Take Your Atmosphere with You

Today’s message was written by my friend Roger Kunkel.

Not long ago, a television reporter was interviewing a group of astronauts about the opportunities and dangers of travel in space. He concluded the interview by asking this question: “What do you think is the single most important key to successful space travel?” One of the astronauts made an interesting response: “The secret of traveling in space is to take your own atmosphere with you!”

As I heard that, I realized that is also true in our travels through life on this earth. The key is to take your own atmosphere with you. We don’t need to be changed or altered or influenced or destroyed by alien, or even hostile, environments in this life. We can take our own atmosphere with us. This is precisely what the magnificent passage in Paul’s letter to the Romans is about, where Paul says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2). I love the way J.B. Phillips paraphrases this: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” In other words, “Give your life totally to God and don’t let anything change that or water that down or choke the life out of it.” Or, put yet another way, “You can take your own atmosphere with you.”

Let us pray: Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Roll back the clouds and let the sun shine brightly in our souls. May your love penetrate the dullness of daily existence and remind us of the joy which comes from reaching higher than the shelf of selfishness to the one of friendship, justice, and tender kindness. In these challenging times, give us the courage of morality, the integrity of truth, and the dignity of decency. May our hands reach out with the love and compassion of your Son; through the grace of Jesus we pray. Amen.