Decomposition

THE CASE FOR CHRIST'S WISDOM

Decomposers Vs. An Unbelieving World
Second Day of Testimony

All this also comes from the LORD Almighty,
wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.
Isaiah 28:29

We continue a fictional court hearing in which the nature of decomposition and the wisdom of Christ Jesus are presented. At this time, Springtail takes the stand.

Judge: "The Counsel for the Defense may continue to present evidence regarding Christ's wisdom as seen in decomposition."

Springtail: "Thank you, Your Honor. In many ways the decomposition that takes place in a compost heap is similar to your liver."

Judge: "How so?"

Springtail: "If you will permit, Your Honor, I have another slide that explains what I'm talking about."

Judge: "Proceed."

Springtail: "Like a compost heap, the liver produces a great amount of heat energy that keeps your body warm, Judge. There are an unbelievable number of chemical reactions that take place in a healthy compost pile--the same is true for your liver. The liver is composed of living cells, and in a way, so is compost. Instead of liver cells, a compost heap in made up of trillions upon trillions of bacteria and fungi, not to mention us macroorganisms.

"The liver plays a key role in removing poisons and germs from the human bloodstream. As I said earlier, Your Honor, soil and compost bacteria produce antibiotics to prevent other microbes from 'infecting' the dirt. Decomposing bacteria can also remove toxic substances from the compost pile or the soil in which they reside."

Judge: "What do you mean when you refer to yourself as a macroorganism?"

Springtail: "At this time, I would like to call the millipede to the witness stand."

Judge: "The witness may come forward."

Due to its enormous number of legs, the millipede takes several minutes to make its way to the front of the courtroom.

Judge: "Have you ever considered getting a skateboard?"

Millipede: "What do you mean, Your Honor?"

Judge: "Never mind. Now, what is a macroorganism?"

Millipede: "You and I are macroorganisms, Judge! Any creature that Jesus created that can be seen without a microscope is a macro-organism. On the other hand, a microscope is needed to view microorganisms like bacteria. God uses macroorganisms--beetles, earthworms, sow bugs, ants, snails and slugs, and millipedes, of course-to chew up dead leaves and twigs, and the remains of deceased animals.

"The macroorganisms are similar to a demolition team. They 'roll in' and dismantle the bodies of dead plants and animals, just like workmen who bring down old buildings with dynamite, wrecking balls, and cranes. Then the microorganisms (the bacteria, fungi, and Actinomycetes) use powerful chemicals to reduce the rubble of dead organisms and animal waste into smaller and smaller pieces. All this may seem chaotic, but decomposition is actually very orderly--reflecting the wisdom of the Heavenly Father."

Judge: "Do you enjoy chewing on dead things?"

Millipede: "It's the work Jesus has given us to do!"

Springtail: "At this time, Your Honor, I would like to have my next witness come to the stand."

The judge motions with his hand to call the next witness--he's fighting back nausea. The millipede makes his way back to his seat as a worm squirms up to the witness stand. Meanwhile, several more minutes tick off the courtroom clock.

Judge: "I don't want to seem impatient, but is there any way of speeding up testimony?"

Springtail: "Oh, sorry about that, Your Honor! I'll work on it."

Worm: "Good day, Your Honor!"

Judge: "Say, haven't I seen you before?"

Worm: "Yes, Judge, I was a witness for the beauty of Jesus Christ back in '94."

Judge: "That was seven years ago! Do you worms really live that long?"

Worm: "Definitely!"

Judge: "So what have you been up to lately?"

Worm: "Gettin' down in the dirt!"

Judge: "Ah... yes... well, what do you have to tell us about our Creator today?"

Worm: "Deep within the recesses of the soil in which I swim, I have observed the mysteriousness of Christ. Springtail mentioned earlier that decomposers work like a disassembly line--he's quite correct. When something dies, beetles and millipedes, and the like, start producing detritus (pronounced dih - TRY - tus). Microorganisms then change this detritus into soil by using the enormous number of chemicals they produce. After one type of microbe is finished with its duties, the detritus is worked on by a different microorganism. It, too, alters the chemical nature of the decomposing material and then 'passes it on' to the next type of microbe, and so forth, through a long mysterious chain of divine activity within the earth."

Judge: "Excuse me for interrupting, but what is detritus?"

Worm: "Oh, sorry, Your Honor! I should have explained that right off. Detritus is the remains of dead plants and animals after they've been ground up by the macroorganisms!

"Nutrients must be released at just the right rate and in just the right amounts in order to keep the soil healthy and free of disease. If too much nitrogen is suddenly released, for instance, large quantities of poisonous ammonia are produced by the decomposers. Thus, decomposition is a delicate balancing act by God.

"Despite intense research, the details of decomposition remain a mystery--a mystery to all except Jesus! I guess I could best summarize the enigma of decomposition by reciting a quote from soil researcher and author, J.I. Rodale: 'No one really knows all that goes on in the soil-what exactly the bacteria, the fungi, the worms and the other soil organisms do--and probably no one ever will know.'1"

Springtail: "If the court will permit, I would like to present my final witness of the day. The Defense calls Pastor Golovin to the stand."

Judge: "Proceed."

A dark-haired, bearded gentleman approaches the witness chair. He carefully scoops up the worm with his right hand and gently holds it as he sits down.

Judge: "What say you, Pastor?"

(Occasionally, the judge likes to pretend he's in 18th century England.)

Pastor Golovin: "When the Lord Jesus Christ first created the universe, our world was uncorrupted and His creatures did not face death. But then Adam sinned, and plants and animals began to perish.

"Our incredibly wise God knew beforehand that our sins would have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, He placed tiny, mysterious creatures, which we call decomposers, into the fabric of the earth's surface. As you have learned, Your Honor,
decomposers return essential minerals and chemicals back to the soil after an organism has died. Thus, Christ Jesus creates life from death. Through decomposition, He reveals His wisdom, the mysterious working of His hand, and His amazing forgiveness."

Judge: "Forgiveness?"

Pastor Golovin: "Yes, Your Honor. If God had not anticipated the tragic death of His creations, the corpses of billions of creatures and dead plants would now cover the entire earth and fill the oceans, stacked post mortem one on top of each other! The world could not survive long under such conditions.

"Through decomposition, the Lord Jesus gives us a peek into His forgiving heart. Now, only people who truly believe in Christ will be forgiven for all eternity. But by providing a way for life to be reborn from death, God also reveals His forgiveness, here and now, for the effects our sins have had on the state of His creation. Healthy ecosystems are a testimony to that forgiveness! If God had not provided decomposition as a means to counteract the effects of man's sin, the world would have ceased to exist long ago."

Judge: "So, you might also say that Christ's forgiveness is seen in this moldy orange I have before me?"

The judge points to the rotting fruit on his desktop.

Pastor Golovin: "Yes, Your Honor--it shows His forgiveness, His wisdom, and the mystery of His being! The rebirth of life from death is what decomposition represents, and it points to the sacrifice our Lord made on the cross."

Judge: "How so?"

Pastor Golovin: "Jesus died for our sins, Your Honor, so that those who surrender their lives to Him, though they may die in this world, will live forever in paradise with God. This new earth, spoken of in the Bible, is a place that will never again be visited by death and decay.

"There is coming soon a time when all those who believe in Christ will be resurrected from an earthly body and into a heavenly one. Those who have died will be snatched from the hungry 'jaws' of decomposing bacteria and molds, and instantly transformed into bodies that will never again see decay.

"Contrast this with what the Bible says will happen to those who reject Christ."

Pastor Golovin reaches for the Bible on the judge's desk and opens it to the middle.

Pastor Golovin: "'And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against Me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.'"2

Judge: "Seems harsh, doesn't it, Pastor?"

Pastor Golovin: "It isn't, Your Honor. What is incredible is that Jesus willingly endured the wrath of His Father because of our sins!"

Judge: "Oh! So what should we do?"

Pastor Golovin: "Surrender yourself to Jesus Christ. Believe that He died on a cross for your sins, and that He rose from death, and is now seated in heaven with His Father. You may choose to pray the following prayer, but it is only an example of what you need to say in your heart before God.

"Dear Father, I recognize that I have lived my life independently of You and You consider this sin. Please forgive me through Your Son, Jesus Christ--through His death on the cross. Jesus, please come into my heart right now. I embrace You as my God and my Savior. I accept Your gift of eternal life. Show me how to live the way You want me to live. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen."

There is a hush in the courtroom as the judge ponders Pastor Golovin's words.

Judge: "I would like to thank the Defense for an excellent presentation. I am very upset with the Unbelieving World that it did not think it worthwhile to appear in court today. So I will take the liberty of reading testimony from one of its own. This is an excerpt from a poem called, This Compost, by Walt Whitman:

It [the earth] grows such sweet things out of such corruptions... It gives such divine materials to men, and accepts such leavings from them at last.

"If one of society's celebrated poets could recognize Christ's hand at work through decomposition, why does the rest of the Unbelieving World choose not to? Court adjourned!"

I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
John11:25

(1) Jerome Irving Rodale, The Complete Book of Composting, (Emmaus PA: Rodale Books Inc., 1960), p. 23.
(2) Isaiah 66:24