1 Corinthians 12:25, 26  This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. (NLT)

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Harmony, our new old friend, shows up again here in 1 Corinthians 12. As we saw in Romans 14:17-19 and 1 Corinthians 1:10, harmony edifies and unifies. Here, we see how harmony comforts and heals. It also provides the enrichment the soil of our lives requires for flourishing. As always, harmony leads to rejoicing. 

It’s amazing how beneficial harmony is to just about everything good and wholesome. 

Today is Thanksgiving Eve. I know there is no real anticipation or excitement about the day before Thanksgiving like there is for the day before Christmas. Maybe there should be. If this special holiday were celebrated the way the first one was, if there were more gratitude and grace, our family gatherings would produce more joy and fewer bellyaches, at least of the unpleasant discussion variety.

A simple survey this week determined that every family has at least one party pooper. Some people find a way to ruin even the best of times. They may say something like, “I’m not negative. I’m just a realist.”

Realism can wait until the Cowboys try to win two in a row. 

I’m not interested in Crabapple Cathy telling me how awful our political situation is or how many preservatives are in my apple pie. I plan to enjoy the full effects of tryptophan and bad football as I descend into a luxurious nap far away from the conspiracy theories of crazy uncles and long-form podcast aficionados. 

If you can’t sing harmony on Thanksgiving Day, please find somewhere else to bray. 

Let this time of year remind us of how to care for one another, build one another up, and enjoy one another. 

My bride came home recently with light blue wristbands. She distributed them freely. They have these markings: W. A. I. T. They stand for Why Am I Talking? This is similar in thought to Mark Twain’s famous saying, “It’s never too early to shut up.” Have you ever heard better advice for Thanksgiving conversations?

These wristbands can also mean What Am I Thinking? Thinking before speaking is a rare art these days. Let’s bring it back into fashion.

My bride noticed there is room to add another acrostic on the same wristband. It could be W. A. I. S. T. This stands for Why Am I Still Talking? This acknowledges that the more we speak, the more we misspeak or regret speaking. It’s crazy how some people are offended even by remarks intended as kind observations. 

Maybe we should stop talking right here. Enough lessons have been crammed into these five hundred words. To review: Harmony sings. Too much talking with a full belly and an empty head belches. 

Let us give preference to songs of Thanksgiving. I’m starting now. 

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I will work toward harmony and apple pie.

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Our Father, bless our gatherings with deep gratitude and gentle demeanors. Bless us with harmony among our loved ones and closest friends. May our times together help us remember our previous gatherings and those who joined us there who cannot occupy their empty chairs this year. Remind us of how precious life is. May our love grow ever greater and our opinions ever kinder. Amen.