Review of King's Cross by Tim Keller
More than a few readers have dubbed Timothy Keller as the C. S. Lewis of our day. This is quite an impressive statement especially to me because of my particular fondness of Lewis' books. Not having read any of Timothy Keller's books, I was definitely intrigued.
His words, his illustrations, and how he presented the gospel message matches Lewis' style. It did not surprise me to read that Lewis is of Keller's favorite author.
In King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, Keller focuses on the Gospel of Mark and settles on some very interesting passages, not every single passage, but certain sections that point to Jesus and His Truth.
It is an exceptional book. There were many parts of this book that prompted me to think of Christianity in a different way, not a new way, but a different way.
This is what I love about reading various authors. The Gospel message is the same. It does not change. But reading it through the words of a surrendered heart, just leaves me in awe of a mighty God. Perhaps this is why we have four Gospels in our bibles. God must like that too.
What did I enjoy most? I loved reading Kellers' expansion on Lewis' view of the Trinity as a `dance`, how he constantly reminded the reader of the difference between religion and relationship, the reason he named the book as he did (ingenious), and the thought-provoking quotes like...
-"When Jesus comes back everything sad will become untrue."
-"Because faith is ultimately not a virtue; it's a gift."
-"All love, all real, life-changing love, is substitutionary sacrifice.You have never loved a broken person, you have never loved a guilty person, you have never loved a hurting person except through substitutionary sacrifice"
-"Jesus is both the rest and the storm, both the victim and the wielder of the flaming sword, and you must reject him on the basis of both. Either you'll have to kill him or you'll have to crown him. The one thing you can't do is just say, `What an interesting guy'"
My recommendation? Listen to me, if you buy only one book this year, buy this one. There is deep wisdom here, both from Keller and others. I highly recommend it for the novice to those who've walked with Jesus for years. You will read it and want to reread it again. I did.
Reviewed by: Keiki Hendrix
Reviewed for: The Vessel Project
