Richard L. Carpenter, Jr., Ph.D.
Research Meteorologist
Center for Computational Geosciences
I can tell you that Christianity was the last thing I wanted to be involved with as I was growing up. I had been interested in science, particularly the physical sciences, since my early childhood. The exquisite beauty of the natural world fascinated me, but where was the evidence for God? I therefore dismissed the Bible as irrelevant. I could not understand how Christians could believe the fairy tales in the Bible.
But when a fellow graduate student invited me to read the Bible and visit his church, I felt I had nothing to lose. I was lonely, awkward, and felt that there was no purpose for my life. Even though there was no way I would allow myself to entertain belief in a god, I felt that it would be worthwhile to study the Bible for its teachings on morality and interpersonal relationships, in order to see where Christians found their source of strength and peace.
As I began reading the book of John, I was struck that the Bible was no ordinary book. It spoke plainly of matters that were clearly of a spiritual nature. It offered an explanation of the nature of good and evil that surpassed that of the greatest philosophers. Its literary style exceeded that of Shakespeare. Its description of historical events has been confirmed. And it presented a man, Jesus, who was uniquely human yet uniquely divine.
Over the next few months it became clear to me that my decision was not whether to merely believe in the existence of God, but whether to place my trust in Him. Finally, on 27 May 1986, at the age of 23, I asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord of my life, and on that day I became a new creation (2 Cor. 5:7).
Since that time God has blessed me in many ways, not the least of which by giving me a beautiful wife and daughter. He has forgiven my sins and has reserved a place for me in heaven. And the Author of love, truth, and beauty has shown me that He reveals those qualities not only through His creation, but also through His word, the Bible.
If you have any questions or comments you can E-Mail me at RCARPENTER@OU.EDU