by Robert C. Frank
I have been a Christian my entire life, but in recent years I have been struggling with the question of what there is about my life that would make my view of Christianity different from that of others? Then it occurred to me one day that when I was a research scientist at the General Motors Research Laboratories in the 1950’s and 60’s, I was doing research in a new field of science called materials science. It is the study of the behavior of atoms in solid materials and it required me to develop an unusual perspective. I had to look at the behavior of billions of atoms and find explanations for why they were doing what they were doing.
As a result, when I studied Christianity, I looked at the behavior of billions of followers of Jesus and asked why they were doing what they were doing. That is very different from the traditional view of Christianity which is usually about our personal relationship with God. My view leads to a broader understanding of Christianity. It is like being on the International Space Station looking at the earth and asking, “Why are those billions of Christians on earth doing what they are doing?”
In 2009, I wrote the book Christ’s Team: A 21st Century View of Christianity based on my observations of Christianity in the current world. It provides answers to questions that most Christians never ask, questions like “Since God is our creator, why is what these Christians are doing important for the creation of an improved civilization on earth?” When you see how this viewpoint makes the whole story of Christianity fit together, it is a remarkable story.
