From the Pastor’s Desk:

As we celebrate Labor Day weekend, we are celebrating all people who work, making this country the greatest nation on earth. It matters not if they are factory workers, professionals, farmers, housewives; county, state, or federal workers. All people who work to earn their way in life have made this a stronger nation. This is why we celebrate Labor Day.

We have a high quality of life by the standards of most of the world’s population. We can open our refrigerators and find foods in season and out of season. Foods grown here in the Midwest, on the east coast, the west coast, or from South America find their way to our grocery store shelves. The products we purchase in our stores come from all over the world. We drive to work in our air-conditioned cars, and we press a button to raise the heat in our homes during winter months. We turn a lever or press a button and fresh drinking water comes out of a faucet.  Americans spend more money on entertainment throughout the year than most people make in a year. We celebrate all people who work—both in the past and today—who have contributed to making our country the great nation it is.

Every day in every corner of our world, there are men, women, and children walking across national borders to find work, to find shelter, to find safety, to find food, and to find the freedom to find a better life for themselves and their children.  We might understand those who are fleeing from violence and war, but do we understand that many countries don’t have jobs, or any way for people to make a living to buy food and medicine for their families?  As we celebrate this weekend, please remember to thank God for all He has given you and me. Regardless of how hard our lives may be, I do not believe that we have people going through the city dumps collecting bottles or aluminum cans to sell so they can buy food that day. As I have traveled through some of the developing nations of the world, I have seen adults as well as children digging in the city dumps so they could eat that day.

Pope Francis has stated: “Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one’s family, to contribute to the growth of one’s own nation.”  Unfortunately, millions of workers today are denied this honor and respect as a result of unemployment, underemployment, unjust wages, wage theft, abuse, and exploitation.

To all those who are retired, I thank each of you for your many years of hard work. For all who are working today, I thank you also.  In one way or another you are making my world/our world, a better place in which to live. We also want to thank all the members of our armed forces who are stationed all over the world fighting, or on some type of border patrol to keep our nation free and safe.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend.