--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according…" description: "\"Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude of Thy mercies. I have lusted in my heart to break a man's skull and scatter the stench of hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png" --- # Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude… ![“Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude of Thy mercies. I have lusted in my heart to break a man's skull and scatter the stench of his brains across several people's back yards.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png) > “Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude of Thy mercies. I have lusted in my heart to break a man's skull and scatter the stench of his brains across several people's back yards.” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A prayer asking divine forgiveness for violent thoughts, juxtaposing religious pleading with graphic imagery. **In simple terms:** Seeking forgiveness for dark thoughts. Key Takeaway Ask for mercy and self‑control. Themes faith forgiveness violence Mood somber reflective confessional Type spiritual personal When to use this quote - counseling - religious reflection - stress management Key Concepts spirituality inner conflict Questions to Reflect On - What triggers these thoughts? - How can you channel aggression constructively? A Different Perspective Violent fantasies may indicate deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive/) [Forgive Heavenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive-heavenly-1046962/) [Forgive me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive-me/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heavenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly/) [Heavenly father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly-father/) [Lusted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lusted-1046964/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Multitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multitudes/) [My heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-heart/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Skulls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skulls/) [Stench Brains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stench-brains-1046963/) [Yards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yards/) ## Related quotes > [She had, without realizing it at the time, learned to follow Nick's gaze, learned to learn his lust...his desires remained memorized within her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/she-had-without-realizing-it-at-the-time-learned-to-follow-nick-s/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“But I wasn’t fooling myself. I was convinced that no one in the world wanted him as physically as I did; nor was anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/but-i-wasn-t-fooling-myself-i-was-convinced-that-no-one-in-the-world/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Good Lord, Gray thought. Here he held this woman in his arms while she made him out to be some sort of…not a saint,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/good-lord-gray-thought-here-he-held-this-woman-in-his-arms-while-she/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [I was lusted after walking down the streets of New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/i-was-lusted-after-walking-down-the-streets-of-new-york/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [“She was a tall drink of water, and I was a glass half full kind of guy—half full of lust. Actually, my glass was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/she-was-a-tall-drink-of-water-and-i-was-a-glass-half-full-kind-of-guy/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I had lusted after Donald— after his time, his attention, his presence—because I felt I had a right to. I saw what a consuming,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-eareckson/i-had-lusted-after-donald-after-his-time-his-attention-his-presence/) [Joni Eareckson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-eareckson/) > [Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, writers will go to stupefying lengths to get the infernal roar of words out of their skulls and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/fish-gotta-swim-birds-gotta-fly-writers-will-go-to-stupefying-lengths/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Many of us who aren't farmers or gardeners still have some element of farm nostalgia in our family past, real or imagined: a secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/many-of-us-who-aren-t-farmers-or-gardeners-still-have-some-element-of/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I was a threat to a lot of women and to a lot of men. The women cannot forgive me if I remain single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-was-a-threat-to-a-lot-of-women-and-to-a-lot-of-men-the-women-cannot/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [I love my children. That will never change. I have prayed to them for forgiveness and hope that they will forgive me. I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-smith/i-love-my-children-that-will-never-change-i-have-prayed-to-them-for/) [Susan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-smith/) > [Please forgive me. My pedicurist had a stroke. She fell forward onto the orange stick and plunged it into my toe. It required bandaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/please-forgive-me-my-pedicurist-had-a-stroke-she-fell-forward-onto/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I hope that people learn from my mistake and I hope that the fans forgive me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-palmeiro/i-hope-that-people-learn-from-my-mistake-and-i-hope-that-the-fans/) [Rafael Palmeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-palmeiro/) > [I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that's his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-shall-be-an-autocrat-that-s-my-trade-and-the-good-lord-will-forgive/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [We had the city trying to demolish two of our exhibition spaces, which was at first pretty disturbing. But following the freak-out is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsha-kaechele/we-had-the-city-trying-to-demolish-two-of-our-exhibition-spaces-which/) [Kirsha Kaechele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsha-kaechele/) > [Forgive me for noting that conservatives seem to believe that the rich will work harder if we give them more, and the poor will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/forgive-me-for-noting-that-conservatives-seem-to-believe-that-the/) [E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) [Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude of Thy mercies. I have lusted in my heart to break a man's skull and scatter the stench of his brains across several people's back yards.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Kingsolver" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-to-the-multitude-of-thy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-to-the-multitude-of-thy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/barbara-kingsolver-200_brain_forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-t_1690086.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude of Thy mercies. I have lusted in my heart to break…” — Barbara Kingsolver", "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 Kingsolver", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-to-the-multitude-of-thy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/forgive-me-o-heavenly-father-according-to-the-multitude-of-thy/#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 } } ] } ```