Hope shapes what we think of the future and our purpose in life.  Yet in Hong Kong, despite its insatiable energy, do the high walls of the city block out the light of hope?   Hope seems to be a problem – a broken promise that is never satisfied.  Is hope like a fairy tale, a story we want to live out 'happily-ever-after' but is ultimately a matter of make believe?  Or do such fairy tales point to a deeper truth?  At the heart of the Christian message is a story of hope - what JRR Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings, calls the 'Ultimate Story.' Drawing on the work of Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, the lecture will explore what is so different about this story that it can generate hope even in a world where hope is seemingly out of reach.

Dr. Timothy Keller is a New York Times best-selling author and the leading thinker in the contribution of faith to the flourishing of cities. A recipient of publication awards on leadership, Dr. Keller is the founding pastor of New York Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.