We say we have affection for another person when we care for
him, rejoice in her joys, and sorrow in his troubles. Yet we should be cautious
in using that phrase because affection can be for evil as well as good. The
truth underlying our affection for another, when we truly care for the well
being of another, is that the affection has the foundation of compassion and
love, in other words, goodness. That goodness translates into love of the
neighbor, which is one of the two greatest commandments given to us by Jesus:
One of them, an
expert in the law tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the
greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the
first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” ~~Matthew
22:35-40 (NIV)
On the other side of the affection coin is passion for evil.
This affection of a different sort is exemplified by love for material goods,
such as striving for the largest and most expensive house in the neighborhood
so that others may look upon you with envy. This self-aggrandizement is love of
self—an affection founded in love of the world, this natural world in which we
live and of which Jesus cautioned us to be in but not of.
If you belonged to the world, it
would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.~~John 15:19
(NIV)
I have given them your word and the
world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the
world.~~John 17:14 (NIV)
Love of this world and love of self is the most base—the
very lowest—of all affections, meaning it’s the most mundane, all it’s about is
self-preservation. You have to have love of self at some level to the point of
wanting to live, to preserve your life, and have food and shelter. It’s the
most basic of needs. But, the next step is to rise above that level and
understand and desire that you can help others. In other words, now that you
have taken care of yourself you can help others. In the airplane when the
oxygen masks fall down, as a parent, you first breathe into your mask and
ensure your survival and then assist your child because if you die, your child
dies. The same is true for the rescuer who dives to assist the drowning person.
He must have the oxygen with him so that when he locates the victim, he can
share his life-giving oxygen with the dying person. The farmer grows more than
enough food for himself. But, first, he takes in enough for his own family to
get through the winter and then he sells off the surplus to his neighbors.
These scenarios all exemplify affection showing love of the
neighbor and based in the goodness of love of self, i.e., caring for one’s self
first so that one is able to care for others.
