Baker: Whom do you serve?

This week, we marked a solemn holiday, dedicated to honoring the memory of all military personnel who sacrificed their lives in service of our country. More recently, many also consider this holiday as a day on which to honor and remember all loved ones who have passed on.

Certainly it is fitting to honor our dead, and yet I wonder: is there something more we can do?

For instance, might we consider whom we ourselves serve? Lyrics in a Bob Dylan song say, “you gotta serve somebody. You may be a socialite…you may be a rock ‘n’ roll addict, prancing on a stage…you may be rich or poor, blind or lame…but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

Whom we serve depends primarily on the lens through which we look at life. At any given moment, our time, energy and choices are dedicated to a specific something or someone, whether we realize it or not. Often, this is our families, our friends, our work. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Many of us view our lives through the lens of spirituality or religion. A foundational truth or belief in some entity larger than ourselves. This often moves us to serve others: to reach out to those in need, to support causes that help humans, animals, or the planet to thrive. Daily, of course, most of us are in service to a paycheck–a transactional relationship that can either be gratifying or simply a very necessary means to an end.

In our American culture, many instead idolize money, comfort, or social media validation. That life is like eating nothing but potato chips. They taste good at the moment, but they don’t feed the true hunger that lies within. Personally, I’ve never found satisfaction at the bottom of a potato chip bag, though God knows, I’ve tried.

It saddens me to note that one of the most common entities we serve today is: ourselves. Some of us live lonely or frustrating lives that are never satisfying. We may isolate ourselves, letting our egos run rampant. That inner voice tells us we’re no good; or, that we are the greatest. It demands instant gratification; it constantly compares, weighs and measures. And its goal is all about itself.

Sometimes, it’s hard to find examples of true service. Our government increasingly leans towards authoritarianism, with a goal of making the mega-rich ever more wealthy. And the powerful ever more powerful. We are at war, creating more gravestones that await the flowers of those who mourn the dead. These casualties include innocent men, women and children, as well as armed forces members. Many of us are living in fear, in poverty, in cages, vilified for who and what they are. We have neighbors who cannot afford to feed their families, and bitter ego trips and rivalries among those who were elected to serve us.

Nevertheless, there are still moments that fill us with hope, joy and comfort. Moments–and people–who still remind us how important and gratifying it is to serve one another. Do you see them?

A woman walks along a wooded path, sprinkling birdseed on every fence rail, post and bench. Squirrels, chipmunks and birds gather in her wake, rejoicing in the bounty. The woman’s face radiates joy and peace.

An older man fell recently as he crossed Route 59, close to a busy shopping area in Stow. He carried a couple old cloth bags. As he fell, items spilled from the bags, including something ceramic that shattered on the road. He made it safely to the other side, and then immediately walked back into traffic to gather up his possessions.

Though it was a busy time of day and there were many cars lined up, everyone stopped. No one beeped, no one seemed impatient. Finally, a young man leaped out of his car and began helping the older man gather up the broken crockery.

Memorializing the dead is a fine and noble endeavor. But then, so is serving the living.