Article February 3, 2003 Issue

Angels in our lives

By Richard Bergenheim

THERE HAS BEEN AN EXPLOSION of angels in movies and television programs during the past few years. Angels are often portrayed as better and wiser human beings with powerfully good hearts, who strive to nudge us toward happier and more moral lives.

It strikes me that recent interest in angels illustrates the struggle to figure out how the spiritual interacts with daily life. Most of us feel the need for extra help—even if we have what might be called a normal life that isn't overrun with crises or sorrows. And if we are dealing with se vere difficulties, we yearn even more for light, for help, for guidance. We'd like to have a guardian angel of some sort to help us find our way.

In some ways the movies have it right. Angels are a strong spiritual influence for good in our lives. But angels are not glorified human be ings—though, to be fair, movies would have quite a job if the central character had to be invisible.