"Gift-love"

Keegan Ruddy
Outside reading
C.S. Lewis The Four Loves

In C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves, Lewis' begins the book by explaining what type of love Divine Love is "Divine Love is Gift-love. The Father gives all He is and has to the Son. The Son gives Himself back to the Father, and gives Himself to the world (in Himself) back to the Father too." (Lewis pg.11) Lewis' original example of Gift-love is a man taking care of his family even though he himself will not see the fruits of his labor. This idea of gift-love, is selfless love. A love that is a total gift of self to another. Now his second type of love in this chapter is need-love. That seems to be the idea that as humans we have a nature of needing help. We are not competent or sufficient on our own and need love, mostly from God. Secondarily, we need love from those in our life. The second example Lewis' gives to the reader of gift-love, comes from need-love, "that which sends a lonely or frightened child to its mother's arms." (Lewis pg.11) Children need love, they need it from their mother in order to survive. They need love in the form of physiological needs, and as they get older, emotional needs. These types of love outline human natures need for love and the gift of love they receive, whether it be Divine Love or human love.