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within the frame of affection, I believe that the greatest barrier may be taking God for granted. It is true that we can share with God any desires or concerns, but it is important to know that it is most effective when it is done humbly. The danger lies when we become so comfortable in asking for our personal benefit, that we forfeit the close bond derived by simply sharing in God’s presence. Lewis also recognized that affection, much like the other Loves that will be reviewed later, can be a fleeting one. Familial bonds of childhood friends or siblings can often fade due to many reasons: change of proximity or the presence of ongoing maturity that decreases the likelihood of similar interests. If a younger brother still plays with video games, while an older brother has a new interest in girls, affection may not be as present as it once was. Lewis also relays this change in affection to other circumstances, where a person leaves the communal bond of things familiar such as when a member of an unbelieving family becomes a Christian or the reverse, “A church-going family in which one has gone atheist will not always behave better” (p.47) .
It is the first love that we receive and also often that we show. It is not the type of love that we pursue, but often comes to us without us recognizing it. But it should not be the only love that we experience. As Lewis puts it, “If we try to live by affection alone, affection will ‘go bad on us’” (p.55). Affection’s effect when working alone and not in concert with the other Loves: Friendship, Eros and Charity, is a love that is no longer beneficial. “If affection is made the absolute sovereign of a human life, the seeds will germinate. Love, having become a god, becomes a demon” (p.56).
Affection, along with the other Loves that will be reviewed can be a good thing that helps sustain a full life.
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Matthew Hamilton Matthew Hamilton is a published photographer and writer that lives with his wife, two cats, and a dog in Wilmington, Delaware. He has written articles for New Identity and the pop culture blog The Critical Masses at criticalmassesmedia.com. You can also check out his personal blogs Black and White in Color and Five Questions Blog at blogger.com.