Nine-year-old Shienna sat up a little straighter and vocalized her dissent: “That’s not true, three times nine is twenty-six. I memorized it, so I should know.”
“Well, you might be right about that,” countered Kelli, “but you were wrong about gravity. There is no gravity in Arizona – I saw it on TV.”
“I know,” Shienna said agreeably, “I once threw a rock in the air, and it never came down.”
If you were listening to this conversation, would you change your views on math and gravity? What if 200 people agreed with these darling fourth graders? What if the government or an Ivy League School published such statements, would it change the truth?
Our world is shifting and people are so ready to throw out the old so they can rush on to “bigger and better things.” But what about the steadfast, proven truths? Should we be quick to discount the truths and stories that have been proven for thousands of years in hundreds of cultures just because a “new take” is suddenly in vogue? It doesn’t seem wise to me.
There is, for example a story that has been taught for centuries. It is a sobering story that reminds mankind of a God to whom he will be held accountable. It is the story of Noah’s Flood. There are over two hundred stories from almost every culture that tell a story of a worldwide flood. As a truth-seeker, I must agree with Francis Schaeffer’s who wrote, “…among the common myths in the world’s history, no other one is so widespread as the story of the flood. From China to the American Indians and even the pre-Colombian Indians, one finds in strange forms the myth of the great flood. Most of these myths have weird elements—foolish elements, for example the descriptions of the boat that was used. In the Bible these strange and foolish elements are not there. We would say, then, that the Bible gives us the history of the flood; the myths all over the world are contorted, but show that men everywhere have a memory of it. Here in the Bible is the one flood story whose details, including the construction of the vessel, are reasonable.” (Schaeffer, Francis A. 1972. Genesis in Space and Time: 129-130)
Scientifically, the flood explains a great many geographical features of our earth. If Creation Science was not suppressed, these facts would be common knowledge. Unfortunately, many powerful voices have joined to discount the things that were discovered and taught for many years. Those forces often try to intimidate others. Thankfully, there are still many who believe.
To oversimplify, I believe two plus two equals four. I believe in gravity for all. I believe in a global flood. I believe in Almighty God. I believe in a Creator. I believe in a God who will hold mankind accountable. I will not be changing my views simply because a few people decide to ignore the overwhelming evidence. It would be chaotic if we did that with math and science. It is chaotic when we do it with faith and values. Avoid the chaos – believe.