Science bids farewell to Fred Flintstone

Just read this transcript from Today's Creation Moment. One of the most pernicious evolutionary infiltrates in the church would have to be the notion of "prehistoric people". When we read the Old Testament we tend to picture primeval caravans of near-savages (Christopher Hitchens certainly clings to this sort of prejudice!) But science tells a far different story:

"Cavemen. The very word conjures images of bear skin clothing, wooden clubs and perhaps some simple stone tools. We think of the cavemen themselves as part ape and certainly less than modern humans. All of these images help make human evolution look more plausible.

However, in China there are some 20 million people living in caves. The caves there are easily carved in the silty soil of the Western regions of the Yellow River. The caves are generally 10 to 13 feet wide and can extend as far as 25 feet back into the hillside. Sometimes the caves are connected to one another, creating a larger place to live. Many of the people who live in these caves would not think of moving out of them. Caves are warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and they are fireproof. These caves include flues for venting the exhaust from cooking fires. But these caves are not primitive dwellings by any stretch of the imagination. They feature plumbing, electrical wiring and even cable television! Except for windows, some of these cave homes are as modern as anything you’ll see in the rest of the developing world.

Throughout the ages, people have taken shelter in caves and even set up housekeeping in them. The fact that they lived in caves does not make them primitive at all."

Abstinence Ed Works

In a recent issue of TIME (Feb 15, 2010, p. 15) , #9 of the "10 Essential Stories" reports:

"According to a study published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, abstinence-only sex-education programs proved more effective in encouraging teens to delay having sex than more comprehensive school programs that include information about safe sex and contraceptive options."

Well, duh.

God is Always Good.

One year ago our daughter was dying. We didn't know it. For weeks she grew more and more lethargic, while other symptoms which we recognize only in hindsight began to present themselves. We took her to the doctor for testing, and he called us a few hours later: her blood sugar was well over 600 (normal is around 100). We needed to get her to the emergency room at Children's Medical in Salt Lake City immediately.

Twenty-four hours later she had been hooked up to IVs, pumped full of medications, and finally she was stabilized and on the road to recovery. And she was a Type I diabetic. Our little 2-year-old would be getting 5-6 injections of insulin, or more, every day for the rest of her life.

And here is where theology kicks in. As I reflect on that time, I recognize that God was not standing by, helplessly wringing His hands as He watched her pancreas shut down. God's Providence was clear through the entire process. God's Providence was clear in the way my wife's heart was unsettled, and perceived danger in ambiguous symptoms. It was clear in the speedy, decisive test results and diagnosis. His watch-care was glorious, dazzling, in the way our daughter's body responded to treatment. His grace has been so clear in watching our 2 (now 3)-year-old enduring the constant needles.

AND . . . this is so very important . . . His Providence, His glorious will, was active and real and decisive when that little malfunction in Alison's body triggered the reaction that put her in the hospital. God gave her a perceptive mother. God gave her a caring, experienced doctor. AND God gave her diabetes (Isaiah 46:9-10, Psalm 33:8-11). That is not an accusation. It is worship.

God is sovereign. Period. Whether Alison's medical condition stems from God's permission or His intervention, this is part of the Potter's grand design for her life and ours. And He is no less loving, no less merciful, and no less good, after the diagnosis than He was before. He is God. He is glorious. And the difficult and distressing times are no less His tools because we finite human beings struggle to understand them.

"But now, O Lord, You are our Father.

We are the clay, and you our Potter;

And all of us are the work of your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

Thank you, Lord, for Alison. And thank you, Lord, for Alison's diabetes.

Back in the Saddle

Some time ago I felt it best to shut down the blog. Today I HAD to pry open the door, pull the dustcloths off the furniture, and let the sun in . . . at least for a little while. I'll be back in a minute to do some splaining.