Message to the Community of York
December 18, 2002 by The Interfaith Alliance of York
Celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the First National Thanksgiving Proclamation

The wisdom of Thankfulness
As members of York and citizens of the United States, we are honored to uphold the practice of thankfulness in commemoration of the first national thanksgiving proclamation of November 1, 1777. A spirit of thankfulness is its own reward. Our expressions of gratitude are humble acts of wisdom. When we give thanks we are united in the recognition of our interdependence and of our opportunity to live in a world of abundant life and beauty. In the process of giving thanks we become aware of our many blessings: the rich diversity of our community, the strength of caring persons, the liberties we enjoy, and life in a nation founded on the ideals of freedom and justice. In thankfulness we rejoice in a vision of life that refuses to take others for granted and seeks to cherish diversity.

The wisdom of our Founders
The founders of our nation carried their gratitude in their hearts with strong convictions of faith. They spoke of God's love and righteousness and the divinely gracious benefits bestowed upon the land. They formed a union of states into a single republic dedicated to the provision of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all of its citizens. They created a living document to carry their vision of our nation into the future. They established constitutional safeguards to protect the rights of the minority view. In their wisdom they understood to be essential the freedoms of religion, assembly, and expression. They called for times of national pause and thankfulness to bind us together in a common observance that heightens our awareness of who we are as a people that enjoy inalienable rights.

Wisdom in York
The commemoration of the rich heritage of York is an act of wisdom. When we remember and honor our past we build upon our strengths, we bear witness to the continuity in our lives, acknowledge our shortcomings, and create a guide to a brighter future. The strength of York is not that we have always defended the rights of others, nor that we have consistently shared an attitude of appreciation for the diversity of our citizens, but that we are willing to learn from our past and work together for our future. We rejoice in revealing the truth, good or bad and learning from both. We celebrate our heritage and focus on the highest ideals of our faith traditions and cultures. We stand together against hate and discrimination, united in our belief that together we are stronger.

Our hope for wisdom
Our future begins now. This moment is an opportunity to promote the vision we desire for our community: We believe that greater days and greater freedoms are ahead: freedom from fear, freedom from poverty, freedom from hatred, and freedom from disease. We believe that when we continue the humble practice of thanksgiving, we advance this vision. Let us give thanks.

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