In the novel, Orbital, Samantha Harvey tells us about a group of astronauts headed for the moon: “When they got a first glimpse of their rocket high on its staging, its three boosters, twenty-seven engines, five million pounds of thrust, the look on their faces was the besotted sharp look of a street dog when it catches the scent of meat.” [p. 135]
To be an astronaut is an extreme commitment. It takes a lot of training. The rigors involved are severe. It is all consuming. It takes many years. The people who want to be astronauts do not balk at the excessive training and commitment involved. Their attitude seems to be ‘Bring it on!’
They are so enthusiastic and committed to the endeavor,
Frankly, while I have no desire to go into outer space, I do love hearing about the commitment of the astronauts. Their passion and sense of purpose. To me, it seems like we see less of that these days. So many people are just trying to get by, make a living, holding themselves and their families together. They don’t seem to have the bandwidth to be passionate about something. To do something with their lives that they are stoked about. And do we see people encouraged to find what they are passionate about and pursue it? Are young people coached in recognizing what gets them fired up, what brings them joy, what excites them? Or is it just about what jobs there are and what sectors of the economy need workers?
I think that the arts help to keep passion alive in our society. People involved in the creative arts, music, visual art, dance, theater, can be passionate about what they are creating. What they are doing. But of course the arts are suffering from a severe lack of funding so that passion is often quelled by lack of financial resources.
Human beings are created to be passionate. About life. About love. About a hobby or an issue or a career or nature or a sport. Certainly the Olympic athletes showed passion for their endeavors. Passion makes us human. Being human is about having passion about something.
This Lenten season is a time to consider the passion in our lives. What do you get excited about? What are you passionate about? What do you make a sacrifice to do or be part of? What stirs your spirit and gets you energized?
Prayer: May we be people of passion not just for an endeavor but for life and the wellbeing of Creation. Amen.
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Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL
The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people orbiting the Earth in a spaceship. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 