Article April 17, 1995 Issue

Eliminating the clutter

Isabel F. Bates

The disposal of waste is one of the challenging problems in the world today. Let's realize, however, that just as we may be concerned about keeping litter out of our streets and troublesome waste materials away from neighborhoods, even so we need to guard against cluttering and polluting our thinking with troublesome elements of thought.

Take, for instance, the present tendency of many governments, as well as individuals, to let such basic values as goodness and moral standards be swallowed up in a muddle of selfish interests and a drive for power. In the face of such thinking, is it any wonder that war and crime are rampant, living conditions so often desperate, and disease so widespread?

Christ Jesus warns us about mental clutter. In his parable of the sower, he speaks of a state of mind symbolized by seeds that "fell among thorns." These, he explains, are similar to individuals who hear the word of God, but "go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection" (Luke 8:14).

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