“The best way to know God is to love many things.”
- March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890
- Dutch
- Painter, Post-Impressionist Artist, Pioneer of Modern Art
table of contents
Quote
“The best way to know God is to love many things.”
Explanation
This quote expresses Van Gogh’s belief that divine understanding is found not through doctrine, but through love—especially a wide, generous love for life itself. Rather than approaching God through ritual or abstraction, he suggests that loving “many things” is a form of spiritual practice, a way of coming closer to the sacred by appreciating the beauty, complexity, and value in all that surrounds us.
Van Gogh’s own spirituality was deeply experiential. Though he once trained for the ministry, he eventually turned to art as his true form of devotion. He loved people, nature, light, and color—ordinary things infused with extraordinary meaning. This quote reflects his view that the act of loving, observing, and caring for the world is what brings us closest to God, more than any formal creed or sermon.
Today, Van Gogh’s words resonate with those who seek spiritual meaning in the tangible, everyday world. Whether or not one adheres to a religion, the message is clear: to love widely and attentively is to touch the divine. In loving many things, we awaken to the richness of life—and in that awakening, we find our truest connection to God.
Would you like to share your impressions or related stories about this quote in the comments section?
