with family for meals and festivities to reorient ourselves, however briefly, according to a compass of deeper meaning – of generosity, goodwill, forgiveness, and love. 

Might that be the larger story here? Viewed through the lens of day to day, the past few years have been disorienting. But when we step back to look at today through, say, the eyes of a historian, might it be that we are fundamentally recalibrating what we think and value? Given all we have been through – what we’ve learned about the preciousness of life, the amazing diversity of our humanity, the fleeting joys and persistent struggles – perhaps we are essentially renovating our societies from the inside out.