This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, a time of honoring those that lost their lives serving our country. We honor the courage and bravery that servicemen exhibited in the face of adversity.

The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu text, has an interesting perspective on going to battle. It starts from the questioning of Arjuna, a young man who faces the ethical issue of whether or not war is just, and whether or not he should participate in it. He asks his charioteer, who turns out to be an incarnation of God, Krishna, what he should do. Krishna then proceeds to give an oratory unmatched in spiritual literature, describing the nature of God and the world, the nature of man and the soul, and finally revealing himself to Arjuna in a stupendous mystical vision.

Krishna counsels Arjuna to be compassionate to friend and enemy alike, seeing himself in every creature, seeing God in every creature. But does he or does he not sanction war? Come this Sunday and find out.