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Fifty-six years ago today, the world held its breath as astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon. It was July 20, 1969, when Armstrong descended the ladder of the lunar module, the Eagle, and placed his left foot on the surface of the moon, forever etching his name in history. Broadcast live on black and white television screens across the globe, over half a billion people watched as he spoke the now-immortal words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Just fifteen minutes later, fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin joined Armstrong on the lunar surface. Together, they spent two and a half hours exploring the moon, collecting rock samples, and capturing photographs. In addition to the scientific tools and equipment they brought, Armstrong and Aldrin left behind two powerful symbols: an American flag and a plaque reading, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”
Over the next three and a half years, ten more astronauts would walk on the moon, but none would match the awe and wonder that accompanied the first steps. Behind the scenes of that historic mission was a quieter, more personal moment of reflection and faith. Prior to the launch, Aldrin—an elder at Webster Presbyterian Church in Webster, Texas—spoke with his pastor about how to acknowledge the spiritual magnitude of the journey.
Aldrin decided to take communion on the moon. Among the personal items each astronaut was allowed, he packed a tiny silver chalice, a small piece of bread, and a sip of wine. After the Eagle landed and Armstrong completed his first steps, Aldrin radioed Houston requesting a few moments of silence. In the stillness of space, he poured the wine and read two handwritten scripture passages. The first was John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches... for you can do nothing without me.” The second, from Psalm 8:3-4, pondered the vastness of space and the significance of mankind: “What is man that You are mindful of him?”
Reflecting on the moment, Aldrin later said, “It was interesting for me to think the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements.”
Years later, my family had the opportunity to meet astronaut Jim Irwin, who walked on the moon during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. Irwin inscribed a photo for us with the words, “Jesus walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon.” That message has remained with me through the years, reminding us of the eternal significance behind earthly milestones.
As journalist Malcolm Muggeridge once observed, “The coming of Jesus into the world is the most stupendous event in human history.” While the moon landing marked a technological triumph, the spiritual truths that guided and comforted those astronauts remind us that faith, too, travels beyond the stars.
