{"id":7737,"date":"2025-07-18T07:36:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=7737"},"modified":"2025-07-18T07:40:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:40:22","slug":"the-four-loves-affection-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2025\/07\/18\/the-four-loves-affection-2","title":{"rendered":"The Four Loves: Affection"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/220px-The_Four_Loves.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"220\" height=\"344\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/220px-The_Four_Loves.jpg?resize=220%2C344&#038;ssl=1\" alt class=\"wp-image-5041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/220px-The_Four_Loves.jpg?w=220&amp;ssl=1 220w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/220px-The_Four_Loves.jpg?resize=192%2C300&amp;ssl=1 192w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 220px) 85vw, 220px\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Four Loves by CS Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Some of us are read\u00ading through C.S. Lewis\u2019 The Four Loves this sum\u00admer for <a href=\"https:\/\/xastanford.org\/summer-reading\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/xastanford.org\/summer-reading\">the Chi Alpha Sum\u00admer Read\u00ading Project<\/a>. Every oth\u00ader week I\u2019ll post some reflec\u00adtions on the read\u00adings. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have writ\u00adten about this chap\u00adter <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2018\/07\/12\/the-four-loves-affection\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2018\/07\/12\/the-four-loves-affection\">once before, back in 2018<\/a>. My remarks here are fresh (although the open\u00ading sec\u00adtion is very sim\u00adi\u00adlar). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">YouTube has some\u00adthing amaz\u00ading in rela\u00adtion to this week\u2019s read\u00ading: a 1957 record\u00ading of C. S. Lewis him\u00adself giv\u00ading the lec\u00adture upon which this chap\u00adter is based. I\u2019ve embed\u00added the video, and you can  <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B8lkIorOqTUySlloZUtRT2hMMXM\/view\">read the tran\u00adscript<\/a> as well. You should at least lis\u00adten to a few min\u00adutes if you\u2019ve nev\u00ader heard the voice of Lewis before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m4hI638mskQ?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chan\u00adnel host\u00ading this video is worth check\u00ading out. It\u2019s called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CSLewisDoodle\">CSLewis\u00adDoo\u00addle<\/a> and it \u201cdoo\u00addles select\u00aded essays by C.S. Lewis in order to make them eas\u00adi\u00ader to under\u00adstand.\u201d It\u2019s got doo\u00addled treat\u00adments of <em>Mere Chris\u00adtian\u00adi\u00adty<\/em>, <em>The Screw\u00adtape Let\u00adters<\/em>, and more. Con\u00adsid\u00ader sub\u00adscrib\u00ading to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On to affec\u00adtion. Lewis is dis\u00adcussing the type of love described by the Greek word&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%AE\">storge (\u00cf\u0192\u00cf\u201e\u00ce\u00bf\u00cf\u0081\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ae)<\/a>, a love which we describe using the words affec\u00adtion or fond\u00adness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The word <em>storge <\/em>does not appear direct\u00adly in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment, although it does appear as a root of oth\u00ader words. In both Romans 1:31 and 2<sup>nd<\/sup> Tim\u00ado\u00adthy 3:3 the word&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/biblehub.com\/greek\/794.htm\">astor\u00adgos (\u00e1\u00bc\u201e\u00cf\u0192\u00cf\u201e\u00ce\u00bf\u00cf\u0081\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00bf\u00cf\u201a)<\/a> is ren\u00addered by var\u00adi\u00adous trans\u00adla\u00adtions as&nbsp;\u201cheart\u00adless\u201d or \u201cunlov\u00ading\u201d or \u201cwith\u00adout nat\u00adur\u00adal affec\u00adtion.\u201d And in Romans 12:10 we find the word <a href=\"https:\/\/biblehub.com\/greek\/5387.htm\">philostor\u00adgos (\u00cf\u2020\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00bb\u00cf\u0152\u00cf\u0192\u00cf\u201e\u00ce\u00bf\u00cf\u0081\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00bf\u00cf\u201a)<\/a> which means \u201cdevot\u00aded\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I pro\u00advide this lin\u00adguis\u00adtic data mere\u00adly by way of back\u00adground. It does\u00adn\u2019t affect Lewis\u2019 dis\u00adcus\u00adsion of affec\u00adtion except to explain why he\u2019s not quot\u00ading a bunch of Bible vers\u00ades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is one sec\u00adtion in this chap\u00adter that always strikes me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If peo\u00adple are already unlov\u00adable a con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00adal demand on their part (as of right) to be loved\u2014their man\u00adi\u00adfest sense of injury, their reproach\u00ades, whether loud and clam\u00adorous or mere\u00adly implic\u00adit in every look and ges\u00adture of resent\u00adful self-pity\u2014produce in us a sense of guilt (they are intend\u00aded to do so) for a fault we could not have avoid\u00aded and can\u00adnot cease to com\u00admit. They seal up the very foun\u00adtain for which they are thirsty. If ever, at some favoured moment, any germ of Affec\u00adtion for them stirs in us, their demand for more and still more pet\u00adri\u00adfies us again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What an arrest\u00ading phrase: \u201cthey seal up the very foun\u00adtain for which they are thirsty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I once had a cat who became so obese that he could no longer lick him\u00adself clean. And so for a sea\u00adson he stank. Wher\u00adev\u00ader he went, the smell of an out\u00adhouse fol\u00adlowed him. And yet he was des\u00adper\u00adate for affec\u00adtion. He would approach peo\u00adple to receive pats and his stench would dri\u00adve them away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And here is where the sto\u00adry becomes fas\u00adci\u00adnat\u00ading: in his sad\u00adness he devel\u00adoped the habit of sleep\u00ading in his lit\u00adter box. I was amazed: the poor crea\u00adture had found a way to make his stench even worse. His habits made his desires unat\u00adtain\u00adable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am pleased to report that even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly his behav\u00adior changed, he lost weight, his stench decreased, and he received affec\u00adtion. He became much hap\u00adpi\u00ader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have met peo\u00adple who do the equiv\u00ada\u00adlent of sleep\u00ading in their lit\u00adter box. They live odi\u00adous lives. In the most extreme cas\u00ades they under\u00admine their friend\u00adships and are baf\u00adfled that they find them\u00adselves alone. In the pas\u00adsage excerpt\u00aded above Lewis talks about peo\u00adple who are so needy it is repel\u00adlent, and that is one way we can car\u00adry a stench around with us but it is hard\u00adly the only one. There are many milder cas\u00ades. Con\u00adsid\u00ader a young woman who is unwill\u00ading to be vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adble beyond a cer\u00adtain point and is sur\u00adprised that her friend\u00adships lack depth. Or con\u00adsid\u00ader a young man unwill\u00ading to risk rejec\u00adtion who is then dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00aded that his friend\u00adships nev\u00ader blos\u00adsom into romance. Or pic\u00adture some\u00adone who comes late to church and leaves ear\u00adly and is frus\u00adtrat\u00aded that they lack com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. In each case, they \u201cseal up the very foun\u00adtain for which they are thirsty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a moment to eval\u00adu\u00adate your rela\u00adtion\u00adships. Is there an absence of affec\u00adtion or cama\u00adraderie which frus\u00adtrates you? It may sim\u00adply be that you haven\u2019t found your peo\u00adple yet (and Lewis will talk more about friend\u00adship in the next chap\u00adter). But it is also pos\u00adsi\u00adble that you are doing the equiv\u00ada\u00adlent of sleep\u00ading in your lit\u00adter box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are frus\u00adtrat\u00aded that you are not expe\u00adri\u00adenc\u00ading the affec\u00adtion you desire, spend some time in prayer\u00adful con\u00adtem\u00adpla\u00adtion and ask God to reveal any self-lim\u00adit\u00ading habits you have devel\u00adoped and to guide you into bet\u00adter habits. Your now is not your for\u00adev\u00ader \u2014 my cat changed and so can we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you haven\u2019t already, read the \u201caffec\u00adtion\u201d chap\u00adter in <em>The Four Loves<\/em> and watch the Lewis doo\u00addle video above \u2014 they may pro\u00advide you with some insight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of us are read\u00ading through C.S. Lewis\u2019 The Four Loves this sum\u00admer for the Chi Alpha Sum\u00admer Read\u00ading Project. Every oth\u00ader week I\u2019ll post some reflec\u00adtions on the read\u00adings. I have writ\u00adten about this chap\u00adter once before, back in 2018. My remarks here are fresh (although the open\u00ading sec\u00adtion is very sim\u00adi\u00adlar). YouTube has \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2025\/07\/18\/the-four-loves-affection-2\" class=\"more-link\">Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u201cThe Four Loves: Affec\u00adtion\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14,8],"tags":[230,188,344],"class_list":["post-7737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rants-opinions-and-general-contrariness","category-resources-reviews","tag-c-s-lewis","tag-love","tag-summer-reading-project-2025"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-20N","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7737"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7740,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7737\/revisions\/7740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}