Raise your hand if you've read Your Mind Matters by John R. W. Stott. It's a very short book that I commend to you all. I first read it years ago and it further fueled my long-standing interest in the balance and coexistence of faith and reason, heart and mind, emotion and thought which ultimately culminated in the writing of my comparatively humble book.

I bring it up today because in this morning's "The New York Times" David Brooks has an excellent commentary on John Stott and how he is a more realistic representative of a Christian evangelical and a person who tries to apply Christian faith to public life than the stereotypical extremists that are usually presented to us by the media.

Here is an exerpt from Brooks' commentary:

"There's been a lot of twaddle written recently about the supposed opposition between faith and reason. To read Stott is to see someone practicing "thoughtful allegiance" to scripture. For him, Christianity means probing the mysteries of Christ. He is always exploring paradoxes. Jesus teaches humility, so why does he talk about himself so much? What does it mean to gain power through weakness, or freedom through obedience? In many cases the truth is not found in the middle of apparent opposites, but on both extremes simultaneously."

I recommend you read the entire piece. Here's the link: Who Is John Stott? By David Brooks. If you don't already read "The New York Times" online, you'll have to register but it's free. If you'd rather not register or have trouble getting to this, send me an email and I'll email it to you.