This and That

The Right Size

Darwin’s Zoo, p. 44

Throughout his world travels, Charles Darwin studied many animals, finding in them, he believed, proof for his evolutionary ideas. In his 1871 book The Descent of Man, Darwin promoted the idea that most male mammals are physically larger than females. This is true for some animal species (such as gorillas, buffalo, and elephants). But a new study revealed that it isn’t always—or even often—the case. In reality, males and females of a species are often about the same size (monomorphism). In fact, larger females are surprisingly common.

The authors of the study suggest that the misconception stemmed from long-held biases in scientific literature and research focused on primates and carnivores. However, scientists have resisted challenging the belief that mammalian males are usually bigger than females because it contradicts Darwin’s ideas.

In how many ways has evolutionary bias led scientists to incorrect conclusions simply because they refuse to rethink their worldview, despite the evidence before them?

Christians have a greater, more reliable authority than a fallible man such as Darwin. God has given us his Word, the greatest evidence of all that can be trusted from the very first verse. Big animals or small, God created them male and female (Genesis 1:24) with the right sizes to fulfill his command to fill the earth.

Legacy

What We Leave Behind, p. 27

Like Dr. Georgia Purdom with her grandpa George, the Answers magazine team reflects on special people in their lives who have left a godly legacy.

Sarah

When I was young, my family often took my great grandmother, Grandma Lewis, to church. Grandma knew Jesus intimately and was prone to pray at a moment’s notice.

One winter evening, as we drove back to her mountain home, the van struggled to get up the hill. She quietly called to my sister and me, “Now watch this.” Her eyes glinted like a child asking her parent for a favor. “Dear Jesus, you know we need to make it up this hill. Now come on, dear Jesus. Help us up this hill.” She continued reminding him of our need until we crested the slope.

Her connection to heaven eluded me back then before she passed away. I wonder now how many blessings in my life are thanks to Grandma’s legacy of intercession and her special relationship with “dear Jesus.”

Schuyler

Schuyler with her mother.

“Unforgiveness hurts you more than it will ever hurt them,” my mom often told me when I was young and upset with my siblings or a friend at school. That’s the legacy my mom continues to impress on my life—forgiveness, patience, and grace.

I have seen her forgive terrible wrongs from people closest to her and watched her hold countless foster children as they screamed and cursed at her. Her legacy of grace extends beyond the home, where she works with at-risk youth in her community.

Her words about forgiveness usually bounced right off me in my childhood when my stubbornness often kept me from extending grace. But years later, I still hear her words echoing in my head anytime I feel bitterness begin to creep into my heart.

Chris

I was the kid who would sit and listen to the adults talk after dinner. Of all the interesting conversations, the few that stuck with me were the stories of Rundell and Judy Maree.

Since 1978 they had struggled to learn a little-known language of an island in the northern Philippines so that they could bring the gospel and translate the New Testament. Their lives sounded like a drum solo, but each beat was trial and suffering. It became a comedy in the way Rundell talked about it all, but when he did get serious, it all echoed the book of James. His focus and constant request for prayer allowed him to keep counting it all joy.

Now facing my own trials of chronic health issues and other challenging drumbeats of life, I find that Rundell and Judy have left a legacy of focusing on what is really important and choosing to see it all as joy along the way.