Dr. Anthony Fauci is at the top of his game. He’s been the leading epidemiologist for the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease since 1984, having advised six US Presidents. In the past eight months he‘s become a household name, communicating simply and succinctly the information Americans need to navigate the dangers of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I might add that while his confidence is strong his humility is stronger. He’s the smartest guy in the room, but he never projects such arrogance. I’m not the only one who admires him as some polls show 71% of Americans trust Dr. Fauci.
But that doesn’t mean Dr. Fauci has been right every time he has stood before the microphone. He’s been wrong. He’s been wrong more than once. He told us in February that he doubted A-Symptomatic people could spread the disease. Later in that month he reassured the American people that he saw no need to make any major changes to our lifestyles. In March he told us not to wear masks. If Fauci was a baseball player, his batting average is promising.
How can someone who has been wrong so many times still have an approval rating of 71%? Two factors are at play. First, the COVID-19 virus is brand new, discovered at the end of 2019 (thus, the reason for the “19,” not that it’s the nineteenth strand of the coronavirus). The situation has been fluid since its outbreak in China and in the US in January. Assumptions made early on were abandoned when new and more reliable information emerged. He was wrong, not because he’s incompetent, but because he was on the learning curve. That leads to the other admirable quality about Fauci, his ability to pivot when he was wrong. As new data emerged, Fauci shifted his views and perspective to line up with the best information available. Thus, A-Symptomatic people do spread the disease. Major shifts to our lifestyle have been needed to lean into and flatten the curve. Masks are a necessary move, not to prevent you from getting the virus but to insure you don’t spread the virus. His credibility is high because he’s willing to admit when he was wrong in order to pursue what is right.
In that one strand, Fauci is modeling the Gospel. When confronted with our wrong, we change our stance to line up with the truth. The Gospel calls this change “repentance.”
When John the Baptist preached, he called his hearers to repentance (Mk. 1:4). After John was arrested, Jesus stepped onto the world’s stage. He echoed John’s message by calling people to repentance (Mk. 1:15). After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Peter moved the story forward by calling people to repentance (Act. 2:38; 3:19). As Paul moved through the mission field, he continued to call people to repentance (Act. 17:30; 26:20). Changing one’s belief system, thought process and actions stand at the core of the Gospel Message. God expects to see change in us through repentance.
Herein lies the rub. We don’t want to change or shift our position or behavior no matter what the data and new information shows. Or even what the Bible says. It’s in our DNA. Studies are confirming that no matter what logical argument or statistical information that is revealed, we’ll reject it. We’re so entrenched in our world view and ideology, sometimes it feels like the Battle of Somme. No one will budge and everyone will suffer. Even worse, we double down on a bet we’re sure to lose, and lose big.
But God keeps calling us to repent, to change, to line our lives up with him. It’s the Gospel. And it’s the very thing that gives Dr. Anthony Fauci his credibility. He is willing to change.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e., only God is glorified!)