Wow, another home run! Actually I tend to agree with both of you on almost every point, sometimes more with you, and sometimes more with him. Becoming a successful research scientist, which I define as being at the point, where none of those worries and insecurities matter, because you have risen above all of it, takes a great deal of time and effort. Until then, it often seems to not be worth the struggle. In my case, I finally reached that point 12 years after getting my doctorate, when I was granted tenure, and had enough of a reputation to be able to relax. At that point one can really enjoy the actual science. I think this is also true for most professions; I know it is for being a writer.
I found the title of his original piece interesting, with its religious implications. When I first became a Christian (more than a decade after getting tenure) I was amazed that none of that angst about being good enough, worthy enough, etc applied. We know that Christ has forgiven our sins. We know that He came for us, the sinful, the unworthy, those who are lazy, ignorant, hopeless, about to give up. And when we accept His grace, confess our belief in His salvation, its like getting a kind of tenure way beyond anything we could ever imagine. That is why we talk about the freedom, the breaking of chains, the joy of being a follower of the Way. Now, like you Sarah, I do what the Spirit tells me to do, regardless of what other scientists might think or say, I go where I am led, and while I still am a devoted scientist, and still have a scientific worldview, I now know that the natural world we love, and love to study is the loving creation of God almighty. As I have written and said many times - science is the action of praising God, distilled doxology.
Wow, another home run! Actually I tend to agree with both of you on almost every point, sometimes more with you, and sometimes more with him. Becoming a successful research scientist, which I define as being at the point, where none of those worries and insecurities matter, because you have risen above all of it, takes a great deal of time and effort. Until then, it often seems to not be worth the struggle. In my case, I finally reached that point 12 years after getting my doctorate, when I was granted tenure, and had enough of a reputation to be able to relax. At that point one can really enjoy the actual science. I think this is also true for most professions; I know it is for being a writer.
I found the title of his original piece interesting, with its religious implications. When I first became a Christian (more than a decade after getting tenure) I was amazed that none of that angst about being good enough, worthy enough, etc applied. We know that Christ has forgiven our sins. We know that He came for us, the sinful, the unworthy, those who are lazy, ignorant, hopeless, about to give up. And when we accept His grace, confess our belief in His salvation, its like getting a kind of tenure way beyond anything we could ever imagine. That is why we talk about the freedom, the breaking of chains, the joy of being a follower of the Way. Now, like you Sarah, I do what the Spirit tells me to do, regardless of what other scientists might think or say, I go where I am led, and while I still am a devoted scientist, and still have a scientific worldview, I now know that the natural world we love, and love to study is the loving creation of God almighty. As I have written and said many times - science is the action of praising God, distilled doxology.
Beautifully said, Sy.