Two Books, One Foundation

by Darrel R. Falk

Christianity Today’s July/August cover may seem simple to the casual reader. On the surface it features two scientists separated by a pillar—and all against an empty background. But the simplicity belies the image’s true depth: a powerful visual summary of the great dilemma the Church faces as it wrestles with modern science.

I stand on one side of the pillar as a Christian biology professor who, having examined the data, has concluded there is no conflict between mainstream science and the Bible. Todd Wood of Bryan College stands on the other side as a fellow Christian and biologist who has examined the exact same information and concluded there is indeed a conflict.

Each of us peers out at the readers—the Church of today—and graphically poses these questions: How, as people of God, can we solve this dilemma and still remain a credible witness to our society? Can we remain faithful to the Word even as we are also faithful to a scientific understanding of reality?

These same questions are the heart of the BioLogos mission.

The pillar in the middle also holds a deeper meaning. A tattered, worn Bible sits at its center, positioned between several brand-new textbooks and a Neanderthal skull. It is my own personal Bible, and its truths have been at the center of my own existence. The wear comes from a life immersed in its words, and I am sure Todd’s Bible is just as aged from years of study and devotion.

Though our Bibles may get old and torn, their words do not weaken. They will withstand whatever tests that new science and ancient bones may bring. I am confident we will come to understand clearly the connection between all three—and the Bible will continue to be at the center because the Author of that Book lies at the heart of the other two areas as well.

This is my last communication to you as president of The BioLogos Foundation. During these past four years (three and a half as president), I have seen BioLogos grow from the seed of an idea planted firmly in the mind of our founder, Dr. Francis Collins, into a young, fragile seedling, raised through the care and love of community, and now into an adolescent plant rich with buds that are ready to bloom.

The BioLogos Foundation is now poised to move on to the next stage: to become a very significant organization that I sincerely believe will impact Christianity for decades to come.

But we need your help.

During this past year, Dr. Jud Carlberg, chairman of the board of BioLogos, has been preparing the organizational soil that will facilitate BioLogos’s blossoming into a dynamic and flourishing institution. His 19 years of service as president to Gordon College, a highly respected Christian institution, have given him the experience to put the foundation in place.

But if The BioLogos Foundation is to remain poised to lead the Church through the 21st century—a century that could otherwise come to be dominated by materialistic philosophies that misinterpret the meaning of the scientific data—then we need your prayers and financial support!

The questions being posed by science are legitimate; the answers being given by many in the scientific community are not. The Church needs to be equipped to provide answers grounded not just in the latest textbooks, as new and attractive as they may seem, and not just in the dry bones dug up long ago. The answers must be grounded in the eternal Word of God.

Never before has your year-end gift been so important to us. We have planted a strong seed and worked the soil with diligence, but the mission will thrive only through the efforts of our supporters. Through those efforts, BioLogos will become a mature organization that truly equips the Church for the challenging terrain that lies ahead.

You can make an online donation on our secure website or send a personal check made payable to The BioLogos Foundation. BioLogos is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your gift is fully deductible as allowed by law. We thank you for prayerfully considering a gift today.

Blessings,

Signature

Darrel R. Falk
BioLogos President