--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For reasons that will never be entirely…" description: "\"“For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God has a soft spot for religious strangers, both as agents of divine blessing and recipients of divine..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg" --- # For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God has a… ![“For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God has a soft spot for religious strangers, both as agents of divine blessing and recipients of divine grace - to the point that God sometimes chooses one of them over people who believe they should by all rights come first. This is a great mystery…” quote by Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg) > ““For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God has a soft spot for religious strangers, both as agents of divine blessing and recipients of divine grace - to the point that God sometimes chooses one of them over people who believe they should by all rights come first. This is a great mystery, but it does nothing to obscure the great commandment. In every circumstance, regardless of the outcome, the main thing Jesus has asked me to do is love God and my neighbor as religiously as I love myself. The minute I have that handled, I will ask for my next assignment. For now, my hands are full.”” [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage highlights that divine grace may extend to unexpected people, but the core command remains loving God and neighbor equally, regardless of outcomes. **In simple terms:** God may favor strangers, but love God and neighbor equally. Key Takeaway Love God and neighbor without condition. Themes faith grace love divine mystery service Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - mission work - personal prayer - community service - handling busy seasons Key Concepts theology spiritual discipline humility Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance divine calling with personal limits? - What does loving neighbor as yourself look like daily? A Different Perspective The focus on love may overlook practical limits of personal capacity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Divine grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-grace/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Pluralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pluralism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Respecting others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respecting-others/) [Soft spot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soft-spot/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t cry wolf when your world falls apart, especially if you let someone who only pretends to care manipulate you into attacking the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduvie-donald/don-t-cry-wolf-when-your-world-falls-apart-especially-if-you-let/) [Eduvie Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduvie-donald/) > [“Neighbor: the nicest enemy you will ever get”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/neighbor-the-nicest-enemy-you-will-ever-get/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Neighbor: the state next door”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/neighbor-the-state-next-door/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-then-thinks-that-he-understands-the-holy-scriptures-or-any/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't know how to love God and your neighbor unless you look to the law to define it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/you-don-t-know-how-to-love-god-and-your-neighbor-unless-you-look-to/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) > [Charity may be a very short word, but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man's entire relation to God and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aelred-of-rievaulx/charity-may-be-a-very-short-word-but-with-its-tremendous-meaning-of/) [Aelred of Rievaulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aelred-of-rievaulx/) > [The six things in life that never get boring are knowing and loving God, your neighbor, and yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-six-things-in-life-that-never-get-boring-are-knowing-and-loving/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Whoever seems to himself to have understood the Scriptures in such a way that he does not build up that double love of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/whoever-seems-to-himself-to-have-understood-the-scriptures-in-such-a/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [When we imply that our works are for God and not our neighbor, we perpetuate the idea that God's love for us is dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/when-we-imply-that-our-works-are-for-god-and-not-our-neighbor-we/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“Why are you here?” my seminary professors asked me. “You don’t really believe in God, do you?” My brother wrote. Dear professors, dear brother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-braestrup/why-are-you-here-my-seminary-professors-asked-me-you-don-t-really/) [Kate Braestrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-braestrup/) > [God : To show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much love we put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-to-show-great-love-for-god-and-our-neighbor-we-need-not-do-great/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other-that man, that woman, that child is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/today-if-we-have-no-peace-it-is-because-we-have-forgotten-that-we/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [“God is in your neighbor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/god-is-in-your-neighbor/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Charity, by which God and neighbor are loved, is the most perfect friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/charity-by-which-god-and-neighbor-are-loved-is-the-most-perfect/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“It is possible that God is the way Annie Payne used to lean her old head against my shoulder...Drew's arms holding me...Ron Dunham walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-braestrup/it-is-possible-that-god-is-the-way-annie-payne-used-to-lean-her-old/) [Kate Braestrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-braestrup/) ## More by Barbara Brown Taylor > [The poets began drifting away from churches as the jurists grew louder and more insistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-poets-began-drifting-away-from-churches-as-the-jurists-grew/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I decided I got to say whether I was Christian or not, and so I've relaxed enormously since then. I'm the one who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-decided-i-got-to-say-whether-i-was-christian-or-not-and-so-i-ve/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Having been brought up with a definition of faith as adherence to a set of beliefs, I have more and more begun to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/having-been-brought-up-with-a-definition-of-faith-as-adherence-to-a/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I don't miss the ministry, because I'm completely engaged in it. In terms of parish ministry, I miss the intimacy with a group of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-don-t-miss-the-ministry-because-i-m-completely-engaged-in-it-in/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [ With all the conceptual truths in the universe at His disposal \[Jesus\] did not give them something to think about together when He was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/with-all-the-conceptual-truths-in-the-universe-at-his-disposal-jesus/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [There comes a time when it is vitally important for your spiritual health to drop your clothes, look in the mirror, and say, ‘Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-comes-a-time-when-it-is-vitally-important-for-your-spiritual/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-problem-is-many-of-the-people-in-need-of-saving-are-in-churches/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-ideas-about-god-began-to-slip/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I love being alone. I learned that from my father, I think, who loved his own company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-love-being-alone-i-learned-that-from-my-father-i-think-who-loved/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-was-no-time-anymore-to-be-quiet-or-still-or-pray-so-in-many/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [The beauty in the losing is a loss finally of self-consciousness. There's a gorgeous moment that can happen in all kinds of places. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-beauty-in-the-losing-is-a-loss-finally-of-self-consciousness/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you,' he said, 'by the grace of God.' (Walter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being-2/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [So if waiting is an aggravation, it is at least partly because we do not like being reminded of our limits. We like doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/so-if-waiting-is-an-aggravation-it-is-at-least-partly-because-we-do/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Jesus was not killed by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/jesus-was-not-killed-by-atheism-and-anarchy-he-was-brought-down-by/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [It can be difficult to be an introvert in church, especially if you happen to be the pastor. Liking to be alone can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/it-can-be-difficult-to-be-an-introvert-in-church-especially-if-you/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) [Explore all 136 Barbara Brown Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## More Divine grace quotes > [“Lord give us success today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/lord-give-us-success-today/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The essential mark of maturity in Christians—as in peach trees—is generativity. Mature faith bears fruit. Mature Christians are branches on which God’s love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenda-creasy-dean/the-essential-mark-of-maturity-in-christians-as-in-peach-trees-is/) [Kenda Creasy Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenda-creasy-dean/) > [When you think that most of us are doomed by divine grace to roast in hell, to say nothing of mortgages and hail and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/when-you-think-that-most-of-us-are-doomed-by-divine-grace-to-roast-in/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [Towers in a modern town are a frill and a survival; they seem like the raised hands of the various churches, afraid of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/towers-in-a-modern-town-are-a-frill-and-a-survival-they-seem-like-the/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“Reason. Lady Love, I ask yet one more question: why does this book say that this Soul has everything and yet has nothing? Love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-porette/reason-lady-love-i-ask-yet-one-more-question-why-does-this-book-say/) [Margaret Porette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-porette/) > [The first step to improvement, whether mental, moral, or religious, is to know ourselves - our weakness, errors, deficiencies, and sins, that, by divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tryon-edwards/the-first-step-to-improvement-whether-mental-moral-or-religious-is-to/) [Tryon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tryon-edwards/) > [“We have therefore to inquire what there is about Machiavelli to impress the mind of Europe so prodigiously and so curiously, and why the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-2/we-have-therefore-to-inquire-what-there-is-about-machiavelli-to/) [T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-2/) > [“Mankind has a divine duty, to be stewardship of the natural resources.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/mankind-has-a-divine-duty-to-be-stewardship-of-the-natural-resources/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The power of desire is a divine. Desire to live by faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-power-of-desire-is-a-divine-desire-to-live-by-faith/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Divine grace is freely given, but God will not force us to receive it. It takes constant effort on our part to get out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dreher/divine-grace-is-freely-given-but-god-will-not-force-us-to-receive-it/) Rob Dreher > [“We shall overcome every barrier by divine grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-shall-overcome-every-barrier-by-divine-grace/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“You start to live when you commit your life to cause higher than yourself. You must learn to depend on divine power for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-giftyakita/you-start-to-live-when-you-commit-your-life-to-cause-higher-than/) [Lailah GiftyAkita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-giftyakita/) > [“During the Reformation and the Enlightenment, nature came to be understood in a mechanistic sense as bereft of any capacity for divine grace or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-beattie/during-the-reformation-and-the-enlightenment-nature-came-to-be/) Tina Beattie > [“With God, there’s always an appointed time for things, and when you put Him first, trust in His timing, and keep the faith, miracles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/with-god-there-s-always-an-appointed-time-for-things-and-when-you-put/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [A soulmate is someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communicating and communing that take place between us were not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/a-soulmate-is-someone-to-whom-we-feel-profoundly-connected-as-though/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) [Browse all 132 Divine grace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-grace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God has a soft spot for religious strangers, both as agents of divine blessing and recipients of divine grace - to the point that God sometimes chooses one of them over people who believe they should by all rights come first. This is a great mystery, but it does nothing to obscure the great commandment. In every circumstance, regardless of the outcome, the main thing Jesus has asked me to do is love God and my neighbor as religiously as I love myself. The minute I have that handled, I will ask for my next assignment. For now, my hands are full.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Brown Taylor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely-clear-god-has-a-soft-spot-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Divine grace" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely-clear-god-has-a-soft-spot-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fd/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_divine-grace_for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely_696524.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God has a soft spot for religious strangers, both as agents…” — Barbara Brown Taylor", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barbara Brown Taylor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For reasons that will never be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely-clear-god-has-a-soft-spot-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/for-reasons-that-will-never-be-entirely-clear-god-has-a-soft-spot-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```