Brass Quote by John Henry Jowett
“The heavens are not filled with hostility. The sky does not express a frown. When I look up I do not contemplate a face of brass, but the face of infinite good will. Yet when I was a child, many a picture has made me think of God as suspicious, inhumanly watchful, always looking round the corner to catch me at the fall. That "eye," placed in the sky of many a picture, and placed there to represent God, filled my heart with chilling fear. . . . Heaven overflows with good will toward us! Our God not only wishes good, he wills it!”
About This Quote
Source Sermon: The Good Will of Heaven, 1905
The speaker contrasts childhood fear of a judgmental God with the belief that divine nature is fundamentally benevolent and supportive.
In simple terms: God is kind, not hostile; childhood fears mislead.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and trust divine goodwill.
Themes
faith
spirituality
childhood
hope
Mood
reverent
hopeful
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- spiritual counseling
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
theology
psychology of religion
trust
Questions to Reflect On
- How does childhood imagery affect adult faith?
- In what ways can we reinterpret fear as goodwill?
A Different Perspective
Overlooks negative experiences that shape belief.
![“My mom had bought this camera to take classes herself and I remember working with her on it, understanding how the stop-motion [worked], having a high shutter speed and things like that. Long before I picked it up myself, I remember being on a slide at a country club going into the water and…” quote by Jeff Vespa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ca0/jeff-vespa-25539_artistic_my-mom-had-bought-this-camera-to-take-cl_266973.jpg)
![“As many bands as you heard [in New Orleans], that's how many bands you heard playing right. I thought I was in Heaven playing second trumpet in the Tuxedo Brass Band -- and they had some funeral marches that would just touch your heart, they were so beautiful.” quote by Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/332/louis-armstrong-7258_band_as-many-bands-as-you-heard-in-new-orlean_102795.jpg)
