Charity in Mere Christianity
In Mere Christianity, Lewis gives a multi-faceted definition of charity in relation to love. Lewis says that charity is not just giving alms; it is not just an emotional response; it is not just liking someone enough to help them out. Charity is love in the most Christian sense. It is about deeply caring for someone’s condition and well-being. He goes on to say that simply liking someone makes charity easier, but it is more than that. In fact, we don’t have to like someone for charity to be in effect. It is all about the simple action of love that is demonstrated in word and deed. Lewis takes the fake it till you make it approach here. He says we should act as if we love someone even if we cannot find it in our hearts to actually love them. This will lead possibly to some sort of emotional conditioning which will associate that charity with that masked love. This may lead to interesting results however, so the best course of action is to actually love someone. The difference between a Christian and worldly person is that a worldly person treats someone kindly because they like them, while a Christian treats someone kindly and ends up liking them. Lewis notes that this is the best way to grow in our love for God as well. By loving others, we demonstrate that we have a genuine love for God who instructed us to care for others. “If you love me, you will do my commandments”.
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