YOUR AFFECTIONATE UNCLE

My Dear Wormwood-

• I note with grave displeasure that you have let Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar attend the Young Adult book study.  If the Christian’s laughter is bawdy, mocking, biting or satyric, all the better for our side.  Should the Christian laugh at himself, I’m afraid the Enemy will have them before long.   As Niebuhr said, “Humor is the prelude to faith, and laughter the beginning of true prayer.” Their most promising quality of all is their clear penchant for taking their reading literally, as they have made my name out of literal “tape letters.”  These are exactly the sorts of people we want interpreting the Enemy’s love letter to them.  If only they kept trying to feed straw to the lion.  Thankfully, our Heavenly Father “prowls about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  Wesley’s questions were a blunder on your part, I will have more to say about in the next letter.  Until then, keep puffed up with balderdash.

Your affectionate uncle,

Screwtape

WESLEY’S QUESTION:  Am I proud?

SCRIPTURE:  And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)  See also James 4:6, Ezekiel 28

FOOLISH WISDOM:

What Child Is This? arranged by Robert A. Hobby

© 1995 by Pavane Publishing, 

collection © 2000 MorningStar Music Publishers of ST. Louis

Laura Hesse, organ

A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride.(C.S. Lewis)

MUSIC SELECTION: