I believe today is the day they are going to bury John Glenn. He probably means little to those born after 1960, but for the rest of us, he was THE American astronaut, superceded by only Neil Armstrong after Apollo 11. He was called by someone famous the last true American hero, and while that might be hyperbole, it is pretty close. He was a Marine who flew over 130 missions as a fighter pilot in both WWII and Korea, and eagerly sought out the space program to be among the first to be strapped atop a flaming missle that was very likely to explode. Unlike many of the other right-stuff pilots, he was true to his wife and didn't drink in excess, or brag, or do anything else that would stain his fame. So important was he to the space program that he was taken off missions - so we were told - because he had fallen in the bathtub and hurt his sense of balance, which (I learned just last year ) was not true. It was a lie made up to explain his lack of participation in the Gemini and Apollo programs. In fact, they - the powers that be - simply didn't want to risk his life because his death, they figured, would be such a blow to NASA and American pride itself. He was that important.
What was it that made him so incredibly brave? I have an uncle who also flew dangerous missions in both wars, and he seems to be honestly just plain born fearless. I doubt it, however; rather, I think both he and Glenn, besides being brave, also believed in the missions themselves and the government that represented the people behind them. Belief, then - they had belief that was strong enough to dispell all doubts. With that, John Glenn could do just about anything.
The same could be said for the fictional people on the National Geographic Mars series, characters taken from real life. In it, the qualities of the astronauts were delineated, including the ability to live in small spaces for long periods of time along with several other people. First and foremost, however, was the people's belief that this mission was the most important thing in their lives - more than family and any earthly pleasures. They had to be true believers. It was to be the most outstanding characteristic of those who would be chosen.
In the world of hagiography - that is, highlights of the lives of saints - we also find this incredible bravery. While it is true that many during the colonial era of Europe and America were also serving imperialistic masters, for most, that was an unfortunate side bar. Like the reformed character in the movie, "The Mission," what gave these people such courage was belief - faith so strong that life itself was subservient.
To be a follower of Jesus in the early years also called for such courage, but here, "courage" was the cart before the horse. The idea was to have faith; to secure that faith, one had to be tested; and in that, courage was found (or not - Peter failed his first time). This courage was not to do service to self or government, however; it was to develope more faith for both the individual and his followers. Again, courage was the consequence of faith, not the goal.
And so the comparisons; John Glenn (probably) needed faith in his country to have such courage, which was necessary to serve his country as he did. The religious believer needs faith for the courage of his convicitions, and courage is needed to not only serve his belief, but - and much more importantly - to increase his faith. John Glenn's bravery helped to increase the faith of Americans in their own country., but such patriotism - such faith - was a welcome consequence, not the goal. In religion, faith is THE goal. As it was with John Glenn, faith (belief) is necessary to do brave things, but unlike John Glenn, those "things" are not the goal. Rather, faith is, because the analogy goes further. It has been said by more than one religious prophet of more than one religion that faith can move mountains (or literally change reality). The idea is that God is the goal, and only absolute, pure faith can get one to God. God is beyond our reality - out there in space farther than any rocket could ever take us. The "trip" is so overwhelming that only absolute courage can take us there - which is dependent on absolute faith. But it is the faith here that ultimately counts.
Still, both courage of the world and out of the world are often co-dependent. Glenn was also a religous man, which undoubtedly supported his faith in country, and his courage to serve. But in the end, it is not the tool that matters, but the job it does. Both here require courage, and courage, faith; but for one, the job is the completion of a mission, and for the other, the completion of the transformation of the world from inside out. FK
What was it that made him so incredibly brave? I have an uncle who also flew dangerous missions in both wars, and he seems to be honestly just plain born fearless. I doubt it, however; rather, I think both he and Glenn, besides being brave, also believed in the missions themselves and the government that represented the people behind them. Belief, then - they had belief that was strong enough to dispell all doubts. With that, John Glenn could do just about anything.
The same could be said for the fictional people on the National Geographic Mars series, characters taken from real life. In it, the qualities of the astronauts were delineated, including the ability to live in small spaces for long periods of time along with several other people. First and foremost, however, was the people's belief that this mission was the most important thing in their lives - more than family and any earthly pleasures. They had to be true believers. It was to be the most outstanding characteristic of those who would be chosen.
In the world of hagiography - that is, highlights of the lives of saints - we also find this incredible bravery. While it is true that many during the colonial era of Europe and America were also serving imperialistic masters, for most, that was an unfortunate side bar. Like the reformed character in the movie, "The Mission," what gave these people such courage was belief - faith so strong that life itself was subservient.
To be a follower of Jesus in the early years also called for such courage, but here, "courage" was the cart before the horse. The idea was to have faith; to secure that faith, one had to be tested; and in that, courage was found (or not - Peter failed his first time). This courage was not to do service to self or government, however; it was to develope more faith for both the individual and his followers. Again, courage was the consequence of faith, not the goal.
And so the comparisons; John Glenn (probably) needed faith in his country to have such courage, which was necessary to serve his country as he did. The religious believer needs faith for the courage of his convicitions, and courage is needed to not only serve his belief, but - and much more importantly - to increase his faith. John Glenn's bravery helped to increase the faith of Americans in their own country., but such patriotism - such faith - was a welcome consequence, not the goal. In religion, faith is THE goal. As it was with John Glenn, faith (belief) is necessary to do brave things, but unlike John Glenn, those "things" are not the goal. Rather, faith is, because the analogy goes further. It has been said by more than one religious prophet of more than one religion that faith can move mountains (or literally change reality). The idea is that God is the goal, and only absolute, pure faith can get one to God. God is beyond our reality - out there in space farther than any rocket could ever take us. The "trip" is so overwhelming that only absolute courage can take us there - which is dependent on absolute faith. But it is the faith here that ultimately counts.
Still, both courage of the world and out of the world are often co-dependent. Glenn was also a religous man, which undoubtedly supported his faith in country, and his courage to serve. But in the end, it is not the tool that matters, but the job it does. Both here require courage, and courage, faith; but for one, the job is the completion of a mission, and for the other, the completion of the transformation of the world from inside out. FK
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