Synopsis of the Armenian Message

II Kings 5:1-5

The Thankful Slave Girl

Being thankful is a great character trait.

Thanksgiving was officially recognized by the US Congress during the Civil War. However, the story goes more than 200 years back. In the Plymouth Colony in 1621, the Pilgrims had a feast with the Wampanoag Indians who brought food to express their goodwill. More than a century later, in 1777, the continental congress proclaimed the national day of thanksgiving. But it took another 100 years for Thanksgiving to become officially recognized in 1865.

We Armenians do not have the tradition of Thanksgiving Day. I wish we did. There are some communities, like the Anjar village, which celebrate the Harvest Feast which is somewhat similar to Thanksgiving.

Personally, I learnt about Thanksgiving in 1981when I was a student in Kansas. My friend from Colorado invited me over to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. I discovered that Thanksgiving includes:

- A turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, a football game, family, and leftover turkey sandwich!

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Why should we be thankful? Is there any reason?

Today’s passage tells up about an army general. He ranked highest in the Aramean army. Thousands of soldiers were under his command. This man was ill; he had leprosy. In those days, lepers had to be quarantined. For public figures like him, that was equivalent to death. He might have preferred death to leprosy.

Suddenly an unnamed slave girl comes into the picture. She has been brought here against her own will. She is probably missing her family, her culture and her faith.

The interesting thing in her is that instead of being filled with bitterness and hatred, she is grateful. Only a thankful spirit can do what she did. She saw her boss suffering and made her suggestion: “Only if my master could see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (vs 3)

Dear brothers and sisters, if we don’t learn to be thankful, we will become the bitterest people. We must learn to become thankful or we become bitter.

While he was chained in the prison, Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I thank my God every time I remember you.” (1:3)

The unnamed slave girl had thousands of reasons to complain or become bitter. Yet she was thankful. And God used her for the healing of Naaman.

To be continued in English.