God Sees The Truth But Waits

Leo Tolstoy 's short story God Sees the Truth but Waits is a timeless reflection on the moral presence of God in human life. Through the tragic life of Aksionov, a man wrongfully imprisoned, Tolstoy portrays God not as an immediate deliverer from suffering but as a constant moral force, watching, guiding, and ultimately redeeming. The story suggests that divine justice operates on a scale beyond human impatience, and that faith in the Supreme's presence gives meaning even to suffering. In this way, Tolstoy captures the paradox of divine nearness and silence, reminding readers that while human beings may despair, God remains an integral part of life's unfolding truth.


This belief in the Divine's integral presence is not unique to Tolstoy. Many writers, both Indian and Western, have echoed this conviction in their own ways. Rabindranath Tagore consistently emphasised the immanence of the Omnipotent in human existence. In Gitanjali, Tagore writes not of a distant deity but of a God who dwells within the heart and breathes through rhythm of daily life. For the poet finds Him in human love, nature, and the silent strength that sustains a weary soul. Much like Tolstoy, Tagore portrays God as a force whose presence gives meaning even to sorrow.


In the Western tradition, William Blake 's poetry reflects this sense of God's closeness. In Songs of Innocence and Experience, Blake explores how divine presence permeates human life, even amid oppression and pain. In 'The Lamb', Blake affirms God's gentle care, while in 'The Tyger', he wrestles with the mystery of a creation that holds both beauty and terror.


Closer to Tolstoy's moral concerns is the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne , particularly in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne often depicted God as the ultimate moral witness whose presence exposes hypocrisy and validates genuine repentance. While human societies may err in judgement, divine truth persists and eventually triumphs. This echoes Tolstoy's idea that while injustice may prevail in the short term, God's vision extends beyond the horizon of human limitations.


In modern Indian literature , MK Gandhi 's writings, though not fictional in nature, also highlight the centrality of Divine. For Gandhi, the Supreme was synonymous with Truth, an eternal principle guiding human action. Like Tolstoy, whom Gandhi deeply admired, he believed that holding onto faith in God sustains moral courage even when worldly justice falters.


Taken together, these voices - Tolstoy, Tagore, Blake, Hawthorne, and Gandhi - affirm that God is not an abstract figure removed from the human condition, but a sustaining presence embedded within it. Whether as moral witness, intimate companion, creative force, or eternal truth, the Divine remains central to how humanity endures suffering, seeks justice, and finds meaning. Their writings suggest that while the Almighty may appear silent at times, He is never absent. It is in this paradox - Omnipresent both waits and watches - that literature across cultures finds a shared truth: the Divine continues to remain an integral part of human life, shaping moral and spiritual journey of humanity. As William Blake urged, we are invited to glimpse the Divine even in the smallest details of existence: To see a World in a Grain of Sand/And a Heaven in a Wildflower/Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand/And Eternity in an hour.


Authored by: Aditya Mukerjee