One brief memory of Christopher from when I moderated a panel debate with him in 2009 (I think everyone who met or knew him called him that, not “Hitchens”):
He showed up to the panel in a rush, after most of the others arrived. I, as moderator, was relieved. I’m not sure, for all his bravado, he knew what to do with such a gaggle of evangelicals in one place (though atheists were well represented in the audience).
When I introduced myself, I told Christopher sincerely that I really appreciated his writing and that it was a pleasure to meet him. He kind of stopped, looked up at me, and was clearly both touched and surprised. As I writer (not nearly as accomplished ) myself, I thought I detected just a touch of insecurity and the need for affirmation–or not. I really wish Christopher would have found his security in Christ.
About Stan Guthrie
Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers.
Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's Tell Me More, WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio's New Day Florida. A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?