Hanksgiving
Like many people, my mother is a fan of Tom Hanks. At least, she enjoys his movies. Which is why I got to watch so many of them growing up. A few years ago someone made the joke about T. Hanks as a way to say thanks. Which then became Hanks-giving which is now something you see sponsored at a few movie theaters and a part of some traditions in families. And if pressed, most people my age or older can tell you their favorite Tom Hanks movie. For some it is “Toy Story” while others like “Forrest Gump” and others still like “Sleepless in Seattle”. Because of his long and varied career, there is probably a Tom Hanks movie for you.
And today I want to talk about one that I feel is especially fitting to the season- both this season for this congregation and this season in the year. It is a time for gratitude and giving thanks. It is a time for looking around and remembering that an attitude of gratitude is not just for the fourth Thursday in November, but every single day. Especially if you love the Lord. Our scripture is full of thanksgiving and praise for the wonders of God’s creation. And Psalm 100 sometimes gets called the Thanksgiving Psalm. There are more than a few praise and worship songs based on its words. Praising God is supposed to be a daily activity, even in the worst of times. And giving thanks for a piece of pop culture may seem weird, but I often look at movies or songs or musicals as things created by people who sought to do as their creator did- to make something good. So what movie is it that makes me want to give thanks this year? “Apollo 13”.
For those who have not seen it, Apollo 13 is a movie about things not going according to plan. Yes, because the cast plays astronauts and because they are in space, their mistakes are much more easily fatal than other mistakes we might make, but it can be described as things not going according to plan. And it’s not really anybody’s fault. At least not those who will be most impacted by things not going according to plan. But that is still exactly what happens. Not according to plan could apply to so many people, myself included. I also think this may be something that the world is feeling these days. Finding peace in the midst of turmoil requires a heavy leaning on the Holy Spirit- a daily spiritual practice as well. And in this movie, lots of things go wrong so there is plenty of opportunity. An original member of the flight crew isn’t allowed to fly because he never had the chicken pox and then later the ship explodes and they have to figure out how to not die. You know, not according to plan.
Which leads us to the second reason I think this might be the most fitting movie for Hanks-giving this year. Suddenly the flight crew finds themselves stranded in space with very limited resources. There’s a famous scene where mission control walks into a room of engineers, presents them with a box of things, and basically says do what others consider to be impossible with less than ever before.
Sometimes things seem impossible, but that might just be our limited human view. With God, nothing is impossible. Or, as I prefer to say it, God has worked greater miracles than this. Since God has brought people back from the dead, helped people understand each other who did not speak the same languages, and figured out a way to offer redemption and mercy to humanity, let’s just say I trust that when things seem impossible, God still has a way. What seems impossible in your life right now? God can do it. What are you grateful to have? Hopefully everything you’ve got and then some- because God gives abundantly in grace and love. What impossible task will you take on with God’s help so that you can do the impossible with less than ever before? That we’ll have to wait and see.
