Chapter 14. Let There Be Life
When Jan Diederman popped into her kitchen about seven o’clock, Saturday morning, she found Dan in deep thought, nursing a cup of coffee, sitting at their kitchen table. As he looked up, she slipped into a chair across from him, smiled, and said, “Well ... ?”
He broadcast a wide smile and said, “Wow, Mom! She’s wonderful! I’m hooked, and I’m worried.”
It was as if Mom had untied the neck of a fully-inflated balloon. Words gushed forth from Dan, exuberantly, expressing the marvelous memories that had tumbled through his mind all night. “Well, first, we went to a booth where you see how fast you can throw a baseball. I did OK. Then, she took the mound. You should have seen her. She was so cute. She clowned around ... pantomimed a big league pitcher ... got everyone laughing and clapping as she made three throws ... and she did really well. After that, she spotted a frantic, little girl in great anguish. She’d wandered away from her family. Miriam, comforted her while I found the worried parents. By the time I brought them back, the little girl was sitting on Miriam’s lap, singing Bible School songs. She fell in love with Miriam. Then, we went to a shooting gallery. When I won us a prize, she picked out a stuffed bear. She said it looked just like me, so she decided to call it her ‘Danny Bear’. And then, we got stuck at the top of the Ferris Wheel, when it broke. Miriam was scared and asked me to hang on to her till we were back on the ground. It felt so good to hold her close ... I wasn’t eager to leave the gondola. After that, we watched the fireworks and went back to the dorm.”
“Sounds like you had a great time,” Mom replied. “So, why are you worried?”
“She’s too good to be true. She’s everything I ever dreamed of, and I don’t know if I can hang on to her. If I lose her ... I’ll really be in the dumps. I’ll be a bitter bachelor for life!”
Mom responded, “I think it will work out well. I can’t see her walking away from you. You’re handsome, smart, strong ... a serious Christian
... What’s not to like?”
“Well, she could win any guy she wanted. How can I know she’ll pick me?”
“You can’t,” Mom opined. “It’s too early. You haven’t known her long. Maybe you’ll tire of her ...”
“Never,” Dan said. “Never.”
They continued chatting as Mom fixed scrambled eggs and bacon and Dan toasted some buns. As they enjoyed breakfast, Mom asserted, “If God wants you two to marry, it will happen. Look, He’s already brought her here, all the way from Boston, and set her right next to you. I think that’s providential.”
...
When Dan and Jan entered Transcendental Community Church, Sunday morning, Miriam rushed to greet them. She was stunning in her modest, flouncy, white blouse and ornate, full skirt, sporting a lively pattern of light-green shades. It swirled as she stopped before them, abruptly. Giving Dan a huge hug, she said, “Thanks for Friday night! I think I’m still walking on air.”
As he echoed her embrace, he said, “Oh no ... Miriam. Thank you! It was the best night of my life.”
Grinning, Miriam hugged Jan, saying, “You have a splend-o-ri-forous son. Did he tell you how he saved me from that rickety Ferris Wheel and won ‘Danny Bear’ for me?”
“Yes, he did,” Jan answered with a warm smile. “He can’t stop talking about you.”
As the happy trio stepped into the nave for Dr. Angelo’s lesson, Jan thought, “This romance is for real. Dan should be relieved by Miriam’s upbeat greeting.”
Dr. Angelo began, declaring loudly, “Let there be life! God said it should be so ... and it was. We humans haven’t figured this one out yet. From time to time you read that some scientist has created life in a test-tube, but later, the story is shown to be untrue. On the other hand, God didn’t just create a few wigglies in a laboratory. He invented a whole system of life. Today, we refer to this great invention using three letters, DNA. This stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. Now, I want you to learn to say it well. Repeat after me. De.” The class responded. “Oxy ... ribo ... nu ... cle ... ic ... acid. Again, deoxy ... ribo ... nucleic ... acid. Again, deoxyribonucleic acid. Now, you college kids, I want you to run around campus saying ‘God invented deoxyribonucleic acid.’ That’ll drive the Bible-deniers wild.” The reporter from the “Transcendental Times” was present again. He placed this assertion as a headline in the next edition of the campus paper, “NOBEL LAUREATE SAYS GOD INVENTED DNA.”
Dr. Angelo continued, “Now, what is DNA? It’s a molecule found in almost every cell of every living creature. You are a orderly collection of about one-hundred-trillion cells. In the heart of each of these cells is a nucleus, the ‘brain’ of the cell. That’s where DNA resides. It is a long molecule that contains a complex, logical set of instructions. These were used in your Mother’s womb to construct you, and today, they are used to keep you functioning. These instructions are written in a code language, very similar to a computer program. They are organized into packets of information we call genes.
“Now, this is staggering. Every cell of your body holds about twenty-five thousand gene pairs. For instance, there is a gene pair for eye color. One member of this pair came from your Mom and the other from your Dad. Together, they determine your eye color. And, this information is stored in almost every cell in your body, so a cell on your big toe knows your eye color. And, even though you and I seem to be quite different, ninety-nine percent of your genes are just like mine. All our differences are found in the remaining one percent of our genes.
“God used this DNA system to create all living things on Earth. By adjusting some genes, here and there, He created quite different organisms. For instance, you and a chimpanzee are ninety-seven percent the same. By tweaking just three percent of your genes, we could have you hanging by your tail in the canopy of a rain forest.” The class laughed heartily. Dr. Angelo went on, “Your kitty-cat and you are ninety percent the same. Your dog and you are eighty-two percent similar. The cow that makes the milk for your cereal is eighty percent like you, and you and a rat have a sixty-nine percent similarity. Even a fruit-fly shares sixty percent of its DNA with humans.
“Hopefully, you’re beginning to see how ingenious God’s DNA system is. And, He used it to construct the plant world, too.
“In recent years, biologists have been busy re-jiggering DNA. They take a gene from one plant or animal and insert it into another, hoping to produce a superior organism. Thus, we have ‘genetically modified’, or ‘GM’, corn, potatoes, cotton, soybeans, tomatoes and so on. Most GM crops are insect and disease resistant. GM rice encapsulates more iron and vitamins than ordinary rice , so it may alleviate malnutrition in Asia. And, some GM plants have a heightened ability to survive weather extremes.
“Almost for certain, you have eaten a lot of GM food. Of course, some folks oppose this tinkering with our food supply. They refer to these foods as ‘frankenfoods’, and they try to avoid them. But, I’m more optimistic than they are. I’m pleased that God based the whole realm of flora and fauna on His DNA system. As we learn more and more about it, I believe it will be a blessing to the human race. I’m glad God invented DNA.
“Now, some Bible-deniers criticize my thinking. They say, ‘Look at these gene sequences. Some of them are scrambled, and when that happens, people are born with defects. If a loving, all-knowing god created DNA, why does it have such flaws?’ And I say, the Bible gives us the answer. When God created the Garden of Eden and all its animals, each organism was perfect. Adam and Eve had perfect DNA. They were built to last forever, but when they sinned, God declared that they would ‘surely die’. Not only that, He cursed the ancient world. I believe that as part of that curse, God re-arranged the DNA of each of His creatures. Lions and bears became vicious. Mosquitoes became blood-suckers. And, mankind’s DNA was degraded. Over the millennia, these gene imperfections have interacted and multiplied, so today, you and I are not nearly as perfect as Adam and Eve were. You see, I believe the Evolutionists have it backward. They think, we are evolving into higher and higher beings. I think we are devolving. You could call me a ‘devolutionist’.
“Now, the Bible gives us some good news about this. Brother Bandy could say it better than I can, but in Matthew 19:28, Jesus speaks of a ‘regeneration’ of planet Earth. Won’t that be exciting. Things will be set back to the way they were in Eden. I can’t wait to pet a lion and pick berries with a bear.”
...
After the worship service, Miriam was quick to join Dan and Jan in the Church lobby. For a few minutes, Dr. Angelo was busy with those who wished to shake his hand and further discuss his morning lesson. Miriam held Dan’s hand as she visited with him and his Mom.
Finally, Dr. Angelo broke free and moved to join the trio. Looking to Jan he said, “My, it’s nice to see you again, Jan. I hope my lesson was good enough to keep you coming back.”
“It was, Chuck,” said Jan, warmly. “I’ve read so many dreary books about how life just materialized by chance. It was refreshing to hear your ideas. You turned the whole thing on its head, and I agree. God invented DNA, perfectly.”
Dr. Angelo was flattered, but his penchant for timeliness caused him to cut the conversation short. “Miriam,” he said, “it’s time for us to head over to ‘King Arthur’s Roundtable’ to eat with the ‘Sunday Lunch Bunch’.” Then, noticing the affectionate glances passing between Dan and Miriam, he said to Jan, “It doesn’t look like these two are ready to part. Would you all be my guests for lunch? There will be plenty of room for us at the large table where we dine.”
Everyone nodded approval, so Dr. Angelo continued, “I’ll drive ahead. Dan, you can bring the ladies.”
...
When Dan and the ladies entered the room reserved for the Lunch Bunch, Dr. Angelo was hemmed in to a corner of the room by three ladies. Most of the participants were already seated, and there wasn’t a set of four contiguous place settings left. Miriam claimed a set of three and asked Dan and Jan to be seated on either side of her. She assumed that Dr. Angelo would ask some of the group to shift over one place to allow him to set next to Jan. But, the ladies standing with Dr. Angelo were not to be denied. They wanted to spend time with him. They wanted to sit next to him. Dr. Angelo was flushed with embarrassment, but he felt compelled to remain cordial. He was disheartened when he noticed that there was no room for him next to the Diedermans and Miriam.
Miriam giggled, as she whispered into Jan’s ear, “Isn’t that cute. Each of those ladies wants to be the next Mrs. Angelo. I’ve heard rumors about them at orchestra practice on Wednesday nights. They’re pretty pushy. One’s a widow, another a single lady, and the third is a divorcee. He’s stymied. He doesn’t know what to do. They’re all nice Christian ladies but very persistent.”
The divorcee took charge, She grasped Dr. Angelo’s arm and guided him to an empty chair. She plopped down on his left side, and the widow lady grabbed the empty seat to his right. The single lady looked forlorn. She sulked into an empty place next to some of her Church friends. Dr. Angelo, with a look of helplessness, motioned to Miriam to come talk to him. She did, and he whispered in her ear, “Please extend my apologies to the Diedermans. I’ve been shanghaied. And, be sure to collect the bills for you three, so I can pay them.”
When Miriam returned, she set her chair back from the table to form a small triangle with Dan and Jan. They conversed while the kitchen staff prepared the Lunch Bunch orders. In fact, the ladies did most of the talking, but Dan was content to listen in. They spoke of cooking and flowers right through the meal. Miriam was delighted to hear that Jan was an expert seamstress and that she made most of her own clothes. Miriam exclaimed, “That’s wonderful. I hope you’ll teach me to sew, someday. I wouldn’t be able to find time until I finish my doctorate, but maybe later.”
“It would be a great pleasure to do so,” Jan replied. “With your math skills, you would have no trouble understanding patterns.”
After lunch, Jan said, “You know, I’d like to see where you two work. Could we stop by there when we take you back to the dorm? And, I’d love to see the painting that Dan raves about ... the one with the two paths.”
At that very moment, Dr. Angelo broke free from the Church ladies and hurried over. Miriam said, “Doc, Mrs. Diederman is going to drop by the office to see where we work. She’d like to see the chalk-talk painting, too. Would you have time to stop by the offices and let us into the conference room?”
“Sure,” Dr. Angelo said. “I sorta messed up our lunch plans. This will give me a chance to make amends and to get to know the Diedermans better. I’ll meet you over there in about ten minutes.”
...
Dan and Miriam showed Jan their commodious office and their desks. Miriam laughed as she said, “Jan, your son got me to leave work early, Friday, with this piece of airmail.” She held up the paper airplane that Dan had tossed onto her desk and showed Jan the notes on the sides, “LET’S GO!”.
Dr. Angelo appeared and announced, “I have the conference room open now.” And, they all moved toward it.
As Jan entered, she was favorably impressed by Beauregarde Rouseau’s painting. The colors were warm and inviting. The characters were well-defined. And, the message was clear. “That’s splendid,” she remarked as she walked over to inspect the drawing of the lady on the way to Heaven. She saw the framed photo of Dr. Angelo’s deceased wife sitting on the credenza below the picture. She picked it up and held it next to the drawing and studied it for a minute. “The resemblance is striking,” she said. “It’s a sweet whisper from Heaven ... She looks so lovely ... No wonder you fell in love with her.” When Jan raised her eyes to look into Dr. Angelo’s face, she noticed his moist eyes and realized her words had touched a tender spot in his heart. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I need to toughen up,” he said. “I still miss her ... She led me to Christ ... She changed my life forever.”
“No, Chuck,” Jan counseled softly. “Don’t toughen up. Just remember the good news ... You’ll see her again ... What a day of rejoicing that will be!”
Miriam spoke quietly, “She was a second Mom to me. I spent so much time hanging out with Polly, Doc’s girl, that Mrs. Angelo treated me like a daughter. And, my Mom reciprocated when Polly was at our house. Amy Angelo was sweet.”
Dr. Angelo smiled pleasantly, regained his composure, and said, “I’ll lock up. I think I’ll stick around for a while and do some thinking. Then, he added, “Now, next Sunday, let’s do things differently. Let’s find a table in a quiet restaurant where we can visit without interruption.” Everyone agreed.
...
Wednesday morning, Dr. Angelo received unannounced visitors. Three professors walked into his office and asked if he had time to talk with them. He cordially invited them to sit down with him around the oak conference table. He offered coffee to each of them. The two men in the group accepted, but the female professor firmly rejected the offer with a broad, negative gesture. She seemed to be set for conflict, and she didn’t want to accept anything from an adversary.
Dr. Angelo spoke, “I’m sure I met you all at the Installation Ceremony in June, but I don’t recall your names. Can you help me out?”
The ebullient, husky fellow responded first. “I’m Rex Roberson from the Zoology Department,” he said with a warm smile. He looked the part. One could imagine him in a pith helmet, exploring the jungles of Africa.
“I’m Doctor Hildebrand ... Political Science Professor,” said the other gentleman. He was a nervous, sullen man with a strident voice. His gray, corduroy, sport coat was somewhat worn and rumpled. His hair was mussed.
Lastly, the lady professor spoke. With careful and exaggerated enunciation, she declaimed, “I’m Doctor Pickering of the Philosophy Department.” She sat erect as her eyes furiously scanned the scene before her. Her short-clipped hair, her thin, unadorned lips, and her pointed chin suggested a severe personality within. Gesturing at the painting on the wall, she remarked, “That’s offensive. Why would you have that hanging in plain sight?”
“Because, I love it,” Dr. Angelo said. “It’s excellent art. It adds warm colors to the room. And, I love its message.”
“Really?” Dr. Pickering intoned. “Well, I teach a comparative religions course. I believe that every religion in mankind’s history has worth. But, that mural makes Heaven and Hell seem like real places, and that Cross at the fork in the road says that Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven. That’s just too exclusive. All religions point to God; not just Christianity.”
“But, don’t you see,” Dr. Angelo asserted warmly with a winsome smile, “I believe there is a Heaven and a Hell, and I believe the only way to get to Heaven is by believing what Jesus taught. It would be wicked of me to hide my convictions. I don’t want anyone to go to Hell because I didn’t tell them about Jesus.”
Dr. Pickering was flummoxed. “It’s just hateful,” she sputtered. “What will the Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and others on campus think?”
“Doesn’t this violate the separation of Church and State clause of the Constitution?” Dr. Hildebrand proffered.
“I doubt it,” Dr. Angelo said. “I’m in research only. I don’t teach a class. Students are not required to enter my office. So far, no one has complained. Chancellor Grigsby and his wife have seen the painting and love it. If you don’t like the message it conveys, just admire it for its artistic values.”
“What about the fact that you are teaching a Sunday School class across the street. Many students attend that,” Dr. Hildebrand rasped.
“Well, that’s held in a Church. No one is compelled to attend,” Dr. Angelo noted.
Apologetically, Dr. Roberson opined, “But, that is a problem. You have a right to your beliefs, but students are coming back to our classrooms and questioning our textbooks and lectures. Like you, they are challenging basic facts like the Big Bang and Evolution. Its disruptive. And, they keep quoting your views to us and reminding us that you are a Nobel Laureate.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Dr. Angelo responded in a friendly voice. He could see that Roberson was uneasy in offering his criticism. “Remember, Galileo was locked up for believing that the Earth circled the Sun, but he was right. I want students to question Evolution and the Big Bang. Someone needs to. And, why do you believe those theories? Probably, because you were taught them as you earned your degrees. But, can you prove them. They are not science. They are philosophical opinions. You, talk of the separation of Church and State. It seems to me that academia has turned these theories into a pseudo-religion. They preach them as tenets of their faith. And, they want to silence anyone who dares to reject their doctrines.
“I hold many unpopular views. I believe God created the Universe without a Big Bang. I’m not sure the Universe is expanding. I believe God invented DNA and tweaked it in various ways to create all of Earth’s flora and fauna. I think space is not empty. I think it is filled with innumerable, tiny strings that tie the Universe together like a giant fabric. Let’s throw all of your concepts and all of my concepts at our students, and let them draw their own conclusions.”
Having heard more than she could endure, Pickering dismissed herself and left in a huff. Hildebrand left without further comment, thinking that Dr. Angelo was some kind of a ‘right-wing nut’. But, Roberson lingered. “Your ideas are amazing,” he said to Dr. Angelo. “You’re shining new light on some old theories. I’ll bounce your insights around in my brain for a while, and then, I suppose I’ll have some questions for you. Are you open to further discussions?”
“You bet,” Dr. Angelo said. “I’ll be happy to jawbone with you at almost any time. We can share coffee breaks or lunches whenever you are so inclined.”
Dr. Angelo moved back to his desk as Roberson left. He picked up his phone and entered the number of Knut Sorensen given to him by Victor. After interviewing Knut for about fifteen minutes, he said, “Knut, will you come visit us for two weeks to work with my team? We’ll put you up in a nice hotel and pay all your expenses, and I’ll see to it that you receive a generous honorarium for your efforts.”
Knut agreed easily, and the date for his arrival was set for July 13th.
