I have watched with fascination the journey of Artemis II as it traveled 694,000 miles in 10 days.  From its take-off on April 1 to splashdown April 10, I have been in awe about how mere man has invented a vehicle able to travel so many miles at such a high speed and yet able to slow from an incoming speed of 24,000 mph to only 20 mph at splashdown.  And all this with keeping four human beings safe for 10 days in the relatively tiny capsule.

But what amazes me even more are the pictures that were taken as the crew was traveling around the moon itself.  The “earthrise” picture is stunning especially as contrasted with the surface of the moon.  The moon looks like a desolate pocked rock with no life because of the extreme temperatures which vary between +260 and -280 degrees, depending on which part of the sun it is facing.  In contrast, the little blue dot we call earth is gorgeous as it rises above the rim of the moon. 

Victor Glover, one of the astronauts, said that from a distance the earth looks like an oasis in the middle of vast nothingness.  Indeed it is – there is no other planet viable for humans except our dear Planet Earth.

In our solar system we have eight planets orbiting around the sun, but Earth is the only one inhabitable by humans – or anything living at all.  Mercury, the closest to the sun, is a bit too warm at 800 degrees.  Venus is even hotter, plus its atmosphere is pure poison.  Mars isn’t hot but is cold and dry with dust storms covering the entire planet. Ice is found on Mars, but there is no liquid water to drink.  Both Jupiter and Saturn are made up of hydrogen and helium gases so it’s tough to walk around or breathe.   Uranus is a beautiful blue color but is full of methane gas.  Neptune is 30 times farther from the sun than Earth, making it extremely cold with winds reaching up to 1,500 miles per hour.

Earth uniquely has the correct temperature, soil, air and water conditions for life.  This is often called The Goldilocks Zone – not too hot, not too cold, but just right.  Of course we know why Earth is the perfect place for humans, animals and plants to live.  Page one of the Bible tells us that God spoke our world into being and said, “It is good.”

I marvel at our universe, our home here on Planet Earth, and our amazing God who created it all.  But I’m not the first one to be in awe.  Whoever wrote Psalm 33 thought the same:

“The heavens were made by the word of the LORD,

And all the stars, by the breath of His mouth…

Let the whole earth fear the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it came into being;

He commanded, and it came into existence…

The Lord looks down from heaven; He observes everyone.

He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth

From His dwelling place.

He forms the hearts of them all; He considers all their works…

But look, the Lord keeps His eye on those who fear Him –

Those who depend on His faithful love…

For our hearts rejoice in Him

Because we trust in His Holy name.

May your faithful love rest on us, LORD, for we put our hope in you.”

Psalm 33:6-22

The same God who spoke the world into existence, designing the galaxies by His wisdom is so far above my ability to comprehend.  He is transcendent and unfathomable.

And yet He is near, He formed my heart and yours; and more than anything He would love for us to love Him. As Victor Glover, the first black man in space, said “God told us to love Him with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves.”  What a profound statement to make as he is in the process of orbiting the moon.  Yet, that’s what we were created for, to praise and love our Creator as well as those He has generously given us.

Love doesn’t change, neither does God – whether we are orbiting the moon or living here on earth.  He’ll love you to the moon and back.