For everyone new visiting the site, welcome. Just to let you know, every once in a while, I’ll put up a quote or a verse or something else for everyone to discuss. I’d love for you to participate in our community here.
And for those of you already a part who actually research backgrounds and stuff, this quote is from a fiction author in a novel. It is just a statement by a character in the book, so don’t read into it anymore than that. I don’t know what kind of belief system this writer holds to, but this sentence still shook me. So, with no further ado…
“My sin had been that I believed that I was the measure of the universe.”
– Tad Williams
And…discuss.
Todd
My take on it: Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we fail to see that there is so much more we are missing
I know that is a big sin of mine. Lots of time I believe I am the most important thing in the universe. I know there are lots of times that I ACT like the world revolves around me and then I throw a temper tantrum when it turns out not to be true!
I think that it’s all about me.
At the same exact time I think that I am nothing. That I have no value.
The devil whispers conflicting lies into my mind and I believe them all.
if i were the measure of the universe….it would be so small you couldn’t see it even with the most powerful microscope…..the second heaven is beyond the reach of Hubble….that’s pretty fricken big….the measure of the universe is God…He created it….the only thing i created was a mess……Blessings
I think Kreutzer really got it, it stats that he believed that “He” was the measure of the Universe, not a measure of the Universe. I also think that Kreutzer also understood that this person thought the he was the center of attention and that he only thought of himself first. He was really missing the point of life and love. It isn’t what we can get for ourselves it is what we can DO for others.
Yeah I’d have to agree with Freedom Kreutzer, the quote seems to imply that the characters most important sin was believing he was the center of the universe. Makes me think of what Jesus said when he was talking about the measure we use to judge somebody will be measured back to us..I think it’s something like that lol..don’t quote me on it.
Not only do we fail to see the needs of others, but we forget that we are representing Jesus, not ourselves. We are jesus to the world. That means we are the ones that are to wash feet, feed thousands, heal the sick, and welcome children. Even if we can only touch one person at a time, we are to be a blessing. We are to seek His kingdom first, not our own.
Personally, I could go out and buy things that I absolutely don’t need instead of reaching out to the ones that have real needs. That is my tendency to sin these days.
I’ve heard that the new generation is referred as the “ME” generation. I think we’ve all, at times, lived in the “ME’ generation. We thrive on our own satisfaction. Sometimes even with all of my volunteering and helping others I feel a little guilty because I get so much enjoyment from it. I think as long as we’re serving others, even though we get enjoyment from it. That is what Christ wants of us.
Wasn’t that Lucifer’s sin which is now being perpetrated by humankind–feeling entitled to whatever makes one happy so pain can be avoided and trusting in one’s self-sufficiency to make life work on “my” terms.
Basically, this is the sin of Adam and Eve when they began to question God’s goodness by believing He was holding out of them (entitlement) and disbelieving in God’s sufficiency.
Isn’t that what we do too?
That thought is at the core of every sin we commit.
On a side note, he’s an excellent fiction author.
yea the devil wants us to think that we are the universe,. not God. We need to keep our mind off of are selfs and do the work the Lord wants us to do. He’s the awe power and made the universe.
“My sin had been that I believed that I was the measure of the universe.”
– Tad Williams
Hmmmm…self-absorbed…then humbled. Nope, can’t say I relate LoL 😉 “Oh to be a god.” I think of Dead Poets Society…where that line is uttered. The ‘sin’ per-se in thinking you are the measure of the universe I think goes beyond thinking too often of your own struggles or even being consumed with your own happiness. I think it begins with the mere thought that we could even BEGIN to measure the universe. That we have the capacity to do so is to esteem ourselves higher than we are.
Misdirected gaze.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus…..the true ‘ruler’ and measurer. The true realization that it has nothing to do with you is only the beginning. Learning how to let go of being a measurer is quite another 😉 Thanks for the great quote….perspective is always great!
I (as most, if not all of us) have lived an extremely selfish, self-centered life and still do, but I realize now that I do, which until recently, I had no clue. Even when I try to live selflessly, I am still selfishly thinking of myself and what I am doing for others. Then when I try to do something for others and they either don’t appreciate it or don’t accept it, I am offended. Thank you for reminding me, not so much with the quote itself, but with the replies everyone left, that it’s not about me, it’s about HIM, and because it’s about Him, it’s about others. SInce it took me 36 years to become the person I am, it’s going to take daily (sometimes momentary) reminders for some time, to become the person I want to be. God Bless you all.
This is the original sin…that which was created desired to be the ‘measure of the universe’. Is it not in the sinful flesh of all mankind to do that which caused the fall? So we are seperated from God with Whom we are enmity because of our vile lust toward pleasing ourselves. It is by grace we are saved from so great a temptation, which caused even angels to fall. Christ forever be praised!
We might not be “the measure of the universe” as I, too, (like it appears everyone here does) feel that is a sinful notion. But, I think we could be “the measure of God’s Love.” For I believe He created us for & in love… He died for us – in our place – for & in love… He gloriously rose from the dead for & in love that we, too, might do the same to live with Him forevermore – never to be parted again… He has called us to live as He lived in & for the love of those (and that would be everyone) whom He came to save… And, the great desire of His heart is that we, too, might love Him With All Our Being just the same as He has loved us. If we do this, we’ll see what the measure of the universe is, I believe: Love.
Well, Todd, the quote is very profound, but in it’s great arrogance is it not the same of ever sin. We as man want to have it our way, to our extent, and on our terms.
I am preaching on Isaiah 6:1-8 this Sunday before Communion. The perspective all changes when we realize that His glory is in all the earth. When we see Him and His Glory, we can say no more than Isaiah.
Isaiah 6:5 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
I love your song from Isaiah 6. I have emptied my mp3 player and all I have is this song and I am looping it as I ride my bike, and as I think about the sermon. Excellent my friend.
Pastor Clint, Andrews, SC
At face value, out of context, I would say it is a poetic way of saying “my sin was thinking I am God”
IMO,(FWIW)
The way it is written it sounds like existential undertones.
“…measure of the universe…”
indicates the standard by which all of creation is judged: i.e., Judge (no jury).
That belongs to God Alone, so recognizing it is a sin could be a step towards salvation.
Truly understanding the statement would mean knowing him and the circumstances when it was said, From what I see (which is only a speck in time) At one point Tad believed that he was the center of the universe (being more important than anything) and then at a point in time Tad came to know the Lord and realized that it was a sin to consider himself anything at all.
I think he is just saying that he could not see past himself he was the entire universe in his own mind and nothing else matter’d at all.
It would be a terrible and bitter pill to swallow in the realization. But on the other hand if the shocking truth were revealed then it means it can be addressed and corrected if it is the characters goal to achieve. But maybe this character is just an evil guy and is ruminating over his own demise.
None the less it would be a tragic thing for me to discover about myself and a thing I would work dilligintley to correct.
Have read any Robert Jordan books? He is a great writer a bit long winded but very good.
God Bless You Todd I hope to see you in Janesville Wisconsin. (Really Excited) I may bring my little Tia She thinks your way cool! LOL
Perhaps the sin is arrogantly standing tall in our self-sufficiency instead of bowing our knees in submission to Almighty God.
I tend to do this as well, in that I see situations and even other people only as they affect me. I react more strongly toward things the more negatively they impact me. It’s easier to see people ahead of me in traffic as obstacles between me and my destination than as individuals who have needs and worth. God’s working on that in my life.
its the “it’s all about me” tee shirt! Even tho I may not have the shirt…I struggle with the mentality…
I think we would all agree that this quote hits home.
I know I am bad about thinking I have worse problems than anyone else. But the thing is, often times I am pulled from this thinking by something as simple as the guy standing on the off ramp at I-40 and Highland holding a cardboard sign with all of his belongings shoved under the overpass directly behind him. And instead of avoiding eye contact, I look him directly in the eye and am greeted with a smile.
All this to say that when you look around and really feel, breathe, and smell God. You realize how small and how miniscule we are. And it is in that overwhelming feeling of inferiorness (not even sure that is even a word), that you realize he is in fact big enough to handle you and your arrogance.
“My sin had been that I believed that I was the measure of the universe.”
– Tad Williams
Might be better said as “Master of the universe or of my universe. Sin of ego, selfishness, and self-centeredness.
We’ve all been there. Thinking we are the center of the universe and that everything revolves around us. Even getting caught up in our problems or anything that takes our eyes off of Him (Jesus). I guess even our problems could be an “idol” and a distraction from the Lord. Anything that is not of faith is sin, worry is a lack of faith….or trusting in Him…
Sid “Odie” < BFC
John 9:25
You mean it’s NOT all about me? Just kidding.
If we would take ourselves off the throne and let the Lord reign in our lives, we would be saving ourselves a lot of grief.
If Jesus Christ, the son of God, came down here to SERVE and not to be served, what makes us think He would expect anything different from us? His example of selflessness should be our model for living this life.
Ever found yourself choking on a chicken bone? When that panic and fear strikes you in that moment, it’s a humbling experience. We couldn’t even take our next breath unless the Lord said so. We should concede the throne to the One who deserves to sit there.
I believe that sin is not always ugly to us and that is why it attracts so many people, when we are caught up in our sinful nature we feel as though we do have the world at our feet, it is the nature of sin, to decieve us into believing that we are something we are not and that sin itself is something deserving and we all know that is the biggest deception. We get caught up in us and we feel that we are invincible at times when the truth is it is not all about us and that we need to take heed lest we fall. We forget that sin needs to be under our feet and not over our head. Thank God through the leading of the Holy Spirit He will reveal this to us and we can overcome this.
All we have to do: Follow Jesus. Do as he did. Thats it. Just be like Jesus.
sounds easy dont it…well, Im so far from that it scares me.
I think Ted scared himself when he realized…its not as easy as it sounds..so to speak
My take is that he thought he was god. That his sin was this — he thought that he was the sole being and the universe revolved around him. This is not an unusual way of thinking in our society — that level of moral development where a person realizes that other’s needs are so much more important than their own is not a place that most people want to go….and that is sad.
I believe that often.. we judge things based on our own perception of things.. and our personal perceptions are marred with our own experiences.. which appear to be limited.. instead of seeing it from another angle.. we’re bound by the limitations of our own reasonings.. How much thought you put in.. is how much you pull out.. how much effort you put in.. it how much you get out.. for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.. we measure the things around us by setting ‘ourselves’ (in some way) as the standard.. instead of Christ.. I think this is why we’re WARNED to consider our ways. I believe that in a real believer.. that’s a whisper that can’t be escaped of Christ’s voice echoing in our hearts.. in the most trying times in our lives.. when we want to do wrong.. or say something out of anger that leads to sin.. or we do it.. ‘that was wrong’.. we repent.. and I believe that on how fast we accept his grace and forgiveness for us.. is according to how willing we are or aren’t to forgive others.. I’ll stop now.. I can go on and on.. Love you guys.. this is interestingly cool!
I see this much like the Original Sin committed by Adam & Eve. To believe that we are “the measure of the universe” is as if saying we are God. Because all creation, is measured by God, whom created it. Adam & Eve’s folly was to believe that their own measure of truth was correct. Assisted by Satan, they convinced themselves that they would not die if they ate the apple. Satan also convinced them that eating the apple would give them knowledge, and make them like God.
For us to believe that we are “the measure of the universe” is a very pride filled thing. For it is God Himself (alone) who measures out all things (creation, life, justice, grace, etc).
My take would be (having read nothing but the quote, and not the book) that this character is referring to their own egocentric pride, and their inner desire to be the center of all things, and thereby the god of their own world.
What is the universe to God? He doesn’t dwell in it, He created it. “For God so Loved the world (universe?) That He sent His only Son to Die…” I, we, may not be the the measure of the universe but my God, with His Son Loved us and choose to “humble” (so not the best word to describe this act,we will never know the impact this decision had on eternity) themselves and act out the history of our world. I don’t know the context of the quote nor the story line (Todd, add the name of the book from the quotes from know on!) but God saw something in us, in me, and showed that Love by making us more important then the universe. This Love does bring forth arrogance but Awe and desire to Love this God back!! What if we loved our neighbor with the Love He has shown to us?
Wow, read before pressing submit! 1)last line, this Love does NOT bring forth arrogance…..sorry folks 2) Todd, from NOW on…
Isn’t this where we all begin? As small infants the entire world consists of our immediate needs and wants. Everyone in our world is there to serve us. As we grow older, and become more capable of caring for some of our own needs, we learn to value others for more than selfish reasons, or we should. Some of us don’t get far past the infantile self focused state of existence.
Maturity means to gain a proper perspective of the world around us and our place in it. It means coming to know God’s preeminence in the picture. This reminds me of the definition of love and its antonym; self-centeredness. The opposite of love is not hate; it’s narcissism.
Since we’re called to love God and surrender our will and lives to Him, the antithesis of that is to believe the world revolves around us. This is where sin is born, and this is where sin abides.
There, I’ve responded to both posts in the same morning.
You all have a most wonderful today.
Okay, I just read a few other posts, and I’d like to respond to Shirley’s thoughts. “the measure of the universe” This goes beyond basic self-centeredness. The measure of the universe is God and His truth. His law is often seen as a measuring rod; one which we all fall short of. So the measure of the universe is God’s perfection. To see ourselves as the measure of the universe would be to have a god complex. Or maybe that’s what all of our rebellion against Him really is.
Okay, now I absolutely must finish that paper!!
This seems to be a basic sin of many if not most people. If sin is essentially any act that separates us from God, then in this quote the character is naming themselves as a god essentially, right?
It is sad that so many of us get sucked in to this kind of self centered thinking.
The quote made me think of how I want my husband, family, friends and even co-workers to measure up to my standards and rules, as if they owe it to me. When they don’t do what I think they should, I feel disappointed and angry. I’ve realized that this is just another trick my enemy uses to turn my focus from Jesus. The idea that others should be striving to please me is ridiculous and very self centered. But that’s exactly where Satan would have me. When I’m focused on me and what I want, I’m neglecting my relationship with Christ and I definitely wasn’t treating people with the love, compassion, and mercy that my Savior has shown me. I was blind to this sin for years and lived with an angry heart because Satan had me convinced that the people around me were the problem and I was doing just fine. My relationship with Christ suffered as well, but prayer and conviction led me to repent. Turning from this sin brought me closer to my Savior, He forgave me and now my heart is filled with the Joy and peace that had been missing for so long. Praise the Lord!
“My sin had been that I believed that I was the measure of the universe.” WOW! Without reading the book and putting this in context, I’m just guessing. I like that it’s past tense. “My sin had been…” I don’t know how many times I give God my selfishness and then sometimes unknowingly and sometimes arrogantly and purposefully take it back! Okay, so in my head and heart I KNOW that I am not the measure of the universe, but my thoughts and actions often contradict that. Oh to live every moment with God first in my life! How awesome that would be!
The sin could be, that the individual has limited God. That because this persons thought was that he could be measured, that he could only be counted as worthy in this world/universe. That what we understand now, is how it really is. Almost as if they are putting the breaks on what God could do in their life. When we reach that mind state that just beacause the world/universe holds me in sucess, that’ i’ve achieve everything there is possibly to achieve, we become complacent, depressed, and eventually fall prey to other sins in our life.
I’ve been thinking about this since my last comment. And while my last comment it true, it goes further for me.
Only recently have I learned to look beyond myself to care, really care, about the world out there. I used to be unmoved by tragedy around the world. As long as it didn’t affect me or mine.
Got has shown me that I am not the measure of the universe. When I read about the plane that went down over the Atlantic, I wept for the loved ones. Time was, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
God is all about love. I should be too.
Tess hit on something with the paralel to our infancy, but I’d like to continue the thought. When we talk about the “measure” of something, we can be talking about either the complete size/volume of it, or we can mean the increment by which the object is being measured. As people, we often limit our vision to our own individual universe (limited by the distance we are willing to see at the given moment); what’s worse is that we often measure/judge everything and everyone we encounter by the measure we know best: our own opinion at the moment. Not only is that metric unjust because it isn’t the measure by which WE were made, it can never be applicable because it changes with every moment and emotion we feel. There is only one reliable measure by which anything in the universe can be judged, and we didn’t create that…
Dude has a seriously cool name.
I believe there is alot of truth behind that qute. We are only human and sometimes we think the universe revolves around us. The world has become such a fast paced place we forget the simple things in life. We need to be reminded every now and then that we are all brothers in Christ and should pray and meet each others need.
I agree with most of the ones here. The person seems to think he/she is the most important thing in the universe. And, in my opinion, that’s the way much of the world thinks. That they are more important than you. It’s a “me first”, “it’s all about me” attitude anymore. And it’s very sad….and disturbing. Instead of the Lord being first, family second, and friends/church…family being second because your family should be above friends, third. The world view, seems to me, anymore is I am first, I’m second, I’m third and the world…who cares.
Well, what this quote is saying to me… Yes, we all have “me..me..me” moments, but I think that this author is identifying this. He recognizes this sin and puts it in the past tense as if he no longer commits it. That to me speaks the volumes. My sin HAD BEEN…that is what the Bible repeatedly tells us, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus said this to the adulterous woman and the lame man at the pool in Bethesda(not sure of spelling). This simple notice of the grammar of the statement makes all the difference to me. This character commits this sin no more. Maybe a different take on the quote, but my honest opinion…
If he quoted ” My sin had been….past tense so he recognized it was wrong thinking. I believe the more we think like Christ…..the more content we are.
I think about Romans 12:3
3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.