Small Steps, Giant Leaps

It was 40 years ago today, U.S. astronauts landed on the moon. In a daring and miraculous show of American ingenuity and enthusiasm, a massive three-stage booster rocket launched from a pad in a mixture of fire, fuel, and smoke to speed towards an unknown destination. The Apollo 11 launched from Earth on July 16, 1969 and landed on the moon July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong descended from the lunar module and became the first person to walk on the moon.

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong

So much pressure, so much anxiety, so much anticipation. Imagine the tension, the nervousness, the angst, the fear, the worry. So many emotions in such a great moment of history. There was much fear and anxiety over venturing into the unknown, where no one had ever gone before. The unknown.

People have a fear of the unknown. It is human nature to fear the unknown. Why? Because, what is there? It is the uncertainty. It is the wonder. It is the uneasiness. It is the unknown.

As the Lord is revealing the Ten Commandments to Moses, the children of Israel are at the foot of the mountain and they can see the lightning, and the fire, and they can hear the thunder, and they can feel the rumbling, they saw, heard, and felt the power of God. The Bible says that they got really afraid. Can you imagine see the lightning, smoke, and fire on top of the mountain? Can you imagine seeing the power of God and not knowing who God is? And that's exactly how the world reacts when they see the power of God. Scared. Afraid. Fear. Why? It goes back to the fear of the unknown. The world does not know God; therefore, they fear the Lord. They fear the unknown.

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the
noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. -Exodus 20:18-21

Moses said, "Fear not." Moses was not afraid. Moses knew God. The people saw the lightnings and the mountain smoking, and heard the lightning and the noise of the trumpet, but the Lord was unknown to them. Talking about fearful. But Moses said, "Fear not." And as the people stood afar off, Moses walked into the darkness. The darkness? Isn't that the unknown? No, that was where God was. One small step for man, one giant leap for all of us.