Another Letter...
My dear Wormwood--
It is clear that everything is going well and exactly according to plan. I was delighted to hear about the progress that you have continued to make. It took us so long to distract these simpletons and to drive them further and further away from the Enemy.
This particular misdirection that I am speaking of, began long before you were on the case, but you can see the repercussions that have been handed down throughout the generations. The original plan--which was to some degree thwarted by the Enemy--was to have people speak so much about Him, his love, his mercy, his grace (which I still label as simple stupidity by the way, I can't believe that anyone would fall for anything that nauseating) that they would think it to be rather common place and begin to take it for granted.
There was that one who unfortunately published a book about this and tried to expose us before he could be stopped & we tricked people into killing him. How funny that they all called the first war "The Great War" only to find a second one sitting upon their doorsteps. Shows how silly the humans are actually. Anyway. I digress. That man was a leader of the movement and we had him exterminated, but to our great misfortune, his writings found their way into the hands of others. Thankfully for the most part today, people find him dull, boring, and wonder if he had a point. If you do come across any who would read these German's words and find the Enemy's tricks there in, please, a simple distraction will be all it takes. The best idea will be to convince him that this man's words are from another era, illogical and don't fit into today's society. But if by some misfortune this book finds its way into the hands of an individual who is enthusiastic, who wants to share it with a group and seems immune to our simple distraction--that is of great danger, and please write at once so we know how to best deal with this. For this idea of misdirection is the best when dealing with the idea of the Enemy's nauseating love is so common place is still a useful tactic for some.
But back to the progress that you and your team have been making with our new idea that has undergone focus groups and extensive testing. I have to say I am pleased. At first I thought it was too simple, that it could never work. But this slight deviation from our earlier tactics has proved quite useful.
Who would have ever thought that we could provide such an epic twist and it would be so effective?! It is so easy to convince this next generation--who are already so prone to focusing on themselves and can easily be blinded by their emotions or technology in equal measure--of this slight misstep that then leads them down the exact path we want them to wander down and away from the Enemy! Brilliant I say!
You can take a lesson from your dear cousin and continue just as he has been in convincing people that these words of the Enemy are soft. Of the ways that He has defeated us & turn them to our advantage. Simply put--convince them that these words that He tries to speak of comfort and love (again sickening, it nauseates me to write this) are not powerful. That in the Name alone (that causes us all to tremble, I dare not write it or speak it aloud), there is no real power unless you act on it. That you could continue to convince them that it's only about how you live every day life in the real world. That the story of the Enemy is boring and they have heard it enough (see just a continuation of our prior illustrious plan). That they already have heard the story enough and want something new. Of course there could be some truth to it, I suppose.... But twisted, it provides an excellent venue for them to wander exactly into our trap.
Do you not see where this will lead? People will demand more and more and more until they were forget the message that the Enemy speaks (our real plan from the beginning!). Then they will do our own dirty work for us and persecute those who remind them of the Name and all it means. They will shout that it is not enough and demand to be made challenged so much in their daily living that it will kill two birds with one stone. First, for those who have realized their brokenness (I don't like to speak of our failures but I must to make my point) are truly seeking the Name, they will not hear about it anymore and find no comfort or healing. Second, the others will forget and work so hard and long themselves that they will eventually forget the real reason they are doing it. And every time they think they know what this love is (the way we define it of course), it will be the opposite of what the Enemy is wanting. How silly for Him to want their dependence on Him in order to love! They will force out those leaders who only talk about the Name and what it means, until there are none left to speak it. If they only knew the real power in His Name & what it really meant. Then that would be the only thing they would want. Lucky for us, they are drawn easily to distraction & the oldest tricks in the book always work with them. Don't forget that my dear Wormwood. Please continue to keep me updated on this progress...especially in the persecution of the leaders. I do believe that is the key.
Your affectionate uncle--
SCREWTAPE
It is clear that everything is going well and exactly according to plan. I was delighted to hear about the progress that you have continued to make. It took us so long to distract these simpletons and to drive them further and further away from the Enemy.
This particular misdirection that I am speaking of, began long before you were on the case, but you can see the repercussions that have been handed down throughout the generations. The original plan--which was to some degree thwarted by the Enemy--was to have people speak so much about Him, his love, his mercy, his grace (which I still label as simple stupidity by the way, I can't believe that anyone would fall for anything that nauseating) that they would think it to be rather common place and begin to take it for granted.
There was that one who unfortunately published a book about this and tried to expose us before he could be stopped & we tricked people into killing him. How funny that they all called the first war "The Great War" only to find a second one sitting upon their doorsteps. Shows how silly the humans are actually. Anyway. I digress. That man was a leader of the movement and we had him exterminated, but to our great misfortune, his writings found their way into the hands of others. Thankfully for the most part today, people find him dull, boring, and wonder if he had a point. If you do come across any who would read these German's words and find the Enemy's tricks there in, please, a simple distraction will be all it takes. The best idea will be to convince him that this man's words are from another era, illogical and don't fit into today's society. But if by some misfortune this book finds its way into the hands of an individual who is enthusiastic, who wants to share it with a group and seems immune to our simple distraction--that is of great danger, and please write at once so we know how to best deal with this. For this idea of misdirection is the best when dealing with the idea of the Enemy's nauseating love is so common place is still a useful tactic for some.
But back to the progress that you and your team have been making with our new idea that has undergone focus groups and extensive testing. I have to say I am pleased. At first I thought it was too simple, that it could never work. But this slight deviation from our earlier tactics has proved quite useful.
Who would have ever thought that we could provide such an epic twist and it would be so effective?! It is so easy to convince this next generation--who are already so prone to focusing on themselves and can easily be blinded by their emotions or technology in equal measure--of this slight misstep that then leads them down the exact path we want them to wander down and away from the Enemy! Brilliant I say!
You can take a lesson from your dear cousin and continue just as he has been in convincing people that these words of the Enemy are soft. Of the ways that He has defeated us & turn them to our advantage. Simply put--convince them that these words that He tries to speak of comfort and love (again sickening, it nauseates me to write this) are not powerful. That in the Name alone (that causes us all to tremble, I dare not write it or speak it aloud), there is no real power unless you act on it. That you could continue to convince them that it's only about how you live every day life in the real world. That the story of the Enemy is boring and they have heard it enough (see just a continuation of our prior illustrious plan). That they already have heard the story enough and want something new. Of course there could be some truth to it, I suppose.... But twisted, it provides an excellent venue for them to wander exactly into our trap.
Do you not see where this will lead? People will demand more and more and more until they were forget the message that the Enemy speaks (our real plan from the beginning!). Then they will do our own dirty work for us and persecute those who remind them of the Name and all it means. They will shout that it is not enough and demand to be made challenged so much in their daily living that it will kill two birds with one stone. First, for those who have realized their brokenness (I don't like to speak of our failures but I must to make my point) are truly seeking the Name, they will not hear about it anymore and find no comfort or healing. Second, the others will forget and work so hard and long themselves that they will eventually forget the real reason they are doing it. And every time they think they know what this love is (the way we define it of course), it will be the opposite of what the Enemy is wanting. How silly for Him to want their dependence on Him in order to love! They will force out those leaders who only talk about the Name and what it means, until there are none left to speak it. If they only knew the real power in His Name & what it really meant. Then that would be the only thing they would want. Lucky for us, they are drawn easily to distraction & the oldest tricks in the book always work with them. Don't forget that my dear Wormwood. Please continue to keep me updated on this progress...especially in the persecution of the leaders. I do believe that is the key.
Your affectionate uncle--
SCREWTAPE
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