The Reading Today
• Daily Theme: The weaponisation of time, the perpetual state of war, and finding reality in the Present.
• Source Material: The Screwtape Letters
• Source Material: The Screwtape Letters
My Reflection
Today’s passage takes us back to the ever-confounding Screwtape Letters. I was immediately struck by the mention of 'The War'. Reading this from our 2026 perspective, I was deeply saddened by the realisation that we are still living in an era defined by conflict. From the tragedy in Ukraine and the Middle East to global terrorism and the ever-increasing scourge of knife crime on our own streets, the list seems endless.
It brought to mind a famous phrase used in the opening scenes of the Fallout video game series: "War… war never changes."
It is easy to feel like a deluded conspiracist for thinking this, but something deep inside me believes that 'the powers that be' actively enjoy keeping the global population in a permanent state of fear. We stagger from one conflict to another to the point where this heightened state of anxiety is now simply the norm. As you read Screwtape’s tactics, the endless loss of human life and the misery inflicted seem to play directly into the hands of him and his minions.
Lewis’s writing in this particular book can often be difficult to decipher, and today’s final paragraph is nothing short of an enigma. Yet, when viewed alongside this modern state of perpetual fear, it actually starts to make profound sense.
Lewis is arguing that God wants us anchored entirely in the Present. Why? Because the Present is the only place where we actually exist. It is the only point in time where we have freedom, where we can take action, bear a burden, or give thanks.
Screwtape’s strategy is to drag our minds away from the Present. By keeping the population locked in "tortured fear" about the future—worrying about the next war, the next crisis, or the next global disaster—the devils successfully paralyse us. If we are constantly terrified of a tomorrow we cannot control, we become completely useless in the reality of today. Your feeling that we are being deliberately kept in a state of fear is not deluded; according to Lewis, it is exactly how the enemy operates.
Historical Footnote (2nd September)
1939: The first children evacuated from war-time London arrive at The Kilns.
1973: J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis's lifelong friend, colleague, and fellow Inkling, dies at age eighty-one.
Today’s passage takes us back to the ever-confounding Screwtape Letters. I was immediately struck by the mention of 'The War'. Reading this from our 2026 perspective, I was deeply saddened by the realisation that we are still living in an era defined by conflict. From the tragedy in Ukraine and the Middle East to global terrorism and the ever-increasing scourge of knife crime on our own streets, the list seems endless.
It brought to mind a famous phrase used in the opening scenes of the Fallout video game series: "War… war never changes."
It is easy to feel like a deluded conspiracist for thinking this, but something deep inside me believes that 'the powers that be' actively enjoy keeping the global population in a permanent state of fear. We stagger from one conflict to another to the point where this heightened state of anxiety is now simply the norm. As you read Screwtape’s tactics, the endless loss of human life and the misery inflicted seem to play directly into the hands of him and his minions.
Lewis’s writing in this particular book can often be difficult to decipher, and today’s final paragraph is nothing short of an enigma. Yet, when viewed alongside this modern state of perpetual fear, it actually starts to make profound sense.
Lewis is arguing that God wants us anchored entirely in the Present. Why? Because the Present is the only place where we actually exist. It is the only point in time where we have freedom, where we can take action, bear a burden, or give thanks.
Screwtape’s strategy is to drag our minds away from the Present. By keeping the population locked in "tortured fear" about the future—worrying about the next war, the next crisis, or the next global disaster—the devils successfully paralyse us. If we are constantly terrified of a tomorrow we cannot control, we become completely useless in the reality of today. Your feeling that we are being deliberately kept in a state of fear is not deluded; according to Lewis, it is exactly how the enemy operates.
Historical Footnote (2nd September)
1939: The first children evacuated from war-time London arrive at The Kilns.
1973: J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis's lifelong friend, colleague, and fellow Inkling, dies at age eighty-one.
Why This Matters
When we allow ourselves to be consumed by the fear of future crises, we surrender our agency. The present moment is the only place where we can actually exercise our freedom, show compassion, and effect real change in our immediate world.
My Action for Today
Today, I will actively resist the pull of the 24-hour news cycle and the fear of tomorrow. I will ground myself entirely in the present moment, focusing my energy on the tasks and people immediately in front of me.
Today, I will actively resist the pull of the 24-hour news cycle and the fear of tomorrow. I will ground myself entirely in the present moment, focusing my energy on the tasks and people immediately in front of me.
Reader Question
How do you stop yourself from being consumed by the relentless cycle of global bad news and fear?
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