When God told Abraham that because of his faith his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky did Abraham imagine that one day someone would, in fact, ‘step out in faith’ and walk on the moon? Last month we celebrated the 56th anniversary of that momentous achievement.
In uttering the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” astronaut Neil Armstrong ushered in a modern-day Manifest Destiny, whereby space exploration would seek to take us beyond the stars in search of the very origins of life itself.
While the moon landing was notable for what can be achieved when working together for a common purpose, the downside of this was that it once and forever put an end to the childish notion that the moon is made of green cheese.
Practical overriding spiritual.
In our arrogance to be ‘like god’ (the Original Sin of Adam and Eve) we place our faith in idols -- what we can see and build (science and technology) to the detriment of the gift of imagination and a connection to the divine (expressed in the spiritual gift of wonder and awe).
The Great Flood. The Tower of Babel. The captivity in Egypt. And Jesus’ own passion and death by crucifixion warn us of our own flawed nature and tendency to turn our backs on God.
Yet God is greater than the boogeyman. Or human nature.
God gave us both imagination and the ability to reason. He gave us the gift of Free Will, as well as, the gift of faith, so that we might always have the ability to seek forgiveness and reconciliation and ‘step out in faith,’ trusting in God to lead us where he wants to take us, to meet those he wants us to meet, to learn from one another and bring hope and the promise of salvation to all who will accept it through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the true ‘giant leap’ for mankind-- That while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us.
What ‘small steps’ will we take into the future is for each of us to decide.
In his writings on the environment, +Pope Francis reminded us that we are one with creation. That we are called to live in balance and in harmony with one another and with the creatures and ecosystems God created.
Ten years later, we are still seeking answers to climate change, the melting of the polar ice sheets and rising of the ocean levels. Species extinctions are happening, and our natural resources are being depleted at an alarming rate.
That first visit to the moon did not solve our problems here on planet Earth but it can still serve as a reminder of what people of faith can accomplish together. And through that faith, we ‘become the force for change’ that God is calling each of us to become as we persevere together for the common good of all.
One humble step at a time.
John De Gano is a deacon at St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Riverside.