Last week American Billionaire Bill Gates got our attention with his op-ed, which was published by the Washington Post. It was a necessary intervention especially given the fact that he had in a 2015 TED Talk, shared his thoughts about the possibilities of a pandemic that could disrupt much of the world. In a way that would make the experience with Ebola some kind of child’s play.

He concluded the op-ed this way, “…I still believe that if we make the right decisions now, informed by science, data, and the experience of medical professionals, we can save lives and get the country back to work.”

Because of the global stature of Bill Gates, I knew any analysis of the piece must be done after one had used a fine-toothed comb while reading. When the moment came, I wondered why he didn’t include God in his almost perfect recommendations. Or is God averse to the United States making right decisions? Does history support that notion? Doesn’t the notion itself presuppose that the United States has been making wrong decisions, which necessitated Gates’ intervention? And should interest in making right decisions preclude considerations for the One whose essence is rightness, and all that is right?

Is God averse to science? Again, the answer from the pages of history is No! Many of the world’s best scientists from when the subject began to engage the attention of scholars in the United States, often acknowledged God, and his vastly inscrutable mind, deduced from the wonders he created in our world. Can we not find leading scientists in the world today, who have maintained the same tradition?

Is God averse to data, and the experience of medical professionals? The answer is another resounding no.

Instead of seeing God and these important elements as mutually exclusive categories, the reverse should be the case. The quality and utility of science, data and the experience of medical professionals are not diminished by adding God to the mix. Rather, they are enhanced in ways and means that can yield indescribable outcomes.

As the world continues the search for cures for coronavirus, or any other threats that may come after we have overcome the current scourge, surely, it is in our collective interest to embrace the complete package of historically tested resources for confronting mind-boggling situations.