The Four Loves: Philia/Friendship (Part 2/4) by C.S. Lewis

Part 2 of "The Four Loves," written and narrated by C.S. Lewis.
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[@matthewstokes1608]

Very important to hear what he says here… (as always!). “How a man can feel anything but bewildered pity for the genuinely homosexual, I have never been able to understand”… This sums up my own feelings perfectly. This is NOT homophobia - or hatred or fear to any degree, as a Christian certainly not … just a sense of sadness to see sin or deformity or malady… Pity is what I feel… Compassion where possible. But, when I see “pride” flags and banners and demonstrations today - and the foisting of this sin upon children - all I see is “shame”. Pride of sin is shameful. Christians must hold onto the Scriptures and refuse to be bullied into line by a “new”, “woke”, “progressive” culture - even if this culture has wormed its way into the control of our Churches. We must fight for Christ - and the Book and its morality, laws and ethics must be our guide to emulate Christ in all He says and teaches and does. The Book of Matthew in its entirety must be read carefully.

[@John-FourteenSix]

I have recently had the same conversation with liberal minds at Theological college. We are surely being asked, on which side do you stand?

[@matthewstokes1608]

@@John-FourteenSix Yes, they are very forceful in defense of all this perversion- which it blatantly is - but one can retain one’s sense of being a strong and balanced, fair-minded Christian, and still point out to these others that we followers must all do far, far better in defense of the way of Christ as clearly expressed in the Gospel, at a time of such pressure for slippery change. Christ must be the beacon. He can never change - just as He said… We must be the ones to change to fit Him accordingly. We are all sinners and works in progress, but we are on a beautiful path… I urge you to stand strong and stalwart as a traditionalist and a conservative in matters of the Church and the Bible at an important time of attack by a culture gone beserk. Old Scratch must and will be defeated. He has no chance but at an individual level with the weak of faith. And nobody in the Faith should fear anyone else defending flagrant perversion anywhere near us, least of all in our churches. We should speak back in a strong, defiant but polite manner and never buckle. God shall deal with them all, and with us - and all manner of things shall be well. God Bless.

[@cindieryan446]

I look at conversations today and how completely dumbed down they are among the cosmopolitan man. I listen to Lewis and I am starting to see why he is such a great writer in Christian commentary

[@ChristianTheChicken]

I've never heard the term "scandal-monger" until now, but I know exactly the type of man he means.

[@wallacegodwin4539]

𝖬𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗈!

[@markpatterson2517]

I once went to an unfamiliar church with my family where the priest talked about the different loves including agape love. He was so intellectual about it that we were bored to tears. We thought if this is love, who would want it? 😅 When we speak of love intellectually or academically, we speak of theoretical love, not applied love. Jesus taught the man who puts into practice what he taught as he did (he practiced what he preached), that the man is wise like one building his house on a firm foundation for when the floods of life come. He also said to his disciples with whom he shared mutual love that if they love him they will keep his commandments. He told them he didn't regard them as servant students, but as his friends. Great love had he that he laid down his life for his friends. His beloved disciple reclined on his bosom. He gave John and his mother to each other. He said that those who do his Father's will are his brothers, sisters, and mothers. He brought empathy to the wedding feast at Cana. He taught to treat strangers like neighbors as he did as in the parable of the good Samaritan. He taught to pray for, forgive, and do good for enemies as he did. I don't think Aramaic had four words for love. I could be wrong. Jesus distinguished and expressed the various loves by his actions, not just in words. He blended them. He improved them. Love is like wine. Jesus was the Vinter of wines or love, besides being the Vine producing the grapes which turn into wine or love. The chalice at communion is his cup of love. There is overlap between the loves, familial love, friendship love, romantic love, and empathetic love. In a communing family all four can dwell. All family homes built on the foundation of Christ should have a loving cup on the mantle over their hearth. The loves have this in common: their communal bonding, to various degrees. Familial love or bonding is both inborn and developed. It's nature and nurture. Family members cling to each other to various degrees for mutual support, health, and well-being, especially for when the floods of life come. Bonds between parents and children tend to be stronger than between siblings than between grandparents and cousins. Friendships between nonfamily members is an extension of this familial bonding. The best of friends treat each other as family. There are degrees of friendship, from company with whom we like to chat, to pals with whom we like to do things, to affectionate bosom friends for whom we would fight and die. In classical times it was considered a mark of a virtuous man to have the latter type of friend. Such a friendship is rare today, especially between men. I've never seen or heard men being physically or verbally affectionate with each other in a nonsexual relationship. Eros love is romantic bonding between the opposite sexes. Sex without romantic love isn't much of a bond, thus it's not considered love. Romantic love without trustfulness, faith and fidelity is a weak bond. It isn't a three corded rope and it eventually gets broken. Trustfulness, faith, and fidelity make for a three corded rope not easily broken. This kind of eros love leads to the creation of a new family and further familial love. Apape love extends the bonding and communion even further than the other three. Empathetic love can be given to family members, to friends, to neighbors, to strangers, and even to enemies. It recognizes the other as oneself. It treats the other as you would want to be treated. It softens hard hearts. It turns water into wine. It expands like new wine skins. It comes from the Vinter's Vine. God so loved the world that he gave His Son. God loved us first. God is love. His loving Son makes us, once estranged, to become his friends and brethren. He allows us to becomes sons and daughters of God or familial with his Father. He makes us spouses of his Holy Spirit. He is our communion bond with the Triune God.