--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God seems to be about turning our loves…" description: "\"God seems to be about turning our loves around and using them toward the great love that is their true object.\" — Richard Rohr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png" --- # God seems to be about turning our loves around and using… ![“God seems to be about turning our loves around and using them toward the great love that is their true object.” quote by Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png) > “God seems to be about turning our loves around and using them toward the great love that is their true object.” [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love should be redirected from selfish attachments toward a universal, divine love **In simple terms:** Redirect personal love to a higher purpose Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑less love for broader connection Themes spirituality self‑transformation universal love Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - community service - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Mysticism theology Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform personal love into universal compassion? - What practices help shift focus from self to others? A Different Perspective Human emotions can resist letting go of personal desire ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing in the world is worth turning one's back on what one loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/nothing-in-the-world-is-worth-turning-one-s-back-on-what-one-loves/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“For nothing in the world is it worth turning one's back on what one loves. Yet that is what I'm doing —though why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/for-nothing-in-the-world-is-it-worth-turning-one-s-back-on-what-one/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The devil would have Christ prove Himself to be God, by turning stones into bread; but the Holy Ghost shows His Godhead by turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/the-devil-would-have-christ-prove-himself-to-be-god-by-turning-stones/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [“There are times when your heart may be so full that it seems as though it is going to break. It may be sorrow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-boone/there-are-times-when-your-heart-may-be-so-full-that-it-seems-as/) [Linda Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-boone/) > [Repentance is the true turning of our life to God, a turning that arises from a pure and earnest fear of Him; and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/repentance-is-the-true-turning-of-our-life-to-god-a-turning-that/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Oh my God — I'm turning into my mother!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah/oh-my-god-i-m-turning-into-my-mother/) [Sarah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah/) > [“Believing in God and turning into Monsters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/believing-in-god-and-turning-into-monsters/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [When God saw that people, instead of turning to God, were turning to the medicine cabinet, God made himself available in the medicine cabinet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zalman-schachter-shalomi/when-god-saw-that-people-instead-of-turning-to-god-were-turning-to/) [Zalman Schachter-Shalomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zalman-schachter-shalomi/) > [There is always some madness in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/there-is-always-some-madness-in-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Don't look for big things, just do small things with great love...the smaller the thing, the greater must be our love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-look-for-big-things-just-do-small-things-with-great-love-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all reject out of hand the idea that the love of our life may be something light or weightless; we presume our love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-all-reject-out-of-hand-the-idea-that-the-love-of-our-life-may-be/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [We can always hate that which we loved, and with a fire as great as our love once was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/we-can-always-hate-that-which-we-loved-and-with-a-fire-as-great-as/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [The two Virtues of Equanimity and Compassion become more available to the person whose ego-shell has been smashed-either by great suffering or by great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-two-virtues-of-equanimity-and-compassion-become-more-available-to/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [If our love of God does not directly influence, and even change, how we engage in the issues of our time on this earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-our-love-of-god-does-not-directly-influence-and-even-change-how-we/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [To love as Christ loves is to let our love be a practical and not a sentimental thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-villiers-stanford/to-love-as-christ-loves-is-to-let-our-love-be-a-practical-and-not-a/) Charles Villiers Stanford ## More by Richard Rohr > [“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-have-become-human-doings-more-than-human-beings-and-the-verb-rest/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [In my opinion, most organized religion does neither agentic service nor relational nurturance very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-my-opinion-most-organized-religion-does-neither-agentic-service/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-we-do-not-transform-our-pain-we-will-most-assuredly-transmit-it/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [In solitude, at last, we’re able to let God define us the way we are always supposed to be defined—by relationship: the I-thou relationship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-solitude-at-last-we-re-able-to-let-god-define-us-the-way-we-are/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Pain and suffering that are not transformed are usually projected onto others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/pain-and-suffering-that-are-not-transformed-are-usually-projected/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“In the end, we do not so much reclaim what we have lost as discover a significantly new self in and through the process.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-end-we-do-not-so-much-reclaim-what-we-have-lost-as-discover-a/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. If we do not transform our pain, we will transmit it to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/all-great-spirituality-is-about-what-we-do-with-our-pain-if-we-do-not/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“I would wonder if you could be a hero or heroine if you did not live in deep time, that is, Past, present, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/i-would-wonder-if-you-could-be-a-hero-or-heroine-if-you-did-not-live/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Nature is the one song of praise that never stops singing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/nature-is-the-one-song-of-praise-that-never-stops-singing/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“I believe contemplation shows us that nothing inside us is as bad as our hatred and denial of the bad. Hating and denying it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/i-believe-contemplation-shows-us-that-nothing-inside-us-is-as-bad-as/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [We don't have much wisdom about the second half when things really open up and end up looking a lot more progressive. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-don-t-have-much-wisdom-about-the-second-half-when-things-really/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [If you do not transform your wounds you will transmit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-you-do-not-transform-your-wounds-you-will-transmit-them/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [The real spiritual journey is work. You can make a naïve assertion that you trust in Jesus, but until it is tested a good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-real-spiritual-journey-is-work-you-can-make-a-na-ve-assertion/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“The soul needs meaning as much as the body needs food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-soul-needs-meaning-as-much-as-the-body-needs-food/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) [Explore all 443 Richard Rohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) ## More Great love quotes > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [“I have such great love for you, little one. Such great love.” “I love you just as much, Hunter. I thought I’d die when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/i-have-such-great-love-for-you-little-one-such-great-love-i-love-you/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [I have a great love of animals and laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-a-great-love-of-animals-and-laughter/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Better to have loved and lost than to live with regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-pun/better-to-have-loved-and-lost-than-to-live-with-regret/) [Big Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-pun/) > [Great love, like great genius, can never be a duty: both are life's gracious gifts to its elect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/great-love-like-great-genius-can-never-be-a-duty-both-are-life-s/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) > [... I'm on the road right now ... all is well ... Dr.Ducks Ax Wax is great, loved it ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-rosas/i-m-on-the-road-right-now-all-is-well-dr-ducks-ax-wax-is-great-loved/) Cesar Rosas > [Maybe the best definition of what a great partnership or great love is when people make each other grow in a better direction than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/maybe-the-best-definition-of-what-a-great-partnership-or-great-love/) [Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/) > [“Aren’t all great love stories, at their core, great mistakes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-chen/aren-t-all-great-love-stories-at-their-core-great-mistakes/) [Chen Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-chen/) > [Didn't even knew what love meant before she appeared in my life. Only know I understand that great love does not consist neither of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/didn-t-even-knew-what-love-meant-before-she-appeared-in-my-life-only/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [One thing will always secure heaven for us-the acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives. We can do no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/one-thing-will-always-secure-heaven-for-us-the-acts-of-charity-and/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [As children of God, knowing of His great love and His ultimate knowledge of what is best for our eternal welfare, we trust in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/as-children-of-god-knowing-of-his-great-love-and-his-ultimate/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [As you talk to Heavenly Father and pour out your heart to Him, you will draw closer to Him. Then pause, stop, and listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/as-you-talk-to-heavenly-father-and-pour-out-your-heart-to-him-you/) [Margaret D. Nadauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-d-nadauld/) > [“Love for one's country is great but why should that love stop at that border?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/love-for-one-s-country-is-great-but-why-should-that-love-stop-at-that/) [Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/) > [Finally ... You have accomplished your mission in going there tonight - you were 'seen,' and you furnished your host and hostess with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-baldrige/finally-you-have-accomplished-your-mission-in-going-there-tonight-you/) [Letitia Baldrige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-baldrige/) > [It's always great to get to do what you love and to do something that hopefully people will see and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/it-s-always-great-to-get-to-do-what-you-love-and-to-do-something-that/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) [Browse all 452 Great love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God seems to be about turning our loves around and using them toward the great love that is their true object.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Rohr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves-around-and-using-them-toward/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great love" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves-around-and-using-them-toward/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cb/richard-rohr-618_great-love_god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves_3106724.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God seems to be about turning our loves around and using them toward the great love that is their true object.” — Richard Rohr", "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": "Richard Rohr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "God seems to be about turning...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves-around-and-using-them-toward/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/god-seems-to-be-about-turning-our-loves-around-and-using-them-toward/#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 } } ] } ```