40 years ago, I was 1 month old and watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon with Michael Collins orbiting above. As I write this, I am watching the "live replay" of their entire mission on www.wechoosethemoon.org in real time. (By the way, it's really cool - check it out, even if you see this after the moonlanding anniversary) And July 17th, nearly 40 years to the day of his coverage of the moon landing, Walter Cronkite, the CBS News anchorman I grew up watching to find out each day's "That's the way it is" died. The anchorman who had been so thrilled by men landing and walking on the moon is now having the time of his eternal life "walking with the Son in heaven." From what I have seen in news reports, he was a Christian who walked with the Son on earth, and I'm sure if he could give one final broadcast from heaven, he would tell the entire world - "Believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, for that's truly the way it is." Walter didn't rely on a rocket to get to heaven - he relied on his Redeemer! No rocket could lift anybody up from the bonds and strength of sin - but the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, can and does!
But we haven't seen any broadcasts from heaven with Walter's signature ending breaking in as a special report to CBS, CNN or Fox News, have we? Instead, we have our own mission. God wants you and me to tell others right now, while we're still breathing and walking this earth, that the One who made the moon and gave mankind all the materials and knowledge to make it there and back and broadcast all the glories of God's heavens is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The one who was there at the creation of the heavens and the earth (and the moon) had a mission of His own. He came down from heaven and walked on the earth, died on the cross, and then ascended into heaven on His own power - He didn't have to rely on a Saturn V rocket to break earth's gravitational bonds! I'm sure Walter Cronkite would have said "Go, baby, go!" if he had been covering Jesus' ascension that day in Jerusalem!
Today, we say - "Come back, Jesus, Come back quickly!" But Jesus reminds us that He won't return until His message of free forgiveness and eternal life through His death and rising back to life is spread throughout the earth to His satisfaction. So, we best keep broadcasting, through TV, world-wide-web, radio, written messages, and personal conversations, so that people are amazed and astounded that God would come to earth, mindful of our need, and would give us eternal life through Jesus' accomplishment of defeating death and the devil while rescuing us from the same!
As marvelous as man landing on the moon and coming back to earth was, Jesus' coming to earth so that we can join Him in heaven is truly astounding beyond any other earthly event! And Jesus promised that He would come again to raise all the dead and give all believers in Him eternal life - but there's no need to keep your eyes looking to the heavens because He promised all will truly recognize His arrival. So let's keep looking at our fellow human being and share with them "The Greatest Story Ever Told" as well as the marvelous ones He has enabled us to accomplish with the resources and knowledge He has given us, all to the glory of God the Father!
Walking on the Moon. Amazing! Walking with the Son. Even better, because it's with the One who made the moon, and lasts forever! "And that's the way it is!"
(Thanks also to Apollo Astronaut and moonwalker and fellow follower of Jesus, Charlie Duke, for the phrases "Walk on the Moon - Walk with the Son")