Do Not Disturb?

Dr. Orr has recently said;

"Perhaps the side on which the currents have been flowing most strongly in science, inimical to faith, is along the line of the theory of evolution. Do not expect from me a general tirade against evolution. I have no quarrel with evolution at all so far as science has proved it. There is only one thing I would say; do not fall into the mistake of supposing that evolution is the same thing as Darwinism. That is where the mistake lies. The peculiarity of recent developments of the scientific theory is just the abandonment of Darwinism and the falling back upon a conception of evolution which recognizes that the work is being done from within, that there is mind and purpose within it, and that it is not a slow and gradual process creeping along at the rate of millenniums for some slight change, as Darwin insisted upon, but that it may take place by leaps and bounds, by 'mutation' as they call it; that there are periods when these leaps are very marked, and result in the production right off, the striking out, of new types and species."

That statement seems to me to have a very direct bearing on our subject. Science is demonstrating the fact that God proceeds by slow processes, and by crises, that there is not merely a slow and gradual movement, but that there are mutations, clear and definite, by which He proceeds to new things. -- G. Campbell Morgan in "Sunrise, Behold He Cometh" 1912.

I do not pretend to know the manner in which God created the heavens and the Earth and all the intricacies of the creation that brought us to this point today. I have nothing against science insofar as it is used to discover the truths of our universe, only that, being human, and often antagonistic toward God, scientists often stray in varying degrees from truth. Not that I am, or anyone is, in a position to judge positively when that occurs in every instance. The fact is, if it really mattered, so far as your salvation is concerned, it would have been spelled out clearly. As it stands, it is an area into which we are free to explore and discover - not to divide over.

That being said, I think Campbell Morgan makes an interesting observation here. God does seem to proceed "by slow processes," often painfully slow to us, and at times "by crises," much to our dismay. This can be observed in every area of life, whether physical or spiritual. Think about that. The crisis of our life are often the moments of our greatest spiritual growth, although they certainly don't seem that way at the time. As Paul said, "Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." --2 Corinthians 12:10. Hopefully we recognize these periods of growth for what they are. God is often a disturbing force, when it is to our benefit that we be disturbed.