1968 was a difficult year. Racial discord and foreign conflicts created an atmosphere of tension and anger. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated. The United States was embroiled in the war in North Vietnam. The Cold War continued to escalate. There were student protests taking place throughout America, some resulting in violence. The zeitgeist of the country was one of anger, frustration and sadness. People were discontent. In fact, the editors of Time Magazine chose as its Man of the Year, The Dissenter.
Toward the end of the year, on December 21st, NASA launched the Apollo 8 mission. Apollo 11 is its well known successor, as that mission landed Neil Armstrong on the moon. Apollo 8, however, was much more daring in its vision. It would be the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon, 250,000 miles from home. Until Apollo 8, no human being had left the relatively safe orbit of Earth.
The unique challenges of Apollo 8 garnered lots of media attention. There were six telecasts during the mission. In preparation for the mission, astronauts Lovell, Borman & Anders were particularly anxious about one of them, as it was scheduled on December 24; Christmas Eve. They were told in no uncertain terms that more people would tune into that telecast than ever before.
Thankfully, the mission was going as planned, and Apollo 8 was orbiting the moon as scheduled. Millions around the world turned their black and white televisions on, and saw now-famous image of Earth rising above the moon's horizon. This is what they heard:
We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And God said let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.
God called the light Day and the darkness God called Night. And the evening and morning were the first day.
God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. God made the firmament, and called it Heaven. The evening and morning were the second day.
And God said let the waters be gathered together, and let the dry land appear. God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters the Seas. And God saw that it was good
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The astronauts landed safely 2 days later, and immediately they were inundated with postcards and telegrams. One stood out above all others: Dear Apollo, you saved 1968.
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The last two and a half years have been difficult for us. COVID has impacted all of us, in ways great and small, physically, psychologically, and yes, spiritually. Communities -included our own - are not as tight-knit as they were. We are on edge, both societally and individually, and we are still dealing with this pandemic. As if that's not enough, the gap of political discord grows and grows. We feel it in our friendships, in our families, and here too in our synagogue community.
I wish we could look at our lives the way those astronauts taught us to look at the Earth. With a bit of perspective along with a dose of spirituality. Because we just might understand that creation is good. Life is good.
That's not to say that life isn't tough or tragic or painful or annoying or exhausting. Our lives have more than enough tsuris, without question. But what is it that we focus on?: The dirty swamp water of a dried-out sea, or the miraculous waves that are split before us ... The son to sacrifice out of blind obedience or the ram standing in his stead ... a shrub existing in weather so hot that it's literally on fire, or a burning bush that can not be consumed?
Life is good.
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After the Apollo mission, Time Magazine changed its previous selection for Man of the Year from The Dissenter to the three astronauts on the mission. The focus changed from discord to peace, from fear to hope, from animosity to unity.
This is a purpose of our High Holidays; to refocus our attention so that we focus on the goodness of creation, and of life. In these times of vaccine boosters, these High Holidays are a much needed spiritual booster. They do not just express gratitude and wonder; they induce them.
Life is not perfect or without pain, but good. Each of us has a piece of God within us! You are made in the image of God! How can that not be good?!
This December will celebrate the 55th anniversary of Apollo 8. Images from space have come a long way since millions saw the black and white telecasts. In recent months, many of us have seen the awe-inspiring photographs from the James Webb telescope. They too remind us of the grandeur of creation, and the special significance our our lives in the vast universe. They also remind ask big questions, and to keep looking beyond our current vision.
But, these feelings last for just a moment, and we get caught up in daily struggles and frustrations, and we no longer experience this ever-present holiness. We forget that our lives can be filled with "radical amazement."
This year, though, it's time to refocus, and see our lives for what they are, and what they should be. That is what it means to be written in the Book of Life.
We are not just products of God's creation. We are partners in creating.
That is the responsibility we have. And it is a responsibility. Because it's way too easy to look at the world and our lives and be sad or frustrated, even angry, as many of us have been. Rosh Hashanah doesn't dismiss the difficulties of our lives, but it does inspire us to live with tzedakah and prayer, Mitzvah and righteousness - for these temper the severe decrees of life.
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Two students had studied for many years with a wise old master. One day the master said to them, Students, the time has come for you to go out into the world. Your life there will be felicitous if you find in it all things shining. The students left the master with a mixture of sadness and excitement, and each of them went a separate way. Many years later they met up by chance. They were happy to see one another again, and each was excited to learn how the other’s life had gone. Said the first to the second, glumly, I have learned to see many shining things in the world, but alas I remain unhappy. For I also find many sad and disappointing things, and I feel I have failed to heed the master’s advice. Perhaps I will never be filled with happiness and joy, because I am simply unable to find all things shining. Said the second to the first, radiant with happiness, All things are not shining, but all the shining things are.
Let's live our lives as if they are holy, and good, and shining. Because they are. Y'hi Tov - it is good.
