Article February 17, 1962 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from John F. Wharton, Lyndon B. Johnson, W. Cairns

John F. Wharton (New York lawyer and author) in the Saturday Review New York, New York

Surveying the known history of the human race, one wonders how it survived at all, let alone increased in number. I could only account for it by it theory based on faith—faith that along with man's hatreds, sadistic impulses, and drives for destruction, there is also a subconscious sense that life is better than death, love better than hate, and creation better than annihilation. Call this sense the Soul, or the Divine in Man, or the Life Force, or the Ego—in any case it is what gives us that occasional transcendent feeling that we are part of something greater and better than ourselves. This sense tells us that when we are consciously or unconsciously obeying that "something's" law, we are doing "right," despite all man-made laws to the contrary.

When and if this sense is fanned into flame we can accomplish what we call miracles. Up to now it has been fanned into flame at every crisis of the human race. Will it be today? I believe it can be, but we must work at it.

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