Article April 8, 1996 ISSUE

Restoring our joy in God's love

Robert A. Charbeneau

The distinguished philosopher and author Will Durant made a list of guidelines for his grandchildren, among which is this one: "The mind is formed by what it takes in. Don't be a wastebasket" (Words to live by [New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959], p. 220).

Becoming a "wastebasket" is usually a subtle process. Morbid and depraved concepts of God and man, labeled as a newsworthy or "harmless" entertainment, are tossed in our direction by movies and by radio and television broadcasts. These include frivolous talk shows and emotional live courtroom dramas. We're not aware of taking these depressing thoughts until we get so filled with them that we can't see the beauty, or feel the stability and joy of spiritual reality, all around us. Instead, we mentally rehearse and project into our experience words and pictures of the sickness, violence, and disasters we have been presented with.

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