Today the world is celebrating two giants of history: Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. There have been many great commentaries on both men.
I’ll start with Darwin. If you want a convenient excuse to ignore the truth claims of Jesus and render the Bible as nothing more significant and factual than The Canterbury Tales, then today you’re toasting Darwin. His legacy is that he has convinced millions down thru history to reject Genesis 1:1 and reject the authority of the Bible. But here is the rub. If God is wrong, then no big deal. Christians are as doomed and hopeless as everyone else. But if Darwin is wrong, then those who followed his thinking to the grave are headed for a fateful Judgment Day.
As for me, I reject Darwin. Genesis 1:1 is good enough for me. If the Bible says it, I believe. I believe God is the creator of the Heavens and Earth. You say that takes faith. It does. But so does evolution. And the faith in evolution comes with a really bad feeling in the back of your mind that perhaps there is a God and perhaps we’re accountable. Plus, the science is firmly on the side of the Bible.
As for Lincoln, he was one of a handful of great men in American history, uniquely raised up by God to preserve America. Because of America’s greatness, millions around the globe have heard the Gospel thru missioanries, technology, churches, and individuals sharing their faith. Let’s pray that in our generation, there are Lincolns with the courage to do what’s right.
Plus, Lincoln was from Illinois, my home state. That makes me proud.