Dear Church: Almost Famous?

Hello, dear church! How are you? Today, we will look at John 15, but let’s stop a moment to remember an explorer.

Earlier this week, we learned that Michael Collins had died. Some of you might be wondering, who is Michael Collins It's because he wasn't as well known as his compatriots. Collins was the pilot for Apollo 11, which of course was the mission that sent humanity to the moon. It was the prize in the space race between us and the Soviet Union.

Why is Collins not known so well? For one big reason: he never set foot on the moon. His fellow travelers, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, were the ones that went to the surface of the moon while he stayed in the command capsule 60 miles above the moon.

Some people would think he missed out on this once-in-a-lifetime event, but Collins didn't think that way. While he’s been called the "forgotten astronaut" because, he wasn't the one that was on the moon. It’s important to remember of the importance of his role. He was the pilot, which meant he was the one that got Aldrin and Armstrong to the moon and back. He was also the one that could rescue his co-workers.

Michael Collins has made me think about the series For All Mankind that's on Apple TV. This series takes place in an alternate world where the Soviet Union got the moon first and the space race continues past that 1969 event. In the premiere episode, we meet the main character Ed Baldwin.  Baldwin is an astronaut, and he is was in Apollo 10. In both realities, Apollo 10 is the dress rehearsal for Apollo 11. They get close to the moon, but never land.

In his mission,  Baldwin was just eight miles above the moon.  He kicks himself for not just going rest of the way to the lunar surface. He's not the only one.  Other astronauts who are upset of the Russians beating them to the moon are upset that Baldwin didn't just go all the way. He chose not to do it and he complains to a reporter that he had a chance to beat the Russians and didn't do it. 

Comparing Baldwin to Collins is fascinating because on one hand, you have this real person, Michael Collins, who seems to be just happy to be a part of that team. In one of the many reports of his death he said he would look up at the moon with wonder.  Decades after floating miles above it he would look up and say that he was there.  He might not have been on the lunar surface, but he is thankful for the chance to take part in this groundbreaking mission, the best job in the world.

Contrast this with the fictional character of Baldwin who, while you can understand his frustration and probably the national frustration of losing to the Russians, there was also a sense of not wanting to be a team player. There was as focus on the space race, but no sense of gratitude for being able to do what so few were able to do.

I think about that when I read the text that the gospel for this week and John 15 verses one through eight is the famous one where Jesus says that he is the vine and we, the church, are the branches.

To be a Christian, to be a follower of Jesus means that you have to be someone that is basically connected to Jesus. You must be connected to the vine. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. No plant can ever do anything if there is no vine.  A vine is what feeds the branches.

And Jesus is very blunt that apart from him, Christians can't really do anything. I think that those are important passages because. It is so tempting to believe that when it comes to our walk with God it’s all about us.  Being connected to Jesus means being humble and thankful. Living a life of humility, is also a life of trusting in God. And that, I think, is important because whether we fall short or whether we are successful.

Michael Collins reminds me to stop thinking it is all about me and to learn to give thanks to God. God is always present and God is always there. Michael Collins, might be the “forgotten astronaut,” but I like to think of him as the faithful astronaut, the one who was lived his life for others and felt grateful.

Without Collins, Aldrin and Armstrong couldn't do much or at least would be trapped on the roof, on the moon. So I pray that we can understand what it means to have humility. And also to have a sense of joy even when we fall short. That's my message for today, dear church. Be faithful and be thankful.

This reflection is related to a video made for this week’s Evening Prayer. You can watch it below.