A Modern Day Noah and His Legacy

In the Book of Genesis we read about a man named Noah who managed to salvage representatives of every animal in the known world; just prior to God’s watery wrath being visited upon the earth.

In our own day and age a modern day Noah has stepped forward and offered to do it all again. You see, a cell biologist named T.C. Hsu has assembled hundreds of species of animals in a motley collection which rivals the National Zoo in Washington D.C. However, this particular zoo lacks one of two things which makes a zoo great

…visitors.

For you see, Dr. Hsu’s beasts of the field are all packed away in test tubes, surrounded by dry ice, and stored in metal containers. The monkeys, and llamas and alligators and penguins which fill up hundreds of glass vials are little more than millions of cells; grown from bits of epidermal tissue scraped from the living animals of their species. The majority of the samples come from animals which the good researcher believes are on their way to extinction.

And while the possibility that these skins cells may ever be induced to combine with a corresponding egg cell to reconstitute a new animal is almost as remote as bringing back the wholly mammoth, “the mad scientist” holds out hope, and he has inspired many other researchers to contribute to his menagerie.

 Dr. Hsu once made a poignant comment about his mission:

“If through my work children two centuries hence may be able to see extinct species live again, I feel I will have left a worthwhile legacy.”

If we are to believe the scriptures, the original Noah left us a legacy. What a wonderful myriad of animals exists today, as a result of his efforts. And who can say. Perhaps “the second Noah” will, ultimately, leave us a similar legacy.

Speaking of leaving a legacy, as special, as precious, as inestimably wonderful as the legacy Noah left us, nothing can compare to the sort of legacy those who major in souls hope to leave behind.

Over the past couple of decades God has given me the wherewithal to counsel thousands, teach hundreds, and mentor dozens. I think if I weren’t impacting people, I would just dry up, and blow away like a tumbling tumbleweed.

I have shared it with some of you before, but the statement one of my students, a young lady named Rita, left with me registered like I think nothing ever did.

“Dr. Bill, I don’t want to disappoint you. I’ll speak for you when you no longer can. I’ll go for you when you can no longer go. I’ll continue to impact people in your name long after you have gone on to your reward.”

What an amazing promise!

I once saw a little blurb flashed on the screen at a graduation exercise; one sentence which I immediately committed to memory.

“My students are living messages to a time that I will never see.”

I honestly don’t care how many people remember me, as long as they remember my message.

I am busy leaving a legacy, and I will busy myself with that task

…until my last breath escapes me, and I lay it all down.

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Concepts, Teachings, Practicalities & Stories"