The Saintly Imp
About
A Demon Becomes a Missionary
Jarilhil is a tiny demon from the pits of Hell. Every day is an absolute torment for him, as he is constantly mistreated for his small size, until he tries to escape by volunteering to become a Christian missionary. Satan finds the idea hilarious, and sends the imp off to save a particularly wretched sinner on Earth. Odd things start to happen however, and the unorthodox spiritual guide finds he might be able to lead this sinner to become a man of God. Can an unlikely missionary turn a sinner into a saint?
“Satan spoke, “I already have a particular individual in mind I’d like you to work with, a young man from Italy, but before we can send you to perform your duties, you need to read and study that entire book-” the demon cut him off,
“Oh yes, lord, I promise I’ll study it well!” The angel glared at him, Jarilhil realized his mistake and immediately went silent. Satan continued-
“I’m glad to hear it, because you must complete this task in seven days.” The demon stared at him, dumbfounded. He looked at the thickness of the book and said,
“Sir, there must be over a thousand pages here!” The angel nodded and replied,
“Indeed, that book contains...let’s see, I’d say about 31,102 verses, how fortunate that your kind doesn’t require sleep.” With that, Satan turned and walked off, all the while humming a strange little melody to himself. Jarilhil glanced down at the heavy tome and wondered what he’d gotten himself into.”
Praise for this book
I rarely read religious stories that were not requested of me. However when I came across 'The Saintly Imp,' the premise intrigued me so I downloaded it. Jarilhil is a tiny demon who is relentlessly bullied by the larger, fiercer demons surrounding him in Hell's pit. In an attempt to escape this daily, eternal torture, Jarilhil tells Satan that he wants to work for God as a missionary. The angels find the idea hilarious or at the very least peculiar, yet God grants this tiny devil the chance to prove himself.
It's short, well-written, and reads like a mix between a Biblical parable and a YA fantasy adventure. While obviously it's largely rooted in Christian teachings, I did not feel like the book was preaching at me. I thought the idea that God can work through the most unexpected people/ways (or adversely, that good can come through unlikely sources and hope in desperate situations) was perfectly portrayed. The story can also be seen as showing the importance in learning, dedication, and hard work.
The story starts in Hell where Satan is making an example out of one of the potentially mutinous demons before scenes of the devils going about their vile activities are described. This was a good place to start because it draws in those of us who enjoy darker material. As well, it works as a contrast to the lighter atmosphere the book gradually progresses into, which outlines the positive changes coming to God has made in Jarilhil's life, despite his reason being selfish.
I appreciated the portrayal of Satan not as an evil devil or fallen angel, but as an angel still serving God. He is powerful and feared, but openly reinforces God's place over him (and over all things). I'm used to Satan's role being evil, manipulative, rebellious, and/or resentful, but in this story, he is none of these things. There are even other angels in Hell helping him take care of things. And, in the story, the only reason Hell exists is because God cannot bring himself to destroy even the most evil (despite Satan's wishes to the contrary). I found these aspects refreshing.
Other things I enjoyed were the references to St. Francis and Joan of Arc and that it is set in historical Earth times, not contemporary ones.
Slight Spoiler:
There is only one thing I could say I don't completely like, but please keep in mind this is a small detail. While Jarilhil expresses his hope to one day understand the scriptures better so he can be more appreciative (apparently demons don't get metaphors), it's never really said that he fully commits to God. It's only ever said that his sole reason for serving Christ is to escape Hell. I do not know if this is something that is going to be resolved in a future installment; if the fact that he does say he'll continue to strive to understand scripture IS the foretelling of this resolution; or if the message is that no matter why you come to God initially, he will use it to teach and transform you and those he sets in your path.⚠️RELIGIOUS FICTION DISCLAIMER: While I am not religious, I have studied most major religions and am familiar with several minor religions. I read religious fiction/narrative nonfiction which I review without bias based on my own spiritual views; my review is based solely on the quality of the work. I fully support coexistence across spiritual beliefs.⚠️