The Four Loves, authored by British novelist C.S. Lewis, is often viewed as one of the best books written on the subject of love as it pertains to religion. In the book, Lewis covers many ideas including the four types of love which include: storgé (empathetic love/affection), philia love (the love between friends), Eros (erotic/romantic love), and Agapé (the unconditional ‘God’ love). In this book, Lewis also covers the differences between need and gift love; however, one of the most astounding statements that Lewis makes is in the storgé passage, specifically in the section about affection where he states, “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our natural lives.” (pg. 53). Lewis also states, "The highest does not stand without the lowest. (pg.9) If affection is part of storgé, which is considered the lowest love, then to obtain the higher loves one must have affection. Furthermore, storgé (commonly referred to as affection) creates stamina in natural relations between people due precisely to that low-level nature it…
Showing compassion, being able to feel the pain of another in a time where they are in pain, being able to show sympathy is exactly what Paul and his regime exhibited to the enemy Russians. The group of Paul was finally on top, they even had some Prisoners of War with them, what do they do? Display compassion. Give the adversary some food and even some cigarette ends. Talk to them. Show them the respect they would want. Treat them the way Paul's regime would want to be treated. In addition to Paul showing Heroism, his whole team followed close behind, supporting Paul in his Heroic decisions and acts. Paul's strong beliefs and exhibits of Heroism, where not only noticed by the prisoners and Paul's mother, his whole regime noticed and…
Galatians Chapter 6 Verse 2 in Chapter 6 of Galatians, gives practical advice for temptation and tensions. One main point that stands out to me. “ Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.”…
In the words of Pastor Terry Hill when asked about his opinion on issues that may send some souls to to Heaven and others to Hell, "I will always lean towards mercy and grace.” Philemon is a perfect example of a man learning to reflect Christ in how he chooses to counter culturally give mercy and grace. We as believers are all a part of the same body and thus receive the same status of sons and daughters. Sadly, this equality is not always displayed as it should be. Paul's letter to Philemon shows us as children of God to respect each other instead of conforming to the societal norms of slavery.…
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” Dalai Lama, Buddhist leader…
According to the Analects, or the scripture within the main Confucian book, benevolence is the most principal of the religion's virtues, including empathy, humanity, love and thoughtfulness (ibid, 137, 144). The faith states that men who wish to consider themselves of superior nature should not only carry out these attributes through right actions, but also be properly motivated with the correct mindset while executing them (ibid, 144, 145).…
Having concluded his appeal in verse 16 to both his interests and Philemon's, Paul makes three requests, telling Philemon what his next steps should be. The first request is that Philemon would “receive him as you would receive me” (1:17) and it is a strong request that puts Onesimus on the same level of respect as Paul. The second request is to forgive Onesimus's debt and “charge that to my account”(1:18). Here, Paul is asking Philemon to do something extraordinary - forgive Onesimus for having stolen from him – reflecting Christ's forgiveness of the mankind. Paul's third request is to “refresh my heart in Christ” (1:20), which goes back to the motif of “heart” that Paul used in the introduction of his petition, compelling Philemon to affect…
One important effect of virtue is illustrated through kindliness. Jesus was a great example of kindliness. He would hang out with the lowly and sick when nobody else would even if people criticized Him for it. Kindliness is normally the first effect of virtue developed because it has been engrained in our minds since our first years, yet it still can be a struggle to become kind. “Kindliness forbids you to be over-bearing towards your associates, and it forbids you to be grasping” (Seneca 4). Seneca is saying that kindliness is putting someone else’s interest in front of one’s own interest. Even though kindliness is a simple concept, it is often hard for people because selfishness is an epidemic in the world today. “In words and in deeds and in feelings it [Kindliness] shows itself gentle and courteous to all men.” Kindliness isn’t just being kind in actions or words, but also being calm and genuine in one’s thoughts. Even during difficult and enraging situations; kindliness…
People who practice Buddhism believe that giving is a major foundation of their lifestyle. They believe that being generous is very important and to be taken seriously.…
What is wrong with calling Christianity a religion? Throughout my study on Galatians chapter 3 this past semester, this question has been answered repeatedly. By referring to Christianity as a religion, we imply that Christianity is associated with religious works. In Galatians, however, Paul tells us that the Spirit and the law—religious works—are enemies. The Lord does not care for religious duties. Instead, we are to live by faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in Him as our life. Throughout chapter three, Paul contrasts these two ways of living, showing that Christ should be our life. This life sustains us even in the face of our enemies, and it solves all of our problems.…
My initial response to reading Wonder was centered on my beliefs about the difference between what it means to be nice and what it means to be kind. Western society is socially nice and plagued with false pleasantries, but often lacks kindness. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of nice is “pleasant; agreeable; satisfactory.” Whereas the same source defines kind as “having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others: wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others.” The difference is one can be disingenuous; nice, and the other is grounded in a sense of benevolence; kind.…
As far as my personal thinking is concerned, I consider that kind behavior is among the most significant feature a human may possess. It is not that difficult to state a straightforward 'thank you', and even it can genuinely alter the prospect of somebody else's day. My brother once said to me, “It acquires more power to glare than to smile.” I've acknowledged that only by behaving respectfully with the citizens around, you are able to genuinely create the more positive ambiance around you.…
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” from (Ephesians 4:32)…
Do you know what kindness really is? The poem “Kindness”, by Naomi Shihab Nye, is a deep and meaningful poem that uses personification, free verse rhythm, simile, and alliteration to bring out the message that society does not fully understand kindness until one looses something, and this can be seen throughout American history as well. Critics Pamela Steed Hill and Anna Maria Hong give their opinions on Nye’s work. Each…
Prophet Muhammad (saw) was kind to all people and asked his followers to be the same. He was especially kind to orphans and asked his companions to be kind to them. Thauban (ra) reported Allah's Messenger (saw) as saying, "Only supplication averts the decree (of fate), only kindness prolongs life, and a man is deprived of provision for a fault he has committed."…