22 – Lies, Chaos and Truth

Galen

Jul 4

On the unusually cold morning of January 28, 1986, the Challenger space shuttle blew apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. But according to some conspiracy theorists, six of the seven crew members still live among us.

Some of the examples are:

Captain Richard "Dick" Scobee, is now the CEO of a Chicago marketing-advertising company called Cows in Trees.

Pilot Michael J. Smith is professor Michael J. Smith of the University of Wisconsin.

Mission Specialist Judith Resnik is a professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Payload Specialist (and "Teacher in Space") Christa McAuliffe now only uses her first name, Sharon. She has an almost entirely different face than that of Christa's, and is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University College of Law.

Payload Specialist Gregory Jarvis is the only person that the conspiracy theorists believe died, because they couldn't identify a double for him.

The facts have repeatedly shown that Challenger tragically fell from the sky due to an O-ring failure after the ship was launched in unsafe temperatures.

In a recent article in Popular Mechanics, Professor Marta Marchlewska at the Polish Institute of Psychology explained the cause for such conspiracies. "People who say that astronauts are still alive refuse to accept that bad things accidentally happen to good people. So, there's someone behind the disaster or it simply did not happen."

The author of the article then summarizes: "A conspiracy theory tames the great chaos around us, which is the likely explanation for these implausible ideas. It's easier to blame the imagined secret machinations of influential people, serving dark agendas, than admitting life can be a cruel beast." - Stav Dimitropolos, "Why Conspiracy Theorists Refuse to Believe the Challenger Astronauts Died," Popular Mechanics, (1-28-22)

What does this have to do with Christianity? Consider how easily people believe lies these days. People are tempted to believe a lie when the truth challenges our false beliefs. People want to believe that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people. People want to believe they we are able to be good – good enough in fact to "deserve" a place in heaven.

But not one bit of that is true. But, as followers of Christ, we have something far more trustworthy to tame the great chaos around us. We have the love and grace and mercy of God. We have the everlasting, eternal Creator on our side. We have the Truth – and it is the truth that sets us free – not lies. We have the knowledge of who is truly in control of the destiny of all things. We have his promises – which will always prove to be true. We have his Spirit to guide us into all truth. Why don't we use it more? We don't need lies.

PRAYER: Jesus, give us your Spirit to discern the spirits, to test what is good and true and pure and to reject all the lies of Satan! In Jesus' name, Amen.

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