Few authors have influenced my life as much Tim Keller. He took Christian orthodoxy and translated it for modernity (and post-modernity for that matter) with sharpness, wit and vigor. But behind his compelling words was a joyful and consistent life, rooted in Christ, not “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14). He leaves us with that example, and I’m deeply grateful for the bookshelf of his teaching that will continue to inspire and challenge me.
It’s hardly possible to choose only one quote of his to mention here, but this one shows the clarity with which he saw things, and for that reason it’s a good one to remember at this time.
“I think it’s that most of us aren’t able to recognize our soul thirst for what it is. As long as you think there is a pretty good chance that you will achieve some of your dreams, as long as you think you have a shot at success, you experience your inner emptiness as “drive” and your anxiety as “hope”. And so you can remain almost completely oblivious to how deep your thirst actually is. Most of us tell ourselves that the reason we remain unfulfilled is because we simply haven’t been able to achieve our goals. And so we can live almost our entire lives without admitting to ourselves the depth of our spiritual thirst.” – Tim Keller