She said, I am afraid to go forward because the devil I know is safer than the devil I don't. Interesting words from a young one talking about self esteem issues. Got to thinking about how we perceive different things in our life.
Growing up, my perspective of the devil was a guy in a red suit, long tail, mustache - smoking a cigar with a face that looked like every male relative I have ever had. I had absolutely no concept of a devil who could and would mess up your life. I did not understand the concept of Flip Wilson's, the devil made me do it bit, even though I said it most frequently.
So later on, Down The Road, when I discovered that first, there was a devil, a real devil and second, that he had been an angel - I was confused. No red suit, no cigar, no way to explain those male relatives...or maybe the actions of the relatives made all the sense in this world.
I have seen bits and pieces of evil that have brought me to some kind of understanding about our world. One of the most poignant was watching a older couple literally run out of church while we sang about the blood of Christ. That memory will stay with me forever. It is an icon that has been substituted for the red-suited pitch-forked devil, just waiting.
While we it maybe true that we feel comfortable with the devil's that we know in our lives, we need to remember it is not an either/or. The is only one and will be for the duration of his allotted time. We have seen much and I dare say, we will see more. Hang on, this is not all there is...
