Memorial Day Meditation: Finding the Sacred in a Secular Holiday

In this time of growing self-interest in the political world, where the greatest good many people seek involves such lofty goals such as paying fewer taxes, making more money, and doing exactly what I want with my money and my property, Memorial Day challenges us to balance self-interest with the larger community and planetary interests. These soldiers did not die just for us to pay fewer taxes or make more money or live individualistically, they died for a dream, a dream still partly unrealized in the USA -- the dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people in our community; the dream of liberty and justice for all; and to secure a place of refuge for the hungry, persecuted, and oppressed. Living by these values is how we honor those who have sacrificed on our behalf.