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Paul L. Caron
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Sunday, June 4, 2023

NY Times Op-Ed: Tim Keller Showed Me What A Christian Leader Should Be

Following up on my previous posts (links below):  New York Times Op-Ed:  Tim Keller Showed Me What a Christian Leader Should Be, by Tish Harrison Warren (Priest, Anglican Church; Author, Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep (2021) (Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year)):

Warren 3In my early 20s, I attended an event where Tim Keller, an orthodox, evangelical Presbyterian pastor, was having a public debate with a secular humanist. In the nearly 20 years that have passed since the event, I still recall one moment distinctly. The secular humanist struggled with a point he was making and was unclear, something that happens often enough in public speaking. Keller could have chosen to go in for the kill rhetorically and make his opponent look foolish. Instead, he paused and asked, “Is this what you mean?” Keller then restated the secular argument in a clearer, better way, arguing against his own point of view. The other speaker agreed that was what he had meant, and Keller continued, countering the (now much stronger) point.

This generosity and understanding toward those with whom we disagree helped shape the way I now see the world. It had more of an impact on me, as a Christian, than any argument could. Keller refused the easier route of debate, insisting on finding the best argument of others, even if it meant strengthening his opponent’s case. He was in pursuit of truth and kindness, not point scoring. That night I saw what Christian leaders should be like.

Keller died [last] month, at 72, from pancreatic cancer. ... Keller had a remarkably brilliant mind and an ability to communicate complicated theological ideas in simple, relatable ways. He was courageous yet profoundly humble. What I will most remember him for, though, is his generous kindness. ... Mostly, Tim wanted to talk about the hope and beauty he found in Jesus and how we might best communicate that hope in our moment. ...

In our last conversation, he spoke fondly about his ministry at Redeemer, his love for the church and his concerns about American Christians. As a pastor and Christian leader, Tim refused to be politically captive to either party. In a 2017 piece for The Times, he wrote, “While believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party,” insisting that the church must never devolve into “one more voting bloc aiming for power.” He continued: “For example, following both the Bible and the early church, Christians should be committed to racial justice and the poor but also to the understanding that sex is only for marriage and for nurturing family. One of those views seems liberal and the other looks oppressively conservative. The historical Christian positions on social issues do not fit into contemporary political alignments.” ...

I am not sure what I — or the broader American church — will do without Tim Keller. He will be dearly missed. Yet he’d be the first to say that the same grace that transformed him is available to us all, even now.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

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Other New York Times op-eds by Tish Harrison Warren:

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2023/06/ny-times-op-ed-tim-keller-showed-me-what-a-christian-leader-should-be.html

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