--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big, blazing truth about man is that…" description: "\"The big, blazing truth about man is that he has a heaven-sized hole in his heart, and nothing else can fill it. We pass our lives trying to fill the Gr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/peter-kreeft-820_augustine_the-big-blazing-truth-about-man-is-that_2999685.jpg" --- # The big, blazing truth about man is that he has a… ![“The big, blazing truth about man is that he has a heaven-sized hole in his heart, and nothing else can fill it. We pass our lives trying to fill the Grand Canyon with marbles. As Augustine said: Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” quote by Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/peter-kreeft-820_augustine_the-big-blazing-truth-about-man-is-that_2999685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/peter-kreeft-820_augustine_the-big-blazing-truth-about-man-is-that_2999685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/peter-kreeft-820_augustine_the-big-blazing-truth-about-man-is-that_2999685.jpg) > “The big, blazing truth about man is that he has a heaven-sized hole in his heart, and nothing else can fill it. We pass our lives trying to fill the Grand Canyon with marbles. As Augustine said: Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human longing is a deep, unfillable void; only divine rest satisfies it. **In simple terms:** Humans have an endless inner emptiness only God can fill. Key Takeaway Seek divine fulfillment. Themes existential spiritual longing void faith Mood melancholic hopeful contemplative Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual searching - existential angst Key Concepts theology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What emptiness do you feel? - Can secular pursuits satisfy this longing? A Different Perspective Human attempts to fill the void often fail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/augustine/) [Canyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canyons/) [Christian inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-inspirational/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Grand canyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grand-canyon/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Restless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restless/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/for-thou-hast-formed-us-for-thyself-and-our-hearts-are-restless-till/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [You know, Saint Augustine said our hearts are restless 'til they rest in thee. And I had a restlessness in my heart. Something just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/you-know-saint-augustine-said-our-hearts-are-restless-til-they-rest/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [“Among the famous sayings of the Church fathers none is better know than Augustine’s ‘Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/among-the-famous-sayings-of-the-church-fathers-none-is-better-know/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [“If you are near ,my heart beats fast, If you are far, my hearts becomes restless, When you look at me,my world stops, When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luna-marym/if-you-are-near-my-heart-beats-fast-if-you-are-far-my-hearts-becomes/) Luna Marym > [Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-god-has-made-us-for-himself-our-hearts-are-restless-until/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine/you-have-made-us-for-yourself-o-lord-and-our-hearts-are-restless/) [Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine/) > [Trying to fill the God-sized hole in our hearts with things other than God is like trying to fill the Grand Canyon with marbles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/trying-to-fill-the-god-sized-hole-in-our-hearts-with-things-other/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-whitefield/works-works-a-man-get-to-heaven-by-works-i-would-as-soon-think-of/) [George Whitefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-whitefield/) > [The man whom heaven helps has friends enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/the-man-whom-heaven-helps-has-friends-enough/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Salvation is not putting a man into heaven but putting heaven into a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maltbie-davenport-babcock/salvation-is-not-putting-a-man-into-heaven-but-putting-heaven-into-a/) [Maltbie Davenport Babcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maltbie-davenport-babcock/) > [“Taylor Durham was in a gay man’s heaven, with all those tight bodies swaying back and forth to the music. Grinding together in harmony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakuita-johnson/taylor-durham-was-in-a-gay-man-s-heaven-with-all-those-tight-bodies/) [Shakuita Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakuita-johnson/) > [If the Lord should bring a wicked man to heaven, heaven would be hell to him; for he who loves not grace upon earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-love/if-the-lord-should-bring-a-wicked-man-to-heaven-heaven-would-be-hell/) [Christopher Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-love/) > [Every man is as heaven made him, and sometimes a great deal worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/every-man-is-as-heaven-made-him-and-sometimes-a-great-deal-worse/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [Probably no invention came more easily to man than heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/probably-no-invention-came-more-easily-to-man-than-heaven/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [All religions must be tolerated for every man must get to heaven in his own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-religions-must-be-tolerated-for-every-man-must-get-to-heaven-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Peter Kreeft > [“I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers to God make, and all the people those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/i-strongly-suspect-that-if-we-saw-all-the-difference-even-the-tiniest/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [The most total opposite of pleasure is not pain but boredom, for we are willing to risk pain to make a boring life interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-total-opposite-of-pleasure-is-not-pain-but-boredom-for-we/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [God's love is as objective as light. Because the sun in a sense is light, or the source of light rather than being lit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-s-love-is-as-objective-as-light-because-the-sun-in-a-sense-is/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [The self is like a baseball. Throw it back to the divine pitcher who pitched it to you in the first place, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-self-is-like-a-baseball-throw-it-back-to-the-divine-pitcher-who/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [How will the Tower of Babel be undone? How will we understand each other in Heaven? Will we all speak English or Dutch or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/how-will-the-tower-of-babel-be-undone-how-will-we-understand-each/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Humility is the marriage bond of Heaven. Pride is the frigidity of Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/humility-is-the-marriage-bond-of-heaven-pride-is-the-frigidity-of-hell/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“Socrates says we must be either fools because we think we are wise, or wise because we know we are fools. Christ says we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/socrates-says-we-must-be-either-fools-because-we-think-we-are-wise-or/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [No sane person wants hell to exist. No sane person wants evil to exist. But hell is just evil eternalized. If there is evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/no-sane-person-wants-hell-to-exist-no-sane-person-wants-evil-to-exist/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Science only answers the question, How does it work? Or at most, What's there? Science asks what and how, philosophy asks why, myth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/science-only-answers-the-question-how-does-it-work-or-at-most-what-s/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [The most compelling evidence for God's existence is Christ. If God does not exist, then Christ was the biggest fool who ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-compelling-evidence-for-god-s-existence-is-christ-if-god/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“One moment of prayer, of weak worship, confused contrition, tepid thanksgiving, or pitiful petition will bring us closer to God than all the books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/one-moment-of-prayer-of-weak-worship-confused-contrition-tepid/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [God's interventions are miracles: events that cannot happen by merely natural agents but only by a supernatural agent. They no more interfere with our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-s-interventions-are-miracles-events-that-cannot-happen-by-merely/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“And what is consensus? It means a majority of the individuals in a society coming together and agreeing to make their values into laws,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/and-what-is-consensus-it-means-a-majority-of-the-individuals-in-a/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Love is the binding force on every level of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/love-is-the-binding-force-on-every-level-of-existence/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [We can't believe what we believe to be untrue, and we can't love what we believe to be unreal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/we-can-t-believe-what-we-believe-to-be-untrue-and-we-can-t-love-what/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) [Explore all 361 Peter Kreeft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) ## More Augustine quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [ Again, I hear almost everyday from atheists who write off religion as primitive, premodern nonsense. 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But the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stove/people-are-mostly-sane-enough-of-course-in-the-affairs-of-common-life/) [David Stove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stove/) > [“I have become an enigma to myself. So said Saint Augustine. And herein lies my sickness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-have-become-an-enigma-to-myself-so-said-saint-augustine-and-herein/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Augustine says that we may, out of our dead sins, make stepping stones to rise to the heights of perfection. What did he mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stalker/augustine-says-that-we-may-out-of-our-dead-sins-make-stepping-stones/) [James Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stalker/) > [St. Augustine teaches us that there is in each man a Serpent, an Eve, and an Adam. 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It has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-esposito/the-fact-is-that-philosophy-has-been-a-decisive-source-of-inspiration/) [Roberto Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-esposito/) [Browse all 115 Augustine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/augustine/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The big, blazing truth about man is that he has a heaven-sized hole in his heart, and nothing else can fill it. We pass our lives trying to fill the Grand Canyon with marbles. 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