Australian student knew God was real after encounter with microbiologist
by Charles Gardner
Over a quarter of a century ago, a newly-married Australian couple set off to see the world before they settled down.
But once they reached Israel, Aaron and Michelle Eime never looked back. Now blessed with three children, they are still there today, sharing the good news of the Jewish Messiah with all who will hear.
Disillusioned
came alive after a microbiologist explained the “super-intelligent mind” behind the
process of blood clotting
Before they left Australia, Aaron had had an encounter that confirmed his faith in God as Creator of the world he so loved to travel.
He was already a believer, but had become somewhat disillusioned with things he was learning at university – until, that is, he attended a Creation vs evolution debate.
He realised, through a presentation of the amazing process of blood-clotting by microbiologist Dr Michael Behe, that there was no way it could have come about through evolution.
For it requires a sequential chain reaction of enzymes to bind up a wound when the skin is cut. Each one has a special duty but, if just one is removed, healing will not work. And yet it clots only the wounded area rather than the heart or brain, which would be fatal.
Floored
Aaron explains: “Evolution is the gradual increase of genetic information over time. But if all the enzymes are not present from day one, the blood cannot function and life cannot exist. Evolutionary theory provides no satisfactory evidence for how blood came about. It cannot possibly have evolved, so must have been created by a super-intelligent mind. This is why the Bible says that ‘life is in the blood’ (Leviticus 17:11).
“I knew then that a super mind (ie God) had created the world”
“Behe’s argument totally floored me, and that was the precise moment I knew God was real. I knew then that a super mind (ie God) had created the world, and that he was intimately involved, even at the microbiological level, with his Creation. And ever since then, I have been a firm defender of the faith against the lie of evolution.”
Adventures
Born into a small-town farming community in Western Australia, where his dad was involved in the wool trade, Aaron moved to Brisbane where he studied psychology and social work, came to faith and got married to Michelle.
They duly took off on their adventures, exploring Canada, the United States and Mexico before coming to England where they hired a 1973 camper van and eventually drove all the way from London to Israel where a friend’s mother was a volunteer.
After taking a ferry from Greece, they arrived at Haifa in 1998, and have been in Israel ever since. They had planned to drive back to London, return to Australia and live there happily ever after!
Low point
But everything changed after camping by the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, and accepting a dinner invitation from neighbouring Bedouins.
Aaron and Michelle both woke up next day “unbelievably sick” and in desperate need for somewhere to recuperate and get cleaned up (so it was a low point for them, too).
They found an advert for Christ Church, Jerusalem, boasting “nice gardens and clean toilets”!
After consulting the ‘Lonely Planet’s Guidebook’ (in the absence of Google), they found an advert for Christ Church, Jerusalem, boasting “nice gardens and clean toilets”!
Christ Church just happens to be the headquarters in Israel of the Church’s Ministry (CMJ) among the Jewish people. CMJ has been established in Jerusalem for nearly 200 years, reaching out with love and compassion to both Jews and Arabs there.
Community
Aaron said: “We duly made the wonderful discovery of a community of Arabs and Jews who believed in Jesus. But they were desperate for volunteers to help them, so we said we’d pray about it. We drove up to Galilee and returned three days later, fully intending to say ‘No’.
“I leaned forward to say ‘No’ and out came ‘Yip’!”
“But when we sat down beside then rector, Ray Lockhart, I leaned forward to say ‘No’ and out came ‘Yip’!”
As Solomon wisely put it: “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:1).
So the couple stayed, had all three of their children in Israel and became a fixture at Christ Church. Micah was born in Bethlehem (he was named after the prophet who foretold that Messiah would come from there – Micah 5:2) while their daughters Atarah and Tirzah were both born in Jerusalem.
Hebraic roots
Aaron subsequently enrolled at the Hebrew University to study the Bible further and was duly ordained by the Bishop of Bolivia, later engaging in regular study with rabbis, who told him: “We would love to have Christian input into our studies.”
As well as this, he now tours the world again (especially Canada, the UK and Ireland) sharing in-depth teaching on the significance of the Hebraic roots of our faith, which has blessed countless Christians over the years (including this writer).
It may surprise some that Leviticus is Aaron’s favourite book of the Bible. But he explains that this is because “it shows us the heart of God and why he is holy, and how we can become better disciples of Jesus.”