--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And then it came to him. He had been…" description: "\"“And then it came to him. He had been wrong about everything. God was missing. He had never been here. And if He had never been here, in this their spe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/andrew-michael-hurley-34810_left-behind_and-then-it-came-to-him-he-had-been-wron_1155304.jpg" --- # And then it came to him. He had been wrong about… ![“And then it came to him. He had been wrong about everything. God was missing. He had never been here. And if He had never been here, in this their special place, then He was nowhere at all. He tried to dismiss the thought as quickly as it had come, but it returned immediately and with more…” quote by Andrew Michael Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/andrew-michael-hurley-34810_left-behind_and-then-it-came-to-him-he-had-been-wron_1155304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/andrew-michael-hurley-34810_left-behind_and-then-it-came-to-him-he-had-been-wron_1155304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/andrew-michael-hurley-34810_left-behind_and-then-it-came-to-him-he-had-been-wron_1155304.jpg) > ““And then it came to him. He had been wrong about everything. God was missing. He had never been here. And if He had never been here, in this their special place, then He was nowhere at all. He tried to dismiss the thought as quickly as it had come, but it returned immediately and with more insistence as he stood there watching the gulls flocking for the crustaceans left behind, and the clouds slowly knotting into new shapes, and the parasites swarming in the carcass of some thing. It was all just machinery.”” [Andrew Michael Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-michael-hurley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character confronts existential emptiness, feeling God absent, and perceives the world as mechanistic, intensifying his crisis. **In simple terms:** He feels God is missing and sees life as machines. Key Takeaway Question the meaning behind perceived emptiness. Themes existentialism faith loneliness Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - grappling with loss of belief - observing nature as metaphor - confronting inner void Key Concepts theodicy nihilism perception of reality Questions to Reflect On - What does the “machinery” represent in personal crisis? - Can emptiness be a catalyst for growth? A Different Perspective The narrative may over‑symbolize, reducing complex emotions to mechanical imagery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Left behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-behind/) [Special place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-place/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [We cannot attain the presence of God. We're already totally in the presence of God. 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God loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-cox/if-you-think-there-is-no-love-for-you-you-re-wrong-god-loves-you/) [Kevin Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-cox/) > [There is nothing wrong with God's creation. Mystery and Suffering only exist in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-god-s-creation-mystery-and-suffering-only/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [Don't get down on yourself over everything you've done wrong. God knew you weren't going to be perfect, but He still loves you more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-get-down-on-yourself-over-everything-you-ve-done-wrong-god-knew/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Andrew Michael Hurley > [“It was a safari park of degradation. 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