As a boy, I grew up watching all kinds of shows. Some were good and some were bad. You know how it goes. You grow up watching Good Times and you think it’s a great show, until you get older and you see the flaws that were always there, but just not visible to the eyes of a child. But there were other shows that I continued to watch even as I got older. Star Trek was one outhouse shows. The original series was canceled way back in the 60s. However, remarkably, in the late 70s and 80s, Star Trek saw a rebirth in the form of movies. Later on, the success of those movies spawned several new series and more movies. Again, some were good and some were bad. But there is one that stands out to me: Star Trek the Wrath of Khan.

At this point, you may be asking yourself if this is a church blog or a Sci-Fi blog. No need to worry, this is still a church blog. But I’ll get to my point. Star Trek the Wrath of Khan has many interesting themes: friendship, family, the folly of vengeance, rebirth, and consequences. However, the one that really stuck out to me (then and now) was something Mr. Spock (he’s the one with the pointed ears, just in case you aren’t as familiar with the series as I am) said to his old captain, who had become quite morose and unhappy with his life. Upon seeing how unhappy his old captain was (and having known him so well over the decades), Spock says to him, “Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny. Anything else is a waste of material.” I find this to be such a profound statement!

Many of us go through life unhappy and unfulfilled. We may blame a lot of things including circumstances, luck, other people, and fate. Now, I don’t say this to dismiss very real and powerful elements at play in all of our lives. I’ve been to places where the poverty level is overwhelming. I’ve seen schools outside this country that were still very segregated, even in 2011. Some of those children had parents who were missing or stricken with AIDS, drug addiction, or both. On top of all that, they had a substandard school system. And to really top it off, they lived in a country where there were other social issues and challenges that would serve to make things even more difficult for them when they go older. These things are real, and not easily overcome.

This post is not about beating the odds to become a star athlete or celebrity. Let’s face it. There are only so many of those slots available. Most of us will never be any of those things. This post is about what we can achieve and get back to. It’s about our first, best destiny: communion and relationship with God. You see, we were created to be participants in God’s creation. In Romans 8:22, Paul writes, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.” Having transgressed and fallen short of what God had original planned for us, we made things harder on ourselves. But, as we saw in an earlier post, those things that had been placed under us to rule also suffered. Because of our transgression, things were thrown off kilter. Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and the cameraman turns the camera at an odd angle? Well, that’s kind of the world that we live in.

Unfortunately, we can’t right that camera and get it back on its natural axis on a macro level. However, we can right the camera in our personal lives. The truth about the bible, in my opinion, is that there are consistent threads that run through the entirety of its 66 books. One of those threads is the love that God has for his creation. You see, God’s love is prepaid. We didn’t have to do a thing to earn it. Throughout the bible, we see a continuing attempt by God to reestablish the relationship that he originally had with us. From Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Israel, to the apostles, and to us in this present day, God continues to try and reach out to us. But we have become blinded and deaf. We are surrounded by voices and visual delights that make it hard for us to truly hear the voice that is reaching out to us or to acknowledge the miracles that happen everyday in our lives and in the lives of others.

You may not be too surprised to know that I also have an interest in science, and astronomy, in particular. I mean it makes sense, right? A Star Trek guy would probably be kind of geeky. Yeah, I know. Guilty as charged. But here’s something I learned from astronomy and watching all of those shows like Cosmos. When astronomers want to observe an astronomical event, they go to places away from major cities. A quick Google search will show you that a lot of observatories are away from big cities. So, why do you think that is? Well, the reason is because of “light pollution”. You may be asking, what in the world is light pollution? Well, think about trying to have a serious phone conversation while at a rock concert or standing in the middle of a major thunderstorm and trying to distinguish your tears from the rain. Well, that’s what light pollution is like. There are just too many other sources of light near major cities that can interfere with the goal of the astronomer. They want to get to a place where the light is “quiet”, for lack of a better word. They know what they’re looking for and realize that the best way to truly see it is to get away from all of that interference. It kind of works the same way with God and our ability to hear his voice. Sometimes, we need to get away from the interference that’s all around us.

Look, I know it’s not easy. We have busy lives and so many competing voices. However, if we are to pursue our first, best destiny, we need to get to a quiet place where we can hear our father’s voice. I promise you, once you learn his voice, you will be able to hear it even in the eye of the storm. An inheritance awaits all of those who return to their original calling. Take the time and make the effort to attune your ears to his voice. It will be well worth it. Our first, best destiny lies in relationship and communion with our maker and savior. Be well. Be blessed, beloved.