How the Earth Must Look to God

Earthrise. Dec. 24, 1948

Forty-five years ago, on Christmas Eve, television viewers on earth were watching their small screens to catch the broadcast from Apollo 8 orbiting the moon.

Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders were preparing a radio and TV broadcast to earth on that holy night. One of every five inhabitants of the earth would see or hear the words of that historic event in real time.

            But there was a bonus. Almost by accident the astronauts had caught sight of  a small blue ball partially shrouded by wispy white clouds, at the edge of the lunar surface. Planet Earth was rising in the blackness. They quickly took images that became known as "Earthrise."

That broadcast scene, in the words of one viewer,
 "must be how earth must look to God."

Lovell spoke to the people of earth.  "The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth."

They ended the broadcast with the crew taking turns reading from the book of Genesis.

"And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."