PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

October 24, 2021

WHAT ARE HUMAN BEINGS?

Wednesday morning, October 13, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin’s New Shephard rocket was launched in West Texas.  On board were Australian entrepreneur Chris Boshuizen, microbiologist Glen deVries, Blue Origin executive Audrey Powers and actor William Shatner.  The capsule attained a height of 347,539 feet, reached a speed of 2,235 mph and crossed the Karman Line which meant that all on board were in outer space.  During the ten minute, 17 second flight the crew experienced weightlessness for three or four minutes.   The rocket booster returned to earth in a picture perfect landing so that it might be used again.

Following the flight Shatner gave a very emotional, “come to Jesus” interview.  He told Bezos “What you have given me is the most profound experience.  I hope I never recover from this.  I hope that I can maintain what I feel now.  I don’t want to lose it.”  As I listened to Shatner I found myself caught up in the moment and knew that I was watching something very special.

Speaking of his traveling into the darkness of space Shatner said, “In an instant you go. “Whoa, that’s death.’ That’s what I saw.”  His observation reminded me of the beginning of the Book of Genesis.  “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.  Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:1, 2)  In the opening verses of the Gospel of John the author contrasts light and darkness with life and death.

William Shatner’s travel into space is also a reminder of the fragility of life on earth.  TV’s Captain Kirk observed, “To see the blue color whip by and now you’re staring into blackness, that’s the thing.  The covering of blue that we have around, we say “Oh, that’s blue sky.’”  His trip into space reminded Shatner just how vulnerable are our planet and surrounding sliver of air 2hich allows all of us to exist.  His remarks could well be a precursor to a discussion of the importance of taking care of our planet.

The ten minute 17 second trip of the New Shepherd capsule into space dramatized just how insignificant each of us is when looked at from the perspective of the vastness of space.  Shatner found it be a very humbling experience. Buzz Aldrin on his trip back from the moon read from the Book of Psalms. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” (Psalm 8: 3, 4)

Following the verses that Aldrin read the Psalmist continues, “Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.  You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:5-8)  God has entrusted to our care this fragile world in which we all live.  The flight of New Shepherd is one way we exercise our dominion of our world.  From the perspective of the universe, we are insignificant.  For the perspective of God, we are valued and important.

In the future when you are out at night and have the opportunity to gaze into the vastness of space, you might remember the flight of New Shepherd and William Shatners inspiring words.  God has given each of us the responsibility of caring for this wonderful world and has pledged to be with us all the way.