Aug 30, 2008
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!