August 30, 2008: Labor Day!

Most countries celebrate Labor Day, or have an equivalent holiday.  When it is celebrated depends on the country and its traditions.  In the United States, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September.

Labor Day is a secular holiday.  It is not a religious holiday, although some faiths hold services and some have special prayers to be said or hymns to be sung on Labor Day (or the nearest Sunday/ Sabbath).  But that does not mean that there isn't something of the Divine to find in Labor Day.  In fact, Labor Day can teach one of the most important spiritual and theological lessons which we all need to learn.

We all labor, and almost all of us at some time in our lives will be doing the kind of labor honored on Labor Day.  It doesn't matter if you're the president of some manufacturing company, or the janitor on the factory floor - it's labor. 

And there, in that point I just made, is the kernel of a theological point worth recognizing.

And Labor Day is when we honor the labor done by ourselves and others.  And that, combined with the previous point, leads us to a morality issue. 

Morality, you question?  Yes, especially if you understand what authentic morality actually is.

And from there, you can see what might be one of the nastier issues facing us today.

And you'll see how there can be a very powerful spiritual and theological lesson found in a secular holiday.

Blessed Be!