In Service.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live them."
On November 5, 1963, just weeks before his assassination, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation as part of his annual Thanksgiving proclamation. The words above are from that particular proclamation. The year had been a tumultuous one, marked by civil rights struggles and Cold War tensions. Against this backdrop, Kennedy urged the nation to unite, to activate their citizenship, and to recognize their personal accountability in addressing our nation's challenges.
Sixty-one years later, Kennedy's call to the nation feels like a prescient warning for today's America.
As we near this late fall holiday once again, I've been reflecting on President Kennedy's urging of Americans to consider the nation's enduring values—freedom, justice, and democracy—and to take action in service of those values.
As we know too well, freedom, justice, and democracy are not values that simply exist; they must be actively lived in service of peace and prosperity.
Earlier this week, Mariah Levison of Convergence released a list of the Ten Important Beliefs that Most Americans Share. During this time when Americans once again feel so divided, and as many will gather with family and friends in hopes of bridging gaps, it's helpful to take stock of the values we do share and the values we are willing to work for, together.
71% of Americans believe we have more in common than what divides us. (More in Common)
93% value togetherness and reducing divisiveness. (Public Agenda)
9 in 10 Americans — regardless of political affiliation — hold respect and compassion as core values. (University of Chicago)
We can choose to see what we want in data, but the fact remains that we need to work hard to achieve the desired effect. We need to want to come together. We need to practice respect, compassion, and gratitude in our words and our actions.
In recent years, I've come to appreciate gratitude as just that: an active practice that informs our work at Mission Partners, strengthens our shared humanity, and deepens the proximity of our relationships. And that makes us better humans, too.
Here's a bit more data for you: According to a growing body of evidence, practicing gratitude comes with significant benefits, including improved physical and physiological health, increased happiness and life satisfaction, and decreased materialism. The practice of gratitude, as it seems, is healing.
We can all benefit from some healing.
So, in this season of gratitude, during this long fall holiday weekend, around a table and elsewhere, I will count my blessings for you. I will practice gratitude for the gifts before me and the values worth working for. As we know, to move forward from this time, we need a willingness to work, a willingness to close divides, and a willingness to come together. Because together is the best direction to go.
With my gratitude for you and all you do.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
