Understanding Biblical Love Through the Eyes of C.S. Lewis
In the vast landscape of Christian theology, few voices have captured the essence of biblical love with the clarity and depth of C.S. Lewis. As a former atheist turned Christian apologist, Lewis brought both intellectual rigor and practical wisdom to this fundamental aspect of faith. Today, we'll explore his unique perspective on biblical love and what it means for modern Christians.
The Four Dimensions of Love
Lewis, drawing from ancient Greek wisdom, identifies four distinct types of love discussed in Scripture. Far from being mere academic distinctions, these categories help us understand human and divine relationships that God has woven into creation.
First, there's Storge (affection) - the quiet love that develops naturally between family members and close companions. It's the comfortable warmth of familiarity, the kind of love that makes a house feel like home. Lewis describes this as the most humble of loves, yet it forms the foundation of many of our most important relationships.
Next comes Philia (friendship) - the love between friends who share common interests and values. Lewis considered this love particularly spiritual, writing in "The Four Loves" that friendship is "the least natural of loves" because it rises above mere biological impulses. It's the love that develops when two people walk side by side, focused on a common goal or truth.
Eros (romantic love) follows - not mere sexuality, but the kind of love that makes lovers want to be together above all else. Lewis saw this as a powerful picture of divine love when properly understood and expressed within God's design.
Finally, there's Agape (divine love) - the highest form of love, which God himself exemplifies and calls us to emulate. This is the love that gives without expecting return, that continues even when unrequited, that seeks the good of the other at any cost to self.
The Transformation of Love
What makes Lewis's perspective particularly valuable is his understanding of how Christianity transforms each type of love. He argues that when touched by divine grace, natural loves don't merely remain as they are - they become deeper, richer, and more meaningful.
Consider how Jesus transformed our understanding of love in the Sermon on the Mount. "Love your enemies," He commanded, expanding the scope of love beyond any natural inclination. This wasn't just a new ethical teaching; it was a revelation of God's character and a call to participate in divine love.
The Practical Path to Divine Love
One of Lewis's most profound insights is that biblical love isn't primarily about feelings - it's about will and action. In his various writings, he consistently emphasizes that we shouldn't wait for loving feelings before we act in loving ways. Instead, we should act lovingly, and often the feelings will follow.
This practical approach finds its basis in Scripture. When Paul describes love in 1 Corinthians 13, he doesn't focus on emotions but on actions and choices: patience, kindness, humility, forgiveness. These are things we can choose to do, regardless of how we feel in the moment.
The Interplay of Need-Love and Gift-Love
Lewis introduces another crucial distinction in understanding biblical love: the concepts of need-love and gift-love. God's love for us is pure gift-love - He needs nothing from us but gives everything to us. Our love for God begins as need-love - we come to Him because we need His forgiveness, guidance, and salvation.
However, as we grow spiritually, God enables us to develop gift-love - the capacity to love others not for what they can give us, but for their own sake. This progression mirrors our spiritual journey from self-centered beings to reflections of God's selfless love.
Contemporary Relevance
In our current culture, where love is often reduced to sentiment or sensation, Lewis's insights remain remarkably relevant. He reminds us that true love - whether in marriage, friendship, family, or our relationship with God - involves commitment and choice as much as feeling.
His teachings help us navigate common misconceptions:
Love isn't just a feeling that happens to us; it's also a choice we make
Romantic love isn't the only or highest form of love
Divine love can be practiced even when we don't feel loving
All genuine love ultimately reflects and derives from God's love
Practical Applications
How can we apply these insights in our daily lives? Here are some key takeaways:
Start with actions, not feelings. Choose to act lovingly even when you don't feel loving.
Recognize that different relationships call for different types of love, all of which can be sacred when properly ordered.
Remember that our ability to love comes from God's love for us - we love because He first loved us.
Don't neglect any of the four types of love; each has its proper place and purpose.
Seek to grow from need-love toward gift-love in all your relationships.
Conclusion
C.S. Lewis's exploration of biblical love offers us a rich and practical framework for understanding this central aspect of Christian faith. His insights help us move beyond simplistic or sentimental views of love toward a deeper, more biblical understanding that can transform our relationships with God and others.
In a world hungry for authentic love, Lewis's teachings remind us that true love - in all its forms - finds its source and highest expression in God himself. As we grow in understanding and practicing biblical love, we become more fully human and more clearly reflect the divine image in which we were created.
Through Lewis's lens, we see that biblical love isn't just a feeling to be experienced or an ideal to be admired - it's a reality to be lived, a choice to be made, and a gift to be shared. In understanding and practicing this love, we participate in the very nature of God, who is love itself.
"Love is not just an emotion but a daily choice - C.S. Lewis's wisdom shows us how biblical love transforms every relationship, from divine to human connections."
