Who will sit at your table this Thanksgiving? After the Vietnam War, a group called the River Rats (The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association) implemented a tradition of remembering Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action by setting a small white table. Today the tradition continues across all military branches in dining-in rooms or dining-out celebrations, especially on Veterans Day.
Each item on the small table for one means something. The table represents one soldier’s lonely battle against many. The white tablecloth honors a soldier’s pure heart when answering the call to duty. Lemon slices and grains of salt equate with the bitter fate and tears of families waiting for loved ones to return. An empty chair draws attention to the missing soldiers who are not there. A black napkin portrays the sorrow of captivity. A turned-over glass stands for the meal that the soldier won’t eat. The white candle depicts peace. A red rose symbolizes the hope that all missing soldiers will return someday.
I had never heard about this tradition until I read a picture book called American’s White Table. After reading the book, I thought about the similarities between the Jewish Passover and the Christian’s Lord Supper. At the Passover meal, Jews remember their miraculous escape from Egyptian slavery by eating a Passover meal. At the Lord’s Supper, Christians remember Jesus’s death and resurrection by confessing our sins, eating bread, and drinking juice or wine.
Not to take away from any of these sacred traditions, I wonder how our Thanksgiving would differ if we held a time of remembrance.
A time to remember:
POWs and those MIA
Persecuted and captured missionaries
Prodigal sons and daughters
Family members passed away
Those who have poured into you
God’s promises
Who God is and what he has done
Here’s another thought: What if we invited someone to the table whose family lives far away? What if you asked someone to fill an empty chair at your table? Who could that be? A widow? A grieving couple? An orphan? A missionary? A childless couple?
Last year, because of COVID, I thought it would just be four of us at the Thanksgiving table. Then my daughter asked if she could bring a friend who lived away from her family. My son asked to bring a friend who lives in a drug and alcohol recovery home. This man brought his son, and my son also included his now-wife. Our little group of four doubled in size to eight. Despite the unusual circumstances and restrictions of COVID, it turned out to be one of my favorite Thanksgiving meals. We prodded each other with questions. We laughed, we remembered, I cried, we ate and ate some more.
There is something sacred about traditions, but sometimes, and maybe this Thanksgiving, these practices need to change a bit. How could you implement a time of remembrance into your festivities?
If you are planning a time of remembrance or already do something similar, would you let me know how your family carries out this particular time?