In law I believe there is a basic legal principle that goes something to the effect that "possession is nine-tenths of the law." In other words, in a property or land dispute, the onus is really on the person who claims the other has his or her possession. It is a corollary, I suppose, to "innocent until proven guilty." Therefore, the person who has possession of the disputed property does not have to prove ownership, the plaintiff does.

It seems to me that the first reading for Thanksgiving Day suggests a similar theological principle: that thanksgiving is nine-tenths of possession. While we may be able to get our heads around the legal principle about possession being nine-tenths of the law, the theological principle may not immediately be as clear and obvious. What do I mean by the phr…