One of the most
intriguing passages in the Bible is Psalm 139:13-14, in which King David
writes, “For you (God) created my inmost
being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made…. I know that full well.”
This passage is
often cited by pro-life groups to support the personhood of the unborn, and I
believe rightfully so. But what if the idea of being “fearfully and wonderfully
made” extends beyond things like bones and blood, muscles and organs? What
if the complexity of the unique persons that God intends for us to be extends into
the very building blocks of human existence – our DNA and genetic makeup?
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| The God Gene, a novel by Jaymie Simmon, raises some intriguing questions. |
That’s the premise
of an intriguing, fast-paced novel, The
God Gene, written by Jaymie Simmon, whom I’ve become acquainted with over
the past year or so. The story line surrounds Dr. Rosalind Evans, a grieving
scientist funded by a pharmaceutical company to
discover a cure for the disease that took the life of her young daughter. Her
quest takes a startling and life-changing turn, however, when she discovers
something else – the Ten Commandments, embedded in the section of genetic code
under scrutiny.
How did the Ten Commandments get there? Was it a
hoax, a laboratory error or computer glitch, industrial sabotage – or an actual
encryption from God in the foundational building blocks of life? This discovery unwittingly places Dr. Evans in
the conflicting roles of hero and heretic, revered and reviled, an instant celebrity
both famous and infamous.
The
God Gene is a suspenseful narrative, filled with
unexpected twists and turns keeping the reader off balance and intrigued to
learn what will become of the beautiful but bedeviled woman of science. An
avowed atheist, Dr. Evans – and everyone around her – find the constant turning
of events causing them to question everything they believe, and don't believe.
While not a scientist herself, author Simmon has
done a masterful job of exploring and grasping the intricacies of genetic
research and what is known about the human genome. She crafts a compelling
story line without pontificating or choosing sides in the ongoing and often
tumultuous debate between the scientific and the spiritual. As with all
fiction, there’s an element of suspending one’s disbelief, but it also suggests
a rationale for expanding one’s belief.
Ms. Simmon’s insertion of the mysterious
"Starry Messenger" provides a unique vehicle for escalating the
suspense by raising challenging questions, and – true to the rest of her story –
leading to a startling climax that will prompt many readers to ponder, “Well,
what if…?”
Thousands of years ago, when Psalm 139 was
written, mankind knew nothing about genetic codes. Watson and Crick and their
discovery of the acclaimed DNA double helix model were yet many centuries into
the future. We now understand that DNA contains the physiological coding – the
molecular roadmap – that ordains things ranging from race and gender and hair
color to other distinctive physical and mental qualities and traits. But what
if our genes contain even more than that – specific, intentional traces of the
Divine, for instance?
Many people would argue that humans are inherently good by
nature, but what if that “goodness” has been built into our genetic makeup?
What if our notions about good and evil, such as the nearly universal
convictions that murder, stealing and lying are wrong, aren’t the result of
some unexplainable evolutionary construct, but rather the handiwork of God
right in the center of our gene pool?
David continued to write, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed
body” (Psalm 139:15-16). What if, unbeknownst to the Israelite king, that
included the very cellular structure that defines values and morals, not just
physique and individual attributes?
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