My dear Wormwood,The real trouble about the set your patient is living in is that it is merely Christian. They all have individual interests, of course, but the bond remains mere Christianity. What we want, if men become Christians at all, is to keep them in the state of mind I call 'Christianity And'. You know - Christianity and the Crisis, Christianity and the New Psychology, Christianity and the New Order, Christianity and Fiath Healing, Christianity and Psychical Research, Christianity and Vegetarianism, Chrisitianity and Spelling Reform. If they must be Chrisitains let them at least be Chrisitians with a difference. Substitute for the faith itself some Fashion with a Christian colouring. Work on their horror of the Same Old Thing.
--C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
As usual, Lewis hits the nail on the head. This is so true and sad. If only we could focus on the basics and leave "fashion" behind as far as our faith goes. Screwtape is such an eye-opener. One reads it and thinks, "Of course, that happens all the time." But we never guess its source.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly what I did the first time I read it. In fact, I still do when I re-read it. Maybe that's another reason I love Lewis so much. :)
ReplyDelete~L~