Dear Doubters of Great Faith,
Today, I was given a tour of a most amazing place, nestled in the heart of downtown Dallas, called Thanks-Giving Square. I already knew that it is a wonderful, peaceful, serene setting within the hustle and bustle of our major metropolitan area. But hearing about its mission, for this city, our city, and beyond, from its CEO, Kyle Ogden, and touring the building and grounds (and behind the scenes!) was nothing short of awe-inspiring!
The mission of the Thanks-Giving Square Foundation is to “…make North Texas a better place to live, work and play by educating, inspiring and moving its people towards becoming the City of Thanks-Giving.”
The common ground upon which we can all stand is gratitude. Gratitude for all that we have, all that we are, all that we have been given, and all that we can possibly hope to be. Gratitude for relationships, and the ability to be who and what we are, and what we might dream to be, in this time, and in this place! It is inspirational AND aspirational!
Embracing gratitude is particularly appropriate and necessary as we approach this year’s celebration of Thanksgiving. While there is much that we have lost across 2020, there is so much we have for which to be grateful, and gratitude in no way displaces or dispels grief. Both hold rightful places in our hearts and our minds.
And so, “to live a life of gratitude is to live a life of virtue.” Virtuous living means that gratitude will shine through, not only in our words, but more importantly in our actions and in our deeds. Grateful living binds individuals together into community, overcoming the boundaries of difference.
St. Thomas the Apostle has taken yet another step toward grateful living by taking a bold action that reflects who we are as a community of faith. Your Vestry carefully considered, over the course of several months making the statement “#BlackLivesMatter;” and they have now erected (sizeable) signage fronting Inwood Road making this proclamation!
Why is it important to say #BlackLivesMatter?
Because for so many years (over 450), the lives of people of color have not held the same rights and privileges as those of us in the majority, considered “white.” It simply has not been the case. From the very beginnings of our nation, when people of color were considered 3/5 human, through slavery, failed reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, and an ongoing civil rights movement, black lives have not mattered in the same ways that white lives have.
You may be interested to know that there was a red line drawn diagonally across Dallas in 1937. Folks living above that red line were allowed home mortgages; folks below not. Home ownership remains the primary way that Americans generate wealth and thrive. The north and south sectors of Dallas developed as they did for a reason – segregation and the deprivation of wealth. To this day, that line creates striking divides. The average lifespan above that line is 90; below is 63. The highest concentrations of COVID-19 (and fatalities) are below that line, not above.
There are real, tangible, gratitude-filled reasons why we on the north side of this line need to say #BlackLivesMatter. And it is not because a slogan will help us sleep better at night. My charge to the Vestry is, “What are your actions that will support this sign?” How are we going to live lives that demonstrate the sharing of generosity (power, privilege, authority, resources) with our sisters and brothers who have been long denied those same gifts?
That is the virtuous living that Thanks-Giving Square, and Thanksgiving beckon us into!
Yours in faithfulness,
Fr. Christopher+
