When Daniel Shechtman first discovered a new crystalline chemical structure that seemed to violate what we thought were the laws governing crystalline structures he was ridiculed by his colleagues and ultimately exiled from professional circles. Yet he won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
There are so many lessons we can draw from this. First is the crowd isn’t always right. Second is stand firm when you know you are correct. Third is truth will ultimately be known. Fourth is we don’t know all the laws of nature and the ones we think we know can be very different than what we think.
I am sure there were very depressing days when Dr. Shechtman’s friends rejected not only his work but his very presence. His discovery was in 1982. Almost thirty years is a long time to wait for this kind of vindication. I’m sure there is great happiness in his home tonight.
The history of the world is filled with stories like this. Graves are filled with people who never received recognition for their work. Then there are martyrs who perished for believing and holding strongly to their faith. Hebrews 11 is a very impressive list of such. Hebrews 12 begins with “Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 6, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org