--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He is indeed but breathing dust and a…" description: "\"“He is indeed but breathing dust and a careless touch would unmake him. And in his best thoughts there are such things mingled as, if we thought them, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg" --- # He is indeed but breathing dust and a careless touch would… ![“He is indeed but breathing dust and a careless touch would unmake him. And in his best thoughts there are such things mingled as, if we thought them, our light would perish. But he is in the body of Maleldil and his sins are forgiven.” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg) > ““He is indeed but breathing dust and a careless touch would unmake him. And in his best thoughts there are such things mingled as, if we thought them, our light would perish. But he is in the body of Maleldil and his sins are forgiven.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The character is fragile, yet divine, and his thoughts can be overwhelming; his sins are absolved through a higher power. **In simple terms:** Human frailty meets divine grace; thoughts can be dangerous. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and seek redemption. Themes humility divine grace human frailty Mood contemplative solemn Type literary theological When to use this quote - spiritual crisis - personal reflection - ethical decision making Key Concepts theology redemption existential risk Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging fragility affect moral choices? - Can redemption be earned or given? A Different Perspective The notion of sin forgiveness may conflict with personal accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathing Dust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing-dust-5542764/) [Dust Careless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dust-careless-5542765/) [Maleldil Sins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maleldil-sins-5542763/) [Sins Forgiven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sins-forgiven-240134/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [This Christmas, may all your past sins be forgiven and may you get a chance to live life anew. May you learn from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-christmas-may-all-your-past-sins-be-forgiven-and-may-you-get-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A Catholic may sin and sin as badly as anyone else, but no genuine Catholic ever denies he is a sinner. A Catholic wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/a-catholic-may-sin-and-sin-as-badly-as-anyone-else-but-no-genuine/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [If, in the case of the worst sinners and those who formerly sinned much against God, when afterwards they believe, the remission of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyprian/if-in-the-case-of-the-worst-sinners-and-those-who-formerly-sinned/) [Cyprian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyprian/) > [“stand trembling for a moment after he’s gone. My heart thuds in my chest. So much pain. I had thought it would be over,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/stand-trembling-for-a-moment-after-he-s-gone-my-heart-thuds-in-my/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [Our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous by God because of both the sinless life and sin-bearing death of our Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/our-sins-are-forgiven-and-we-are-accepted-as-righteous-by-god-because/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) > [I desired to become a Christian, and prayed earnestly for the forgiveness of my sins. I felt a peace of mind resulting, and loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/i-desired-to-become-a-christian-and-prayed-earnestly-for-the/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [“Forgiveness. It’s a troubling concept to the morality police of this world. In the callous world of morality, meticulous records are kept that clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcvey/forgiveness-it-s-a-troubling-concept-to-the-morality-police-of-this/) [Steve McVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcvey/) > [Sins may be forgiven. Crimes require punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sins-may-be-forgiven-crimes-require-punishment/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If every time the blood is poured out it is poured out for the remission of sins, I ought to receive it always, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose/if-every-time-the-blood-is-poured-out-it-is-poured-out-for-the/) [Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose/) > [Within the Church, sins are forgiven in three ways: by baptism, by prayer, and by the greater humility of penance; yet God does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/within-the-church-sins-are-forgiven-in-three-ways-by-baptism-by/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [Matthew 9:2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus/matthew-9-2-some-men-brought-to-him-a-paralytic-lying-on-a-mat-when/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus/) > [“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/do-you-see-this-woman-i-entered-your-house-you-gave-me-no-water-for/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/her-sins-which-are-many-are-forgiven-for-she-loved-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you doubt your sins have been forgiven, that in itself is sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/if-you-doubt-your-sins-have-been-forgiven-that-in-itself-is-sin/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [“When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-robertson/when-they-could-not-find-a-way-to-do-this-because-of-the-crowd-they/) [Alan Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-robertson/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Thought quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [Life thought me how to laugh, how to cry, how to stick around, how to let go. I've seen things I wish to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/life-thought-me-how-to-laugh-how-to-cry-how-to-stick-around-how-to/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [“Money is not every thing" but if u are saying this thought u should have enough money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-jaiswal/money-is-not-every-thing-but-if-u-are-saying-this-thought-u-should/) [Ajay Jaiswal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajay-jaiswal/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“Always wash you feet last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-wash-you-feet-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [Forgotten thought is the ultimate entropy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-lintern/forgotten-thought-is-the-ultimate-entropy/) [Neil Lintern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-lintern/) > [“What is all that men have done and thought over thousands of years, compared with one moment of love. But in all Nature, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-h-lderlin/what-is-all-that-men-have-done-and-thought-over-thousands-of-years/) [Friedrich Hölderlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-h-lderlin/) > [It doesn't matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly.Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/it-doesn-t-matter-what-your-circumstances-are-at-the-present-moment/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [I thought I had rheumatoid arthritis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-thought-i-had-rheumatoid-arthritis/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. Never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/imagine-what-you-d-do-if-it-absolutely-didn-t-matter-what-people/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [No matter how serious life gets, You still gotta have that one person you can be completely stupid with..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/no-matter-how-serious-life-gets-you-still-gotta-have-that-one-person/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 11,729 Thought quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He is indeed but breathing dust and a careless touch would unmake him. And in his best thoughts there are such things mingled as, if we thought them, our light would perish. But he is in the body of Maleldil and his sins are forgiven.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-careless-touch-would-unmake-him/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Thought" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-careless-touch-would-unmake-him/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/c-s-lewis-121_thought_he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-ca_699957.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He is indeed but breathing dust and a careless touch would unmake him. And in his best thoughts there are…” — C.S. Lewis", "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": "C.S. Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He is indeed but breathing dust...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-careless-touch-would-unmake-him/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-is-indeed-but-breathing-dust-and-a-careless-touch-would-unmake-him/#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 } } ] } ```