Scientists of the Word

I like this true story.

In a biology class taught by one Professor Agassi, sat a student who was interested in becoming a great scientist. To begin his training, the professor slapped a fish down before him and said, “Here is a fish. Observe it!” After about half an hour the student, having jotted down a few observations about the fish, gave his one-page list to the professor. Upon reading it, the wise teacher muttered, “Nice job, but you’ve barely begun. Go back to the fish and observe some more.” Several hours passed as the young student recorded more and more details. He took his findings a second time to the professor, who responded by saying, “That’s great, but you’ve only scratched the surface! Now, how about taking a real look at that fish?”

The hours turned into a day, the day into many days, until the student returned to the professor one more time. This time he brought almost a book full of details concerning every single facet of the fish. He described the way each of the fish’s fins curled, the various shades of color in its scales, the texture of its tail, and many more features he had painstakingly noted. The professor, looking more pleased by now, told the student that because he was finally learning the art of careful observation, his desired career of being a scientist had just begun!

The point of the story is obvious. We, too, are science students. Our “field” of study is the Scriptures. If a professor can require his students to be diligent in their observation of fish, surely the wise Teacher Himself would desire that we make even more careful observations concerning what is written in the scriptures.