Comment By Torchlight

Disaster in Space

On this page in September 1965, commenting on "Space Race", we posed the question, "Where will it all end? Will come great catastrophe occur to halt man's audacity and once more expose his limitations? Or will the mounting expenditure

men and money become so crippling that the race will be abandoned?" Then in May 1970 we commented on the failure Y Apollo 13 Moon-mission, and on the hazardous four-day return journey of the three American astronauts as their crippled spacecraft sped earthwards. On that occasion, when disaster seemed inevitable, there was much prayer on behalf of the astronauts and the men at the control centre. When the splashdown took place there was widespread relief that the incredible journey that went so disastrously wrong had ended in no loss of life. After such a long run of remarkable successes in space exploration the failure of Apollo 13 was a rude shock to public opinion. But the mood soon passed and it has officially announced that the American space programme could proceed as planned and that further Moon landings would be attempted.

On June 30 this year the world was shocked by the news that when the Russian Soyuz 11 spaceship returned to earth after its 23 1/2 days' link with the Salyut orbital space station, and the hatch was prised open, the three cosmonauts were found to be dead, strapped to their couches as if asleep. The official Russian account included the laconic statement, "The discovery group, upon opening the hatch, found the crew of the Soyuz spaceship in their seats without any sign of life." This time there was no warning of impending disaster - and no prayer! At the time of writing (July 5) searching enquiry is being made into the cause of the disaster, whether it was caused by the weakening of the body due to prolonged weightlessness in orbit, or whether there was a mechanical fault in e spacecraft. Whatever the findings of this enquiry there will be increasing apprehension as the time draws near for the next American Moon space shot scheduled to blast off from Cape Kennedy on July 26.

From the Christian point of view man's technological achievements in space exploration are relatively unimportant. Of far greater consequence are the spiritual needs of mankind. The rapid increase in knowledge seems to foster the delusion that mankind can now dispense with its Creator. But man's moral and spiritual bankruptcy gives the lie to that. Without God man is "without hope". The Christian gospel is mankind's only hope, and those who proclaim it by life and voice serve the highest interests of their fellow men. The gospel has greater power than governments. It gets down to the heart of man's malady; it is still "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16).

Young man, Arise!

In the study, "Paul and Timothy", which commences on page 122 of this issue, our co-worker, J. L. Ferguson, draws a vivid picture of a young man of God in the making. Timothy was a gift to the early churches and Paul was quick to recognise his potential. Undoubtedly the apostle was greatly used by God in the training and development of this devoted servant of Christ.

By piecing together the various references to Timothy in the Acts and in Paul's epistles, and by drawing freely from the apostle's two letters to Timothy, our co-worker has given a connected narrative and emphasized important lessons to be learned from it. We commend the attention of younger brethren to this article, and older brethren will profit from it tool

If there is to be continuity in a testimony for God in any age young men of God in the making are indispensable. Scripture gives many examples of young men prepared in secret and then brought forward at the appropriate time to serve some divine purpose. And this is not only true of those called by God to whole-time ministry. The service of God needs "backroom boys" as well as front line soldiers. Therefore: "Take the task He gives you gladly."

As Paul was concluding his letter to Colossae, before appending his salutation, he dictated this stirring message to one of the brethren in the church there, "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it" (Col. 4:17). Clearly Paul was aware that this brother, perhaps a younger man, was hesitant in fulfilling a divine commitment, and needed a word of encouragement as a spur to go forward. Someone may be reading this page who has been entrusted by the Lord with some particular task and is wavering, then "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfil it".

unknown | Aug 1971
Comment By Torchlight