When one considers the United States, you need to seek beyond the light of lights to drink from the ocean of joyousness to find the source of meaningfulness for the love of our country. This meaningfulness can be found in the holidays, which celebrations bring everyone together. Whether festivals of light (Hanukkah, Diwali) or celebrating birthdays (Christmas (Jesus Christ), Milad un Nabi (Muhammad), or the New Year (birth of the Sun)), joyousness is the order of business for this quadrant of the calendar.
These are the celebrations of truth in various forms. The truth of the belief of the Jewish nation that God exists through the building of the second temple in Jerusalem. The truth of a people (Hindus) that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. The commemoration of the birth of a person who espoused truths (Christian and Muslims), which messages were soft and gentle and hard for people to hear.
In keeping with the belief of good over evil and light over darkness, the recognition that the sun is starting its return path from its darkest days marks another birthday, the truth that the day of least sunlight is the beginning towards the glory that is due the sun for the origination and continuation of life itself. This solar return is celebrated as the first day of the new year. Various peoples chose various days for their New Year, but the meaningfulness behind the day is the same, the beginning of a new day and new life.
The founders of the United States wished that everyone join in this jubilation shared by all people. This is the deeper truth of the revolution started by the United States that through reason people can become one people and that these citizens can expand their sense of joy and understanding to include not just their religion, but the religions of all. Through this sense of harmony, built on trust and respect, a stronger nation can arise. As envisioned by Thomas Jefferson, this is the truth of the meaning of the United States.
In the United States, when people reach across from pew to pew to shake hands, they are also reaching across from church to temple to mosque, from people to person, embracing this truth. When I think about this truth, I am proud to say that I am a citizen of the United States; this truth resides at the heart of every American who believes sublimely in the ideal of American democracy, regardless, if they know it or not, and it is this truth, which everyone expresses as the love of our country…
With this new year (2020) may everyone learn the true meaning of loving our country. Happy New Year!
(I recommend that you turn your volume up when you listen to this podcast. This is a soft sound with a soft message, but without a doubt, you have to listen better to hear the truth.)
-by Andrew E Barraford, 12/29/2019 New Hampshire
