Lately I have noticed more and more people responding to a “thank you” with a “you’re welcome.” Why just this morning at a local coffee shop a young man uttered those words in response to someone having held the door open for him. For a long, long time I had not heard that acknowledgement and often wondered why. Were people not wanting to take credit for some kindness they had extended? Were people in too much of a rush to take the time to utter those words? Were people thinking their “good deed” did not warrant any gratitude and thus there was no need to respond? I have been baffled by this behavior. I have not come to any solid conclusion as to the reason.
Now I am befuddled as to why I am hearing those words, “you’re welcome,” so much more frequently. What has happened? Was there a societal change I missed? Was there a new book on etiquette published that escaped my attention? What’s going on?
Then I got to thinking about God’s response to our words of thanksgiving. Over and over again in the Psalter and countless other places in Scripture there are declarations of praise to God and admonitions to glorify God, to show God your thanksgiving. Psalm 111, for example, declares “Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” Likewise Psalm 147 proclaims: “Praise the Lord. For it is good to sing praises to our God.” And in the Gospel of Luke the writer relates the story of ten lepers cured of their disease by Jesus who sends them off to the priest to be declared clean (healed). Of the ten only one comes back to praise God and to express his thanks to Jesus. In response Jesus comments: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?”
Does God acknowledge our thanksgiving? Is there a divine “you’re welcome”? Does God somehow, someway respond to our words of thanksgiving? If not, why not? If so, how? This sounds like a theological conundrum, a puzzle best left alone. But let’s venture forth anyway.
What message does “you’re welcome” really convey? What does it communicate to the one whose act of kindness elicited that response? Is it a subtle pat on the back? Is it simply saying “I heard you”? Is it meant to encourage further responses of “thank you” for similar situations in the future?
Does God need our thanks? Does God need to respond with a “welcome”? I believe God hears us. I believe God is not in need of our affirmation. I believe God’s love is steadfast and not dependent on our response. (That’s what grace is all about!) God does not need our encouragement to “keep up the good work.”
I believe the “thanks” we give to God is for our sake, not God’s. It serves to remind us of the source of all blessings, goodness, beauty, and truth. I believe God does not need to respond with a “you’re welcome” because there is no need.
But if saying “you’re welcome” to a fellow mortal serves a good purpose (such as encouraging future expressions of thanks or giving yourself a pat on the back – affirmation is good) then let’s continue that tradition. It’s a good thing.