These days, some call it “Turkey Day,” not Thanksgiving. They do so, not out of any enthusiasm for eating turkey, but more out of an attempt to evade the idea that we should be thanking someone, i.e. God, for our blessings. So, they remove the “thanks” out of Thanksgiving Day. However, they still have not adequately reckoned with “the problem of goodness.”
Christianity’s naysayers are always quick to point out “the problem of evil.” They point to the messes and tragedies of our world — the wars, injustice, oppression, disease, suffering and then ask: why is there so much evil in the world? How could a good and powerful God let it happen? Thus, they conclude, there is no God.
In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis explains how his own atheism collapsed. He says, “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust.” But then he began to wonder how he had got this idea of just and unjust in the first place? He writes, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” In other words, he was implicitly assuming a standard of good by which he was judging something to be evil. Evil only makes sense if there is a real moral standard of goodness. Lewis later argued that such a standard cannot arise from a purely material universe. Thus, he concluded, the existence of evil itself, points to a transcendent source of goodness.
In pondering the problem of evil, C. S. Lewis came upon a deeper problem — the problem of goodness! Where do we get such a standard from? For that matter, why is there so much goodness in our world, even in the face of chaos and pain? And why do we want to celebrate it and praise it as good?
What explains the beauty of life? Why do people act selflessly? How do we explain the greatness of love, the wonder of the birth of a baby, laughter, waterfalls, rainbows, the joy of good music, bodies that dance, athletic achievements, and how about my mom’s pumpkin pie for that matter? What explains the goodness all around us?
This is a problem that secularists and Turkey Day advocates often evade. So instead of thanking God, they may “thank goodness,” or themselves, or simply resolve to say — “no thanks!”
It reminds me of a comment once made by British essayist G. K. Chesterton that “the worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has no one to thank!”
The Christian faith has an answer for the problem of goodness, (as well as the problem of evil). Reminding ourselves of it just might help us get beyond Turkey Day and back to Thanksgiving.
The Bible tells us that all the goodness in the world originates from the goodness of God. The existence of God explains the existence of good. The good things that we enjoy point beyond themselves. Genesis says God created the world and created it good — “very good.” Creation is a theater of God’s goodness where His good gifts are experienced by both those who believe in him and those who don’t. Theologians sometimes refer to this as “common grace.”
Then, with stark realism, the Bible acknowledges the reality of evil and the evilness of evil. While it never fully explains the origin of evil, it does say that it spread through human freedom and rebellion. It tells us that God does not cause evil, but He overrules it for His good purposes. He even entered our suffering world to defeat it in the person of Jesus Christ through His incarnation, cross and resurrection. Best of all, Scripture promises more good things to come — an end to evil, final justice, and a new Heaven and earth. It says that a day is coming when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” the old order of things passes away, and He makes all things new.
Each Thanksgiving raises the problem of goodness. Don’t run from it, reckon with it. And please don’t slip into this Turkey Day nonsense. Rather, reflect on your own experience of goodness this past year and fill your Thanksgiving with — giving thanks.
As the old 100th Psalm puts it:
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.”
Dr. Donald Sweeting is a noted educator, minister and author. He recently served as president and chancellor of Colorado Christian University. Previously he served as the president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and prior to that he served as a pastor for 22 years. He holds a BA from Lawrence University, BA and MA degrees from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. from Trinity International University. He is the author of several books. His writings have been widely published by Townhall, Fox News, The Washington Times, The Jerusalem Post, and many other outlets. Dr. Sweeting and Christina have three adult sons and a daughter. He regularly posts his thoughts at donsweeting.com and can be followed on Twitter @dsweeting.
