It’s ironic. After leaving my 30-year-career in news in 2022, I made a conscious decision to distance myself from the daily news consumption. I limited myself to select news websites, allowing me to choose what to read and avoid the constant exposure to sensational crime and political banter. It brought me peace.  

A priest once told me that the things that occupy our thoughts at night are the things that distract us from God, and thus inner peace. They become our idols—our sandcastles.

I recall going to Sanibel Beach with my family when our kids were young. My son started building a sandcastle one morning and it became more elaborate, as the day went on. Other boys joined him, and soon, they were knee-deep in sand, obsessively working on their creation. But as the sun began to set, the tide came in and the sandcastle was washed away. 

Our idols are like those sandcastles—obsessions that we prioritize over God. 

For years, my son’s baseball career was my sandcastle. I obsessed over how to help him excel, to the point of losing sleep. My attachment was intense. And I knew it. Despite bringing it up often to my spiritual director, I struggled to let it go. When my son decided to stop playing baseball, it felt like losing part of myself.

Eventually, just as the tide washed away the sandcastle, freeing my son to enjoy the rest of the beach, I let go of my attachment and found peace.

Now, however, a new sandcastle has emerged: politics. Since the recent presidential debate, I have been drawn back into a vicious cycle of staying tuned to every new development in the campaign. As Michael Corleone says in The Godfather III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” Yes, I realize The Godfather III is considered an "infàmia" to fans of the original films.

Working from home on Mondays and Fridays, I've been keeping the news on from the morning until the Mets’ game at night, much to the dismay of my daughter, who had to listen to it all day.

I became so engrossed in my appetite for the latest developments and commentary that I neglected my prayer routine at night and during my walk with the dogs, just so I could return to it as soon as possible. 

A recent article by Thomas Griffin titled “Beware the Idolatry of Politics” snapped me out of the malaise. It articulated what I was already realizing: politics had become an idol—my new sandcastle.

In the piece, Griffin contrasts St. Augustine’s City of God with the city of men, capturing the struggles that many Catholics and other Christians are experiencing with contemporary politics. He writes, “Ultimately, the capacity to be informed about politics while remaining grounded in one’s faith comes down to what one loves the most—what we worship. You can discover what you worship by asking yourself what you spend the most time thinking about... Being consumed with an idea or a cause in such a way that it directs your every move is a form of worship. Unfortunately, the hyper-attentiveness and importance placed on the news and politics have made them idols for so many.”

My interest in politics isn't new. I was a double major in telecommunications and politics from the University of Miami. But I thought I had learned my lesson during the 2008 elections, when I was so invested that I was arguing with random people online and debating in polite company. Although, I can be quite intense. I'm not always very polite in political discussions!

That experience thought me a valuable lesson, it doesn’t really matter who is president—Christ will always be King. It’s a lesson I plan to apply this time around as well. 

Now with one sandcastle down, it may be time to address my biggest idolatry: the Mets. Pray for me!