“The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. He can be worshiped in the cathedral or in the laboratory.” ~ Francis Collins
“We’ll See” ~ Random Elevator Guy
Following the chaos of wrapping up Find IT forever, we headed to the Youth Specialties conference in Nashville. There we listened to amazing bands and speakers and on Saturday evening we heard from Francis Collins. He was the head of the project to map the human genome (which was successfully completed a few years ago). Though he grew up without considering faith, while working as a medical doctor he encountered God through many terminal patients. One brave woman faced her death unflinching and asked Dr. Collins about his faith. This moment spurred him on a journey that culminated with him bowing in prayer and submission to the will of God.
From there he would rise up the ranks of science community and eventual head the important genome project. While many viewed his faith as out of touch with science, he was only convinced the evidence pointed to the Creator! Yet, his Christian faith did not dissuade his views on evolution. At this point in the lecture he began to explain how evolution was part of God’s design in the world… And the conservative crowd began to leave. Literally hundreds of people began to head for the exits-refusing to listen to anything about evolution!
Coming back to the hotel I got on the elevator with two guys discussing the lecture. One got off on the third floor and the other asked me what I thought. I could tell he was irritated and wanted me to agree, but I responded that I felt we create false divisions when we make denying evolution a requirement to salvation. The man just stared at me and as he got off the elevator he turned and said, “We’ll see.”
Sometimes things seem out of place, like putting a rock band in the sanctuary. But this does not mean we are not worshipping. In the same way God may be worshipped by a scientist who believes in evolution. Entrance into the presence of God comes through the life and sacrifice of Christ, not facts. We do not need to wait to see the truth, we should instead join together to worship the creator.
PLUNGE47 
Aaaaah! I hate that I missed the conference this year, can’t wait to hear more about it. I can’t believe that some people refuse to even consider that evolution and creation can go hand in hand. For us to be so brazen to think that we know the answers to these debates is absurd.
I can understand both sides of the evolution/literal Bible argument. But I just wish we could be a community of love and not of division.
Back in high school one of my bosses was a firm evolutionist and a great Christian who I respected and loved. I was (and am) a 168 hour creationist. But my boss and I were able to talk through our views in detail and retain our mutual respect/love. If a fellow Christian is living out a walk with Christ and believes Jesus is the perfect Son of God who died and rose again so that if we follow him we can be forgiven of our sins and have a relationship with God, what do we have to divide over? When Christ prayed for us in John 17 (the only time he prays for the Church to come after the 12 disciples) He asked for unity. We need to not break that without direction from the Holy Spirit.
1st Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
1st Corinthians 8:1b-3 “We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.”