Community Quote by Wendell Berry
““If God loves the world, might that not be proved in my own love for it? I prayed to know in my heart His love for the world, and this was my most prideful, foolish, and dangerous prayer. It was my step into the abyss. As soon as I prayed it, I knew that I would die. I knew the old wrong and the death that lay in the world. Just as a good man would not coerce the love of his wife, God does not coerce the love of His human creatures, not for Himself or for the world or for one another. To allow that love to exist fully and freely, He must allow it not to exist at all. His love is suffering. It is our freedom and His sorrow. To love the world as much even as I could love it would be suffering also, for I would fail. And yet all the good I know is in this, that a man might so love this world that it would break his heart.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Unsettling of America, Wendell Berry, 1977
The quote explores the paradox of divine love and human freedom, suggesting that true love for the world entails suffering and the risk of heartbreak, because love must be given without coercion.
In simple terms: Loving the world freely brings pain and risk.
Key Takeaway
Embrace love despite its hardships.
Themes
love
freedom
faith
humanity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal prayer
- activism
- environmental advocacy
- spiritual contemplation
Key Concepts
theodicy
existential risk
self‑sacrifice
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance love for the world with personal vulnerability?
- Can love truly be free without causing pain?
A Different Perspective
Love can become a source of suffering and loss.
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