For many years now, some astronauts are determined to spend their Christmas holidays in space, working. For example, about 48 years ago, three astronauts were spending their Christmas Eve reading the Bible, orbiting the moon in their Apollo 8 capsule. They were looking at the distant Earth and thinking about their families. The recording of their three voices was broadcast live around the world.
- During Christmas holidays, some astronauts are bound to work.
- They are looking at the distant Earth from their spaceships, thinking about their families.
- When people reached the moon for the first time, they celebrate the event through a Bible reading.
This represented one of the few moments when the whole world is brought together, reunited by a single thought, breathing in calmness and joyfulness during such a celebration. A few months later, in 1969, another spacecraft are known as Apollo 11 set off for the moon, landing there with two astronauts aboard. The commander of the ship, Edwin Aldrin, wanted to mark this event somehow.
His pastor recommended him to take up there, on the moon, bread, and wine, used by Jesus Christ. This could represent a way of thanking the divinity that due to His will people succeeded in building spaceships which carried them into outer space. Aldrin recorded himself, expressing his appreciation for all that the ideas which in the end materialized and helped them accomplish such a significant achievement.
He also asked people who were listening to his message to be thankful for what they are and what they have, especially being proud of human evolution. After the broadcast, Aldrin poured wine and took the bread, reading a passage from the Bible to show his appreciation, probably speaking in the name of every Christian on Earth.
At that time, NASA was in a legal conflict with Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an atheist. She sued the space agency over Apollo 8 astronauts reading from the Bible on Christmas Eve, several months back. This was the reason for which NASA advised Aldrin not to read the verses from the Bible during his broadcast.
Many people were not familiar with this amazing story due to that lawsuit. Bread was the first food to be consumed on the Moon and wine was the first drink. Now, that many Christians worldwide will celebrate the birth of Christ again, it may feel overwhelming to know that Jesus’s words were read on the Moon during space missions. He represents the “love that moves the Sun and other stars.”
Image courtesy of: wikipedia
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