Sharing Christ Good News

at he heard the dorm room, he knelt on his knees, Once at home, Tour is focused on truth of the Gospel. In a conversa- turned from his sins and asked God his family. He and his wife, Shireen, tion with a student in The Navigators, for forgiveness. “I felt this amazing met while washing and drying dishes Tour was confronted by Matthew relief of Him lifting the burden of my after a dinner party at Syracuse. They 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was sin off of me.” married in 1982 and have four adult said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ Since Nov. 7, 1977, Tour has been free children—Ambreen, Sabrina, Josiah RENOWNED CHEMIST IS A BOLD But I say to you that everyone who of pornography. And his life has been and Benaiah. looks at a woman with lustful intent transformed in myriad other ways. Sharing his faith with students has already committed adultery with From the outset, The Navigators and colleagues is another high prior- her in his heart.” and local church pastors helped him ity, and God has honored him. “My WITNESS FOR CHRIST Addicted to pornography, Tour grow in Christ, teaching him how to prayer is, ‘Lord, give me a person each knew he was guilty. “It was the first pray and to read, study, memorize and week,’” Tour said. “I thank God that I James Tour’s most significant work goes beyond indication to me that I was a sinner,” meditate on the Bible—disciplines see an average of one person coming cutting-edge research

by Richard Greene

RIGHT: cclaimed scientist, prolific of deafness. We’re now work- cell in the body, for example a James Tour has researcher and innova- ing on the re-fusing of the optic cancer cell and stick to it. And been recognized tive professor James Tour, nerve so we can do whole-eye then we turn the motor on, and it as one of the Ph.D., is known for his transplants, which has never drills a hole in that cancer cell in most influential work in the lab, on his been done before. And we’re order to kill it.” scientists in the Acomputer and in the classroom. attempting to rebuild and Tour and his older brother world. But as important and valuable re-fuse a separated spinal cord and sister grew up in what he “My prayer is, ‘Lord, give me a as his scientific and academic following spinal cord injuries, describes as a secular Jewish contributions are, he would using nanomaterials.” home outside City. “I person each week.’ I thank God say that his most significant It’s Tour’s extended work had a loving mother and father,” work is being done at home, in in that has he said. “I always knew they that I see an average of one person lunchrooms and on airplanes. garnered intense attention. loved me.” And especially at the foot of his “We take molecules and build Tour wanted to become a New coming to the Lord every week.” stairs before the dawn breaks them up to be a nano-sized York state trooper but couldn’t — chemist James Tour each morning. device, and we can then use that get into the academy because he For 20 years, Tour has been device for a certain function,” was color blind. He next consid- teaching and leading research he explained in an interview ered studying forensic science. teams at Rice University in with author and radio host Eric “But my father said, ‘Why don’t , where he is a professor Metaxas. “One such device is a you just study general- of chemistry, materials science nanocar, which is a single mole- ly and specialize after that,’ which and nanoengineering, and cule that has a chassis, axles, was good advice.” computer science. He has writ- wheels and motor. You can park Religion was not discussed ten hundreds of scholarly papers about 50,000 of them across the in the Tour household. “We and is cited often and extensively diameter of a human hair.” never spoke negatively about by scientists worldwide. One of the vital applica- Jesus, which is not the case in he said. “I thought you had to steal Tour continues to this day. to the Lord every week.” His teams and the compa- tions of this research, Tour told many Jewish homes,” Tour told something or hurt somebody, but He is up every morning at 3:30 to In December, while at a lunch nies he has formed work Metaxas, is the fight against Decision. “If I had come from a Jesus brought it right back to what I invest two hours in God’s Word and in table, two physics professors queried across a number of disciplines cancer. It’s long been a passion more traditional or Orthodox do in my heart. The student told me prayer—at the foot of his stairs. Then Tour about his faith. “Do you mind if in medicine. “We’re trying to of his to help alleviate suffering. home, I would have been jaded about how I could get to God through he heads to the gym for a rigorous I tell you my story of how I became make the lame walk, the blind “We’ve taken these motorized in my view of Jesus. I had no this Man Jesus Christ, who died and 90-minute workout before going to a Christian?” he asked them. “Sure, see and the deaf hear,” he told vehicles, removed their axles and view at all, negative or positive.” gave Himself for me.” class. He breaks at noon to pray for go ahead,” they responded. Twenty Decision. “We’ve already made hooked on a peptide, which is a The trajectory of Tour’s life Tour wrestled with what he had his students and the projects in which minutes later they were pray- the deaf hear in certain kinds protein, which will find a certain changed when as a freshman heard. Later, in the quietness of his they’re involved. ing to receive Christ as Savior.

38 DECISION MARCH 2019 PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF JAMES TOUR MARCH 2019 DECISION 39 Sharing Christ

Amazingly, God opened the BELOW: Jackson met eight years ago takes away from faith. If you door on a flight to California Tour (left), when Jackson helped launch really study science, it will bring for Tour to talk about Jesus Gladys The Navigators at Rice and Tour you closer to God.” with Dr. Richard E. Smalley, a López-Silva was its faculty sponsor. “It’s one thing for a jour- professor of chemistry, phys- and Rodrigo Jackson relates how three nalist like myself to report on ics and astronomy at Rice, who Salvatierra use doctors from a country in Asia what prominent experts say co-shared the Nobel Prize in a film of carbon once came to do research for a about Christianity,” Strobel chemistry in 1996. nanotubes to year at the nearby Medical told Decision. “It’s even more “Rick had been antagonistic prevent dendrite Center. They visited Tour’s persuasive when a scientist of to the Christian faith,” Tour said. growth in lithium class at church, listened to him, Dr. Tour’s unquestioned promi- “We talked openly and honestly.” metal batteries, interacted with him and prayed nence makes his own well- Tour gave Smalley some books, which charge to receive Christ. Jackson spent researched conclusions known.” including titles by C.S. Lewis and faster and hold months with the doctors and Strobel added: “We need Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist, more power than their families, nurturing their more people with Dr. Tour’s apologist and author. He read current lithium- faith. They returned to their sincere devotion to Christ, his them. “I invited Ross to campus, ion batteries. home country, and Jackson passion to help people, and his and Rick sat with him in my office for almost three hours, peppering him with questions.” Smalley also attended a talk by Ross and came to know the Lord. “Rick was a powerful, influential man in the chemical community. He died of cancer a few years later, in 2005.” But much of Tour’s minis- try takes place at home and at church. He and Shireen host college students for lunch every week following the class he teaches at West University Baptist Church. Usually anywhere from 60 to 100 students cram into their home, overflowing to tables set up outside. He mingles with them and tells them about Jesus. “Not only is there a weekly addition to the Kingdom,” says Senior Pastor Roger Patterson, “but there’s the exponential nature of what he’s doing. Take 20 years of doing this, pour- got to visit with two of them sharp scientific mind to be an ing into some of the best and while on a recent business trip. influence for Christ.” ©2019 BGEA brightest, who are getting train- They’ve remained faithful. ing and taking jobs all over the Tour’s unambiguous stand THE SCRIPTURE QUOTATION IS TAKEN world. It’s immeasurable what for Christ has made a deep FROM THE HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH God is doing on a global stage.” impression on popular author STANDARD VERSION. When people commit their and apologist Lee Strobel. In life to Christ, Tour asks local his book The Case for a Creator, RICHARD GREENE IS A FORMER DECI- engineering consultant Mike he quotes Tour as saying, “Only SION ASSISTANT EDITOR. HE RECENTLY Jackson and his Navigator team a rookie who knows nothing RETIRED AS A SENIOR EDITOR AT to disciple them. Tour and about science would say science SAMARITAN’S PURSE IN BOONE, N.C.

40 DECISION MARCH 2019 PHOTOGRAPH: JEFF FITLOW/RICE UNIVERSITY