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When the Eagle's landing pads made contact with lunar sediment on July 20, 1969, the world stood still. Across the globe, human civilization rejoiced as one. This was not an American achievement, the astronauts explain, it was a human achievement. Between 1968 and 1972, nine Apollo spacecraft journeyed to the moon, and a dozen men walked on its surface. As America imploded beneath the trauma of war, assassinations and divisive social unrest, the Apollo program was said to have redeemed the entire decade.

For all their courage and scientific acumen, the astronauts of Apollo fumble with and in due course abandon using technical jargon to describe their other-worldly experiences. Ultimately, rationality cannot illuminate what is a metaphysical voyage of discovery. So it should come as no surprise that, in Shadow's final moments, the moonwalkers' speech alters into something far more elegiac, whimsical and fundamentally spiritual. They are the first to say that they are nothing special—blessed men who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. But to a man, they have been changed. They exude a modest, philosophical side that comes, one assumes, from having left our world and viewed it, in all of its fragility, from afar.

Earthrise on the moon

Some speak of our connectedness to the universe, others the need to protect and cherish the environment. Several of the astronauts describe a categorical belief in God and his sacred, creative hand in fashioning the cosmos. Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, and William Anders, aboard Apollo 8 on Christmas Eve, 1968, transmit a message in what was the most watched television broadcast to date: "For all the people on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … '" Charlie Duke recounts returning to Earth after his mission, attending Bible studies and soon after giving his life over to Christ. "My walk on the moon lasted three days," he says, "My walk with God will last forever."

British director David Sington has crafted an awe-inspiring film suffused with reverence and wonder. In the Shadow of the Moon is one of those rare films with the power to coax tears and goosebumps from even the most jaded viewer. Its scope is so grand, it subject so inspirational, that audiences can't help but leave the theater staggered by the monumental human achievement it recounts.

Following a dozen or so more missions in the next few years, America's remaining space shuttles will be permanently retired. At that time, NASA will turn its energies, once again, toward the moon. Engineers are already hard at work designing the Ares rockets that will hurl the Orion crew exploration vehicle—the technological progeny of Apollo—into outer space. However, this time the moon is not the ultimate goal, but a stepping-stone to something far more extraordinary—a human footprint on the scarlet soil of Mars.

Talk About It

1. The astronauts claim that their achievement was larger than any one country or nationality. It is a fact poignantly driven home when one of them points out that, from the surface of the moon, the Earth and all of its problems can be covered up merely by holding up one's thumb. In what other ways do mankind's territorial squabbles and self-made problems seem inconsequential when placed in such a cosmic context?
2. Does watching a film like In the Shadow of the Moon—in which humans push at the frontier of the heavens—strengthen or weaken your faith? How?
3. Do the astronauts' overt proclamations of faith surprise you? What about their inclusion in the film? Why or why not?
4. In what ways is NASA's ingenuity and stick-to-it-iveness an example for our own lives?

The Family Corner

In the Shadow of the Moon is rated PG for mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking. It's appropriate for most all ages. The "mild language" warning is for a single, barely off-color reference that may raise a few eyebrows. As for "brief violent images," the film shows American warplanes bombing the Vietnamese countryside, as well as the aftermath of the Apollo 1 fire. And "Buzz" Aldrin admits to standing on the Eagle ladder and "taking care of some business" before making the second giant leap for mankind.

Photos © Copyright THINKFilm

© Brandon Fibbs subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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