Faith and the city

From zastavki.com

More from Tim Keller: a talk about Christianity and Creativity.

"Be reticent about talking directly about your faith...if people respect your art, they'll put up with your faith."

I think the phrase "your art" can be replaced with "you". It is not easy to be both respected in the world's eyes and a God-chaser; wanting to be respected often bleeds into wanting others' adoration and approval, and for me that is a very dangerous road to traverse. Yet only when I chase God can I truly be respect-able, not a hypocrite.

Dr Keller's talks have resonated with me recently. As the pastor for one of the biggest churches in New York City, he is very in tune with the views of young adults in big cities. He understands this pervasive tune of postmodernism and sympathises with the confusion it creates about how to be tolerant and accepting of diversity while maintaining faith in a holy God. He recognises the transience of relationships and vocations in a city and accepts that this state of affairs is not necessarily wrong.

Most importantly, he emphasises the need to hold values and traditions dear but not idolise them. Because when a value becomes an idol, to be followed unthinkingly at all cost, we begin to look away from God and focus instead on the things we have created.