Nessa wrote:Kurieuo wrote:CS Lewis states venus is sexual "love", and explicitly says eros isn't about sex.
He doesn't even include sex as one of the loves, but does see it as a most natural outworking of eros.
So can eros be a non sexual love that God can love us with? Like when God is passionate is that where that love comes from?
I do see God loving us as a parent but I also see more when I read the bible.
That God is a jealous God and is passionate, consuming love that goes beyond parent child relationship.
Storyteller wrote:I think Gods love goes beyond any kind of love we feel right now.
I like A's response.
What we have is an
imago dei similarity, only with love.
We can all see and identify certain loves evidently within
Natural Law.
The reason we can see this design, isn't because humanity created such, but love is was found in the fabric of our nature and design.
It is important to see, that CS Lewis'
Four Loves, however we name or splice them, are clearly based upon those we experience in/understand by natural law. And, as such, each have a certain purpose and design to them.
The role of
Eros is to cause the strong bond of attraction. Think Cupid's arrow. Hits two people, and now nothing can distract their gaze from each other. The connection is just too strong. The two people feel an intense and strong desire and attraction to and for each other. No faults can be seen. BUT, as strong as
eros is, it wanes and fades and should lead into deeper and more mature loves.
The intended design is to bring two together. It evidences, if you will God's intention in nature for a pair to exist together and love each other.
Eros doesn't bring three or more people together -- only ever two. Venus on the other hand, can be lust... you can lust for two or more people.
Eros can only be had between two people.
Eros may not care about the sex of a person either. Being strongly attracted to someone of the same sex, that too is
Eros. It also doesn't care if you're married. If you're disconnected in your marriage, then you NEED to understand the power of
Eros to cause destruction. Lewis' Four Loves rescued my marriage. Helped me to see
Eros wasn't the real deal, when I fell in love with someone else, but rather it was a love gone wrong outside of its intended design.
As for how
Eros represents God's love... I'd say with its passion and strong attraction. The unity of such that you feel like soul partners. The lights are switched on between you and another. They complete you, you complete them. It was so meant to be! Right? Most of us have probably all felt that. Complete infatuation, but returned...
Eros shows
the power and strength of love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And also, that which God has for us, his creation. If God loves us, then God loves us fully. He's infatuated with us. Passionate about us. As you say, "jealous" -- jealous to not have us. We were meant to be with Him, and it rips at God's heart if any of us reject Him.
So as an aside, of course, that is where Satan dedicates his attention. Ripping as many away from God as he can, whether that be other angelic beings, or human beings. Causing as much death and destruction, because he knows that pains God the most.
I'm just writing my thoughts here. I certainly don't have a corner on this topic, but I do know what CS Lewis said regarding
Eros because I read it more than a dozen times and broke it a part almost word by word to save my marriage.
