“We need Jesus—whether here on Earth or orbiting the moon.”
– Victor Glover, pilot on Artemis II
In April 2026, the Artemis II mission flew a quarter of a million miles to the moon, did a lunar flyby, and remarkably returned with all astronauts safe and sound. This was the first time humans had visited the moon in 53 years; The last time was during the historic Apollo program that first landed a human on the moon in 1969. Artemis II aimed to test the technology that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will use to return to the moon’s surface in future Artemis missions. Incredible amounts of resources were invested to establish a continued American presence on the moon, boost the American economy, and continue to explore deep space. The ultimate hope: to take the first humans to Mars.
As Christians, these missions, in all their splendor, should lead us to reflect on the intricacies of our place in the universe. When I consider the vastness that exists beyond our planet, I am only drawn more into God and the magnificence of His Creation. Science does not erase faith, rather it magnifies it. Science and faith intersect in beautiful ways that remind us that God is perfectly sovereign and holds all things together. Science consistently affirms what we know to be true, and the research and footage captured by Artemis II was no exception.
When we look at the sky as observers on Earth, the sun and the moon almost appear to be the same size. In reality, the sun is 400% bigger than the moon, and the moon is 400% closer to us. We are the ideal distance from our sun to sustain life, without it being too hot to destroy life. Our atmosphere is built to sustain us while also protecting us from debris and radiation from space. We are in the ideal planetary formation for other planets, such as Jupiter, to protect earth from asteroids that could destroy life. Details like this serve as reminders that nothing about the creation of our universe was accidental, and neither is our place in it.
As an American, this successful mission also made me beam with pride as I watched our fellow citizens travel farther into space than any human ever has. Our country and our resources are ours to steward for the good of our fellow man.
Speaking from the spaceship Orion, pilot Victor Glover, a fellow believer, shared Christ with the watching world below. As the crew reached the far side of the moon, radio silence was heard as they lost all communication with Earth for 40 minutes. Right before losing the signal, Glover said, “I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that’s love … Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are.”
Although the universe is larger than we can comprehend, God has counted all the stars in the sky and knows every hair upon our head. No matter how big an accomplishment may feel on Earth, it doesn’t compare to how important our true mission is: to serve God and love others.
*Chloe Kramer is a Young Women for America Fellow in North Dakota.
