Did you notice that bad things did not stop happening through the holidays? And is any warning necessary that bad things will happen in every season of this year? Surely there is better news than that, but we ought to be honest about the bad news. Not even the holidays generate enough good will to stop people from blowing up airplanes and destroying people's reputations and abusing children and selling drugs to teenagers and gunning down their neighbors.

In fact, the holidays often elevate stress levels. People spend money they don't have on gifts, and the financial strain creates worry. People miss loved ones so much that the joy is hollow. Others find the stress of their families being together to be so great that they dread the holiday reunions. For these and other reasons, the times t…