Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Yuri, Gus, Alan, Scott, Wally, Deke, John, Gordon, Buzz, Neil, Mike, and all Those Guys and Gals

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of their spacecraft and planted the flag of the United States on the surface of the moon. The two, along with fellow astronaut, Mike Collins, had voyaged to the moon aboard Apollo 11.

It seemed last evening that there were numerous programs on TV about the early days of NASA and the US space program. We happened to watch the movie, "The Right Stuff", about the first team of American astronauts and how they prepared to launch into space. They were greatly disappointed when Russia's Yuri Gagarin beat them to the punch and was the first man to launch into space. Then America's John Glenn became the first man to orbit the earth.

All of last night's TV programs glorified man's accomplishments in the space program. None that we visited gave glory to God for His creation.

My friend, Josh, over at Focused on Christ, says this: "The heavens are provided by God as a visual aid to help us apprehend His glory. That is one place to start in apprehending the majesty of an infinite God" .

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork."

An infinite God has created a universe that to our finite minds seems itself infinite. I try to wrap my mind around the immensity of space and I simply cannot comprehend it. It's astounding! It's magnificient! And in its astounding magnificence it reveals an astoundingly magnificent Creator.

In Romans 1:20-21, the apostle Paul reminds us in regards to man's sinfulness that "...since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

As Josh points out, man's foray into space can be great opportunity for us to witness, and can be a place to begin conversation, to point out that God is the Creator of all things, heaven and earth.

2 comments:

Debby said...

I was 12 years old and my parents were playing cards with another couple and all of us (eight kids and 4 adults) the story unfold before our very eyes.

HisFireFly said...

Amen and Amen! It's all about Him. Everything is about Him. All for His glory.

Great post.