Thursday 28 July 2011

A National Hero

Today Britain lost one of its best defenders (2Ki.2:12, Isa.31:1).

Radio 4 paid homage to John Stott CBE on the Today programme, but as is the way with modern media, by lunch time, he had been all but forgotten, just a page remains.

He came to our house when I was a young whipper-snapper, (yes I am name dropping) and apparently (although you understand I find this hard to believe), I incited my brother to call him "stupid head." Not the finest hour of my childhood. As you can imagine, my parents were absolutely mortified. Stott himself was, as you would guess, incredibly gracious.

Whilst I haven't followed closely the writings of this great man, (I can only remember reading The Incomparable Christ cover to cover. That and a quick dip into other people's copies of his BST commentaries) I did grow up under a father who was massively influenced by him. I will probably never fully appreciate the weight of that blessing until after I'm dead myself.

As a bachelor, he had no children, but his legacy to subsequent generations will be greater than any son or daughter of his might have passed on.

Tis for us who remain to take up the mantle.

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