This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Yesterday, I listened to a news report from Artemis II. Pilot Victor J. Glover spoke about the feelings he experienced upon seeing the Earth from space. Artemis II had just finished the slingshot around the moon. During this maneuver, the crew flew to the farthest point from Earth any crewed ship had ever gone before. The feeling must have been surreal. I imagine it must have been a mix of adrenaline, excitement, fear, and adventure, but that is just me; they are trained professionals. After the maneuver, Mr. Glover was asked about his feelings and what he would like to share with the world.

Mr. Glover spoke about how the universe is so incredibly vast, and then mentioned that from his vantage point in space, our earthly habitation looked so small that he could visualize the world as interconnected. He then linked that line of thought to all of humanity, reminding us that on a tiny Earth we have an oasis of life, and what we do matters because our actions have ripple effects that touch others. We are all interconnected in one humanity.

Eucharistic Prayer C speaks of "this fragile earth, our Island home." It was a eucharistic prayer written just after the Apollo mission to the Moon. It also refers to our smallness, prompting those who pray it to consider the vastness of the universe and, thus, the vastness and power of God. The island metaphor also speaks to our global interconnectedness.

Glover's observation was both right and I think informed by his faith, which he has openly spoken about. We are interconnected by a common humanity and the world we share. What we do to our land, air, and seas causes ripple effects that extend far past what we will ever feel or see. The same is true for our humanity. What we do, threaten to do, or choose not to do has its effects. Our faith tells us that we are all children of God. Not just the 1,000 people on our membership books as members of St. Martin's, nor just the 341.7 million people who are citizens of the United States, but rather all 8.3 billion people of this world. We believe that Christ came for us all.

Mr. Glover flew Artemis II 252,756 miles from Earth. From this perspective, amidst the vastness of space, he saw our island home as small enough to be one, beautiful, and interconnected. I am grateful for his perspective. I wonder how God sees us? I wonder during this Easter tide what lessons we might learn? Scripture tells us that God desires us to be one. I guess this begs the question, how big is your one? Whom does it include? I pray that the love of God through the grace of Easter might broaden our perspectives.

Peace,

Mitch