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The Devil is In the Details: The Luce Letters


           
How would “the devil” communicate and sell his wares to the public? How would he market his products? I’ll wax philosophical later, but I thought I’d share over time a series of letters written by the Devil to convince me and the readers to consider rethinking our general critiques of his utility to the world. These letters are not unlike those once written by the likes of C.S. Lewis in his Screwtape Letters. I thought it best if in my version of devil letters, that he would communicate directly to me as a potential recruit for his forces. The first of the letters is as follows:
 
Dear Deacon Tom: You have no idea how much I have wanted to get in touch with you. You see there are misunderstandings about me and the rumor mill of course seems to me to be a bit unfair and my dignity seems to be affected. I want to begin sharing with you my frustrations and thoughts so that we can, at some point, be on the same page. I know you have some preconceived ideas concerning me but really, wouldn’t it be more "just" to lay down your preconceptions before we come to the table to honestly share and come to a better understanding about me, the world, why I exist and why I am so important to you and the rest of the world? I hope you will respond soon and let me know you are willing to dialogue. Isn’t that the answer to everything? Yes, dialogue! It keeps things from getting too hot. It keeps things cool. It may take a little time, but who’s rushing things?  I think we can have a very productive relationship and you will see in the end it will be to your favor to engage with me just a little bit at a time. I’m only asking  for baby steps; not giant leaps lol. I really look forward to your reply to me.  Give my best to your family. Sincerely, Your BFF, Luce     
            I have often wondered if the evil we see in the news is a ruse to distract us from the real and more incremental evil that occurs in front of us every day with our approbation. Every one of us can see that horrific murders by drug cartels, beheadings by Islamic extremists, the telltale disposal of aborted children into dumpsters, school massacres, and your everyday murder fit the term “evil.”  

            It seems that the term itself brings up a kind of segregation of understanding into the world of “moralism.” God forbid that any of us have to become a “moralist.” The words of scripture which moralists use is thus used against them. Jesus once says: “Judge not lest you be judged.” Pope Francis said concerning homosexuals, “who am I to judge?”  So we live in a world where it seems violence has been done to the very “understanding” of what is a bad thing versus what is a good thing. The two words have become reversible so that it seems we can justify most any kind of behavior except what seems to be the least incremental and most dramatic.  The more blood and guts involved, so it seems that such behavior is not tolerable.

           The eternal question out there has always been “what is the source of evil?” And what does real evil really look like? My sense is that what we see and denote as “evil” in today’s media-in-flux world is not evil itself but the mine tailings of the more incremental evil. Little by little, it takes hold  of individuals without the safety net of cultural and historical frameworks that have translated into behaviors at the family, neighborhood, community, regional and finally national levels.   

            So I introduced you to the first letter of the infamous quiet “dude” in the corner of some cubicle in upper Manhattan pulling the strings of “lingo management”. Yes, the devil blends in very well so that we see him as benign, inconsequential and even in some cases laughable. l suppose I need to not use the term “devil” so as not to trounce upon the “dignity” of the poor fellow. He has communicated with me with good will as “Luce”, so I will from this moment call him “Luce.” 
            I have not responded to the email letter from Luce. In view of his desire for dialogue, I’m not certain I should beat up on him too badly in view of my moralistic preconceptions voiced above. Hmmm. How should I respond? I would love to get your feedback.

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