{"id":79543,"date":"2021-01-19T00:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?p=79543"},"modified":"2021-01-19T11:57:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T18:57:31","slug":"pwj-s4e30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2021\/01\/19\/pwj-s4e30\/","title":{"rendered":"PWJ: S4E30 \u2013 TSL 15 \u2013 &#8220;Don&#8217;t stop thinking about tomorrow&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/S4E30-Banner.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/S4E30-Banner.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/S4E30-Banner.png 860w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/S4E30-Banner-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/S4E30-Banner-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a lull in the War. Should Wormwood make the patient more worried or less worried, and should he get him to focus on the past, the present or the future?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>S4E28: Letter #15 &#8211; &#8220;Don&#8217;t stop thinking about tomorrow\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;(<a href=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/PWJ-S4E30.mp3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/PWJ-S4E30.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/TheEagleAndChildPodcast\" target=\"_blank\">manually<\/a>, or&nbsp;any place where good podcasts can be found&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-eagle-and-child-podcast-restless-pilgrim\/id1289456381\" target=\"_blank\">iTunes<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/m\/Ixvobfgi2wk4rkdegdnbdqjjh44?t=The_Eagle_and_Child\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a>, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Pints-with-Jack\/dp\/B08K57WLYB\/\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/podcast-detail\/wqkqe-5e798\/The+Eagle+and+Child\" target=\"_blank\">Podbean<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/s?fid=159766&amp;refid=stpr\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tunein.com\/radio\/The-Eagle-and-Child-p1079872\/\" target=\"_blank\">TuneIn<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/overcast.fm\/itunes1289456381\/pints-with-jack\" target=\"_blank\">Overcast<\/a>), as well as on&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcYFlFuyOmYL6LcuicqzULw\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a>. The roadmap for Season 4 is&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/pints-with-jack-season-4\/\">available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More information about us can be found on our website,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pintswithjack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">PintsWithJack.com<\/a>. If you\u2019d like to support us and get fantastic gifts,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/pintswithjack\">please join us on Patreon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Timestamps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">00:00 \u2013 <em>Entering \u201cThe Eagle &amp; Child\u201d\u2026<\/em><br>00:13 \u2013 <em>Welcome<\/em><br>00:43 \u2013 <em>Chit-Chat<\/em><br>01:11 \u2013 <em>Song-of-the-week<\/em><br>03:47 \u2013 <em>Quote-of-the-week<\/em><br>05:49 \u2013 <em>Drink-of-the-week<\/em><br>08:35 \u2013 <em>Patreon Toast<\/em><br>09:44 \u2013 <em>Chapter Summary<\/em><br>11:34 \u2013 <em>Discussion<\/em><br>39:58 \u2013 <em>Unscrewing Screwtape<\/em><br>42:53 \u2013 <em>\u201cLast Call\u201d Bell and Closing Thoughts<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YouTube Version<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L1576nFT6mA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After Show Skype Session<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hooWSeE_i5M?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent&#038;listType=playlist&#038;list=PL62_a9YAWpbGJ_xMx_23rUOC_Obve-Jvv\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Show Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opening Chit-Chat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Song-of-the-week<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In today\u2019s letter, Screwtape discusses what to do with the lull in the war, and explains whether Wormwood should make the patient concentrate on the past, the present or the future.&nbsp;<\/li><li>We had a few options for the episode title and song-of-the-week&#8230;&nbsp;<ul><li>Listener John Marr suggested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jShMQw2H2cM\">Life during Wartime<\/a> by Talking Heads&#8230;solid suggestion&#8230;<\/li><li>I had initially thought of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU\">Time After Time<\/a> by Cyndi Lauper&#8230;<\/li><li>&#8230;but in the end I settled on another of John\u2019s suggestions. In today\u2019s song-of-the-week, Fleetwood Mac echo Screwtape\u2019s advice in their song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SybgWaQy7_c\">Don\u2019t stop thinking about Tomorrow<\/a>:<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SybgWaQy7_c?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In case you don\u2019t know the song, the chorus is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Don&#8217;t stop thinking about tomorrow <br>Don&#8217;t stop, it&#8217;ll soon be here <br>It&#8217;ll be better than before <br>Yesterday&#8217;s gone, yesterday&#8217;s gone<\/p><cite>Fleetwood Mac, Don\u2019t stop thinking about Tomorrow<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I mentioned that I listen to this song before going to the gym:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/js7mx3EgiDU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quote-of-the-week<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Here&#8217;s the quote-of-the-week:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em><em><em><em><em><em>\u201c[God] would\u2026 have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present\u2026 obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em><em><em><em><em>\u201cIf\u2026he is aware that horrors may be in store for him and is praying for the virtues wherewith to meet them, and meanwhile concerning himself with the Present because there, and there alone, all duty, all grace, all knowledge, and all pleasure dwell, his state is very undesirable and should be attacked at once.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drink-of-the-week<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The quote-of-the-week is <strong><em>Dewar\u2019s White Label<\/em><\/strong>:<ul><li><strong>Nose: <\/strong>Honey \/ Peach \/ Apple \/ Wood<\/li><li><strong>Palette: <\/strong>Medium \/ vanilla fudge, toffee, heather honey, oak\/<\/li><li><strong>Finish: <\/strong>Good length, honeyed sweetness<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Patreon Toast<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>No Patreon toast!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Summary<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I shared my one-hundred word summary of today&#8217;s letter:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>There is a lull in the war and the patient\u2019s anxiety level is starting to fall &#8211; what should Wormwood do? Screwtape says that God wants humanity to focus on the present and eternity. Screwtape therefore wants us to live in either the past or the future, but has a preference for the future. This is because it is full of uncertainty, inflaming hopes and fears, and is the \u201chome for all vice\u201d. He concludes that the patient should only be peaceful if he thinks everything will be okay, which will build up the resentment if it should not.<\/p><cite>One-hundred word summary of Letter #15<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discussion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fear and Confidence<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I had noticed, of course, that the humans were having a lull in their European war \u2014 what they na\u00efvely call \u201cThe War\u201d! \u2014 and am not surprised that there is a corresponding lull in the patient\u2019s anxieties. Do we want to encourage this, or to keep him worried? Tortured fear and stupid confidence are both desirable states of mind. Our choice between them raises important questions.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>There was naivety in the earlier part of the century when people called World War I \u201cThe Great War\u201d. They thought it was going to be the war to end all wars. Little did they know, there would be a sequel soon afterwards.<\/li><li>There\u2019s a lull in the war and this has resulted in a lull in the patient\u2019s anxieties. What should be done about this? Should it be encouraged or discouraged? Screwtape says that \u201cTortured fear and stupid confidence are both desirable states of mind\u201d.<ul><li>Which of these they should choose turns on some important questions&#8230;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Time and Eternity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In earlier letters Screwtape had spoken about the \u201camphibious\u201d nature of humanity, being composed of both flesh and spirit. Now Screwtape speaks about another way in which humanity has a foot in two different campes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present \u2014 either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>God wants us to attend to eternity and the present.<\/li><li>\u201cWhere, except in the present, can the Eternal be met?\u201d &#8211; Christianity Reflections, Historicism<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The business of Hell &#8211; The Past<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>So what does Hell suggest instead? Screwtape says that getting the patient to live int he past can be rather good\u2026<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Our business is to get them away from the eternal, and from the Present. With this in view, we sometimes tempt a human (say a widow or a scholar) to live in the Past. But this is of limited value, for they have some real knowledge of the past and it has a determinate nature and, to that extent, resembles eternity.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Widows and scholars are good to tempt to living in the past.<ul><li>Scholars have a keen interest in the past.<\/li><li>As for widows, remember the Mother in <em>The Great Divorce<\/em>:<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8220;<em>You&#8217;re wrong. No man ever felt his son&#8217;s death more than Dick. Not many girls loved their brothers better than Muriel. It wasn&#8217;t against Michael they revolted: it was against you-against having their whole life dominated by the tyranny of the past: and not really even Michael&#8217;s past, but your past.<\/em>&#8220;<br><br><em>&#8220;You are heartless. Everyone is heartless. The past was all I had.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/em><br><br><em>&#8220;It was all you chose to have. It was the wrong way to deal with a sorrow. It was Egyptian-like embalming a dead body<\/em>&#8220;<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (Chapter 11)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He says that the downside of having the patient live in the past is that he has \u201creal knowledge\u201d of it and it has a \u201cdeterminate nature\u201d being like eternity.<\/li><li>Screwtape doesn\u2019t say this, but you can imagine him offering further advice as to how to compensate for these disadvantages by having a poor assessment of the past (like the Mother in <em>The Great Divorce<\/em>)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>The business of Hell &#8211; The Future<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>However, he says that a far more profitable strategy is to have the man live entirely in the Future:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>It is far better to make them live in the Future. Biological necessity makes all their passions point in that direction already, so that thought about the Future inflames hope and fear. Also, it is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them think of unrealities. In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time \u2014 for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays. Hence the encouragement we have given to all those schemes of thought such as Creative Evolution, Scientific Humanism, or Communism, which fix men\u2019s affections on the Future, on the very core of temporality.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He points out \u201cbiological necessity\u201d (and by this I think he means the survival instinct) points towards the future already.&nbsp;<\/li><li>What he seems to really love about the future is that it is uncertain. As a result, it can nurture either hope or fear. Remember the earlier letter where Screwtape wanted the patient worrying about all the mutually-exclusive futures?<\/li><li>Screwtape always wants the patient to live in unreality and the future offers that.<\/li><li>He points to useful schemes which all rely upon the future:<ul><li>We\u2019ve mentioned \u201cCreative Evolution\u201d before in Letter 7. It was a indea developed by French philosopher Henri-Louis Bergson.<\/li><li>\u201cScientific Humanism\u201d argued that humankind\u2019s full potential could be achieved through human effort alone and not through any supernatural force.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Communism is the attempt to build a classless society where goods and services are collectively owed.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Hence nearly all vices are rooted in the future. Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead. Do not think lust an exception. When the present pleasure arrives, the sin (which alone interests us) is already over. The pleasure is just the part of the process which we regret and would exclude if we could do so without losing the sin; it is the part contributed by the Enemy, and therefore experienced in a Present. The sin, which is our contribution, looked forward.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sin always disappoints and fails to deliver.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong>The serious business of Heaven<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>To be sure, the Enemy wants men to think of the Future too \u2014 just so much as is necessary for now planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow. The duty of planning the morrow\u2019s work is today\u2019s duty; though its material is borrowed from the future, the duty, like all duties, is in the Present. This is not straw splitting. He does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasure in it. We do. His ideal is a man who, having worked all day for the good of posterity (if that is his vocation), washes his mind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded by the moment that is passing over him. But we want a man hag-ridden by the Future \u2014 haunted by visions of an imminent heaven or hell upon earth \u2014 ready to break the Enemy\u2019s commands in the present if by so doing we make him think he can attain the one or avert the other \u2014 dependent for his faith on the success or failure of schemes whose end he will not live to see. We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow\u2019s end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Living in the present<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>It follows then, in general, and others things being equal, that it is better for your patient to be filled with anxiety or hope (it doesn\u2019t much matter which) about this war than for him to be living in the present. But the phrase \u201cliving in the present\u201d is ambiguous. It may describe a process which is really just as much concerned with the Future as anxiety itself. Your man may be untroubled about the Future, not because he is concerned with the Present, but because he has persuaded himself that the Future is going to be agreeable. As long as that is the real course of his tranquillity, his tranquillity will do us good, because it is only piling up more disappointment, and therefore more impatience, for him when his false hopes are dashed. If, on the other hand, he is aware that horrors may be in store for him and is praying for the virtues, wherewith to meet them, and meanwhile concerning himself with the Present because there, and there alone, all duty, all grace, all knowledge, and all pleasure dwell, his state is very undesirable and should be attacked at once. Here again, our Philological Arm has done good work; try the word \u201ccomplacency\u201d on him. But, of course, it is most likely that he is \u201cliving in the Present\u201d for none of these reasons but simply because his health is good and he is enjoying his work. The phenomenon would then be merely natural. All the same, I should break it up if I were you. No natural phenomenon is really in our favour. And anyway, why should the creature be happy?<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #15)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Philology is the study of the structure and development of languages.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Screwtape Unscrewed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Do<\/strong> pray for all the virtues you will need in the coming days to meet both the good and the bad.<\/li><li><strong><strong>Do<\/strong><\/strong> focus on the present and eternity.<\/li><li><strong>Do<\/strong> what is right, and leave the rest to God.<\/li><li><strong>Do<\/strong> plan tomorrow&#8217;s good deed.<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong> focus on what you cannot control.<\/li><li><strong>Do not <\/strong>&#8220;put your trust in princes&#8221;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The &#8220;cult&#8221; I referred to was based on <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Join_Me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this book by Danny Wallace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Providence eLearning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1oJ9iSg17SE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is a lull in the War. Should Wormwood make the patient more worried or less worried, and should he get him to focus on the past, the present or the future?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3111],"tags":[5012,274,2969,1278,4482,1277,4430,1265,4438,1343],"class_list":["post-79543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-c-s-lewis-2","tag-david-bates","tag-featured","tag-future","tag-matt-bush","tag-past","tag-pints-with-jack","tag-present","tag-the-eagle-and-child-podcast","tag-worry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/S4E30-Blog.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79543"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79588,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79543\/revisions\/79588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}