Enemy-occupied  territory-that is what this world  is.  Christianity is
the  story  of  how the rightful king has  landed,  you might say  landed in
disguise,  and  is  calling  us  all to  take part in a  great  campaign  of
sabotage. When you  go to church you  are  really listening-in to the secret
wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us
from  going. He  does  it  by  playing  on  our  conceit  and  laziness  and
intellectual snobbery.  I know someone will ask me, "Do you really  mean, at
this  time  of day,  to reintroduce our old friend the devil-hoofs and horns
and all?" Well, what the time of  day has to do with it I do not know. And I
am not particular about the hoofs and horns. But in other respects my answer
is  "Yes,  I  do."  I do  not  claim  to know  anything  about  his personal
appearance. If anybody really wants  to know  him better I would say to that
person, "Don't worry. If you really want to, you will Whether you'll like it
when you do is another question."


 Christians,  then, believe that an evil power  has made himself for the present the Prince of this World.  And, of course, that  raises problems. Is
this state of affairs in  accordance with God's will or not? If it is, He is a strange God, you  will say: and if  it  is not, how can  anything  happen
contrary to the will of a being with absolute power?


Because  free  will though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or
joy worth  having.  A  world  of  automata-of  creatures  that  worked  like machines-would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for
His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight  compared with which
the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free.


					

			

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