Performing Triumphant Feats In Space While the Earth Slowly Burns Beneath Our Feet

Celebrating This Week’s Twin Triumphs In Space While the Earth Burns Up Beneath Our Feet

(Luke 6; 24-26 – 2nd Chronicles 19; 6-7) by Rev. Paul J. Bern

There are two things I have written before that I’m going to have to repeat. First, as you saw from last week, I have cut the length of my posts back to roughly half what they used to be out of due respect to the time my readers give me. Second, as the times in which we live slowly get more insane, I am doubling down on my preaching and my teaching, as well as with a wider variety of posts, as I look for ways to increase my presence on the Web while challenging that which I perceive to be evil.

First, the whole of humanity is about to leap into the thresholds of space. Just this past week Jeff Bezos and his space company “Blue Origin”, as well as Richard Branson and his company “Virgin Aerospace”, took their first commercial space rides with a combined total of 8 people on board the 2 ships. Millions of dollars per passenger were paid for the 10-minute adventure. But something is wrong with this picture, and that ‘something’ is inequality. The rich go to space while multitudes remain in misery here on earth. But it’s not just that they’re in space while the rest of us are not. It’s that Branson, Bezos and company have the means to go. Granted that these two billionaires are advancing the boundaries of all of humanity. But it’s just that too many people are being left behind as humankind marches further forward into the 21st century.

The capitalist countries such as the US and Canada, Europe and Japan, are the fuel that inflames the bonfire of capitalism which has consumed much of the world. Jesus had some important things to say about the pursuit and hoarding of wealth. “24) But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25) Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26) Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” (Luke chapter 6; verses 24-26)All the rich countries in the western hemisphere have had this charge upon them since the days of Jehosaphat in the Old Testament Book of Second Chronicles, and I quote, “6) He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7) Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” (2ndChron. 19: verses 6-7)

Although questions of the feasibility of near-earth space travel are moot at this point, questions about its affordability remain. This then begs the question: Should we be doing this when so much inequality still exists here on plant earth? Going to space is fine. I think it’s absolutely great that we have developed such technological capabilities. Bu we must find a way to balance our technical prowess with our people skills. Serving humanity is far better than the aggrandizement of an elite few. It’s far better to find balance between what we can achieve and what our more basic necessities are.

I’m not suggesting that we should abandon near-earth space travel and especially not exploration (such as the ‘rovers’ on Mars). What I am saying here today is that we need to find the right balance between our achievements and our necessities. Here in the southeastern US where I live and work, one out of every four school age children will go to bed hungry tonight. For this to be happening in what is allegedly the richest country in the world is simply inexcusable.

But when every inner city school kid all over the world is well fed, the child’s grades go up. When our school kids are fed, when there is full employment at a living wage, and when the business of America is getting down to business, then we can go on as many excursions in near earth orbit as we want. When the final 20% of humanity who has no access to clean drinking water gets continuous access to it, we can go to the moon. When the last village in Africa, the final outpost in the Australian Outback, and the last mud hut in the expanse of Mongolia gets electricity and wireless Internet, then we can go to Mars. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with what we’re doing up in space. It’s just that our priorities are wrong. There is a better way. Follow Jesus Christ.