The Language of God is a book by Francis S. Collins, a recognized scientist in fields enclosing DNA, genetics, genome research, and influences of these areas on health and conduct. Collins quotes Einstein: Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. I feel uncomfortable about the image – given the other statements Einstein made about religion. If an option is to be chosen, and choice is a factor, I would rather be lame than blind. Collins doesn’t address this approach so we leave the point. He is a thoughtful Christian, and has found a satisfactory relationship between science and his faith, proved in his writings and witness. Our problems, as Christians, are mostly within ourselves related to orientations.
The Jewish community has capitalized on tracing persons through DNA back through generations. They have found, at this point in the process of search, that nearly all Jews can be traced to four women in the distant past, perhaps reaching back as far as 4,000 years. The thoughts generated by the information are intriguing. Could these four women be Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah? We do not know, of course, but the study is intriguing for some traditions. One claim is that the Jewish people were rather firm about marrying within their own community. There was relatively little crossover until recent generations when mixing races, peoples, cultures, has become more common. From such studies it may be discovered that both advantages and disadvantages have accrued to the purist lines. We know, for example, that sickle-cell anemia is commonly found in the Negroid branch of the human race. It would be interesting to learn about the influence of this anemia from the children of mixed race marriages. DNA will provide information for the development of health procedures, and will account for the current patterns of biological life. Information emerging aids us in telling a more complete story of physical mankind.
As other cultures live with their extremists, and are embarrassed by extremes, so Christians must bear some follies of immature persons missing careful application of Christian truth. Every context for life is violated by immature, troubled, uninformed and self-centered persons. Protective of balanced Christian thought, Scripture teaches cultural and personal conduct that becomes the guide and arbiter of what is the context for evaluating personal life and world society. The Christian is called to understand the Christian Constitution (Scripture) and live by that revelation. The Christian is called to witness to that Christian life context. Christians ought to leave it to God to use that witness as he chooses, knowing that various contexts serve their own interests. The right and wrong in any context ought to be noted openly, but judgment of those prevailing cultures is left with God in personal evaluations. That sets persons free of responsibility to control others. I must deal and account to God only with my own life (physical/spiritual).
That freedom is necessary in that even in careful analysis, good persons may be wrong about others in their beliefs and actions, in this or that vital matter. Evil is not justified. It is to be resisted. Consequences are left to God’s evaluations. We remember that his judgments are just and righteous altogether. He will honestly evaluate the good and evil. It is not for human beings to set the balances of heaven. It is for us to love all persons and prove it by reaching out to help those who need assistance for personal and social conditions of lives. Part of this reaching out is to declare (witness) to the world the redemption of Jesus Christ, which, when accepted and practiced with faith, Scripture and prayer consistently, leads to a conscience of hope (gift of eternal safety), love (gift of the nature of God), peace (gift of pardon), and work (gift of gratitude to God). This last is shown in person and family; in other relationships, large and small; and, in a call to Christians for meaning in faith, work and social identity guided by righteousness. That context, simply stated, becomes a project too demanding, too unselfish, too inclusive for masses of the general population, perhaps excessively sacrificial for some of the highly gifted in any vision for their lives. For Christians it spells fulfillment and obedience to Father God. The Christian concept is that whatever pleases God is righteous, and whatever displeases God is sin. Simple enough in words – simply stated, but difficult of human nature to assimilate and follow even to our own satisfaction. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020