Body Worlds

We are studying physiology this year for Science. As a field trip we went to San Jose to see the Body Worlds. They were actual bodies donated and plastinated for preservation. The purpose was to see all the different parts of the body, recognize God's hand in it's creation and reverence the body as a temple. I made it very clear when we entered that these were REAL bodies and not just models.

Hunter didn't particularly like seeing the bodies. Perhaps because he prefers to be hands on, and I made it a point that he NOT touch anything. He gets grossed out fairly easily. After the fact he has said that the bodies were scary. Ethan said, "When I die, I don't want to come here." His favorite part, however, was the skateboarding body.

It was completely fascinating to see all the different systems isolated; skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory... To see the body from perspectives otherwise hidden from view was amazing. On display were healthy lungs next to smoker lungs which were next to coal miner lungs. We were completely amazed at the damage to the coal miner's lungs.

For the months of September and October we are focusing on cells. Ethan's attention was really caught when we went over the beginning of life from a single cell. In the reproductive portion of the exhibit he was able to see first hand this development. There were embryos in various stages of development along with older fetuses. The only sadness that Ethan expressed to me during the whole Body Worlds exhibit was seeing the babies who never got to be born or grow up. He wanted to know why they died. I didn't have an answer, but reminded him of Jesus' role in our lives and the power of the resurrection...and he was comforted.

Throughout the exhibit there was a quiet sense of reverence demonstrated by everyone in attendance. There were no signs asking for the hushed tones and respect, yet the spirit that attended the exhibit was one that I have most often found in church meetinghouses.