Communion in Space

This is the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, so in our house full of space geeks, it’s the hot topic.

In all the lunar talk, I came across a treasure I had to share; something my husband and I had never known before and have been reveling in all week.

We learned that the first food and drink consumed on the moon were the elements of communion, performed by astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

We were so moved to even consider this whole epic event with God’s hand in mind, and it has had a profound effect on us this week.

I cannot imagine what it was like to be the first to step foot where only the Creator’s hands have been.

Can you imagine looking out at where you are about to step and knowing only your God had been present in that space?

The world, 238,900 miles away, leaned in to hear what would unfold in those holy moments. But they missed out on this beautiful celebration as life certainly was seen on the moon; in the life-giving bread of Jesus.

Buzz Aldrin knew these moments would be sacred. He planned before he left that he would take communion on the moon; symbolizing how God shares in all the elements of our lives, including this unforgettable event.

He says this,

“In the radio blackout I opened the little plastic packages which contained bread and wine,” Aldrin said. “I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements.”

He then read the verses from John 15:5 that have been circling my heart and mind this year,

“As Jesus said: I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in Him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.”

Many translations use the word “abide” in place of remain. The word “abide” is so rich, reflecting a place to settle down deep into – a place you don’t want to leave; a place that is home in its purest sense.

I can’t help but wonder if Dr. Aldrin felt closer to God as he stared out of the spacecraft window at the temporary home His Creator designed for him – the days of creation so vivid and breathtaking.

From afar, he didn’t hear the noise or view the messes or see the pain. He saw God’s handiwork in the separation of water and land, earth and sky.

Buzz Aldrin wanted to make the statement to himself and the world back home, that even on this celestial object where no man had touched foot before, Christ was with Him.

And if He’s on the moon, abiding with man, He is certainly with you. In your celebration and your grief, on the mountaintop and in the pit, He never leaves you or forsakes you (Deut 31:6). Nothing you’ve done, nobody’s opinion of you, nothing you’ve thought or said, can separate you from your God.

“And I am convinced that NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

ROMANS 8:38-39; 37, emphasis mine