I was raised on Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lost in Space. In the fifth grade I got my mom to paint my room black with stars on the ceiling and a cardboard control center against the wall. I remember watching the first Apollo launch (black and white TV), the landing on the moon, and the race to dominate space. It was a time of expectation, a time of exploration, and a time of contemplation—were we alone in the Universe?
We have come a long way since the first Gemini Space Missions. Our technology has advanced considerably and our ability to go into space on a regular basis has been astonishing, and we have a space station. Ok, its not like Deep Space Nine but it is a space station. But all of that is coming to an end, or at least is taking a big detour. The Shuttle missions, that have brought our nation great pride and tears, are coming to an end (we are out of money). It is less expensive ($36,000,000 a head) to hitch a ride on the Russian rockets. An end to an era is upon us and for an avid Sci-fi buff like myself this is kind of sad.
Yet, this is the reality of our inability to push very far into space and to really come up with the answers for which we had hoped. Flying around in the space station is like a toddler sitting on the porch. He thinks he has gotten far but he is still just outside the door. There is so much more to explore. Some Christians have thought that space exploration has been an expensive expedition to nowhere. “God has created the earth as the only place on which life can survive and the rest is man’s meaningless attempt to prove God does not exist and life has evolved throughout the universe.” And though I agree that God has created life only on this small planet, I don’t agree that exploration is worthless or meaningless. The Universe declares the glory of the Lord! It shouts of His greatness! And it gives us perspective.
Psa. 8:3,4 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
In our pride we have ascended to the heavens to prove God does not exist only to find how insignificant we really are in the cosmos. We are on the front porch thinking we have gone so far, and if we made it back to the moon, to mars, or to the edge of our galaxy we will have still only reached the front sidewalk. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t go into space; we just need to keep things in perspective. The universe is ours to explore and revel in the glory of God’s handiwork. We should always be driven back to the throne, to be awed, not by the creation, but by the one who has created it and holds it in His hands! I still dream that one day I will stand on a star ship looking out at the great expanse of the universe; seeing things only imagined on earth; and marveling at the complexity of it all. My lips won’t sing the greatness of man, whose ship hurl me far from the earth, but the refrain that ascends to the ears of my Savior will always be…
Rom. 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” I’m just saying……
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