{"id":80907,"date":"2021-05-04T00:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?p=80907"},"modified":"2021-05-04T19:39:56","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T02:39:56","slug":"pwj-s4e60","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2021\/05\/04\/pwj-s4e60\/","title":{"rendered":"PWJ: S4E60 \u2013 TSL 30 \u2013 &#8220;Under Pressure&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E60-TSL-30-YouTube.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E60-TSL-30-YouTube.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80910\" srcset=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E60-TSL-30-YouTube.png 860w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E60-TSL-30-YouTube-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E60-TSL-30-YouTube-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The patient is about to be in a high-stress situation and Screwtape wants his nephew to exploit this. Richa\u00e9l from the <a href=\"https:\/\/clumsytheosis.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clumsy Theosis<\/a> podcast joins David to unpack this devilish advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>S4E60: &#8220;Under Pressure&#8221;<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PWJ-S4E60.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\/05\/PWJ-S4E60.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-51396fab-e50d-4cf5-92e3-e840026c934b\">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\" id=\"block-a56ad4a8-f43a-4986-8d5f-09ffa487daa4\">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\" id=\"block-2882b493-f1aa-48ab-8db6-3c40f02265fc\">Timestamps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">00:00 \u2013 <em>Entering \u201cThe Eagle &amp; Child\u201d\u2026 <\/em><br>00:12 \u2013 <em>Welcome <\/em><br>00:36 \u2013 <em>Chit-Chat <\/em><br>07:09 \u2013 <em>Song-of-the-week <\/em><br>10:35 \u2013 <em>Quote-of-the-week <\/em><br>10:58 \u2013 <em>Drink-of-the-week <\/em><br>11:34 \u2013 <em>Patreon Toast <\/em><br>12:00 \u2013 <em>Chapter Summary <\/em><br>12:59 \u2013 <em>Discussion <\/em><br>52:55 \u2013 <em>Unscrewing Screwtape <\/em><br>54:30 \u2013 <em>\u201cLast Call\u201d Bell and Closing Thoughts<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-256e7e4a-897b-43e2-a2ed-609bf087c84b\">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\/shsIFTSjnUo?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\" id=\"block-a885e324-ccf9-42f2-9e03-3f3eb5dc7d6b\">After Show Skype Session<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>No Skype Session this week!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-27508392-5bf9-4ea7-9a6d-34a4e3476c70\">Show Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chit-Chat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Since it&#8217;s May 4th, Star Wars Day, May The Force be with you!<\/li><li>We exchanged the traditional Slavic Byzantine Easter greeting:<ul><li>&#8220;Christ is Risen&#8221;\/&#8221;Indeed He is risen&#8221;, or in Church Slavonic, \u201cChristos Voskres\u201d\/\u201cVoistynu Voskres\u201d<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Richa\u00e9l shared a little bit about the origins of her podcast, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/clumsytheosis.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Clumsy Theosis<\/a>.<ul><li>I highlighted a series which Richa\u00e9l had just completed on her podcast on the broad story of Salvation History. <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Song-of-the-week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The topics of today\u2019s letter are fatigue and stress. Our Meistro, long-time listener John Marr, had quite a high brow suggestion for the song-of-the-week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vjWhOoT2h7w\">\u201cNessun Dorma\u201d<\/a> by Puccini (literally it means in Italian <em>\u201cLet no one sleep\u201d<\/em>).&nbsp;However, in his message, John emphasized that this is an aria, NOT a song per se, so I disqualified it from being song-of-the-week.&nbsp;It is beautiful though&#8230;<\/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\/8ZkFeS9milM?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<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This week\u2019s song comes from a different kind of musical royalty!&nbsp;Rather than Puccini, the song-of-the-week is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I\">Under Pressure<\/a> by the British Band, Queen.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Pressure pushing down on me<br>Pressing down on you, no man ask for&#8230;<br>Under pressure &#8211; that burns a building down<br>Splits a family in two<br>Puts people on streets<\/p><cite>Queen, Under Pressure<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quote-of-the-week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The quote-of-the-week is\u2026<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201c&#8230;moderate fatigue is a better soil for peevishness than absolute exhaustion. This depends partly on physical causes, but partly on something else. It is not fatigue simply as such that produces the anger, but unexpected demands on a man already tired.\u201d<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drink-of-the-week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The drink-of-the-week is a local San Diego beer, Ballast Point\u2019s <strong>\u201cPassing Haze\u201d<\/strong>, which is an IPA.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Patreon Toast<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Today we are toasting Patreon supporter <strong><em>Justin Patton<\/em><\/strong>:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>Justin, whatever trials you encounter, whatever strain and stress you feel, may you always lean on the One who can sustain you through them all. Cheers!<\/em><\/p><cite>Toast for Patreon Supporter, Justin Patton<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>So, on to <strong>Letter #30<\/strong>, our penultimate letter, which was first published in <em>The Guardian <\/em>on <strong><em>21st November, 1941<\/em><\/strong>. Here is my one-hundred word summary&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Despite being very frightened, the patient did his duty during the recent air raid and perhaps even a bit more than his duty demanded. Needless to say, Screwtape is furious, telling his nephew to bring back food or be food himself. <br><br>Screwtape says the patient\u2019s current fatigue can be put to good use <strong>if<\/strong> handled correctly by dissuading him from resolute commitment by nurturing false hopes and receiving all disappointments as injury. <br><br>He outlines how to make best use of future carnage by confusing the patient\u2019s language, regarding all horrors as \u201creal\u201d, but all joys and beauties as mere sentiment.<\/p><cite>Chapter Summary of Letter #30<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-27508392-5bf9-4ea7-9a6d-34a4e3476c70\">Discussion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Wormwood\u2019s failure<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape is not happy with his nephew (again). He begins in a frustrated tone&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I sometimes wonder whether you think you have been sent into the world for your own amusement. I gather, not from your miserably inadequate report but from that of the Infernal Police, that the patient\u2019s behaviour during the first raid has been the worst possible.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In the chapter summary said what was \u201cterrible\u201d about the patient\u2019s behaviour. Here it is in Screwtape\u2019s own words:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>He has been very frightened and thinks himself a great coward and therefore feels no pride; but he has done everything his duty demanded and perhaps a bit more<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richa\u00e9l spoke about these words of St. Paul:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.<\/p><cite>Romans 8:28<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Screwtape\u2019s threat\u2019s<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Wormwood had apparently complained to&nbsp; his uncle about the toughness of his job, but he doesn\u2019t find a sympathetic ear with Screwtape&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>What is the use of whining to me about your difficulties?<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He says that Wormwood is operating on God\u2019s idea of justice that extenuating circumstances should be considered, all of which is heresy to Screwtape! He reminds his nephew that Hell is&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;concerned only with results. Bring us back food, or be food yourself.\u2026<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape will happily feast on humans or other devils. Listeners will recall that Lewis spoke about this consumption in his 1961 Preface to this book. Hell is a dog-eat-dog world&#8230;<\/li><li>Richael spoke compared Hell&#8217;s mindset of utility and our world today, where people are valued on their usefulness. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>A good start<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It\u2019s not all bad news in Wormwood\u2019s letter, though\u2026 Screwtape finds some reasons for hope, particularly related to reports of the patient\u2019s growing fatigue. The patient\u2019s tiredness is no doubt growing from the cocktails of air raids and all his various responsibilities (family, work, and war-related).&nbsp;Screwtape warns his nephew that tiredness won\u2019t automatically produce Hellish results&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;&nbsp;it won\u2019t fall into your hands. Fatigue can produce extreme gentleness, and quiet of mind, and even something like vision. If you have often seen men led by it into anger, malice and impatience, that is because those men have had efficient tempters.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richael explained that fatigue will either result in taking the steam out of your ego and connected it to her &#8220;Life Verse&#8221;:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.<\/p><cite>Romans 12:1-2<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Alternatively, fatigue can deteriorate your discipline. She spoke about the H.A.L.T. Rule in her marriage, to not talk about anything controversial if you&#8217;re Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Better luck with moderate fatigue<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape normally likes extremes (except, of course, extreme devotion to \u201cthe Enemy\u201d), but in this case, Screwtape says that moderate fatigue can be preferable, saying that&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;moderate fatigue is a better soil for peevishness than absolute exhaustion.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richael suggested that moderate fatigue is strong enough to be effective and too subtle to be noticed and corrected.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Technique #1: Fostering Injury<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>So, moderate fatigue is often preferable, but how to exploit it? Screwtape writes that it&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;is not fatigue simply as such that produces the anger, but unexpected demands on a man already tired. Whatever men expect they soon come to think they have a right to: the sense of disappointment can, with very little skill on our part, be turned into a sense of injury.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richa\u00e9l compared entitlement and gift. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201c&#8230;modern man is wrongly convinced that he is the sole author of himself, his life, and society. This is a presumption that follows from being selfishly closed in on himself, and it is a consequence \u2013 to express it in faith terms \u2013 of original sin.\u201d <\/p><cite><em>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Caritas in veritate.<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>She also spoke about St. Augustine&#8217;s conception that original sin is turning in oneself.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThe Pharisee does not really look at God at all, but only at himself; he does not really need God, because he does everything right by himself. &#8230;The tax collector, by contrast, sees himself in the light of God. &#8230;He draws life from being-in-relation, from receiving <strong>all as gift<\/strong>; he will always need the gift of goodness, of forgiveness, but in receiving it he will always learn to pass the gift on to others.\u201d<\/p><cite>Cardinal <em>Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazarth (Pg. 62)<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>She said that in the Parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee, the Pharisee looks inward, the Tax collector looks upward. Richael recommended <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sacrament-Present-Moment-Jean-Pierre-Caussade\/dp\/0060618116\" target=\"_blank\">The Sacrament of the Present Moment<\/a><\/em> aka<em> Abandonment to Divine Providence<\/em> by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This is very similar to what we talk about back in Letter #21 (\u201cI want it now\u201d) where Screwtape wrote&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cMen are not angered by mere misfortune but by misfortune conceived as injury. And the sense of injury depends on the feeling that a legitimate claim has been denied. The more claims on life, therefore, that your patient can be induced to make, the more often he will feel injured and, as a result, ill-tempered\u201d<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #21)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Technique #2: Feeding false hopes<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape points out a danger in pushing the patient too far, saying that if the patient thinks the difficult situation is irremediable (that it can\u2019t possibly be fixed), if he\u2019s given up hope of being saved, if he\u2019s just dealing with the current moment\u2026 Scerwtape says that\u2019s dangerous soil for the kind of humility and gentleness which he said before can be produced by fatigue. He therefore says:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>To produce the best results from the patient\u2019s fatigue, therefore, you must feed him with false hopes.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>To achieve this, Screwtape wants his nephew to feed the patient with comforting thoughts of home, suggesting that there\u2019ll be a break in the air-raids and that it\u2019ll all soon be over. He says:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;men usually feel that a strain could have been endured no longer at the very moment when it is ending, or when they think it is ending.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richael says we&#8217;re called to following Jesus:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.<\/p><cite>Hebrews 12:1-3<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&#8230;including his sufferings.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>But rejoice in so far as you share Christ\u2019s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.<\/p><cite>1 Peter 4:13<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Technique #3: Avoiding total commitment<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I quoted the passage where Jesus is heading towards his Passion in Jerusalem, foretold by the Prophet Isaiah:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>For the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame;<\/p><cite>Isaiah 50:7<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that the final important thing to do is to stop the man from committing himself totally.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Whatever he says, let his inner resolution be not to bear whatever comes to him, but to bear it \u201cfor a reasonable period\u201d \u2014 and let the reasonable period be shorter than the trial is likely to last. It need not be much shorter; in attacks on patience, chastity, and fortitude, the fun is to make the man yield just when (had he but known it) relief was almost in sight.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I compared this to Navy Seal training when the instructors end the test just after people have given up:<\/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\/3ef61ISaA0g?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<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richa\u00e9l said that the this bothered her, the idea of being setup to fail. She compared it to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zdTfyKkaQ_Y\" target=\"_blank\">Kobayashi Maru<\/a> in Star Trek. Unfortunately, she misspoke and said it was in Star <strong>Wars<\/strong>&#8230; so I teased her mercilessly. She said that God\u2019s \u201ctesting\u201d of us is actually more like training. <\/li><li>Things are darkest before the dawn. This ties in with the previous letter\u2019s comments about the virtue of fortitude and about how it is the testing point of every virtue.<\/li><li>I said that it also reminds me of what we read in <em>Mere Christianity<\/em>:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is\u2026 A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. <\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Book III, Chapter 11)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richa\u00e9l concluded this section talking about resting in the Lord and about how that is written into creation, the way God set everything up. Richa\u00e9l pointed out that Mother Teresa would send her sisters to Adoration when they had more things they needed to get done!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Battle of the sexes<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape gives a brief aside, offering some guidance about what to do should the patient meet his girlfriend while he is fatigued. Screwtape says that to&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;make full use of the fact that up to a certain point, fatigue makes women talk more and men talk less. Much secret resentment, even between lovers, can be raised from this.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I asked Richa\u00e9l if she thought this generalisation is fair. She said she didn&#8217;t like it&#8230;but did agree. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>The Problem of Pain<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In the final third of the letter, Screwtape outlines the kind of attack which might be best utilized during these times of pressure.&nbsp;He says that, due to Wormwood\u2019s previous failures, the death and destruction the patient is bound to see won\u2019t really do much to attack his faith intellectually, however, Screwtape says that they could attack his emotions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>It turns on making him feel, when first he sees human remains plastered on a wall, that this is \u201cwhat the world is really like\u201d and that all his religion has been a fantasy.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>What\u2019s real?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As usual, Screwtape wants the patient to be confused and not to think clearly. In particular, what do we mean by the word \u201creal\u201d?&nbsp; Screwtape wants the patient to use the word to mean different things, depending upon the context\u2026 If the patient has some great spiritual experience, Screwtape wants him to say that all that really happened was that he heard some music in a lighted building.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;here \u201cReal\u201d means the bare physical facts, separated from the other elements in the experience they actually had.&nbsp;<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>However, the word \u201creal\u201d can also be used in the opposite sense, referring not to bare physical facts, but the emotional impact of those \u201cbare physical facts\u201d upon the man.&nbsp;He gives the example of someone going up to the high dive at a pool. When they get up there and look over the edge, they\u2019ll know what it\u2019s really like&#8230; In this case, no new facts have been introduced &#8211; it\u2019s just that the person standing on the high dive gets to experience them directly. Screwtape says that Wormwood\u2019s job is to keep the patient bouncing between the two different meanings of the word \u201creal\u201d.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Screwtape\u2019s Rule<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape wraps up this section and the letter as a whole by offering the general rule in applying this technique&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;in all experiences which can make them happier or better only the physical facts are \u201cReal\u201d while the spiritual elements are \u201csubjective\u201d; in all experiences which can discourage or corrupt them the spiritual elements are the main reality and to ignore them is to be an escapist.&nbsp;<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He gives some examples<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>in birth the blood and pain are \u201creal\u201d, the rejoicing a mere subjective point of view<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He does the same thing with death and hatred &#8211; these are real\u2026<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;but the loveliness of a loved person is merely a subjective haze concealing a \u201creal\u201d core of sexual appetite or economic association.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that humans often accuse one another of wanting to have their cake and eat it (although he offers it in a more archaic form), but the devils\u2019 job is to make them pay for the cake and not eat it. Basically, Screwtape wants to give the patient absolutely nothing.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Your patient, properly handled, will have no difficulty in regarding his emotion at the sight of human entrails as a revelation of Reality and his emotion at the sight of happy children or fair weather as mere sentiment<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #30)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Richa\u00e9l compared this to a book she&#8217;s currently reading, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Seven-Storey-Mountain-Thomas-Merton\/dp\/0156010860\">The Seven Story Mountain<\/a> by Thomas Merton. She said that focussing on the wrong thing can cause us to separate Good Friday from the resurrection of Easter Sunday:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. <\/p><cite>2 Corinthians 4:17-18<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I compared this to a line from The Magician&#8217;s Nephew:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWhat you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.\u201d<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Magician&#8217;s Nephew (Chapter 10)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Unscrewing Screwtape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Do<\/strong>\u2026 beware of fatigue<\/li><li><strong>Do<\/strong>\u2026 beware of self-reliance<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong>\u2026 automatically conceive misfortune as injury<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong>\u2026 negotiate with vice<\/li><li><strong>Do<\/strong>\u2026 be more considerate when you or the person you are with is tired!<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong>\u2026 reduce reality to raw physical facts<\/li><li><strong>Do<\/strong>&#8230; prioritize rest, especially in the Lord, even during times of fatigue and suffering<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong>\u2026 \u201close heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.\u201d (2 Corinthians. 4:16)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Clumsy Theosis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Listen to Richa\u00e9l on her podcast, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/clumsytheosis.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Clumsy Theosis<\/a>.<\/li><li>Follow her on <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/clumsytheosis\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClumsyTheosis\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clumsytheosis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fr. Jeffrey Doyle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No more videos!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The patient is about to be in a high-stress situation and Screwtape wants his nephew to exploit this. Richa\u00e9l from the Clumsy Theosis podcast joins David to unpack this devilish advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3111],"tags":[5012,5141,2969,5887,5831,2271,4438,4822],"class_list":["post-80907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-c-s-lewis-2","tag-clumsy-theosis","tag-featured","tag-richael-lucero-2","tag-richael-smith","tag-screwtape","tag-the-eagle-and-child-podcast","tag-the-screwtape-letters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/S4E60-Blog.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80907","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=80907"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81050,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80907\/revisions\/81050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}