As America celebrates Thanksgiving, we must pause and reflect on the words of Abraham Lincoln.
These words from his Oct. 3, 1863 proclamation, set apart the last Thursday of November “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise:”
“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”
Lincoln’s proclamation continues to solemnly address the “unequalled magnitude and severity” of the Civil War which has depleted the wealth and strength of the nation.
The proclamation ends with his calling upon the nation to offer “humble penitence for perverseness and disobedience.”
Lincoln also calls upon us to “heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union.”
A virus had entered America, and Lincoln called upon the nation to combat it.
America: Combating a New Virus
Lincoln responded to the virus infected by the Civil War through his character, ethics, and leadership.
These virtues are once again critical for America, as a new virus, propagating by bigotry, prejudice, and racism, is now infecting the nation.
