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Earth and sky Quote by Jeanette Winterson

“But where was God now, with heaven full of astronauts, and the Lord overthrown? I miss God. I miss the company of someone utterly loyal. I still don't think of God as my betrayer. The servants of God, yes, but servants by their very nature betray. I miss God who was my friend. I don't even know if…” quote by Jeanette Winterson
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““But where was God now, with heaven full of astronauts, and the Lord overthrown? I miss God. I miss the company of someone utterly loyal. I still don't think of God as my betrayer. The servants of God, yes, but servants by their very nature betray. I miss God who was my friend. I don't even know if God exists, but I do know that if God is your emotional role model, very few human relationships will match up to it. I have an idea that one day it might be possible, I thought once it had become possible, and that glimpse has set me wandering, trying to find the balance between earth and sky. If the servants hadn't rushed in and parted us, I might have been disappointed, might have snatched off the white samite to find a bowl of soup. As it is, I can't settle, I want someone who is fierce and will love me until death and know that love is as strong as death, and be on my side for ever and ever. I want someone who will destroy and be destroyed by me. There are many forms of love and affection, some people can spend their whole lives together without knowing each other's names. Naming is a difficult and time-consuming process; it concerns essences, and it means power. But on the wild nights who can call you home? Only the one who knows your name. Romantic love has been diluted into paperback form and has sold thousands and millions of copies. Somewhere it is still in the original, written on tablets of stone. I would cross seas and suffer sunstroke and give away all I have, but not for a man, because they want to be the destroyer and never the destroyed.””

Jeanette Winterson

About This Quote

Source Novel: *The Stone Gods* (excerpt), 2007

The narrator longs for a fierce, eternal love that mirrors divine loyalty, questioning God’s existence and the nature of deep relational bonds.

In simple terms: Seeking an all‑consuming love that feels like a divine partnership.

Key Takeaway

Pursue relationships that offer profound loyalty and mutual transformation.

Themes

love spiritual longing identity existence desire

Mood

yearning intense poetic

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

  • personal relationships
  • spiritual searching
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

existentialism romantic idealism theology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “fierce love” mean to you?
  • Can love exist without the intensity described?
A Different Perspective

The intense yearning may overlook healthier, balanced connections.

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