We study rocks, of course.
On some of our tours we run trails, ten to twenty miles a day.
On some of our tours we take a meditative approach. Slow, leisurely departures. Desultory walks savoring the glory of places and the company of people.
We are even working on a tour that allows people to stay in motels and “do the outdoors” only during the day.
On all of our tours, there is rich conversation and laughter. Under the stars, over lunch, while washing dishes, around the campfire.
In a recent Facebook conversation with a minister, I made the point that nearly all Adventists who attend Adventist schools through college and then go on to complete a Ph.D. in biology or the earth sciences reject a short geochronology–whether that is a chronology of all matter or of just the phanerozoic rocks.
In response the minister said he didn’t see why a Christian would study biology or geology since it is a known fact that those sciences undermine belief in the literal historicity of Genesis 1-9.
The conversation between us was courteous and respectful throughout, but once I clearly understood his idea that certain sciences should be precluded from Christian study, I realized there was no point in talking further. I value science as a tool for investigating the world–even when the truth it reveals corrects my understanding of the Bible. He believes that science is a useful tool for investigation the world only if the truth it reveals agrees with what we already know from the Bible.
I do not know how to bridge that chasm.
johnmclarty.com 