I've learned that taking the time to research the "origin" of something is usually a reliable way to understand the truth. You may have seen my posts about the origin of things on my FB page. In recognition of Thanksgiving Day, here's the official "USA Thanksgiving Day" Proclamation 106, as authored by our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, making today the reason all states observe Thanksgiving on the same day each year, along with a bit of following historical context.
When you read this portion of the linked proclamation, "...set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union." consider the time (what was happening when this was written) and context of these words.
The Civil War began April 12, 1861, after eleven states left the Union in 1860 and 1861 to form their own country (the Confederate States of America) for the purpose of protecting their institution of slavery. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in the southern states and laying the groundwork for slaves to eventually be freed across the country. Confederate General Robert E Lee invaded near Gettysburg for supplies and intimidation, which ended July 3rd, after the unsuccessful three-day Battle of Gettysburg, leaving 52,000 men killed, wounded, or missing in action. For comparative perspective, that's about 2,000 more than the population of Albany OR. On November 19, 1863, Lincoln delivered the historic Gettysburg address, considered one of the most important speeches in American history.
Though the number of those killed and wounded in the Civil War is not known precisely, most sources agree that the total number killed was between 640,000 and 700,000. For comparison, that's more than the population of Portland OR, over a four-year period. That time period was considered the most violent era of the United States (granted - after the initial massacre of Native Americans) until now.
After allowing all that information to sink in, is it any wonder why the Thanksgiving Day proclamation asks citizens to pray for God's healing and restoration of the nation. It feels like it's time that we do the same today.
Be thankful and informed, loving your neighbor as you would love yourself.
Blessings on your heads,
G
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