PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

May 24, 2023

FACTS, JUST THE FACTS

Two names that have been prominent these last several months are Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci.  Dr. Birx is the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task force and serves as the United States Global AIDS coordinator.  Dr. Fauci is one of the world’s leading experts on infectious diseases and has served for many years as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci helped to develop the models upon which our nation’s response to Covid-19 Pandemic is based.  In talking about the creation of the models both doctors emphasized the importance of accurate and vital data.  One of the problems with the early models was that the data coming out of China was faulty, if not just plain deliberately inaccurate.  The models which scientists are able to develop are only as valid as the data upon which they construct them.  As the old saying goes “Garbage in, garbage out.”

Ever since the creation of the Coronavirus Task force, the models upon which they base their suggestions and predictions have been changing as new data is factored.  There are still many important questions unanswered.   One of the dilemmas facing decision makers is should they wait until all of the vital questions are answered before reopening the economy or should they proceed with a measured reopening which takes into regards all the factors as they are known at the present?

There is a train of thought that would suggest that all decisions having to do with the pandemic should be fact based, without political considerations.  Sounds good, but is it possible?  First, how are we to decide the facts we need to know to make an intelligent decision?  Second, is it possible to obtain all of the necessary facts?  Third, how long would it take to collect them?  All of us like to make decisions based upon good information.  Unfortunately, very often in life we have to make decisions with very limited or problematic information.

In Job 38:1-40:2 God speaks.  In part He says that human understanding is limited and is incapable of completely understanding the world in which we live.  The search for facts only leads to the conclusion that we need more facts.  The search for answers only leads to more questions.  In the end our search for understanding dissolves into mystery.  We can never have all the data, all the facts we need to make absolute decisions and the models we create to explain how things work will always be limited.

If it is true that we can never have enough facts, adequate data to create a perfect model for how to deal with Covid-19 Pandemic, then what are we to do?  At some point we have to act, realizing that we do not have all the information we would like to have.  However, the Christian faith suggests that we do not have to act on blind faith that what we are doing is right.  Rather the Christian faith suggests that we act on informed faith.  Facts, data, and information are important.  They help to inform our decisions so that we can have a degree of certainty that what we choose to do is appropriate.

And once we have acted on the basis of our informed faith, we have the assurance that the creator of the universe will be with us to help us deal with the consequences of our decisions.  In fact, an aspect of an informed faith is turning to God for wisdom and understanding.  It is surprising how many people get things right in hindsight.  Unfortunately, it is not available at the moment the decision had to be made.  Let us all pray for our leaders and experts that they will use the data, information, and facts that are available and the wisdom of their years of experience and with God’s help will make good decisions.

This article was originally published May 24, 2020.