As budget issues rise to the critical forefront in the near future and as questions have already publicly arisen concerning NASA’s lack of vision and what that vision should be, perhaps some theological thought is in order.
A quick look at NASA’s formation explains to some degree the quandary NASA now faces. From the beginning its underpinnings were not so much grounded in theological foundations or with worldview suppositions in mind (though they were clearly present) as much as dealing with military advancements and a national response to the Sputnik crisis.
Along with these national motivations and perceived necessities, the quest for putting a man on the moon held genuine interest and support. Here, the importance of the theological is seen, for while military advances and winning the space race are remembered as important consequences, what is most remembered and mentioned by far is man’s landing on the moon.
This landing represented a giant leap in man’s accomplishment of mission in our quest to explore the marvel and know the majesty of that glory which is the mystery of God’s creation and cosmos.
In addition to the theological interest, the moon landing held out a physical and tangible goal that all could appreciate and take personal interest in.
Now that the space race is not as clearly defined or presented to the public and now that the goal of our space explorations are not as personally and tangibly felt, question arises as to where do we go from here?
I submit that just as the theological provided the ultimate motivation and underlying grounds over the last half decade, we should look to the theological again in reinventing the vision and passion behind NASA and what it does. It’s not just a matter of image but of possessing the right foundations and then bringing people on board with the plan.
Man has been created in the image of God and given rule and dominion over the rest of creation. As one put it, “our position of dignity should strengthen our sense of duty” and “our relationship to God should encourage us to noble aims.”
If NASA wants to reclaim its primacy as a world leader and wants its vision to again be cutting edge, our goal must reach beyond simply seeing and discovering the marvels of the universe to the greater objective and labors of subduing, ordering, harnessing and harvesting all of our surroundings for God’s glory and for creation’s good.
It must be our decided and communicated goal to move beyond simply experiencing our environment to employing creation toward its fruitful, intended and discoverable end.
While the efforts of some in the public sphere to make space travel available and affordable is commendable, other goals stemming from naturalistic fears such as searching for inhabitable planets and developing the means to get there to avoid unknown or yet undetermined future catastrophes is not as compelling as helping the public grasp the value and maturity of moving beyond the easily caught vision of moon landings and space walks to the greater, more substantive and profitable efforts of harnessing the wealth and blessings of creation for the advancement of mankind and creation itself.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean ravishing or destroying the world around us, but serving the interests of all creation while recognizing man as its apex.
For example, it’s just been reported that scientists have clocked the winds of a stellar-mass black hole at 20 million miles per hour. Imagine the ability and benefits of collecting or siphoning even a portion of this type energy and being able to beam it back to earth and put it to use. Obviously, there are many challenges in doing so, but so was there at one time challenges preventing us from putting boots on the surface of the moon.
As in the past, NASA may not possess the perfect image to set before the public to convey its message, but in looking to the foundational principles and beginning to both communicate and work its vision, we should not be surprised if images like that of the moon begin to surface! God gives not only light to our path, but a lamp to our feet as we stand on his truth and walk in faith.
And why only NASA? What about the oceans, the depths of the earth, and research and discoveries in other fields? NASA came about because of military and national crises and interests. Where might economic crises, humanitarian crises, educational crises, heath crises, etc. lead us? We mustn’t be so tied to order of the past. With differing challenges and goals, different solutions may arise or be needed.
Many positions and philosophies can stand in the way of fruitful progress. Among these include the failure to recognize the unique position of man as both a part of and yet possessing dominion over the rest of creation. Man has been given rule and dominion and is the distinct part of creation given and possessing intelligence suited for this kind of work.
Encouragement is found in the understanding that man’s position within and rule over creation has not reached its ultimate and final condition; nor has the mystery of all creation’s beauty, functionality and usefulness been discovered and resulted in blessing and praise.
My hope is that the excitement and enthusiastic support will again surround and support NASA and its work, but this will depend in part on whether their work consistently involves and communicates on the level of our theological moorings.
