Posted on by Lewis Braden

What Could Be More Exciting Than Walking On The Moon?

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

Reality Check

In the wake of the recent passing of astronaut, Admiral Ken Mattingly, a momentous question came to mind. It is a question that is unanswerable by all except for 12 humans at this point in history. As the pilot for one of the 6 manned lunar missions, Admiral Mattingly’s passing reminds me that time is running out to ask: What could be more exciting than walking on the moon?

Today, on Spiritual Reload, we will get an answer to that question.

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Mattingly may not have been a moonwalker, but he did make a trip to the moon on the 1972 mission Apollo 16. Apollo 16 was unique for Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly because it was his first mission after having been providentially bumped from the infamous and hazardous Apollo 13 mission. Apollo 16 was unique to extra-planetary travel because it included the Lunar Module ‘Rover’. It was also unique because it carried the youngest person (to date) to ever walk on the moon, 36 year-old Charles Duke.

It was General Charles Duke that left a photo of his family on the dusty surface of the moon. He left earth facing what all the other crew members knew- that the pressured, fast-paced life of a Navy astronaut would mean that his personal family life would not last long. Somehow he wished that a moonwalk might change all that, but it didn’t.

Altogether, Duke and the crew of Apollo 16 spent 11 days on their mission away from Earth. The trip was, for Duke, once in a lifetime. Six years of training and intense competition earned him a seat on the ‘top flight.’ His grand reward was the privilege of walking on another world. In Duke’s words:

“I walked in wonder on the moon, breathless in admiration– in that incredibly still, crater-pocked, awesome environment, colored in various shades of gray. It was just the way it had been created– pure, unspoiled, untouched. I was proud to be one of the few men to have such an experience.”

He also shared a front-row seat to a one-of-a-kind perspective of this world:

“Our view of earth was probably the most spectacular sight I’d ever seen. The earth from 18,000 miles in space was like a beautiful jewel– the blue of oceans, white of snow and clouds, and brown of land masses. That little crystal jewel of earth hung there in the blackness of space.”

Yet, for all the distance he went, and all he got to see, things were no different at home– or in his heart.

The Re-Entry

Charlie returned to a neglected wife and family, and a nagging emptiness in his heart. “Now what?” The question on his mind. His troubles pulled him between boredom and frustration. He decided to change careers and become a businessman. He worked long hours for two years, and though he was financially successful, he hadn’t learned the true secret of happiness.

Later on, General Duke would easily identify the source of his problems: they came from his own sinful heart. When asked, “Will more space exploration solve man’s problem with sin?” He dogmatically replied, “When you go to Mars, or to a farther planet, or the moon, you still have that sin nature within you.” He sadly summed up the total effect of space travel on the depravity of man. “Landing on Mars, and colonizing Mars, or colonizing the Moon or living on the Moon will not change the sinful nature of man.”

Though he had traveled over 238,000 miles– as far as any man has ever made it– he still fell under this truth:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Romans 3:23

Earthbound

Contrary to popular rumor, Duke did not find God in outer space. In fact, he couldn’t even find Him in church. He had become religious, but was still lost. He was just going through motions, and feeling as alone as he had orbiting the dark side of the moon.

But his marriage had survived- how? Charlie’s wife, Dotty, had been depressed, even suicidal over their failing relationship. But a sudden change came over Dotty as she read and began believing her Bible. She attended a church service, and there gave her life to Jesus Christ. She ha d peace and purpose now on Earth, and Charlie got curious.

Charlie was a highly educated, highly skilled man. He was not ignorant of who Jesus was and he was familiar with Bible stories. His thoughts about Jesus? “I believed He was a great teacher, like Buddha and Mohammed.” His brain knew about Jesus, but he did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Saviour he so desperately needed.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Romans 1:21

Shuttle Astronaut Barry Wilmore testified to the futility of searching for God in space. He was asked if he had a moment where he just knew there was a God during his time orbiting Earth. He laughed, “Ah, well actually no. I did not. Everything that I needed to know about my Lord and Saviour, about God, is in Scripture. So I did not need to fly in space to learn anything about my Lord.”

Charlie’s travels had taken him nowhere. But his wife was praying, and God was listening. For two years he watched his wife’s faith grow, while he only grew more miserable. But one day Dotty asked Charlie to go to a two-day Bible study at a tennis ranch near their home. Finally, he agreed, if for no other reason than to satisfy his curiousity. They started in Genesis and headed for Revelation.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

One Small Step… of Faith

I’m sure you’re wondering– what does reading the Bible have to do with walking on the MOON?

Well, the answer is not found in where a man’s feet take him, but in whom he believes. It’s not WHERE you walk, but WHO walks with you. Charlie Duke was not walking but sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and an open Bible when it hit him.

He realized God had created man for His pleasure, and man had turned away from God. He saw that Jesus was God in the flesh, and how He died to save man from their sins. He recalled thinking, “All of a sudden I realized I was faced with the most important question I had ever faced. In my heart Jesus was saying to me, “Who do you say that I am?” The only choices I could see was that Jesus was either the Son of God or a big liar.”

It was one small step for Duke, one giant leap of faith. He chose to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Saviour.

“But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

From that day forward, Charlie Duke would take off on an eternal walk with His God. His moonwalking days were over, yet his heavenward journey had just begun. A man may reach escape velocity from gravity’s pull, but he can’t escape the spiritual law: “For the wages of sin is death.” Admitting this as truth, Duke accepted Christ’s offer instead. “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Is That All True?

Neither you nor I can answer the question, ‘what could be more exciting than walking on the moon.’ Only 12 men who’ve ever lived can answer that question by actual experience. All but 4 of them at present (2023) have passed away. I am thankful to have had the privilege to find the answer from General Charles Duke.

Similarly, there were only 12 men selected to be Apostles, sent forth to tell the world of who Jesus Christ really was. All 12 of them lived and died under pressure to just keep quiet. But their words and their testimony have survived 1,900 years o f time. Everyone that believes what they believed about Jesus Christ has found something far better than walking on the moon. But don’t just take it from me. Read it from Gen. Duke himself:

“In 1972, I rode Apollo 16 on a fantastic adventure. I used to say I could live 10,000 years and never have an experience like walking on the moon, but the excitement and satisfaction of that walk doesn’t begin to compare with my walk with Jesus, a walk that lasts forever– a walk with the Son.”

–From Walk on the Moon, Walk With the Son

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