Screwtape: Ruining the Race by Steven Lee 

This Sunday see the release of the seventh letter of Screwtape: Ruining the Race written by Steven Lee, who is one of our preaching team. It is being released one chapter at a time over a period of  ten weeks. This is designed to encourage people to think, reflect on and even discuss the points raised in each chapter - rather than galloping through the booklet in a single sitting. Previous chapters can be found on the St John's Website - What we do - Retired But Not Out! - Screwtape: Ruining the Race. 

The premise of the book is that Screwtape is an experienced devil. His nephew, Wormwood, has had a bumpy start to his demonic career but has been given a new opportunity with a group of recently retired Christians.   Screwtape’s advice as to how to plot the ruin of these humans is contained in a series of letters.

Steven does not claim to know the Devil’s mind but writes about the temptations, opportunities and challenges that he finds in retirement.
 
The seventh letter of the book is as follows....

7

My dear Wormwood,

Reading your correspondence, I am left wondering what they teach these days at Tempter’s Training College for Young Devils. Have you no subtlety! Do you not know that our Infernal Father’s titles include Angel of Light and the Great Deceiver. I wish I could see any evidence of such craft in your banal statements and almost wilful misreading of my recent letter. I know that I said that it was important to steer your patients away from thinking about what the Enemy wanted them to be and do in the present. And yes, we do want people to get into the departure lounge mentality as soon as possible: handing over their responsibilities and leaving it to others. We should cultivate that feeling that they have had their innings and done their bit. These are most definitely the outcomes we are looking for.  BUT we do not want them thinking about heaven too much. I definitely did not promote the idea that you should therefore encourage them to lose themselves in thinking about future glory. In fact, I am sure that I explicitly discouraged that.
Do you think that our former strapline of ‘Too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good’ was stating a truth, you brainless twerp! That was meant to fool the humans not you. Indeed, it has been a great success that for many decades so few humans have devoted much thought to the life to come. That is why those bucket lists that we discussed previously have become so popular. There is such little confidence and joy in the life to come that people are easily led to worrying that are missing out and need to be looking elsewhere.
How can you even think of really encouraging them to think more about what paradise, as they refer to it, is like? Do you really want them to be thinking about the return of Him whose very name makes us shudder? Surely you have you read the dangerous case studies of the past. One of founders of the place where they gather was a very great nuisance to us. All that tiresome work in improving factory conditions, education, and the treatment of the mentally ill. And what was his testimony?  “I do not think in the last forty years I have lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord's return.” And you want people to consider the life to come!
Even closer in our memories is that horror Martin Luther King Junior – even his name is nausea-inducing. His words, just before we managed to silence him, still make me shudder. “Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountain top. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
I regret that you have provoked me to recall that but how else can I force you to recognise the pitfalls in your current course. At the risk of stating the obvious let me spell things out for you. Death, our greatest weapon, is drawing close to this group. Each year more of their friends and relatives have life threatening or life changing illnesses. Increasingly they hear news of deaths and are confronted with what to say to those who are bereaved.  We gleefully look on as they behave like frightened rabbits in the headlight, and then try to lose themselves in escapism or some other denial of what is going on. Pitiful creatures deadening themselves with whatever false comfort they can find to cling to. Hopefully you can leave them feeling utterly depressed and powerless in the face of what is to come.
But then just think of the impact, the horror of someone who with authenticity and confidence can declare, “I have looked at all that and I am not afraid. I rejoice and am looking forward to the life that is to come. But whilst we are still here then let us do as much as we can for His kingdom.”
We dare not endanger all our hard work in building up a firm attachment to the earth. It takes a lifetime of nurturing to create that sense of being really at home and feeling secure. This is what you should be providing the finishing touches to in their later years.
 It is surely one of our great triumphs that the young are generally less unwilling to die than the middle aged and the old. Those who are older cannot bear to leave behind that which they have given their worship to and invested so much in. So do not dare damage this status quo by raising up a generation of the heavenly minded.
On a more positive note, one of my happy memories of working as a tempter at a theological college was hearing those yapping poodles discussing why there were so few death bed conversions. Indeed, I am proud to say that they are very rare – why, because we have so welded people hearts to this life that even at the end death cannot be contemplated.
Your affectionate uncle,
SCREWTAPE

 
A limited number of printed copies of this letter will be available on Sunday and the booklet will appear chapter by chapter on the Running the Race pages of the Church Website. At the end of the ten weeks printed copies of the whole booklet will be available if you wish to give them to friends whom you think might find it helpful, or you can direst them to the church website.