32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:32-38 (NLT)
LOST (AND FOUND) IN SPACE
When we find Peter and the disciples this week, they are speaking on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has just arrived in the form of “tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:3), and those on whom it rested began to speak in tongues.
The behavior was alarming and unusual, causing those present to ponder its meaning. Was it something of significance, or were they just filled with “new wine”? (v. 13). It is in this moment that Peter takes hold and addresses the crowd, citing prophecies about this event and pointing everything back to Jesus.
Those present knew they were witnessing something incredible, and perhaps even frightening. Those feelings of trepidation and amazement helped convict their hearts and point them to Jesus. Sometimes we also encounter things that have a profound impact on us.
In the 1960s, the United States was in the throes of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. One element of that conflict was the “space race,” as each nation sought to assert dominance among the stars. After successfully landing on the moon in 1969, the U.S. had a significant interest in learning as much as possible about the lunar surface—quite literally at ground level.
On July 26, 1971, Apollo 15 launched. It was the first mission to feature the lunar roving vehicle (LRV), which allowed for longer excursions than had previously been possible. Among the crew was Colonel Jim Irwin, who helped collect over 170 pounds of moon rock samples with the LRV.
While on the lunar surface, Col. Irwin had a unique, deeply spiritual encounter—described in a documentary about the moon landings as a “Damascus road” type of experience. In his book To Rule the Night, Irwin reflected on what happened:
“I felt an overwhelming sense of the presence of God on the moon. The ultimate effect was to deepen and strengthen all the religious insight I ever had. It remade my faith. I had become a skeptic about getting guidance from God, and I know I had lost the feeling of His nearness. On the moon the total picture of the power of God and His Son Jesus Christ became abundantly clear to me. I felt His Spirit more closely than I have ever felt it on earth, right there beside me…it was amazing.”
Far from the routines and worries of everyday life, Col. Irwin was standing where few had ever ventured before. Out among the stars, he observed the vastness of creation and felt closer to God than ever. After his experience, Irwin often said, “I believe Jesus Christ walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon.”
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” At night, we can gaze up at the vast, star-scattered canopy that stretches overhead. When we notice the beauty and the miracles in the creation that surrounds us, perhaps we too can glimpse what compelled those believers at Pentecost all those years ago.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.
