Daily Thought for Friday 1st May 2026
“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.”
Exodus 3:2 (NRSV)
Not youth but willingness
Isobel Hunter
Millions watched as Artemis II blasted off soaring perfectly into the sky heading for the moon. Images of lift off with its fiery flames are spectacular, those in the restricted zone talk about feeling the roar through their whole body, of the exhaust gases, of the particles of stone and of the water thrown up from the earth in that mighty explosion of power.
Was something of that Moses’ experience when he approached the restricted zone, the holy ground around the burning bush, and heard the voice of God? It must have been awesome, the angel of the Lord appearing to him in flames of fire, a fire that was not consumed. It was enough to send an 80-year-old shepherd back to Pharaoh, to speak, to act, to lead.
The Artemis crew are seasoned and experienced pilots, engineers and scientists – people who have spent years preparing for this moment. The commander, at 50, is the oldest person to travel beyond low earth orbit, Victor Glover the first black man to do so. The crew also included the first Canadian and the first woman to travel so far, she the youngest of the four at 47. Moses too was no novice, called not despite his age but with all the experience of life behind him. God’s call does not depend on youth but on willingness.
At Pentecost the disciples also encountered fire – not to destroy but to empower. Tongues of flame rested on them and fear gave way to courage, waiting to action. They were given purpose. We are not being asked to lead a nation out of slavery, nor to travel to the moon. But we are called as the disciples were, to step forward in faith whatever our age, whatever our hesitation.
Shall we pray?
As Artemis II’s giant engines roared to life, Commander Reid Wiseman said, ‘We go for all humanity’. May the Holy Spirit kindle in us the fire to do likewise. Amen.
Isobel Hunter is Session Clerk to the Parish of Upper Tweeddale, and a worship leader in the West Tweeddale linking of six churches in the Scottish Borders.