Is the shape of the protein in the body responsible for holding cell tissue together a coincidence?
Evidence for Design: Laminin
Recently my son drew my attention to a YouTube video where Louie Giglio was preaching to a large audience somewhere. I know nothing about Louie. The point is that his message dealt with God’s intimate love for His own. In talking to a Christian molecular biologist about the message beforehand, the friend asked Louie what his climax was going to be and suggested laminin. He decided to research it as I have done. In the message, Louie described what this protein does for the body, and then, in a dramatic climax, showed them the picture of the protein. At this point you will need to go to this site to see the picture, and, if you want, hear the message. http://ikatlongpencilcase.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/laminin/ . This is not some religious symbol but a picture of the structure of the laminin molecule found in your body.
So what is laminin? Here are excerpts from Wikipedia about this protein. (Emphasis is mine) “Basically, laminin is a protein found in the ‘extracellular matrix’, the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the ‘basement membrane’. It has four arms that can bind to four other molecules. The three shorter arms are particularly good at binding to other laminin molecules, which is what makes it so great at forming sheets. The long arm is capable of binding to cells, which helps anchor the actual organs to the membrane. . . They are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every animal tissue. Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together. Improper production of laminin can cause muscles to form improperly, leading to a form of muscular dystrophy. It can also cause progeria.”
Though some of this is technical, the highlighted words, taken from a secular online encyclopedia, are fascinating. In Colossians 1:16-17, we are told, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” These verses clearly state that Jesus Christ was the Creator who formed all things in the beginning. But they claim something else as well, something found nowhere else in Scripture. Paul says that by Jesus Christ all things now consist. The Greek word translated consist is derived from two words meaning “to hold or bind together.” Thus, Paul is claiming that all the universe, from the tiniest particle to the massive stars, is held together by Jesus Christ. Is it then a coincidence that the very protein assigned to do this in the tissues of the body is in the shape of a cross? Is it possible that Christ was pointing forward to redemption even in the design of His creation? After all, Jesus Christ is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) From the above quote about laminin, do you see any other spiritual analogies connected to His body, the church?
