We are exploring the whole idea of Gratitude this summer. We are a gifted people where everything comes from God in Creation as a free gift for all people. Gratitude has four dynamics: Me & Emotions; Me & Ethics: We & Emotions and We & Ethics. All of this exploration to to clarify our Gratitude's response to God and to the world and to gain awareness of Gratitude in our daily lives.
At a personal level, gratitude includes an emotional reaction to life experiences. Emotions are defined as a spontaneous internal reaction to persons, places and situations. Emotions are neither right nor wrong-they have no morality. There are three hallmarks to gratitude at a personal level: a) the situation where we experience gratitude matters; b0 emotions weave into our gratitude experience and c) it is an unplanned response.
Personal gratitude is not only God centered but experienced in the world. Sadly there are competing experiences of gratitude for us as people in life. Gratitude has been contaminated by the idea that we give thanks because we have received something- like a deal made. This is called " Quid Pro Quo". This turns gifts and responses into a contract. As Christians, we understand that gifts we receive is freely given through God's love and we make free-will offering both materially and in life action to God and to the world.
In God, we are not surfs receiving crumbs from God or earthly masters. The image of the Three Kings giving gifts to Jesus turns this paradigm on its head as kings did not give gifts to the children of surfs. It is a surprise of the depth of God's love. Gratitude is not connected to debts. We have debts that are not repayable and our gratitude is unearned.
We realize that we as individuals live inter-dependently and in gratitude. Emotions ignited by God's love as proclaimed by Jesus are critical to our understanding-more so than doctrine. It shapes our thanksgiving at a personal level.
