The picture filled the computer screen. The sun—that great, glowing, orange ball 93 million miles from earth. And on that ball—a tiny black spot. Zoom in a little closer, and the familiar outline of the Space Station appears. A closer look, and there is the “shuttle” slowly moving away from the Station as it begins a three-day journey back to earth, 250 miles away.
It is amazing! fantastic! mind-boggling! awe-inspiring! There at last is the right word: awe-inspiring. To see that little black spot so accurately pictured against the sun, and the sun still in the focus of the camera even though 93 million miles farther away, is almost unbelievable.
But, as one knowledgeable person commented, “If that doesn’t point up just how feeble and puny our outer space efforts are, I don’t know what does!”
True. We have ventured out a little way from earth; we have sent our “probes” farther out into the unknown, but the more we learn, the more humble we are-or should be. More than three thousand years ago King David wrote, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Psa. 8:3-43When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Psalm 8:3‑4)).
And the greatest wonder, the unfathomable mystery, is why should the ever-living God want to bless poor, sinful, ungrateful humanity-wanted it so much that He gave His only Son to suffer and die for us.
That is the greatest wonder.