They came from entirely dissimilar cultures.
They gathered from opposite sides of the ocean.
They spoke languages different from each other.
Yet they sat down and enjoyed each other’s company, getting to know each other over a Thanksgiving dinner together.
Something More Current
You are perhaps envisioning the Massachusetts meal we know today as the first Thanksgiving. Yet I have in mind something much more current.
I'm thinking of a series of “Thanksgiving meals” we shared days ago in Sofia, Bulgaria at Moody Radio’s Global Partners Training. More than a hundred Christian media professionals gathered from nearly a dozen nations: Romania, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Austria, Kenya, Germany, India–and Bulgaria.
All Those Languages, But…
Imagine the diverse mix of languages and cultures. Yet we shared one profound common bond—a love for Jesus the Christ. Consider the difference that made on a practical level.
Without knowing a thing about the people we ate with, we knew enough that we could relax and enjoy them. Without knowing a word of their language, we communicated powerfully around the person of Jesus. Without any understanding of cultural nuances, we connected deeply.
And it didn’t happen just once. Or twice. It happened all week long! In that sense, every meal was a Thanksgiving meal.
Still Another Proof
For me, this is an unexpected apologetic for the Christian faith. I have been privileged to travel to some 35 countries. Wherever there are Christ followers, they always take care of you. You’re family—even if you’ve never met. This sense of family is not mere sentiment or projected religiosity. It is a bond I have witnessed in some intense situations.
So if you know Jesus, it means two things at this unusual holiday:
- First, you can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal anywhere on the planet—and be with family. Really!
- Second, the ultimate reason for our thanks is Jesus—who MAKES us one family.