Day Twelve – Hope on the horizon

Christianity and Science: where do you stand in this divide?

Some claim that science and Christian faith are ill-matched or even incompatible.

Others say the Christian message itself - its history, theology, mission, community and care - all indicate otherwise.

Throughout world history Christian minds have helped to move the understanding of nature forward. For instance, the 1663 Charter for the founding of the Royal Society declares a purpose "to the glory of God the Creator, and the advantage of the human race."

Professor Tom McLeish and Dr Anne Richards in an article entitled ‘Some Christians are sceptical of science’, recently said:

“The Church today welcomes science as a gift from God to be used in service and humility in the pursuit of truth. Just as medicine is a gift to the purpose of healing people’s physical bodies, so science is the gift that enables a more fruitful, more understood, and less fearful relationship with the natural world. It also provides new opportunities to act out the radical Christian life of service to others, of self-denial for the good of others, of working as the ‘body of Christ’ rather than to the glory of ourselves.”

I reflect on this with the news that a possible vaccine for Covid-19 could be available as early as December and the very positive reaction to this coming from many quarters. This is indeed good news.

But I also stand with Christian Aid, who are calling on governments to support the global call for a people's vaccine that was made at the World Health Assembly in May. They are concerned that Pfizer and BioNTech – the manufacturers of this first vaccine to be ready - decided not to participate in a patent pool that would allow manufacturers to replicate the vaccine at an affordable cost for the world's poorest countries.

In Psalm 112:1,9 it says: “Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honour.”

The good gifts that God the Creator gives so freely to his world - gifts of knowledge, gifts of learning, gifts of healing – must be gifts that are shared. This is no place for profit or shareholder capitalisation, this is about justice and equality for all in the human race.

Lord, we thank you for this exciting development with this vaccine.

We pray that it will be distributed with fairness. We pray that your children all around the world will have access to it.

We pray that it will not be distributed with selfishness, but with love, justice and compassion. Amen.

(Reflection drawn together from news reports from Premier Christian News)