“This
flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation as an expression of
appreciation for the honorable and faithful service rendered by your loved one.” Those words have been spoken all too often in
the history of our nation at the funerals of soldiers and veterans. My family has heard these words at least four
times: honoring my Great-Uncle Fulton (World War II), whom I wrote about last year; my father (Korean War); my
father-in-law (Korean War); and my brother-in-law (peacetime). We cherish the flags that accompanied those
words, not just because they honored the remains of our loved ones, but because
of the expression of our nation’s gratitude that they convey.
I've
spent a lot of time over the past few weeks studying and contemplating
gratitude. It’s a subject that has
interested me for some time. You see, in
my ministry and in my own life, I've noticed that there appears to be a
connection between gratitude and happiness.
The more thankful people are, the happier they are. So I've spent some time reading about gratitude
and testing my theory. I’m happy to
report that both Scripture and science agree that gratitude is good for us.
Scripture
is filled with expressions of gratitude.
The word “thanks” and its derivatives appear in the Bible more than 150
times.[1] Many of the Old Testament expressions of
thanks can be found in the Psalms: “Give
thanks to the Lord who is good, whose love endures forever.” (Psalm 107: 1) We even find words of thanksgiving in the
Lamentation (complaint) Psalms: “You who
fear the Lord, give thanks!” (Psalm
22:24) In the New Testament, we hear the
story of the healing of ten lepers where only one returns to Jesus to thank
him. (Luke 17:12-17) And what does the grateful leper get as a
result of his gratitude? A relationship
with Jesus. Not bad. We also hear of Jesus himself giving thanks
before the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (John 6: 1-15); before
raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 41); and at the Last Supper (Mark 14: 22-26). It’s no coincidence that the most important
Rite in the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican traditions – the Eucharist – means “thanksgiving.” The Jewish practice of giving thanks is
continued in Christian liturgy as a cornerstone of the faith. In the words of Saint Paul: "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Jews and Christians certainly don’t
have a lock on gratitude. “Since ancient
times, philosophers and sages from every spiritual tradition have taught that
cultivating gratitude is a key to experiencing deeper levels of happiness,
fulfillment and well-being.”[2] That’s because gratitude reminds us of the
positive things in our lives. Gratitude
“lets us relive blessing and grace and in this we have the experience twice. .
. . Gratitude is the way we access them
again and again.”[3] Gratitude turns bad things into good, and reminds
us of what’s important in our lives.
The benefits of gratitude are so
profound that science is finally acknowledging what religion and philosophy have
taught for millennia. In one study, sixth
and seventh graders who were assigned to list five things they were grateful
for every day for two weeks had a better outlook on school and greater life
satisfaction.[4] A study of high school students found that
the students who showed high levels of gratitude had stronger GPAs, less
depression and envy and a more positive outlook on life.[5] And a University of Connecticut study shows
that heart attack victims who saw benefits and gains from the heart attack experienced
a lower risk of having another heart attack.[6] So being grateful is good for our minds, our
bodies and our souls!
When we’re grateful we remember the
benefits we've received from others and experience them again. And so “it is altogether fitting and proper,”
and good for us, that we should give thanks this weekend to those who have
given us so much – those who have given their lives so we can live free. It’s a debt we can't repay. “In the end, though, maybe we must all give
up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender
before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank
you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.”[7]
And so, on behalf of a grateful nation,
we say thank you, forever and sincerely, to all who have died for our freedom, and to all who have
answered the call to serve our country.
[1]
Robert Emmons, Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You
Happier (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) at 95.
[2]
Deepak Chopra, “3 Essential Practices for Gratitude,” http://spiritualityhealth.com/print/1621
[3] M. Renee Miller, A Guide to Spiritual Practice: Gratitude
Practice.
[4]
Diane Kapp, “Raising Children with an Attitude of Gratitude,” http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100011424052702303773704579270293660965768,
citing Journal of School Psychology 2008.
[5]
Kapp, citing Journal of Happiness Studies 2010.
[6] Bruce Campbell, “Counting Your Blessings: How Gratitude Improves Your Health,” http://www.cfidsselfhelp.org/library/counting-your-blessings-how-gratitude-improves-your-health.
[7] Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray Love: One Woman’s
Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.
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