Thank God for America!

by Rev. Sir Knight Donald Craig Kerr

"Be strong in what you stand for, but be careful what you fall for."

Whoever said that was right. At this Thanksgiving time we can look back with pride and gratitude to the strength, loyalty, and energy which have made this country what it is. There are times too, to be sure, when we are taken in by crazy and foolish ideas that do us more harm than good.

What America is can be told in a story about some Boy Scouts who had found an old section of a railroad track. Each boy wanted to try and walk on the rails, which is never as easy as it looks. Every time a boy would try, he would lose his balance and fall off. They took a bet and two boys jumped on opposite rails. They held out a hand to each other in order to keep their balance. In a few minutes they had walked the entire distance without falling off.

In a nutshell that is how America works. So, at this Thanksgiving time let us be thankful for everything we can do together to help each other as well as someone else. That is what our Shrine hospitals do every day. When we can't or won't or don't help each other, we not only suffer but so does everyone else. Cooperation, as someone said, is doing with a smile what we have to do anyway.

There are a lot of people in this world. Everyone does not think as we do but everyone has the same feelings as we have. All of us love and hate and worry. None of us can be a lone wolf or live as if no one else lived beside us.

When we think of Thanksgiving let us be reminded of how someone has helped us and how we have helped someone else. That is what makes our country strong and our community safe. So, we say, God bless America! And blessings too to you and your family and friends.

The Reverend Sir Knight Donald C. Kerr, a member of Beauseant Commandery No. 8, Baltimore, MD, is Pastor-emeritus of the Roland Park Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. He resides at 700 John Ringling Boulevard, Apt. E202, Sarasota, FL 34236-1586


Update: July 11, 2014

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