Timothy Keller (1950 – 2023)

Yali Ani?

Timothy James Keller yazaalibwa nga 23 Ssebutemba 1950 e Allentown, mu Pennsylvania. Yakulira mu maka ag’Abaluteri naye teyafuna kukkiriza okulamu okutuusa lwe yali ku Bucknell University ku nkomerero y’emyaka gya 1960, gye yafuukira Omukristaayo ng’ayita mu InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Oluvannyuma yafuna diguli ya Master of Divinity ku Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary ne Doctor of Ministry ku Westminster Theological Seminary.

Bwe yamala okutuuzibwa mu Presbyterian Church in America, Keller yaweereza okumala emyaka mwenda ng’omusumba wa West Hopewell Presbyterian Church e Hopewell, mu Virginia, n’alyoka yeegatta ku basomesa ba Westminster Theological Seminary nga Pulofeesa w’Eby’eddiini eby’Enkola. Mu 1989, wadde abantu kumpi bonna baabagaana, ye ne mukyala we Kathy baasenguka ne bagenda e New York City, nga baddamu okuyitibwa okuva mu kkanisa yaabwe okutandika ekkanisa mu Manhattan.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church yatandika n’abantu abatasukka ataano nga bakuŋŋaanira mu kifo kye beewola.

Mu myaka kkumi yali ekuze okutuuka ku nkumi z’abasinza buli wiiki. Keller we yawummulira ng’omusumba omukulu mu 2017, Redeemer yasikiriza abantu abasoba mu 5,000 buli Ssande mu nkuŋŋaana nnyingi, yali etandise amakanisa agasoba mu kikumi mu kitundu kya New York, era yali efuuse ekyokulabirako ky’obuweereza bw’ekkanisa mu bibuga abasumba mu nsi yonna kye basoma.

Ebitabo bya Keller — omuli Ensonga lwaki Katonda Gy’ali, Katonda Agaba Awatali Kkomo, ne Okusaba: Okufuna Okutya n’Okusemberera Katonda — bitundiddwa obukadde n’obukadde era bikyusiddwa mu nnimi nnyingi nnyo. Yeegatta ku balala okutandika The Gospel Coalition ne Redeemer City to City, etendese abatandisi b’amakanisa mu bibuga ebinene ku buli ssemazinga. Mu 2020 Keller yazuulibwamu kookolo w’ensigo y’omu lubuto, gwe yayolekera n’okukkiriza okw’ekitalo n’obwerufu. Yafa nga 19 Mayi 2023, ku myaka 72.

Essaala Ennene Eyaddibwamu

Okutandika n’okukula kwa Redeemer Presbyterian Church mu Manhattan, kumpi mu kipimo kyonna, kuddibwamu kwa ssaala okw’ekitalo. Mu 1989, New York City teyalabibwanga ng’ettaka eggimu eri Obukristaayo obw’enjiri. Obuwangwa bwali bukontana nnyo n’eddiini, obulamu nga butambula mangu awatali kuwummula, era okunyigirizibwa kw’abantu ku abo abeewaayo eri eddiini nga kwa maanyi. Amakanisa agasinga agaagezaako okutandikibwa mu Manhattan gaali galemye oba gaasigala matono nnyo.

Keller ne mukyala we baasaba, ne basoma, ne beetegeka emyaka nga tebannagenda mu kibuga. Omulimu baagukwata n’obwegendereza mu by’eddiini n’amagezi ku buwangwa, nga beesiga Katonda okuggula emitima mu kyalabika ng’ettaka erisinga obukakanyavu mu Amerika. Katonda yaddamu mu bungi. Ekkanisa yakula okuva ku ataano okutuuka ku bitaano okutuuka ku nkumi ttaano — ng’esikiriza abakozi abavubuka, abayiiya, abasomi, n’abaabuusabuusanga abaali basisinkana Enjiri oboolyawo omulundi ogusooka.

Keller era yategeeza nti olutalo lwe ne kookolo, mu kifo ky’okusaanyaawo obulamu bwe obw’okusaba, lwabunnyikiza era ne lubukyusa. Yawandiika nti okwolekera okufa kwamuwaliriza okusirika mu maaso ga Katonda mu ngeri obuweereza bwe obw’emirimu emingi gye bwali butakkirizanga. Kookolo yamuyigiriza nti okusaba si kakodyo ka kufuna bivaamu wabula kusisinkana Katonda omulamu omwoyo mwe guzzibwa obuggya. Emyaka gye egy’enkomerero yagyolekera n’essanyu n’obwesige abangi abaamumanya bye baayita obumu ku bujulirwa obusinga amaanyi bwe baali balabye.

Ebyawandiikibwa Ebikulu

Matayo 6:6 (OLCB) — “Naye ggwe bw’obanga osaba, oyingiranga mu nnyumba yo, ne weggalira mu kisenge kyo n’osabira eyo mu kyama. Kitaawo ategeera ebyama byo byonna alikuwa by’omusabye.”

Abafiripi 4:6 – 7 (OLCB) — “Temweraliikiriranga kintu na kimu, wabula mu buli kintu mu kusabanga ne mu kwegayiriranga awamu n’okwebazanga, mutegeezenga Katonda bye mwetaaga. N’emirembe gya Katonda, egisukkiridde okutegeera kwammwe ginaabakuumanga amagezi gammwe n’emitima gyammwe mu Kristo Yesu.”

Abaruumi 8:26 (OLCB) — “N’Omwoyo bw’atyo atubeera mu bunafu bwaffe. Tetumanyi kusaba nga bwe kitugwanira, naye Omwoyo yennyini atwegayiririra n’okusinda okutayogerekeka.”

Ebigambo Bye ku Kusaba

“Okusaba kwe kutya okw’ekitiibwa, okusemberera, okufuba — naye lye kkubo eridda mu mazima. Tewali kintu kikulu okusinga, oba ekizibu okusinga, oba ekigagga okusinga, oba ekikyusa obulamu okusinga. Tewali kintu kinene ng’okusaba.”

“Okusaba lwe luggi lwokka olw’okwetegeera ddala. Era lye kkubo eddene mwe tufunira enkyukakyuka ey’omunda — okuddamu okusengeka ebyo bye twagala. Okusaba y’engeri Katonda gy’atuwaamu ebintu bingi bye tutayinza kulowooza by’atutegekedde. Ye ngeri gye tumanyamu Katonda, engeri gye tukomekkereza nga tutwala Katonda nga Katonda. Okusaba kye kisumuluzo kya buli kimu kye twetaaga okukola n’okubeera mu bulamu.”

“Tumanyi nti Katonda anaatuddamu bwe tumukoowoola kubanga olunaku lumu olw’entiisa teyaddamu Yesu bwe yamukoowoola. Essaala za Yesu zaagaanibwa nga ffe abalina ebibi bwe tusaanidde, essaala zaffe zisobole okwanirizibwa nga ye bw’asaanidde.”

“Okusaba lye kkubo ery’okufuna obwesige obw’amaanyi nti Katonda akwata bulungi obulamu bwaffe — nti ebibi byaffe bijja kuvaamu ebirungi, ebirungi byaffe tebiyinza kututwalibwako, era ebisinga obulungi bikyajja.”

“N’olwekyo obutasaba si kumenya buli kiragiro kya ddiini kyokka — kwe kulemwa okutwala Katonda nga Katonda.”

Okusaba n’Ekigambo kya Katonda

“Essaala zaffe zisaanidde okuva mu kwennyika mu Byawandiikibwa. Tusaanidde okwebbika mu nnyanja y’olulimi lwa Katonda, Bayibuli. Wuliriza, soma, lowooza, fumiitiriza, era weetegereze Ebyawandiikibwa okutuusa ng’omutima gwo gufunye eky’okuddamu — olwo okuddamu okwo, nga kuzzibwayo eri Katonda, kwe kusaba ddala.”

“Ekikulu mu kusaba si kuyiga kweyoleka, wabula kuyiga kuddamu Katonda. Okusaba okwa nnamaddala kutandika Katonda bw’asooka okwogera — mu Kigambo kye, okuyita mu Mwoyo we — naffe ne tuddamu.”

Okusaba n’Omwoyo Omutukuvu

“Okusaba kwe kugenda mu maaso n’emboozi Katonda gye yatandika ng’ayita mu Kigambo kye ne mu kisa kye, ekyenkomerero efuuka okusisinkana naye mu bujjuvu.”

“Katonda ali mu Busatu yanditukoowoola okunyumya naye, kubanga ayagala okutugabanako essanyu ly’abaddenga nalyo bulijjo munda mu ye. Okusaba lye kkubo lyaffe ery’okuyingira mu ssanyu lya Katonda yennyini.”

“Okusaba kufuula eby’eddiini ebintu bye tuyitamu. Enjigiriza z’Ebyawandiikibwa zirina okufuuka amafuta g’okusaba, oba zijja kusigala kumanya kwa mu mutwe kwokka. Omwoyo bw’akwata amazima n’agassa mu kusaba, omuliro gukoleezebwa.”