--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And God was here anyway, before the…" description: "\"“And God was here anyway, before the missionaries came. We called him by a different name, then, and he did not live over at the Jews’ place; he lived ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/alexander-mccall-smith-372_judaism_and-god-was-here-anyway-before-the-missi_3006249.png" --- # And God was here anyway, before the missionaries came. We… ![“And God was here anyway, before the missionaries came. We called him by a different name, then, and he did not live over at the Jews’ place; he lived here in Africa, in the rocks, in the sky, in places where we knew he liked to be.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/alexander-mccall-smith-372_judaism_and-god-was-here-anyway-before-the-missi_3006249.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/alexander-mccall-smith-372_judaism_and-god-was-here-anyway-before-the-missi_3006249.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/alexander-mccall-smith-372_judaism_and-god-was-here-anyway-before-the-missi_3006249.png) > ““And God was here anyway, before the missionaries came. We called him by a different name, then, and he did not live over at the Jews’ place; he lived here in Africa, in the rocks, in the sky, in places where we knew he liked to be.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine presence existed before missionaries, known by different names, showing spirituality transcends cultural labels. **In simple terms:** God existed before missionaries. Key Takeaway Respect diverse spiritual views. Themes spirituality culture colonialism Mood respectful reflective Type literary cultural When to use this quote - missionary work - anthropology - personal faith Key Concepts interfaith dialogue indigenous belief Questions to Reflect On - How do names shape belief? - What is the impact of missionary narratives? 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