Friday, February 29, 2008

Skrewtape Letters Chapters 4-7

I found these chapters to be much easier to understand. Chapter 4 especially came easy to me. Skrewtapes ideas about prayer make me feel like I could almost fit in. He makes is seem as though the ideal Christian should be devoted and pray often, although I'll admit I do not. There are days before I go to bed I'll say a short prayer, but it's not as often as it once was.
A quote I liked was on page 16, "It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out". I find that true, when you don't know something, like a secret you always want to know more and more. Which I guess he's saying our curiosity is what gets us sometimes.
Another part of chapter 4 I liked was when C.S. Lewis talked about how people see the Enemy and can tell you where he's at. On page 18 he said "'God' was actually located - up and to the left at the corner of the bedroom ceiling, or inside his own head, or in a crucifix on the wall". This makes me kind of interested to know what Skrewtape believes these Enemys think of the devil, like if hell really is below and such.
P.S. I thought listening to the podcast of Chapter 5 was really cool! It was exactly how I'd thought he'd sound and it did infact help me get into the reading a little more. Yay for finally understanding the book a little more!

2 comments:

Stephen said...

I really like your ideas in this post. The curiosity of wanting to know something can lead people to do crazy things. I think more though he may have been saying that the devil does not put bad thoughts into our minds he works at keeping good thoughts about God out. I also wonder where he believes the devil to reside.

Becky Danek said...

Melissa,
I enjoyed reading your blog this week because it did in fact point out some interesting key points about the reading! I found the quote about "God" to be extremely interesting as well. It was put a very good way and made you really question the text, in a good way of course!! I also really enjoyed listening to the podcast that Eric posted. It was interesting to listen to the story instead of reading it!!