3^rd Sabbath after Pentecost

Father’s Day

June 15/17, 2005

THE TRUTH: SCIENCE OR SCRIPTURE?

Genesis 1:1-5, 31-2:3

Today’s sermon is the final in the summer series on Holy Scripture. The first sermon explored how the Bible came to be. The second examined biblical interpretation. This sermon looks at the nature of truth from scientific and scriptural perspectives.

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Dr. William J.A. Power, my Hebrew professor in seminary, once told the following story to help my class understand the nature of truth in scripture.

Once upon a time there was a chicken and a pig that belonged to a large company in the meat packing industry. As they walked along the sidewalk together, they came upon a billboard advertising their company’s products. The billboard portrayed a breakfast setting with two eggs, sunny side up, several strips of bacon along with toast, orange juice and coffee—the kind of breakfast I don’t eat very often anymore! Nevertheless, our two friends stopped to admire the company billboard. Chicken said, "Doesn’t it make you proud to belong to an organization that makes such a difference in the welfare of the world?" Pig replied, "Well, you can say that because it only requires a contribution from you. For me it requires a real life commitment."

It’s kind of a corny story, but it does convey a truth, namely, that our personal circumstances greatly influence our perspective on life, the world, and just about everything. One almost always views the world through the lens of personal perspective—which means that truth is usually perceived truth, depending upon whether you happen to be a chicken or a pig or something else. Well, the class and I were mulling over this great revelation when Dr. Power said something I shall never forget. He said, "You will completely miss the truth in this story if you ask the question: ‘Do pigs and chickens really talk?’ And you may miss the truth in biblical stories if you ask the wrong questions."

Questions like: To whom was God speaking in Genesis when God said, "Let there be light"? People hadn’t been created yet, so who was around to hear what was said and how do we know that’s what God said? Another one of those questions is: Did God really create the world in seven days? Scientists tell us that the earth was created by a big bang billions of years ago!

Both questions—about God creating by word and creation in seven days—presuppose a whole different perspective from those who told and recorded this story in the 5^th century before Christ, which is to say, we tend to look at the Bible with modern, scientific eyes rather than with ancient, pre-scientific eyes. That perspective really sets up the conflict between science and scripture. So, we wonder: Is the Bible authoritative for truth, or is science authoritative for truth?

The Bible is not a scientific document any more than a treatise on viruses is a theological statement, so I believe that there is no real basis for conflict with science. The Bible is a collection of ancient stories, histories, poems, prophecies, gospels, epistles and apocalypses written by people of faith, often inspired, who had no knowledge of even the most basic sciences regarding life and human development, the universe and our solar system, or the microcosm of atoms and molecules. The Bible portrays a unique, developmental understanding of God and God’s relationship with creation that progresses from Genesis through Revelation. While disease, war, slavery, sexism, elitism and natural disasters are sometimes portrayed as God’s will or punishment, these are usually corrected by other, later texts. The Bible has a great understanding of human nature and openly indicates that faith can a struggle. I believe that through this primitive, pre-scientific, sometimes flawed perspective, we can glimpse ultimate truth and hear the Word of God in our modern ears.

Story is the major form by which ancient people expressed their beliefs about God, the cosmos, humanity and their relationships. Without the scientific method, they used their linguistic skills to construct narratives that enabled people to understand the nature of God, the origination of creation and life, why there were different peoples, sexes and languages, why there was evil, suffering and death, and how to live with peace, justice and goodness, in a covenant relationship of faith, love and hope.

The first creation story from Genesis (there are two, the second is the Garden of Eden story) is theology, not astrophysics. It presupposes a geocentric cosmology where the sky is shaped like a dome with water above the dome (explaining why the sky is blue and why rain falls from the sky), and the earth rests on pillars in the sea (else, why would you discover water when digging?). Though understandable from a primitive perspective, this is not verifiable geophysical science. We know that. Creation takes place in six days simply by word of God and is pronounced "good." On the seventh day God rests, blesses and hallows it.

That’s the story. What do our ancient forebears in faith want us to learn from this unscientific story? Good question! They want us to know that:

(1) Creation begins with God alone, not gods, in distinction from other ancient theologies, and it isn’t accidental. "In the beginning God . . ." are the first words in the Bible.

(2) Creation is good and blessed. Simply by God’s word addressed to chaos—darkness, water and mighty wind—a new order emerges, first through light. Each day brings another creation—separation of water above and below the dome, separation of dry land and water, vegetation, sun, moon and stars by which time is measured, birds and sea creatures, cattle and creatures of every kind, all good, all blessed—values we have largely ignored in our endangered environment.

(3) Human life is sacred. On the sixth day, humanity is created in the image and likeness of God, male and female (hear that!), given dominion over creation, blessed and pronounced good. This is a very lofty view of human life as imago dei (image of God), and therefore sacred. I wonder what would be different about our personal and international relationships if we were viewed and viewed others as a creation in the image of God?

(4) The Sabbath is holy. God rests from creation on the seventh day (Heb. Shabbat, "seven"), the Sabbath. God takes a weekly sabbatical, blesses the Sabbath and makes it holy because God rested. People should take a weekly sabbatical, worship and rest from work, something we still need to learn in our increasingly secularistic society.

(5) In all likelihood, the primary purpose for this creation story is to explain Sabbath observance, which by the 5^th century B.C. when this was written, had become institutionalized. The story is an answer to the question: Why do we go to the temple (synagogue, church) on the seventh day? The story answers: because the God who created the world and everything in six days, including you and me, rested on the seventh day and made it holy. That’s the reason we worship on the seventh day. See, if you want to know the truth in scripture, you’ve got to ask the right questions, the questions that the original authors were attempting to answer. I believe that creation and worship go together. Through worship we are created anew by the grace of God.

Now, what about the relationship between science and scripture? Can one believe the Word of God in scripture and also accept scientific truth as well? The answer is: Of course! As a true Wesleyan, I believe that the best science and our best thinking about God belong together, "uniting those two so long disjoined: knowledge and vital piety." God is Ultimate Truth. In scripture, Jesus is portrayed as "the way, the truth and the life." God has blessed humanity with the ability to seek understanding theologically and scientifically, to discover the secrets of the universe and to improve our living. Bad science, like bad theology and bad biblical interpretation can be used to harm and destroy, so we need both scientific pursuits and Sabbath observance.

I recently picked up a little book with a profound message written by two persons—one a systematic theologian and seminary professor, the other a molecular biologist and medical school professor; one Roman Catholic, the other Lutheran. The title of the book is Can You Believe in God and Evolution? published last year by Abingdon Press (United Methodist!). They say:

"We owe our children the best we can give. Because, as St. Anselm said, faith seeks understanding, we believe the Christian faith is inherently interested in pursuing the best science. We Christians would not want anything less from our churches or schools. At our point in history, the Darwinian model (inclusive of the neo-Darwinian synthesis of evolution and genetics) provides the best science. We say this because the Darwinian model continues to yield new, useable knowledge not only about our planet’s past but also about today’s biology. It leads to the development of new and desperately needed medical therapies. Darwinianism is good for our health, so to speak. Families of young people in our schools should demand that only the best science be provided for their education. And pastors in our congregations should offer wise counsel and encourage families and schools to make this demand. . . . We believe that a scientist can pursue laboratory research without the threat of religious bias. And we believe science teachers can teach the Darwinian model of evolution without indoctrinating children with atheism."(1)

I believe that evolution is not only compatible with scripture but with an unfinished creation and a God who continues to create goodness and blessing out of our existing chaos. People of faith do not have to choose between scripture and science. The Bible is our beloved primary source in matters of theology, faith and ethics. In matters of physics, chemistry and astronomy, science is authoritative. And where there seems to be disagreement, misinformation or lack of information, people of faith using experience, reason, prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit must continue the search for God’s truth—by asking the right questions.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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