Page 108 of Airborne
Why didn’t He rectify the situation with whoever was responsible for the virus and ease Chad and Heather’s angst?
Why had He allowed Andy to face a shooter?
The morning wore on. Chad read blog posts and articles in a mix of the virus investigation and medical research. His eyes blurred from the repeated information. How grand if the CDC confirmed the quadrivalent flu virus vaccine helped protect the immune systems of those who’d been exposed to H9N15.
Javier called after the noon hour and invited Chad to join him that evening for a lecture by a respected scientist hosted by a lawyer friend. “It will divert your attention for a couple of hours.”
“Depends on how Andy is doing.”
“How is he? Vitals still good?”
“He’s improving. We talked a little. He’s skeptical the shooting was a robbery.”
“We’ll ensure security is in place while he’s hospitalized.”
“A safe house after he’s released?”
“That’s the plan. The lecture would get your mind off the situation.”
Chad sighed. “Tell me about it.”
“Professor Alister McGrath from Oxford. Doctorates in theology and molecular biophysics.”
“Why would he appeal to me?”
“Your bio says you’re an atheist, but there’s a Bible on your table. Tells me you’re wrestling with God. You’re cerebral, and the lecture topic examines the thoughts of Richard Dawkins and C.S. Lewis, a discussion on life from both the atheist and the Christian worldviews. I figured it would appeal to your intellect. I’d need to pick you up at six to get there in time.”
“Even if I’m at home, I—”
“Chad, pacing the floor of your apartment doesn’t close the case or heal Andy any faster.”
“All right. Won’t be the first time a lecture bored me.”
Javier snickered before a see-you-later comment.
Chad settled in with his laptop and searched online for Alister McGrath. Definitely a highbrow intellectual and internationally respected for his work in science and theology. At one time McGrath had been against any notion of God. How had a brilliant mind accepted the gibberish?
Later that night, Chad walked away from the lecture intrigued by what he’d heard. The connection between science and religion grasped his attention, and McGrath’s words challenged him to study the Bible.
“Are you deep into your reflections and if you find credibility in God?” Javier said.
“Both. I remember a statement made by Thomas Aquinas where he points out the universe’s tendency toward order. Like him, I don’t believe chaos produces order.”
“Did you ever attend church?”
“No. My folks wanted me to join them when I was a teen, except my atheism beliefs were intact. I went a few times with Heather. Never found a theory or belief that clicked.”
“I’d be afraid to step out my door without my convictions. Faith, family, and keeping others safe. Those are what matter tome.”
“You aren’t the first man I’ve met who’s prioritized life in a similar way.”
Once home, Chad watched an online video interview of McGrath’s faith journey. Afterward Chad added two of the man’s many books and two of C.S. Lewis’s books to his Kindle. Every biblical reference found him checking his Bible for verification. He read the first of McGrath’s books until 6:30a.m. and finished it after downing coffee and a banana. At 9ish, he ended the book and slept on the sofa for three hours, then started a C.S. Lewis book.
He walked to the window of the living room and peered out over the city.God, I’ve always said I had to see You to believe. Have I seen You all along and worn blinders?
Chad finished the second C.S. Lewis book and began the second McGrath title. An invisible force drove him to continue reading throughout the day with a break to eat or drink. Sunday night became more thirst for knowledge and kept him glued to the page. At 3a.m., he set aside the books and the Bible. Chad had suffered for what he couldn’t accomplish in his life—finding a cure for Ebola and other life-threatening viruses, saving Paul, trying to prove his innocence, protect Heather and his unborn son, and too many other problems to list. If God were real, Chad wanted Him on a call list. The idea of one more day in this misery shattered his beliefs in himself.
Science. Math. Theology. God had created these to help humans understand themselves.
