Easter 2026 - Reading #18 - Knowledge
Reading
C.S. Lewis, in The Four Loves, explores how the gift of knowledge transforms our understanding of earthly loves: "We may give our human loves the unconditional allegiance which we owe only to God. Then they become gods; then they become demons. Then they will destroy us, and also destroy themselves. For natural loves that are allowed to become gods do not remain loves. They are still called so, but can become in fact complicated forms of hatred."
Lewis continues: "It is probably impossible to love any human being simply 'too much.' You may love him too much in proportion to your love for God; but it is the smallness of your love for God, not the greatness of your love for the man, that constitutes the inordinacy. But the question whether we are loving God or the earthly beloved 'more' is not really a quantitative question. It is about the kind of love, whether the earthly love is being offered to God as a flower, or whether it is being set up as an idol in God's place."
For Lewis, the gift of knowledge does not diminish human love, it redeems it. When we see our earthly loves in the light of God's love, they become more precious, not less, because we receive them as gifts rather than demanding them as rights.
Reflection
Nineteen days into Easter, Lewis addresses the most practical application of the gift of knowledge: how we handle the people we love. This is where knowledge moves from the contemplative to the deeply personal. Most of us will not struggle with attachment to money or possessions in ways that derail our lives. But attachment to people, disordered, demanding, possessive love, that is the universal temptation.
Lewis's insight is precise: you probably cannot love a person too much. But you can love them in the wrong way, as an idol, as a need that must be met, as a god who must never disappoint. When we do this, love becomes a form of tyranny. The parent who loves their child so possessively that they cannot let them grow. The spouse who loves their partner so dependently that they cannot survive disagreement. The friend who loves so needily that every relationship becomes suffocating. In each case, a good love has become a god, and gods made of human beings always fail.
The gift of knowledge, as Lewis understands it, does not ask us to love less. It asks us to love better, to receive our human loves as gifts from God rather than demanding them as necessities from the universe. A love that is held as a gift can be generous, free, and joyful. A love that is held as a right becomes desperate, controlling, and ultimately destructive. Today, think about the people you love most. Are you holding them as gifts or as gods? The difference will determine whether your love brings life or slow suffocation.