A Road to Wisdom in a World of Misinformation and Strife

If you follow BioLogos, you’ve likely heard the name of BioLogos’ founder, Dr. Francis Collins. I’m delighted to call Francis a personal friend. He is one of the world’s top biologists – leader of the Human Genome Project, director of the National Institutes of Health, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science. Throughout his stellar scientific career, Francis has been open about his Christian faith. In his life, the world has seen that rigorous science and Christ-centered faith don’t have to be in conflict. His testimony of moving from atheism to Christianity (4 minute video) has moved many people to follow Jesus Christ.

But have you heard the story about his first major research project? I hadn’t! The book opens with the story of his devastation when that project failed. But he describes how both his pastor and his research supervisor mentored him, guiding him to perseverance and wisdom. That perseverance propelled Francis to many scientific successes. Francis is a master storyteller and this book is filled with stories. I enjoyed reading about his discovery of the genetic cause of cystic fibrosis, which led to dramatically effective treatments today. The stories show many aspects of how science works – when it is reliable and when it can go awry (see our Common Question Should we trust science?). His humble Christian character and deep concern for ethics in science and medicine shine through. 

But this book is more than just stories. Francis wrestles with the crisis of misinformation in our culture. In the last decade, polarization and division have run wild, accelerated by social media algorithms. Trust in “science” and “scientists” is dropping. Truth feels lost. What do we do when we can’t agree with each other on the facts?  How do we find ways forward? Francis felt God’s calling to write about these themes. With the encouragement of his friend Rev. Tim Keller before Tim’s passing, Francis gives us guideposts as we seek the road back to wisdom.

Guideposts 

So often today, people are confusing opinion with truth!  We keep making category mistakes. People argue passionately for their viewpoint, but they word it in terms of rejection of verifiable facts. Just by being clearer on our categories, we will know better what we are debating and have more constructive conversations. Francis reminds us to distinguish between necessary truths, firmly established facts, uncertainties, and opinions as we debate the issues of the day.

 Science gives us knowledge, but knowledge alone isn’t wisdom.  Francis points us to the wisdom of the book of Proverbs, and the wisdom of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1-7:29). It is faith, not science, that sets our moral standards. It is faith in Christ that meets our deepest needs for meaning and purpose. It is faith that binds us together in community even when we disagree. And it is faith that empowers us to love others, even to love our enemies. 

 Perhaps the biggest challenge in our culture today is to rebuild trust in each other and our institutions.  One of my takeaways from the book is Francis’ list of four criteria for trust: competence, integrity, humility, and shared values. You might trust your car repair shop because they hire competent workers, they have integrity to not overcharge you, and they humbly admit when they can’t fix something. If the shop also shares your values – such as giving back to the community – then you are even more inclined to trust them. But shared values don’t go very far if the mechanics aren’t actually competent!  All four criteria are worth considering when we are deciding whether to trust a person, an institution, or an information source.

So where does the road to wisdom take us? 

Fundamentally, we all need to learn how to talk with people we disagree with, and even to seek out such conversations (as Francis has done). At BioLogos, we call this “gracious dialogue,” and you can see examples here, here, and here. It’s not easy, but as Christians we are called to love our neighbors, even when the conversations are hard. We can draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to listen to others well. It is tempting to listen to defend – to be preoccupied with our own snappy comeback or counterargument – but we need to first listen to understand.  Finally, as lovers of the truth, we can be discerning about which information sources we trust. We have to resist the temptation to believe things merely because they align with ideas we already hold.  Francis has written a pledge, calling on all of us to commit to better practices, and you can sign it at Braver Angels.

The Road to Wisdom is available now! Please pray that Francis’ words will reach many hearts, and that God will use this book to move us all to a wiser road.