Charis

Suzanne,

Regarding eros, perhaps this will help?

from “Steel Magnolia” by Mary Kassian
http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Steel-Magnolia

The first man called himself “Ish” and the woman “Ishsha.” This appears to be an extremely clever and profound play on words. The sound of these two Hebrew words is nearly identical-Ishsha merely adds a feminine ending- but the two words have a complementary meaning. Ish comes from the root meaning “strength” while Ishsha comes from the root meaning “soft.”

The implication becomes clearer when we observe the biblical meaning of a man’s “strength.” Strength refers to a man’s manhood- his potency, virility, and procreative power (Psalm 105:36; Proverbs 31:3; Genesis 49:3). By contrast, a woman’s “softness” has to do with her pregnability, penetrability, and vulnerability (in a very positive sense). One commentator has suggested English equivalents of “Piercer” and “Pierced One.”

The bodies of male and female reflect this idea. A man’s body is built to move toward the woman. A woman’s body is built to receive the man. But the pattern goes beyond the mere physical difference between men and women to encompass the totality of their essence: The man was created to joyfully and actively initiate and give. The woman was created to joyfully and actively respond and receive. The woman is the “soft” one – the receiver, responder, and relater. The man is the “strong” one with greater capacity to initiate, protect and provide. Each is a perfect counterpart to the other.