I came across this the other day and it really caught my attention. The selection is from The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis.
(In case you are unfamiliar with this work, the basic idea is this: Screwtape is a senior demon writing letters back and forth with Wormwood -a lesser demon- about how to distract and destroy Christians. It sounds twisted, but is actually a fascinating read. Far from a book on systametic theology, it does provide some interesting nuggets to ponder...like this one.) When writing to Wormwood, Screwtape says:
"The horror of the Same Old Thing is one of the most valuable passions we have produced in the human heart."
I found this to be very interesting. Why do we hate "the same old thing?" Isn't that so often our criticism of our jobs (or perhaps life)? When you stop to think about it: Why is doing the same thing considered bad? I know monotony has its downsides and can hamper our creative tendencies (fancy description for boredom), BUT does that mean all repitition is inherently evil?
The more I thought about it the more I realized: Many people have become great by doing the same thing over and over again.
Michael Jordan did the "same old thing" everytime stepped on to the court and Beethoven did the "same old thing" everytime he sat down to a blank piece of sheet music. So maybe we are a little too harsh in our criticism of repitition?
Now I know you aren't exactly #23 stepping onto the pine as you stroll into your cubical with a cup of coffee on Monday morning, but the concept should at least give you something to think about.
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