It also means that suddenly those with “perfect” genes will become the highly prized people. Those with “imperfect” DNA—who have genetic defects or even those who aren’t as “smart” as others—can become less important to the world. They can be considered “not fully human”—like the vice governor who seemed to imply that Tyce isn’t as good as other humans because he’s in a wheelchair. And that kind of thinking can lead to some scary things down the road. Like what happened to the Jews in concentration camps in the days of World War II and Hitler. They were considered a “nonhuman” race just because they were Jews.
So although these leaps ahead in science, like the Human Genome Project, can be good and can identify what’s “unique” about you through your individual human genome, they can’t and don’t tell you what God does. He’s the one who has made you with your particular, individual genes. That means in his eyes you’re perfect—just as you are. No matter if your nose or teeth are crooked, you can’t throw a baseball, or you can’t run as fast as your sister. It also means that he has something special in mind for your life.
Just look at Tyce. Even though he’s in a wheelchair, he was able to save the lives of millions of people at the Los Angeles nuclear plant. And because of his special skills, he figured out a unique way to rescue the robot kids near the Moon.
It all comes down to this. Your DNA and chromosomes— what makes your physical body—aren’t what’s most important. Instead, what makes you really human is that you’ve been created by God, implanted with a soul, and that only you, as a human, can have a relationship with God.
Your DNA isn’t just about your fingerprints or your skills. It’s actually God’s fingerprint on you.
JOURNAL TWO
WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH MATTER?
Q: What’s the matter with matter?
A: When matter and antimatter touch, bam! They explode, destroying each other. You see, matter is made up of what’s called quarks; antimatter is made of antiquarks. Although quarks and antiquarks are identical to each other in most aspects, their touching and the subsequent explosion results in a burst of energy.
Physicists tell us that in the first moments of creation, the energy levels were so high that immediately upon self-destruction, new quarks and antiquarks were formed. But as the universe began to cool, there was no way for new quarks and antiquarks to replace the destroyed ones.
Basically all this technical stuff means that according to the laws of physics, nothing in this universe should exist. And that means no Moon, no sun, no Mars, no Earth. And certainly no you.
Instead, for reasons physicists can’t figure out, for every 10 billion antiquarks, the beginning universe created 10 billion and one quarks. And that one extra quark per every 10 billion antiquarks led to an infinite amount of matter that became the planets, stars, and galaxies of the universe.
Q: How is it that so much matter managed to survive? Why is there some matter rather than no matter?
A: Science cannot give us that answer. In fact, the chances that matter could survive are, according to a bigwig Oxford mathematician, Roger Penrose, less than one in 10123. That’s a 10 followed by 123 zeros, which means the chances are not likely at all!
Yet somehow, against those kinds of odds, the universe grew in a way to make life possible on Earth. To make your life possible.
No matter what, many scientists argue that this shows us that the creation of the universe was not a random event. Our bodies are composed of the dust of the stars. The carbon and hydrogen and oxygen and trace elements are arranged in such a way that we can breathe, that our eyes can interpret light waves, and that our brains can generate thoughts and give instructions to our bodies (much as Tyce’s brain waves tell the robot how to move in this story).
When you think about this, it’s not so startling to think that the world was not only created, but it continues to spin and move at the direction of an invisible Creator. A Creator who exists beyond what we can see and sometimes sense physically. A Creator who sustains us through daily miracles. Like the fact that the sunlight is not too strong and not too weak. It comes from a star the perfect distance away from Earth in order to allow plants to grow in the dirt that was once stardust. Not only do our bodies depend on these plants, we find nutrition in the protein of animals that eat these plants.
The life cycle of all matter on this planet exists because of things like this—sunlight, water, and dirt—all possible because of the creation events set in motion by God at the beginning of time. It’s that simple. And also that wonderful.
So in the end, science can’t totally answer the question of “what’s the matter with matter?”
But God can. And everything you learn about science will only strengthen the ability of your brain to accept his existence. Even when things seem impossible (like the reaction of matter and antimatter), God will always find a way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sigmund Brouwer, his wife, recording artist Cindy Morgan, and their daughters split living between Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and Nashville, Tennessee. He has written several series of juvenile fiction and eight novels. Sigmund loves sports and plays golf and hockey. He also enjoys visiting schools to talk about books. He welcomes visitors to his Web site at www.coolreading.com.
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