The Cross Creates a Counterculture of Service

The Cross represents a complete inversion of worldly values, creating what Keller calls an 'alternate kingdom' where power serves rather than dominates. In this radical counterculture, 'sex, money, and power cease to control us and are used in life-giving and community-building rather than destructive ways.' The key insight is that Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice doesn't just save individuals—it creates a new social order. On the cross, 'neither justice nor mercy loses out—both are fulfilled at once,' providing a model for how Christians engage with injustice. Keller illustrates this with examples from history: Christians like Wilberforce fought slavery not through secular reasoning but by applying the Cross's logic of sacrificial service. This transforms faith from private belief into public action that challenges systemic oppression.