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Dorothy Copus Brush Thanksgiving alive Although Thursday, Nov. 23, 2000 is officially
Thanksgiving Day in our nation, this whole first year of the
21st century was proclaimed by the United Nations as the "International
Year of Thanksgiving." On Jan. 1, 2000 a set of three commemorative
stamps on this theme was issued. The design featured the Glory
Window in the Chapel of Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square
in Dallas, TX. This vibrant Glory Window forms the 60-foot-high
ceiling of the chapel. It is one of the largest horizontal mounted
stained-glass pieces in the world and was designed by Gabrielle
Loire of France. It symbolizes the blessing of the Divine descending
to Earth as well as the ascent of human praise and gratitude
to God. When I read that little item early this year
I was transported back to the day I stumbled onto this unique
place, Thanks-Giving Square. It was in the late 1980s that I
was in Dallas for a conference, and during a noon break I wandered
around the streets near our meeting place. Soaring above the
buildings I noticed a sparkling white spiral tower, and I walked
toward it. That was when I found this place dedicated to Thanksgiving. In 1961 the City Planning Council of Dallas
conceived the idea to set aside an acre of prime real estate
to celebrate a "value." It took several years of consultation
with learned thinkers to choose thanksgiving as the "value." In 1968 land was purchased, and by 1976 The
Chapel of Thanksgiving was opened. Funding for this unusual place
all comes from individual gifts, foundations and corporations.
By 1996 Thanks-Giving Square had grown from one acre to more
than three. Even before the chapel opened the staff was
researching the universal meaning and importance of thanksgiving
and religious leaders from around the world held seminars in
Dallas exploring the same subject. On the 200th anniversary of the first American
Prayer Proclamation in 1975 President Gerald Ford was presented
with the first collection ever assembled of all the Presidential
Prayer and Thanksgiving Proclamations. The work had all been
done by Thanks-Giving Square staff. Because of their research
the National Day of Prayer, which had long been dormant, was
revived by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and restored to its
traditional spring date. In 1991 President George Bush dedicated
the display on the Wall of Presidents at Thanks-Giving Square
which shows the prayers and thanksgiving words of American presidents.
These are just a few examples of the knowledge gained through
the work of this group which adds to our understanding of the
importance of thanksgiving to all of humanity. Thanks-Giving Square was architecturally designed
for meditation and replenishment of the spirit. Here, sounding
the hours and pealing at noon are the Great Bells of Thanksgiving.
They are shaped in the form of the American Liberty Bell and
at their base are different inscriptions from the Psalms. A lovely
area designed by Philip Johnson is called the Merit Garden. The
Wall of Praise carries the 100th Psalm and a mosaic of Norman
Rockwell's portrait "The Golden Rule" depicting people
of the world at prayer. The lower level of the Hall of Thanksgiving
is dedicated to the American spirit. A life-size statue of George
Washington kneeling in prayer dominates one space. This sculpture
was inspired by that bitter winter day in Valley Forge when Washington
and his troops gave thanks on that first national Thanksgiving
Day. In announcing the International Year of Thanksgiving,
Kofi A. Annan, secretary-general of the United Nations, said
to begin the 21st century and the new millennium this way celebrates
the gift of life as the most noble expression of the human spirit
and promotes friendship and solidarity between nations. For all these many years since that short visit to Thanks-Giving Square I have never forgotten the serenity of the place. Although placed in the heart of a huge city filled with the cacophonies of traffic and work, this acreage remains quiet and untouched by outside forces. |