The Road to Wisdom by Francis S. Collins

Author:Francis S. Collins [COLLINS, FRANCIS S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2024-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

FAITH

Two years into the COVID pandemic, my spiritual mentor Tim Keller (whom you met earlier in the book) told me a story about a pastor friend who encountered some serious pushback while seeking to help his congregation through difficult times. His parishioners were increasingly unhappy about the state of the country. They expressed deep concerns about the rise of secularism, hostility toward Christians, and the collapse of traditional family values. Many of them expressed dismay that America no longer seemed like that city on the hill that God had intended to provide a light to the world. They were fearful that their way of life was threatened, and they were angry.

The pastor knew that much of their anger and fear was stoked by hours of cable news and social media during the week, and he only had an hour with them on Sunday. So for his Sunday sermons, he sought to remind them of the foundational principles of Christian faith that should be a source of peace, joy, and comfort. I don’t know exactly what Scriptures he cited, but I imagine he might have preached on my own favorite verse during the COVID-19 crisis, Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” That verse makes it clear that we must expect to face trouble, but that God is sovereign and we are not alone.

He might well have preached on Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Fear is not part of God’s plan, as is also made clear in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Likewise, a believer should have reassurance from Philippians 4:6–7 that there are spiritual resources available to deal with anxiety: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

But the pastor observed that many of his flock continued to be deeply anxious, caught up in rumors and conspiracies, further adding to confusion and divisions. So he decided to preach on the importance of truth, reminding them that this is something that God cares a lot about. Psalm 15 conveys that clearly: “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.” Philippians 4:8 further makes the case about how to step away from negative thinking, and to me is some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever

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