This age of ours has been called many things: the “Atomic Age,” the “Nuclear Age,” the “Space Age,” the “Age of Revolution,” the “Post-Christian Age.” Lately, one label which is being used more and more frequently is the “Age of Despair.” And certainly if we read some of the poems, the plays, the novels, the philosophical works of our time, we find an increasing amount of pessimism and despair about the situation of mankind.
There is the story of a man who felt such despair about life he climbed up on a bridge to commit suicide. A policeman came along and tried to coax him to come down. Finally, in desperation, the policeman said, “Let’s take ten minutes now. You take five minutes and tell me what’s wrong with the world and why you want to kill yourself. Then I’ll take five minutes and tell you everything that is right with the world and why you should go on living.” After each had taken…
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