May you always have the Peace that only HE can bring.

Cousin Dennis Yancey

Aw, shucks, I’m still blushing. You make me want to keep writing another few decades! Thanks for these supportive words.

Thoughtful comments presented graciously. Thank you.
Philip

I am sorry, Phillip. Judging by the tone of your response, I think my comment was received far differently than I intended. For that reason, I offer some clarification below—and will leave the last word to you.

When I wrote my comment, I presumed you were aware of the emails exchanged between Dr. Collins, Dr. Fauci, et al. in October 2020, which were subsequently made public in December 2021. The emails were highly publicized, e.g. https // tinyurl [dot] com/3upcwf27. That correspondence—in tandem with Dr. Collins’ refusal (as recently as Jan 2024, during his testimony to the House of Representatives) to retract his comments, apologize, or admit any wrongdoing towards his colleagues—was at the heart of my comment.

I was not trying to reference—much less spark debate over–the “vaccine wars.” (The correspondence above related specifically to lockdown policies, not COVID vaccines.)

I agree that Dr. Collins’ posture toward and treatment of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Tim Keller, former NIH employees, and countless others–in the world of science and beyond—is remarkable and praiseworthy.

However, I find it regrettable and sad that Dr. Collins did not extend that same posture or treatment to the nearly one million of his colleagues who signed the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020. (The original authors of the document—Dr. Kulldorff of Harvard, Dr. Gupta of Oxford, and Dr. Bhattacharya of Stanford—were the three epidemiologists he labelled “fringe.”)

Instead, he attempted a coordinated campaign to discredit and destroy these colleagues’ careers from his position as Director of NIH. Such a campaign is a far cry from the “ethos of both professional excellence and human compassion” you described—much less the ethos of loving one’s neighbors as Jesus did.

I thought this dissonance was worth a comment in good faith—not to disparage Dr. Collins, but to simply acknowledge that his witness is, at the very least, far more bifurcated than you portrayed. (Which, at least for me, makes him *more* relatable as a person, not less.)

Grace and peace, my brother.

I confess that I know nothing about Dr. Collins and “three fringe epidemiologists,” so I can’t comment on that. If I were writing an article about him, I presumably would have researched what you’re referring to. I have, however, seen firsthand how Collins treated his “enemies” in the world of science. He went out of his way to visit with Richard Dawkins when he traveled to the U.K., and won Christopher Hitchens’ deep gratitude when by presenting several experimental treatment options for Hitchens’ esophageal cancer. These two atheists had dissed Collins because of his Christian faith, and later regretted it. I also saw the extraordinary lengths Collins went to in trying to keep Tim Keller and Mike Gerson alive.

I presume you’re referring to the vaccine wars, and this is no place to open that subject. Francis Collins calculates that 50 million people refused the readily available vaccine, which resulted in some 230,000 deaths. Believing that would raise the passion level of any doctor who cares about his patients. Francis Collins has met several times with a group called “Better Angels” in an attempt to understand his opponents’ point of view, as he describes in his book “The Road to Wisdom.” All of us have a lot to learn from the way we handled the pandemic crisis.

Your writings have done more to shape me “christoformly” than almost anyone. I am immensely grateful you haven’t fallen asleep—and that your surgery recovery is going well. God bless you as you heal!

Admittedly, I am also confused and saddened that your description of Dr. Collins above wasn’t more honest, i.e. true to life. I’ve always admired your journalistic instincts (i.e. seeking and telling the truth) coupled with your Christian convictions (i.e. practicing the love of Jesus in everything) precisely because they result in faithful, compelling commentary RE whatever topic you’re discussing, even if I don’t agree with your conclusions.

In this case, paragraphs 12-13 tell, at best, half-truths—and half-truths are still untruths. To be clear, I do not doubt for a moment the “fruit” you described—and witnessed first-hand—in Dr. Collins life. What is confusing and disappointing is that you failed to acknowledge—even in passing—the fruit that hundreds of thousands of other Americans also witnessed first-hand in his life, namely his cruel, malicious behavior towards “the three fringe epidemiologists” against whom he called for “a quick and devastating published takedown” in October 2020.

God forgives the inexcusable in us; thus we must forgive the inexcusable in others–no question. (God help me!) However, grace and impartiality are *not* mutually exclusive; nor has Dr. Collins, as far as I’m aware, ever apologized for attempting to destroy many careers from the “shadows” of his (formerly) private NIH email correspondence.

Bottom-line: There is nothing “remarkable” about a former public leader (or dare I say, a current President-elect!) whose egregious lapses in moral judgement are either conveniently edited out of their legacy or embraced as something inevitable.

As a professing Jesus follower, what should have been remarkable about Dr. Collins was the humility, grace, and love he should’ve offered to his fiercest enemies–at a time when such fruit was needed the most (2020).

Instead, from the safety and anonymity of his position of government power, he embodied Ps 140 in the worst way: He arrogantly hid traps, spread nets, and set snares for his enemies—and as far as I’m aware, has taken no action to reconcile with—much less serve in love—the professionals whose careers he sought to discredit and destroy.

I know you’ve respected Dr. Collins for a long, long time—as I have. But respect is no excuse for partiality. Let us be—as you and Dr. Brand taught me long ago—faithful mirrors. Let us graciously reflect the glory of Jesus revealed in every person (from Dr. Collins to President Trump) and boldly illuminate the corners of any heart still sitting smugly in the dark.

And you are leaving us a Legacy anyway … all the way from your “Student Bible” Days and the classic books with Dr. Paul Brand and all the other books and study guides you have authored, we are really blessed. Thank You, Philip! And to use a greeting from the land of my birth, Sri Lanka – “Ayubowan” – which means “may you be blessed with a long life”.
My book shelf definitely has many of your books, highlighted and underlined … Thank You again!