God Quote by Virginia Woolf
““It seemed now as if, touched by human penitence and all its toil, divine goodness had parted the curtain and displayed behind it, single, distinct, the hare erect; the wave falling; the boat rocking, which did we deserve them, should be ours always. But alas, divine goodness, twitching the cord, draws the curtain; it does not please him; he covers his treasures in a drench of hail, and so breaks them, so confuses them that it seems impossible that their calm should ever return or that we should ever compose from their fragments a perfect whole or read in the littered pieces the clear words of truth. For our penitence deserves a glimpse only; our toil respite only.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf, 1927
Human effort and repentance briefly reveal truth, but divine forces obscure and fragment it, leaving only fleeting glimpses of clarity.
In simple terms: We see truth briefly, then it’s hidden again.
Key Takeaway
Accept that understanding is often incomplete.
Themes
faith
perseverance
truth
divine
humanity
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- spiritual crisis
- creative process
- personal reflection
- seeking meaning
Key Concepts
existentialism
epistemology
fragility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you cope with fragmented truths?
- What role does humility play in seeking clarity?
A Different Perspective
The notion of a perfect, unified truth may be unrealistic.
