Yesterday, May 1, drawing from some words of the prophet Jeremiah, we observed the power of rooting one's life in the biggger life which surrounds and invests us all, the life of God and, by so doing, becoming, as it were, deeply productive and meaningful trees.

     However, as I also indicated, May 1 is a day of celebration for the labor movement. Though many of us, beholden to and ensconsced in the ascendancy of free market capitalism, may abhor or resent the labor movement (and it indeed has its flaws), we cannot deny that, in its earliest days during the Industrial Revolution, the labor movement proved incredibly helpful, even life changing to the workers of the world.  Moreover, although the labor movement has generated its share of violence over the years, when we consider its motivations for such actions, we can better understand, even if we do not neccesarily accept, it.  Many of us do not know how it feels to be exploited, severely and harshly, by a management seemingly indifferent to, if not openly angry about worker needs and desires.  Too many people around the planet suffer horribly in this regard, victims of an myopic pursuit of profit at all costs.
     In various writings from the Hebrew scriptures, including the prophets Amos and Hosea, God makes clear that he literally hates such exploitation and greed.  God wants very much for people to be treated fairly.  He wishes for creatures made in his image to treat each other with respect and honor, be it in the halls of government or the machinations of the marketplace.
     Whether you are a worker or manager, take a moment today to remember:  we're all on this planet together, trying to find our way.  We all owe each other the very best.