To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.
Timothy KellerThe world values power, comfort, success, and recognition. Jesus frees us to value grief, sacrifice, weakness, and exclusion.
Timothy KellerJesus came into this world not as a philosopher or a general but as a carpenter. All work matters to God.
Timothy KellerChristianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.
Timothy Keller