Embracing Perspectives, Cultivating Humility: Tim Keller’s Impact on My Life and Why Others Should Know Him
It feels weird to cry for a man I never met, for someone who was completely ignorant of my existence. But I suspect I am far from alone in that right now. Tim Keller, pastor, NYT best-selling author, and church planter has left us behind and is now at rest with the one whom he so ardently preached about. All over social media, people are pouring out their memories, observations, and grief. One of the common sentiments expressed is that of the void that now exists with Keller’s passing. It’s not an empty platitude; it is the feeling of so many because it feels true. Who else is like Tim Keller? The first person that comes to mind is C.S. Lewis, who passed away in 1963. Even then, I would humbly declare that Keller has done even more for the Church.
If you are somewhat unfamiliar with Keller, he is known largely because of his writings and because he planted a church in Manhattan, a place many thought was impossible to successfully share the Gospel in, that eventually grew to over five thousand members. He also co-founded the Gospel Coalition, a major Evangelical organization that seeks to aid the Church in bringing the Gospel to bear in all aspects of life and the Church. He also was well-known for his church planting efforts and philosophies. I want to briefly share what I will remember most about Keller, and what I think every believer ought to know about his life and ministry.
First, his books. His writings were the primary way I engaged with him, and each book I read blew me away in some way or another. The first book I read of his, Prodigal God, was truly one of those life-changing books. In it, Keller tackles the very familiar parable of the Prodigal Son. But in writing on it, he shows how we’ve missed the point by focusing on the son that left instead of the Father whose love is even more extreme than the wayward lifestyle of the son. The Gospel is so richly articulated in it, and at such an accessible length and level. In thinking on it now even, I am reminded of just how strong my own understanding of the Gospel was shaped by this book. Keller’s pastoral heart is felt throughout and ministers even to the most mature believer.
A second book I think everyone should be aware of is Making Sense of God. For me, this book embodies Keller’s mind and soul, a great example of all the things he did well and cared so much about. In the book written for nonbelievers, he gently but authoritatively challenges the underlying assumptions that form the myriad of worldviews adopted in Western culture. The incredible part is just how well-read Keller is, citing many different people from all different fields, and yet he is not interested in beating nonbelievers down with his vast knowledge. His heart is for the lost, and so it truly is meant to be a discussion that gently tries to show how any worldview outside of Christianity cannot offer satisfying answers to the questions we all have. His intellect was merely a tool for understanding the humans he interacted with so that he might create a bridge for them to the Gospel. There is much to learn from this book, but in particular the humble and fair way he interacts with those opposed to the Gospel message.
The last book I think people should be aware of is Center Church. It’s not a book I’d recommend for any believer, but one that I think should be required reading for any church leader. It is a church planting philosophy that is self-aware. Keller is not seeking to create a world where only Presbyterian churches are planted, but one where churches across all orthodox denominations would be planted with the Gospel at its core. He outlines all the philosophical and contextual questions that any church planter needs to answer before successfully planting. Keller recognizes that what worked for him in Manhattan is not necessarily the way forward for others, so instead he focuses on the questions he had to sort through and offers wisdom that is gracious to the many different viewpoints on any given topic. I would argue this is likely Keller’s single greatest contribution to the Church and is certainly worth referring to if you are involved in ministry of any kind.
The second thing I would want believers to know about Keller was the movement he created. As far as I am aware, no label was ever put on it, but the evidence is clear that through Keller, “Gospel-centered” thinking became a common term used to describe a particular way of thinking about ministry. Keller firmly believed that all of life and ministry must be an outflow from our understanding of the Gospel. In Center Church, Keller writes, “Because the Gospel is endlessly rich, it can handle the burden of being the one “main thing” of the church’. The Gospel was an “identity received, not achieved”. Because it was an identity, a reality, all we do must be shaped by that good news of Christ’s work in redeeming us. Keller was not preaching anything new, but he was calling for a sort of reform or renewal of how we applied that Gospel. And while I say it wasn’t new, I do believe that the Western church had gotten so bogged down with specific applications of it, that the core Gospel message had become somewhat unfamiliar. It certainly felt like a new Gospel to me at least when I first began interacting with his works. It came at a time in the Church where moralism had started to overtake the Gospel message by honest-to-goodness sincere and well-meaning pastors. This problem had been addressed by some before, of course (Dallas Willard called this ailment the “Gospel of Sin Management” in his book The Divine Conspiracy), but Keller demonstrated so well the need for reform. It also has brought much-needed clarity in distinguishing the true Gospel from the Prosperity Gospel that has had significant impact globally.
The last thing I would want others to know about Keller was his heart for the lost. In an age where so many Christians are fearful of what might happen in the world, Keller offered a bright hope. His approach truly was to be a light in the world, not fleeing from the darkness but bringing it wherever he went. This understanding has brought so much peace to me in discerning the will of God. What would God have me do? is a common question for young people sorting out their career paths. Keller would simply say whatever you do, do it as a follower of Christ. Be a Christian in the public square, in the marketplace. Intentionally live out your life, whatever that may be, for the Gospel. For me, this was refreshing to think about how my identity as a believer came first and whatever I end up doing could be done for the sake of Christ. Keller wanted Christians to be teachers, politicians, police officers, lawyers, doctors, etc. because having Christians in each of those spheres provided unique opportunities for the world to see and feel the love of Christ.
Personally, Keller was so influential to me in part because of the all the aforementioned things, but primarily in the way he did all those things. Many have criticized Keller for his comfort in linking the Gospel to things like social justice, and want him to be, well, angrier at the world. In my opinion, Keller’s attitude is exactly what the world needs more of. The world often feels hated by Christians and in my experience are surprised by what Christians actually believe about them. Keller would be the first to admit that the world needs truth-speakers. But the beautiful thing about Keller’s approach is that it drew people into the Gospel, and he did it without compromise. As I see it, the critics of Keller are often guilty of one of the very things that concerned him most about the Church. Political idolatry is pure poison for the Church, as we can see so plainly displayed in the Book of Jonah. There is much to say on politics, but certainly there can be a fairly wide array of opinions within orthodox thought. The test for this is exactly what Keller lived for: What is the Gospel? If you can define that and hold to it faithfully, is it fair to say that how you want to see the poor cared for is within the realm of a biblical worldview? To those critics, I would simply ask what does Keller get wrong about the Gospel that you don’t have to add to the Gospel to find fault? Even as Keller was criticized though, he always sought to be charitable towards his critics and bring everything back to the Gospel. He was a humble giant who enjoyed the discussions that came even in disagreement.
As our world continues to polarize, this posture was life-giving to me. In my own theological journey, growing up in a Mennonite offshoot and slowly moving toward Calvinist circles before ultimately landing as Presbyterian, I have seen my fair share of theological conflict within the Church. I am not of the opinion that these theological discussions aren’t worth having, but Keller helped me to see how to have meaningful discussions instead of arguments. As I got closer to Reformed circles, I was enamored with their love of the Gospel and especially their covenantal understanding of the Scriptures. But it was hard to embrace because the Reformed folks I would commonly interact with were, frankly, a bunch of jerks. They wanted to win arguments, and they wanted to display their badges of piety through their knowledge and adherence to the creeds and confessions of the Reformed world. How could I really consider myself Reformed if I wasn’t like many of the Reformed people I interacted with? Tim Keller was a much-needed model of someone who believed all the things I did, who held all the same convictions with the same level of importance as I do, but who could do so gracefully and with humility. I found a table I could sit at, at long last. Not only did I see someone like-minded, but I had a high bar to aspire to.
So, I am grieved by his passing. I feel alone at the table now that took me so long to find, and admittedly am a bit fearful for how my circles will move forward without his active presence. Who will lead the way with the same level of expertise and with the level of grace and humility as Keller? Who will prophetically understand the culture so that we can properly diagnose what ails it? I admit this fear, but I am comforted by what Keller prioritized and what his biggest impact was. I have seen so many stories from people from all across different denominations and theological traditions that expressed having been impacted by Tim Keller and his work and attitude, a great sense of need to bring the Gospel to bear out in our lives. It should go without saying that the very same Christ that motivated Keller is still at work, the Spirit continuing to work in incredible ways all throughout the world. I grieve the closing of this chapter, while thankful for having it and am hopeful that the work of the Spirit continues on through all of God’s children. May we press on together, with charity and grace, so that the lost may see the beauty of Christ expressed in the Gospel.
