Come Quote by Frederick Buechner
““Come unto me. Come unto me, you say. All right then, dear my Lord. I will try in my own absurd way. In my own absurd way I will try to come unto you, a project which is in itself by no means unabsurd. Because I do not know the time or place where you are. And if by some glad accident my feet should stumble on it, I do not know that I would know that I had stumbled on it. And even if I did know, I do not know for sure that I would find you there. … And if you are there, I do not know that I would recognize you. And if I recognized you, I do not know what that would mean or even what I would like it to mean. I do not even well know who it is you summon, myself. For who am I? I know only that heel and toe, memory and metatarsal, I am everything that turns, all of a piece, unthinking, at the sound of my name. … Come unto me, you say. I, … all of me, unknowing and finally unknowable even to myself, turn. O Lord and lover, I come if I can to you down through the litter of any day, through sleeping and waking and eating and saying goodbye and going away and coming back again. Laboring and laden with endless histories heavy on my back.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Book of Buechner, 1975
The speaker expresses a yearning to connect with the divine despite profound uncertainty about identity, timing, and meaning, acknowledging the absurdity of the quest.
In simple terms: Seeking the divine while uncertain of self and purpose.
Embrace the search despite not knowing.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal prayer
- daily meditation
- creative work
- grieving
- making decisions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “coming unto” mean for you?
- How do you act when purpose feels unknowable?
The paradox of seeking may lead to endless doubt without guidance.