WE WERE MADE TO FLY!

In July of 1969, my family and I were living in Richterswil, Switzerland where I worked, among other things, as editor and publisher of two Church magazines. We were all excited about America’s first attempt to land men on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. I did not have a TV so I went down to the local electronics store and rented one. I didn’t want to miss this historic and world changing event that made me proud to be an American. The moon landing finally occurred close to midnight, and we stayed up the rest of the night watching it unfold with unbridled enthusiasm.

They were calling it the greatest event of the century. One Swiss commentator said that if it was successful, the words “Made in the USA” would take on a new and profound meaning. When the space capsule blasted off, we all knew it had the potential for becoming a heartbreaking disaster or a heart-stopping triumph. The next day, the television and radio stations kept reporting each moment; Neil Armstrong’s famous words upon exiting the Eagle moon lander; the astronauts walking on the moon service, and incredible pictures. World reaction was stupendous. Finally, as we all held our breath they blasted off the moon’s surface and re-docked with the command module. They were bringing back 80 lbs. of moon rocks and soil. The whole world seemed caught up in this epic adventure.

On Thursday, July 24, 1969, the space capsule Apollo 11 made a safe splash down in the Pacific Ocean. We all sat glued to our seats, wanting to get a glimpse of these brave men who risked their lives to go where no man had ever gone before, and the first humans to set foot on the surface of the moon. Even though the world had just witnessed one of the most epic scenes ever broadcast on TV, unbeknownst to us the best was yet to come.

The Apollo astronauts were plucked from the ocean and brought by helicopter to the deck of the recovery ship, the American aircraft carrier USS Hornet. Once on-board, they were quickly placed in a mobile quarantine unit. President Richard Nixon was flown to the ship to greet the astronauts and congratulate them. After he arrived, I remember seeing him come into view after descending from the Flag Bridge down to where the quarantine unit sat. He walked over to the unit that had a large window on one end and stood on the right side facing the window. The astronauts were given the signal that the President of the United States was there and for them to pull back the curtain. We all laughed when they pulled the curtain back the wrong way, obscuring the President, but then quickly realized he was on the other side. President Nixon talked with the astronauts through the window and congratulated them on their feat and place in history.

That’s when a scene unfolded, that for me, surpassed all that I had observed so far. After the President’s greeting and expressing his pleasure at their success, he asked the ship’s Chaplain, Lt. Commander John Pirrto, who was dressed in his white Navy uniform, to pray. With 500 million viewers from around the world watching, the President of the United States and these three space champions bowed their heads for prayer. It warmed my heart and brought a thrill to my soul. This really put the whole flight in proper perspective. After all, they had just come back from exploring our Father’s universe and one of His creations. In bowing their heads they show Him respect and gave Him honor as the power above all powers.

It illustrated back then that we were still one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. But today we have atheists and ultra-liberal fanatics trying to erase any vestige of God from our coins, classrooms, courts and conversation. The real reason for this is the conviction they feel at any mention of God. They’ve become defensive, but call it “being offended.” In reality, they are convicted when they see others acknowledge a power greater than themselves; a Divine Deity to whom they willingly bowed and pay respect. They are convicted because they know that if they accept the existence of such a Heavenly Being, then they must account for their sins and ask His forgiveness.

For some foolish reason, they believe that if they just somehow make God irrelevant, they won’t feel this conviction anymore. But Jesus said that before His word could ever become obsolete, heaven and earth would first cease to be. Yet, what drives so many of these opponents of Christianity into fanatical acts of denial and persecution of believers is when they are told that Jesus said: Unless you repent and believe that He is the Son of God, you will surely perish. But that’s not all. He also said that to as many as believe in Him, they will become God’s children and receive everlasting life. That means, if you are a true believer, you are waiting for your own space flight someday to meet Jesus in the air. – Dr. Robert R. Seyda