Sputtering Sputnik

From My Perspective - - -

It was reminiscent of an old Western on the radio – returning to the days of yesteryear. One could meet all kinds of people in yesteryear – Hopalong Cassidy; The Lone Ranger; Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers, etc. It was an innocent and fun time as the imagination could project one back in time to those “good old days” of yesteryear.

In the State of the Union Address to Congress on January 25, 2011, President Obama raised a point regarding yesteryear – referring back to October 4, 1957, when he said – “Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik, we had no idea how we would beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t even there yet. NASA didn’t exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs. This is our generation’s Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race…” Sputnik stayed in orbit until January 4, 1958. As it reentered the earth’s atmosphere, it burned up – but the space race had begun. Now there is a cooperative effort with the orbiting space station manned by both American Astronauts and Russian Cosmonauts.

President Obama went on to make another dramatic reference that was intended to challenge and motivate when he said: “The future is ours to win. But to get there, we can’t just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, ‘The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.’ Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age. And now it’s our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit and reform our government. That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future…”

Speeches are one thing – action is another. All the rhetoric in the world will not lower the $14 trillion national debt, nor will it return 9.4% of the unemployed to gainful employment. It’s one thing to say in a national address: “It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age. And now it’s our turn.”, but it’s another to lead the way with a plan and action that demonstrates sacrifice. The President could’ve references sacrifice in terms of the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton…These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more.

Jesus states the cost of discipleship in Luke 14:26, 27, 33. One must be willing to let go of everything that is precious and of value – family, possessions, his own life – to follow Jesus Christ and to readily claim identity with The Cross – Luke 14:27, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Sputnik illustrated what could be done and spurred a generation to enter the space adventure. We need illustrations and examples of those who paved the way to a life of discipleship. Will you be one of the examples?  Consider these things with me!