First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-7 NRSVue
This is the day after American Thanksgiving and I thank God that there are no reports of mass shootings around dinner tables across the nation. There have been lots of articles with suggestions on how to keep the temperature of conversations about politics and religion at a simmer rather than boiling over in a society which has become increasingly polarized.
Earlier in the week I took a look at the scripture readings for this day, usually the same as for our Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday early in October. Two of the passages are about turning to God in order to quell fear and anxiety, including words from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. So often anger is the outward and inappropriate expression of fear, and we certainly live in uncertain and anxious times.
There is also a passage from the New Testament letter called 1 Timothy inviting us to pray for those in authority, whoever they might be. When I was growing up it was a regular practice to pray for the monarch and other leaders during Sunday worship and it never occurred to me that this was because of a biblical injunction to do so. I figure that all "good" religion is political in that we are called to be engaged citizens of our societies, living out the compassion of Christ. What we need to avoid is the "us and them" politics that pit people against one another, even within families.
It is a tradition in many households on both sides of the border to offer a prayer of thanks before partaking of the Thanksgiving feast, even if blessings at mealtime are no longer regular occurrence in these households. Slipping in a few verses of scripture might have been a good idea as well.
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6: 31-33 NRSVue
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