More on Dallas Willard

My UK editor, Katherine Venn, recently shared these reflections on Dallas Willard, who died last week from cancer:

I hope you’re well. I really loved your tribute to Dallas Willard on your blog; wasn’t he such an amazing man? I can honestly say that, of people who aren’t directly ‘in my life’ as it were, he has had the most profound impact on me spiritually. The Divine Conspiracy was an absolute game-changer for me. When I picked it up I didn’t know if I was a Christian, or even wanted to be; by the time I put it down I was overwhelmed by the beautiful vision of the kingdom he’d given me – and more than that, he shared the tools to put being a disciple into practice. I only met him a couple of times, but as a person, wasn’t he even more beautiful than his words? You can’t fake that kind of love, or humility, or graciousness. I consider him a spiritual grandfather and have wept more than a few tears since his death on Wednesday (I’m welling up as I write this…). We’ve lost a treasure, though I know that his influence will continue to shape the kingdom and the world it’s invading…

Editors of religious books meet a lot of people, and few of them elicit this kind of response. Thanks for allowing me to share your reflections, Katherine. I know they will resonate with many.