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VIEWPOINT
Houston, we have a problem!

James Toews

“Houston, we’ve had a problem!” On April 13, 1970, Apollo 13’s Mission Control received the desperate call from Commander James Lovell. An explosion of one of the oxygen tanks had damaged the life-support systems while the spacecraft was heading for the moon, 200,000 miles from earth. Life in that miracle of modern technology suddenly became very fragile. Just seconds earlier, the crew had sent their goodnights back to earth, and now it seemed unlikely that they would ever set foot on their pale blue planet again.

In the 22 years that have followed, the phrase “Houston, we have a problem!” has become part of our language. When insurmountable barriers rise up against us, we echo James Lovell’s ominous call.

“Houston, we have a problem!” might also be the cry of those watching the desperate and deadly struggle taking place between the Palestinians and Israel. This has all the marks of a hopeless calamity. It is, of course, not a new struggle. The latest round of battles between suicide bombers and Israeli tanks has brought the tension between these two nations back onto the world stage, but this is an old battle. Two nations, each of whose very existence threatens the other, are locked in a hopeless battle. It is like watching a Greek tragedy unfold. The plot line is all too familiar – this will end in a disaster. We know that neither side can give in.

The shock of this latest conflict may well be its utter hopelessness. The allies on both sides appear immobilized. Everyone seems to sense that any escalation of hostilities will just expand the calamity, and so we sit transfixed by the TV newscasts, watching two small nations terrorize each other into madness.

What exactly is this latest “problem” that has hit the fragile little planet we call home? It is a problem that we can easily understand. Each side of the conflict is simply defending its homes and rights. The problem is the territorial defensiveness that drives families and communities to create safe places to raise their children. Who will decide which community deserves to have a secure homeland and which community will give up its heritage? In this tragedy, one or both communities will be displaced or destroyed. Houston, we have a problem!

We are not the first generation to watch hopelessly as events in the ancient land of Israel march towards disaster. But 3000 years ago God’s people were given a command: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you’” (Psalm 122:6-8). The command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem might be 3000 years old, but maybe, as we watch in horror, we will not be immobilized. Maybe instead, like Commander James Lovell, we will call our Mission Control with a desperate cry for help. Who knows how the mission of Apollo 13 might have ended if Commander Lovell had not known he must call Houston? Who knows how the future in the Middle East will unfold if God’s people really do call their Mission Control?

James Toews is senior pastor of Neighbourhood Church in Nanaimo, B.C.

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Last modified June 13, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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