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Alive to the End

February 4, 2003

By Timothy T.C. McGhee

 

Saturday brought very abrupt and shocking news to the nation.  Seven astronauts lost their lives over the skies of Texas with the breakup of the orbiter Columbia.  Hours later, President Bush addressed the nation.

 

“In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.’”

 

There’s no such thing as a passive astronaut.  Every astronaut became an astronaut because of his or her love of space, science and discovery.  Astronauts well understand our limitations and how much more we have to discover about this world God has created.  They understand that just because we can place a location on a map, doesn't mean we've been there.  They understand that just because we can take a picture of something, doesn't mean we've seen it.  They understand that just because we can name a process, doesn't mean we understand it.

 

These seven men and women joined the few before them from the space program who have died doing something that made them really come alive.  Are you living what makes you come alive?  Even more important, have you found what will make you live forever?  Memorial services for these seven astronauts were held today at the Johnson Space Center.  Services will also be held Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington.

 

Their work carried a clear sense of adventure, discovery and danger.  Indeed, that’s what makes it a risk.  NASA and members of Congress have made it clear they intend to find the problem, fix it, and continue with manned space flight, exploration and discovery.

 

This came just a few days after these seven astronauts had commemorated the 17th anniversary of a similar tragedy during the launch of the Challenger in 1986.  One can see the continuing effects of that time as recently as last year unspoken in NASA’s hesitancy to entertain the prospect of pop singer Lance Bass as a commercial space passenger.  Even more recently, NASA had just announced it was starting up the teacher program again this year—the one that originally began and ended on the Challenger 17 years ago.  We need to continue to lift these people up in earnest prayer.

 

Yet, in the midst of all this, there are glimmers of hope.  Not the least of which is the remarkable fact that despite many very close calls with debris on Saturday, no one on the ground was hurt or injured.  For that we should praise the Lord.

 

Unlike in 1986, we still have astronauts currently orbiting the earth in the International Space Station.  NASA hopes to retrieve them with a space shuttle before the supplies aloft expire in June.  Pray for wisdom for these men and women as they expeditiously seek to rectify this problem.