Now Thank we All our God
posted on: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 by: rbauer
by Sister Sally Ann Brickner
As we gathered around our festive tables on Thanksgiving Day, we
probably offered thanks to God for the many blessings we have
received during the past year. One person might have had a
near-death experience and is grateful for the gift of life. Another
might give thanks for having found employment after many months
without work. Someone might have been "under water" with his
mortgage and found a government program that enabled him to
refinance and thus keep his home. Whether our blessings are large
or small, we offer God abundant thanks, ever mindful that God cares
for us at all times and in all places.
Thanksgiving is also a time when we might ponder the growing gap
between those who are rich and those who are poor, those who are
economically secure and those who lack the resources to meet their
basic needs. Brown County's recently released Leading Indicators
for Excellence, or LIFE, study reports that 11% of the population
lives in poverty. The study also finds that more people are
burdened with housing costs, homelessness is increasing, and more
people struggle financially. Imagine what these families experience
as Thanksgiving approaches.
For 25 years, the American Farm Bureau Federation
has tracked the average cost of serving Thanksgiving dinner to ten
persons. This year's cost is 13% higher than last year, in part
because of the increased demand for turkey worldwide.
Thanksgiving is very much a family holiday, a time to share with
loved ones. When food prices rise it becomes especially difficult
for some families to provide a festive, traditional holiday
meal.
Conscious of this, many area churches in Green Bay - and
throughout Northeast Wisconsin - are serving a free holiday dinner.
The Christian Outreach Ecumenical Thanksgiving Ministry, Inc, will
again have a dinner in the Atrium at Lambeau Field. For the fourth
consecutive year, Crossroads Church on Oakland Ave. is sponsoring a
free dinner. Many people, including our local Bishop and some of
our Sisters will assist in serving those who come for the
Thanksgiving meal in the Atrium. Charity, direct service among
those experiencing poverty, is a necessary response to those in
need.
Another dimension of justice calls us to ask why there is more
hunger and homelessness in our community. People may suffer
increased poverty because of unwise personal decisions. But it may
also derive from structural conditions such as higher unemployment,
increased medical costs, escalating costs of child care, etc. It
may also be due to the vanishing social safety net as all levels of
government cut services that have the greatest impact on those who
live below the poverty line.
• What are your thoughts about how to help
reduce the number of people living in poverty?
• What are some of the things you do to help
those who suffer poverty?
I look forward to hearing from you!