Happenings 26 November 2020

It seems to me that pressure can either drive things apart or drive things together. The difference is often found in the orientation of two objects to each other before the pressure is applied. A child tragically dies in a family or a husband loses his job. How does this affect the marriage? So often it comes down to whether there are pre-existing attitudes of trust, openness, communication and mutual dependence in the relationship. If these ‘channels’ are there, then the pressure can be dealt with; if they are not, then pressure has no-where to go and fractures may result. I recently read an article about the American astronauts who walked on the moon. Jim Irwan, who spent three days on the Moon in 1971 as part of the Apollo 15 mission said, “Standing on the Moon and looking back at Earth, I was able to close one eye, hold up his thumb and cover the entire planet — every mountain, every city, every person, every valley, every ocean.” He said it made him feel terrifyingly small. He went on to claim that many of the astronauts involved in those early days of space walks had existential crises and struggled to understand the meaning of their lives. Many found the return to earth extremely difficult, and divorce rates among astronauts were high. The last man on the Moon, Gene Cernan, summed up the anti-climax of post-flight life, saying it was "tough to find an encore". Interestingly, Irwin himself had a long-held faith that he said was only deepened and enriched by the moon adventure. Because his posture towards God had already been one of trust, the experiences that brought other astronauts trauma actually pushed him deeper into wonder of his Creator God. The small steps you make today towards openness towards God (and others!) will lead to greater resilience and peace tomorrow. Will pressure drive you apart or drive you together? It depends on the small steps you take today.

In Him,
Murray