Tim Keller has died. He has been battling pancreatic cancer. Two years ago, for Good Friday, he spoke to me about his fight with cancer, his faith, and about culture. You can hear the conversation above.
I got to know Tim as a critic of his who discovered that much of what I heard about what Keller had said or written was vastly different from what Keller had actually said or written.
He reached out to me. We struck up a mild friendship from afar, occasionally talking by phone or email with notes of encouragement to each as my wife struggles with lung cancer and he with pancreatic cancer.
Over the past few years, a segment of evangelicals on social media took to criticizing a man who has led more people to Christ than all of them combined. Many of them had worked hard to push people away from Christendom through their cold hostility and lack of grace, while Keller, with his smile, worked hard, even through cancer, to bring people to Christ.
Keller, a prominent pastor in New York, boldly took on both critical theory, writing one of the best pieces against it, and also the liberal church’s rejection of biblical sexuality. Only a few weeks ago, Keller opened himself to incoming fire from progressive theologians for rejecting trans-ideology.
But Keller put Christ first. He loved others. He believed in engaging a world hostile to Christ and learning from those not of the church. He told me frankly that because everyone is made in God’s image that we have much to learn even from those who might reject God. He loved people. He loved the Lord.
Tim Keller’s books have been read by millions, and his words have pulled so many to Christ.
His race is now won. He is home. The other day he told his family he wanted to see Jesus. Now, he walks with the Lord.
RIP.
Tim Keller, 1950-2023