Artemis II Reminds All of Us to Look Up

via Suzanne Bowdey, Washington Stand (excerpt)

When NASA set a launch date for Artemis II all those months ago, there was no way of knowing that the world would be in desperate need of something so uniquely awe-inspiring.

On a planet consumed by war, hate, tragedy, and lack, these astronauts are giving the human population a rare gift: the chance to focus on what we have in common — not the differences splintering us all apart.

Looking at the brilliant blues and greens of the earth from the capsule window, the clouds swirling in lazy circles over entire continents, it’s impossible not to be struck by the breathtaking perfection of our home in the middle of an otherwise dark and endless universe.

This chance to glimpse our world, nothing but a speck in the expanse of space, is an invitation to return, even as a people divided by cultures and languages and priorities, to a place of wonder and gratitude.

As Pilot Victor Glover watched the Earth get smaller and smaller in the crew’s final push toward the moon, he was moved by the chance to celebrate Easter thousands of miles away from the world Christ came to die for.

“Whether you believe in God or not, this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing — and that we’ve got to get through this together.”

These extraordinary moments — to see our home in a way that very few humans ever will — changed him.

“As we are so far from Earth and looking at the beauty of creation, I think, for me, one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is …