Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who led the Manhattan Project which developed the atom bomb, made a television statement just before he died in 1967. I remember his face as he spoke. He talked about the things that frightened and disturbed him most, about "civilized man's inhumanity to his fellow man," about the lack of reason in light of knowledge, and about how it seemed that rational, civilized people would not be able to negotiate peace and, therefore, would not be able to live on this planet together.
In the last few years, I've had opportunity to speak to various groups, mostly Christian, around America and in Europe. I too have become disturbed with "rational, civilized man," especially "evangelical man" and those who profess to know the gospel of Jesus Christ. What disturbs me most is that civilized, evangelical leaders hold much of the power and control in our nation and in our world. Yet our evangelical leadership is not creative or compassionate enough to deal with the truths that burst in upon us every day--the economic/social truths of race hatred, energy crisis, crime, hunger, and poverty--in light of the healing mandate of the scriptures.
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