A rotating panel of experts from the...

A rotating panel of experts from the worlds of philosophy, psychology and religion offer their perspective on the dilemmas that come with living in Southern California.

Today’s question: “Thanksgiving Day is a holiday when we pause to count our blessings and to share our bounty with family, friends and those less fortunate than we. What factors influence you in your giving? How do you reach down to share?”

Thomas P. Rausch

Chairman of the department of theology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

Gratefulness expands the heart and makes it sing. It calls us out of ourselves. Like love, it is expressed in deeds. Thanksgiving offers an occasion to ask about our gratefulness. But most of us are also deluged with daily requests for help. We might ask: Do we have some favorite causes, some particularly needy persons or communities we contribute to? Do they have to be “like us?” Do we stick with those we try to help? Is our involvement personal as well as financial? It is often easier to write a check than to share something of ourselves. One norm: Make a few concrete commitments. And be ready for the unexpected.

Roy I. Sano

Bishop of Los Angeles Area of the United Methodist Church

Although we experienced hysteria and hatred as Japanese Americans during World War II, our family also received support from courageous and sacrificial people who risked their lives. I will be eternally grateful. My choice of vocation is influenced by those healing gestures. Gratitude leads me to give at least a tenth of my income to similar efforts today, to volunteer time in soup kitchens, and to give to Goodwill Industry, which trains and employs those who might not be working otherwise.

Joel Rembaum

Senior rabbi, Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, and past president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California

Thanksgiving may have been modeled on the biblical harvest festival of Sukkot. Our observance of Sukkot influences our response to the needy and homeless during Thanksgiving. During Sukkot, Jews build a sukkah, a rectangular hut with cut foliage serving as a roof. The fact that we can see the heavens through the roof makes us aware of our dependence on God. The sukkah, by its very nature as a temporary dwelling, reminds us of the fragile nature of human life. By dwelling in the sukkah we become homeless, and we understand the plight of those who have less than we do. Sukkot sensitizes Jews to what it is that Thanksgiving is all about.