A British writer
once wrote a satire which characterizes so many people’s attitudes towards
their house of worship. In the Screwtape
Letters, he tells this satirical story: The devil sent emissaries to
earth. One of them is charged to keep
touch with a certain person and to deliver him safely to hell. His job is to encourage this man in
wrongdoing. One day Satan’s emissary
writes a special-delivery letter to him.
He is failing in his mission. His
charge has joined the church. The devil
wrote back and told him not to worry if he joined the church. This is what to do. Every time he comes to services, don’t let
him listen to the preaching or the prayers; turn his attention to all the
unimportant things. Let him observe, for
example, that the usher is a hypocrite; that the officers are no good; that
some people are sleeping; or that the lady in the next pew is wearing a hat
that is not becoming. If he can fill his
mind with trivialities, it won’t matter if he goes to church; it will not help
him very much.
Monitoring what you think is not easy but it is the most important job you have.
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