--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suddenly saw that all the time it was…" description: "\"I suddenly saw that all the time it was not I who had been seeking God, but God who had been seeking me. I had made myself the centre of my own existen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/bede-griffiths-22822_centre_i-suddenly-saw-that-all-the-time-it-was_1067198.jpg" --- # I suddenly saw that all the time it was not I who had been… ![“I suddenly saw that all the time it was not I who had been seeking God, but God who had been seeking me. I had made myself the centre of my own existence and had my back turned to God.” quote by Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/bede-griffiths-22822_centre_i-suddenly-saw-that-all-the-time-it-was_1067198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/bede-griffiths-22822_centre_i-suddenly-saw-that-all-the-time-it-was_1067198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/bede-griffiths-22822_centre_i-suddenly-saw-that-all-the-time-it-was_1067198.jpg) > “I suddenly saw that all the time it was not I who had been seeking God, but God who had been seeking me. I had made myself the centre of my own existence and had my back turned to God.” [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God seeks us as much as we seek Him; humility opens us to divine connection. **In simple terms:** God looks for us; we often focus on ourselves. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and openness to divine presence. Themes spirituality humility divine faith religion self-awareness Mood contemplative hopeful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - prayer - meditation - service - self-reflection Key Concepts mysticism theology personal transformation Questions to Reflect On - What does humility mean to you? - How can you sense divine seeking? A Different Perspective May be interpreted differently across faiths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Seeking god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeking-god/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I had made myself the center of my own existence and had my back turned to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/i-had-made-myself-the-center-of-my-own-existence-and-had-my-back/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [“Friendships-in-God are not found by seeking friendship, but by seeking God. Those who draw closer to God find such friendships simply burst upon them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-griffin/friendships-in-god-are-not-found-by-seeking-friendship-but-by-seeking/) Emilie Griffin > ["I AM" itself is God. The seeking itself is God. In seeking you discover that you are neither body nor mind, but the love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/i-am-itself-is-god-the-seeking-itself-is-god-in-seeking-you-discover/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/this-life-as-you-now-live-it-and-have-lived-it-you-will-have-to-live/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“In this pause, I suddenly saw something very clearly. Whatever it was I wanted from my mother was simply not there to be had.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/in-this-pause-i-suddenly-saw-something-very-clearly-whatever-it-was-i/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [“And God is all in all. He is ever seeking to get down to us—to be the divine man to us. And we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/and-god-is-all-in-all-he-is-ever-seeking-to-get-down-to-us-to-be-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [He who searches for Divine Reality with all his heart and soul and finds it, becomes aware that, before he began to seek God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhu-sundar-singh/he-who-searches-for-divine-reality-with-all-his-heart-and-soul-and/) [Sadhu Sundar Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhu-sundar-singh/) > [In the Gospels, for instance, we sometimes find the kingdom of heaven illustrated by principles drawn from observation of this world rather than from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/in-the-gospels-for-instance-we-sometimes-find-the-kingdom-of-heaven/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [When God is seeking a person, he will not allow my fear, my feeling of intimidation or my lack of knowledge or experience to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-pippert/when-god-is-seeking-a-person-he-will-not-allow-my-fear-my-feeling-of/) [Rebecca Pippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-pippert/) > [God is seeking those who hear His call to a life of worship. Those who heed are those who will walk in His presence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bevere/god-is-seeking-those-who-hear-his-call-to-a-life-of-worship-those-who/) [John Bevere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bevere/) > [When we pray to God we must be seeking nothing - nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/when-we-pray-to-god-we-must-be-seeking-nothing-nothing/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [God is always seeking you. Every sunset. Every clear blue sky. Each ocean wave. The starry hosts of night. He blankets each new day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-is-always-seeking-you-every-sunset-every-clear-blue-sky-each/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Suddenly, I saw ocean again—then another horizon line—but this time the deep blue sky was on the wrong side of the line…the Holy crap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-a-george/suddenly-i-saw-ocean-again-then-another-horizon-line-but-this-time/) [M.A. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-a-george/) > [ “\[S\]he came up suddenly beside me so I saw her reflection in a mirror. At the sight of her I was paralyzed with happiness;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/s-he-came-up-suddenly-beside-me-so-i-saw-her-reflection-in-a-mirror/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“God isn't looking for powerful individuals who are strong, independent, courageous and self-sufficient. Rather, God is seeking vulnerable individuals who have weaknesses, deficiencies, inadequacies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-arcuri/god-isn-t-looking-for-powerful-individuals-who-are-strong-independent/) [Dana Arcuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-arcuri/) ## More by Bede Griffiths > [The main theme of the Bible is the restoration of humanity and, through humanity, of the whole of creation to its original harmony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/the-main-theme-of-the-bible-is-the-restoration-of-humanity-and/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [Stillness within one individual can affect society beyond measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/stillness-within-one-individual-can-affect-society-beyond-measure/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [Above all we have to go beyond words and images and concepts. No imaginative vision or conceptual framework is adequate to the great reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/above-all-we-have-to-go-beyond-words-and-images-and-concepts-no/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [Atheism and agnosticism signify the rejection of certain images and concepts of God or of truth, which are historically conditioned and therefore inadequate. Atheism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/atheism-and-agnosticism-signify-the-rejection-of-certain-images-and/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [“When we approach the Upanishads for an understanding of the Cosmic Mystery, we are coming to the very heart of the Hindu experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/when-we-approach-the-upanishads-for-an-understanding-of-the-cosmic/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [“To enter deeply into meditation is to enter into the mystery of suffering love. It is to encounter the woundedness of our human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/to-enter-deeply-into-meditation-is-to-enter-into-the-mystery-of/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [Obedience is detachment from the self. This is the most radical detachment of all. But what is the self? The self is the principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/obedience-is-detachment-from-the-self-this-is-the-most-radical/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [“...Nobody know when he is going to die. It is no good simply putting it off all the time, as we tend to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/nobody-know-when-he-is-going-to-die-it-is-no-good-simply-putting-it/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [You must be ready to give up everything, not only material attachments but also human attachments - father, mother, wife, children - everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/you-must-be-ready-to-give-up-everything-not-only-material-attachments/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [God had brought me to my knees and made me acknowledge my own nothingness, and out of that knowledge I had been reborn. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/god-had-brought-me-to-my-knees-and-made-me-acknowledge-my-own/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [...the need to overawe people and demand obedience from them is powerful and seductive. It is a part of that world that the kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/the-need-to-overawe-people-and-demand-obedience-from-them-is-powerful/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [This was the very purpose of creation that each unique, individual being should participate in its own way in the divine Being, should realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/this-was-the-very-purpose-of-creation-that-each-unique-individual/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [This is criterion by which the Church is to be judged, not by the forms of its doctrine or ritual, but by the reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/this-is-criterion-by-which-the-church-is-to-be-judged-not-by-the/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [There is a beautiful expression of this in the Chandogya Upanishad: 'There is this City of Brahman, (that is the body), and in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/there-is-a-beautiful-expression-of-this-in-the-chandogya-upanishad/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) > [God has graced every tradition with insight into the divine mystery, from the most primitive to the most sophisticated-each has a gift to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bede-griffiths/god-has-graced-every-tradition-with-insight-into-the-divine-mystery/) [Bede Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) [Explore all 27 Bede Griffiths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bede-griffiths/) ## More Centre quotes > [“She had gone into herself and was looking for a centre, a pivotal point between what she had been and what she would become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-had-gone-into-herself-and-was-looking-for-a-centre-a-pivotal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [I don't really like being in the centre of attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/i-don-t-really-like-being-in-the-centre-of-attention/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [The problem was Le Corbusier was a genius and an enormous artist, but he tried to resolve problems to which there is no solution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-krier/the-problem-was-le-corbusier-was-a-genius-and-an-enormous-artist-but/) [Leon Krier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-krier/) > [The entire hierarchy of angels can best be described as an endlessly vast sphere of beings, who surround an unknowable centre-point, which is called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-godwin/the-entire-hierarchy-of-angels-can-best-be-described-as-an-endlessly/) [Malcolm Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-godwin/) > [In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/in-order-to-the-attaining-of-all-useful-knowledge-this-is-most/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [Memory that yearns to join the centre, a limb remembering the body from which it has been severed, like those bamboo thighs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/memory-that-yearns-to-join-the-centre-a-limb-remembering-the-body/) [Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/) > [ \[The Utopia of Rules\] should offer a challenge to us all. Should we just accept this bureaucracy as inevitable? Or is there a way… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tett/the-utopia-of-rules-should-offer-a-challenge-to-us-all-should-we-just/) [Gillian Tett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tett/) > [An article on playwrights in the Daily Mail , listed according to Hard Left, Soft Left, Hard Right, Soft Right and Centre. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/an-article-on-playwrights-in-the-daily-mail-listed-according-to-hard/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [A person who is able to be a living centre of peace in today's world and who is able to radiate that peace powerfully,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-assagioli/a-person-who-is-able-to-be-a-living-centre-of-peace-in-today-s-world/) [Roberto Assagioli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-assagioli/) > [There is a book called San Francisco Tape Music Centre:1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde and this book describes everything that you want to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/there-is-a-book-called-san-francisco-tape-music-centre-1960s/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [In the humanist ideal, the mainstream is where interesting debate, the generating of new ideas and creativity take place. In rational society this mainstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-humanist-ideal-the-mainstream-is-where-interesting-debate-the/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Your country is one of the most notorious centres of trading in endangered species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/your-country-is-one-of-the-most-notorious-centres-of-trading-in/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [If you are playing King Lear you are the centre of attention anyway. You don't need to draw attention to yourself. It's all laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-are-playing-king-lear-you-are-the-centre-of-attention-anyway/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) Browse all 761 Centre quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I suddenly saw that all the time it was not I who had been seeking God, but God who had been seeking me. 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