The Essentials: Evolution (The Descent of a Man)

I really enjoyed my first biology class in college.  In fact, that class got me hooked on biology. It is also the only class that I almost walked out on.  We were a few weeks into the semester when the professor dropped a bomb shell.  He paraphrased the title from Theodosius Dobzhansky’s famous essay, “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution”.

To which my internal monologue responded, “What? All of biology? Oh crap.”

I better explain. Just prior to my entrance into the world of science I had recently become a Christian.  I should clarify further by saying that I had just begun to take Christianity seriously. Prior to that I considered “Christian” as basically synonymous with “American” and then it was just a matter of whether you considered yourself a republican or a democrat.  I knew there was such a thing as a born again Christian but that was for crazy folks who wore religious t-shirts and talked about Jesus all the time.  

Just a few years earlier I thought anyone who claimed to be a born again Christian was crazy. Now I, a new born again Christian, sat in that lecture hall and thought that my professor must be crazy.  I really thought I might have to give up science.

My main concern was that the real faith that was growing in me was based on a book (The Bible) that explicitly contradicted the theory of evolution.  Part of the problem was that I had lived my life, prior to giving my life to God, in such shades of gray that I associated my conversion experience with a requirement to see the world in black and white, especially the Bible.

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Then the rest of Genesis 1 goes on to say how he did it.  How could my professor possible say anything in contradiction to what God himself said? It is clearly spelled out in plain English.  How could he be so arrogant, so blind?

Some of you may be chuckling thinking, “Plain English - boy that Ben is dumb, doesn’t he know that Genesis was written in ancient Hebrew?” And I’d have to agree that my black and white mind hadn’t heard that yet, and probably wasn’t ready for that yet. Things are different now.

I’ve changed a lot since that time of my life. I’ve earned a degree in biology. I’ve continued to read and believe the Bible.  I’ve learn from others who read it and believe it as well. I’ve come, not only to peace with my professor’s statement, but I now wholeheartedly agree. You might say that I’ve evolved as a Christian. I am a descendent of my former Christian self and share a common ancestry with many other serious Christians.

This hasn’t come easy or without reservation and there are still many questions I have. I also recognize that other serious Christians will disagree with me and in some ways I’m learning to be at more peace with that too.  One thing that I am certain of is that I will continue to wonder, ask and learn.