Letter VII, refers to the War, and turns to the question of patriotism or pacifism. Screwtape’s suggestion is that whichever ‘the Patient’ chooses, it become a part of his religion – leading to it becoming the most important part.
“Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what worldly end he is pursuing. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes and crusades matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and charity – he is ours.”
We have to make decisions about what we are going to do, what causes we are going to champion; but we must never lose focus on why we are doing them. Our ’causes’, however well intentioned, should never become our God. We should never get so caught up in doing ‘good works’ that we forget the reason we were doing them. We do what we do because we love God and follow him, not instead of that.
I’ve ‘taken up’ C S Lewis for Lent.
They’re a couple of books that I found when we moved, and thought ‘I must have another read of those one day’. Well in an effort to do something productive during Lent, ‘one day’ has come.
I’m starting with The Screwtape Letters (first published 1942, I’m reading a reprint from 1977 – though this is a third impression from 1982!). It must be about 25 years since I read it – and a lot of water has passed under this bridge since then.
Screwtape is writing to Wormwood. Screwtape is a senior demon. He is advising his nephew, Wormwood, a more junior demon, how to tempt ‘the Patient’ away from ‘The Enemy’ – ie God. So it’s an appropriate theme for the beginning of Lent. I’ll share just some of my random thoughts as I work my way through it – hoping they might spark some thought. Feel free to comment!
