"He [God] wants each man, in the long run, to be able to recognise all creatures (even himself) as glorious and excellent things. He wants to kill their animal self-love as soon as possible; but it is His long-term policy, I fear, to restore to them a new kind of self-love - a charity and gratitude for all selves, including their own; when they have really learned to love their neighbours as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbours. For we must never forget what is the most repellent and inexplicable trait in our Enemy [God]; He really loves the hairless bipeds He has created and always gives back to them with His right hand what He has taken away with His left." (C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, HarperCollins, 2001, pp.71-72).
This new love God wants us to gain is called charity. One of the greatest definitions of charity was given by the prophet Mormon.
"46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:46-48).
2 comments:
"The Screwtape Letters" is probably one of my all-time favorite books.
I love how it is written - from the perspective of a devil - where you can sit there and watch a battle being lost from someone who should lose a battle.
I also think C.S. Lewis' insights are top-notch in the book.
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