Thanksgiving can be such a wonderful time of year in New England. Having just enjoyed a colorful fall and looking forward to a festive Christmas, Thanksgiving can still have the flavor or relaxing and spending time with family and friends. We just need to be intentional about preserving such a special time. Thankfully, retailers have not yet hijacked the holiday as thoroughly as other holidays and many traditions still tend to focus on positive things like valuing family, enjoying friends and letting God know how thankful we are for all the good things He has provided.

The Thanksgiving tradition in America is a long and rich one, and there are many stories about its origin.  Many of us on the East Coast may become nostalgic when we are reminded that the first Thanksgiving celebrations originated in our neck of the woods. According to The New England Historical Society, the first Thanksgiving may have taken place in Maine:

“New England’s first Thanksgiving, at least the one celebrated by European colonists, wasn’t in Plymouth, Mass. The American Indians had held harvest celebrations of their own long before the Europeans ever arrived. And when they did arrive, they held the first Thanksgiving in 1607 in Popham, Maine.

The Popham Colony – a year-long effort to establish a British colony in Phippsburg, Maine at the mouth of the Kennebec River – began in the summer of 1607 and ended a year later in 1608. For one harsh winter a group of English settlers tried to stick it out at a small fortification they constructed.

During that winter the group suffered a fire at its storehouse. Its president, George Popham, died, and so did several others in the group. The colony also struggled because its leadership did not establish strong enough relations with the local Native Americans, who might have helped the settlers as they did in Plymouth. Nevertheless, there is a record of a 1607 feast  — the first real Thanksgiving — with the local Indians.”

Sprinkled throughout that account is something more important than establishing who was first to celebrate Thanksgiving in America. That more important thing is the reminder that life is difficult, and we would all be wise to help one another figure out how to survive and thrive rather than argue or strive with one another over differences. The above article suggested that early settlers in Popham may have survived had they been more open to the help of people who were from a different mindset and culture.

Those of us who are believers have been given clear direction on this matter. St. Paul wrote a letter to his protégé giving him these instructions: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” (1 Timothy 2:1 NLT)

After a divisive election season, wouldn’t it be great if we could cultivate a Thanksgiving season focused on appreciating one another and finding common ground? What if every family could come together and celebrate common goals and our mutual blessings? What if communities could temper their speech and their attitudes with kindness and appreciation for their fellow human beings? What if Churches could be thankful for everyone, with confidence that truth will stand on its own without being propped up by contention or arguments? Thanksgiving is still a bright spot for many people and it has so much potential for good, if we decide to be thankful together.