No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green

My friend and fellow blogger, Amanda, was the one who first introduced me to Keith Green who is one of her favourite Christian singer/songwriters. Before that, I’d never heard of him, but I found myself struck by the honesty and frankness of his lyrics. When she offered to lend his biography to Duncan and I, I started reading it almost immediately.

Written by David Hazard and Keith's widow, Melody Green, Keith’s story spans his childhood; growing up non-Christian; meeting his future wife, Melody; his attempts to break into the music industry; his spiritual search; his conversion; and resulting ministry through music. The book culminates with his tragic death in a plane accident at the age of 28, and how his life and music continues to touch people years later. He is a man who learns many lessons along the way and is far from perfect, and sometimes rebukes more than he preaches grace, but he is someone that God used mightily.

The book is essentially one man’s amazing journey in coming to know and follow the Lord and share that with everyone he came into contact with. I found Keith a gifted and forthright evangelist who is as confronting as he is inspiring. He’s the kind of person you find yourself drawn to, yet also wanting to run away screaming from because he made me realise how far I fall short. He challenged me not to put God in a box, but to believe that nothing is impossible for the Lord. Hailed as a prophet by some and a troublemaker by others, Keith was uncompromising in calling the church to be what God wants it to be.

I also found myself empathising with Keith in that, as a wannabe Christian artist, I too feel the pressure to write for Christians when there is a world outside desperately needing the gospel.  I too often wonder how much Christians should charge (if at all) for their creative works. One only needs to visit Koorong to realise there is more than enough resources for Christians – it’s people who don’t know Christ who I want to write for. But, like Keith, I am coming to realise there is a place for Christian to Christian encouragement and rebuke in the arts, as well as for evangelism.

Read this book! I am planning to buy my own copy eventually so when I feel like I’m drifting towards the seductive lights of the world, I will re-read it, and be inspired once again by Keith’s passion for the one true God.