Some said the flight was nearly a “disaster.” One of the early hot air balloonists, French inventor, 30-year-old Jean-Pierre Blanchard (1753 – 1809) scheduled a balloon flight in Paris, March 2, 1784. Tellingly, Pesch, a priest, co-piloted.
However, a swashbuckling scoundrel, Dupont de Chambon, demanded to accompany them. When Blanchard and Pesch pushed Dupont back from the basket, Dupont leapt in, drew his sword, wounded Blanchard in his left hand and damaged equipment.
Somehow the police subdued Dupont.
In short order, Blanchard wrapped his wound and repaired the balloon. He took off alone.
Unexpectedly – some would say “unluckily” – wind pushed the balloon across the River Seine. But then, “luckily”(?) another wind arose – pushing the balloon back again – round trip, 75 minutes!
As his motto, Blanchard optimistically chose a phrase from Virgil’s “Aeneid”: “Thus you shall go to the stars” – like our: “To infinity and beyond!”
On the other hand, the first century Roman philosopher, Seneca the Younger, counseled: “There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.”
Blanchard understood – but he would understand more.
In 1804, at 51, Jean-Pierre married 26-year-old Sophie. In 1808, while up in his balloon, Blanchard suffered a heart attack and fell. This “calamity” led to his death.
Sophie continued to support herself with ballooning shows. In Paris, on her 67th ascent, July 6, 1819, she launched fireworks that ignited the gas in her balloon. “Disastrously,” her craft crashed on the roof of a house and she fell to her death. Sadly, she was only 41.
Examining “disaster” and “calamity”
“Disaster” comes from Latin – “disastro” – literally, “ill-starred,” from “dis” – “lack of, away from” + “astro” – “star, planet.” Somehow, astrology falsely persuades a variety of people that disasters come from unfavorable positions of a planet or star in the zodiac.
“Calamity” comes from Latin – “calamitatem” – “damage, loss, failure; disaster, misfortune, adversity.”
The origins of “disaster” and “calamity,” show us these words strip meaning/personality from life – substituting chance/fate. And they may do so at a time when life is particularly hard.
What is at the core of our universe?
“Universe” comes from Latin – “uni” – “one” + “verus” – “truth.” Life comes from the True Source – the True Person – God himself. The better question is: “Who is at the core of our universe?”
According to Biblical evidence, this Person did not wind up the universe and let it spin. “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26) With God, literally there is no “disaster” – no “unlucky” movement of the stars. None.
Instead, Jesus tells us we have a Father in heaven. Despite our wounded world, this Person gets the final word – not the heartless anonymity of some maverick molecule or rogue star. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Mt 10:29-31).
As a result, a friend took impersonal “lucky” and transposed it to: “L”ook “U”p, “C”hrist “K”eeps “Y”ou.
Really?
It sounds heartless to tell Japanese who saw a tsunami inundate their coastal cities and villages: “This was no disaster.” But, if God is in charge and this is not some mechanistic universe – earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones are not “disasters” – nor are stampedes, fires, industrial accidents, oil spills and nuclear explosions/radiation – to say nothing of debilitating birth defects, disease and death. They are brutal evidence of the Fall and nature’s bondage to increasing futility. (Rom 8:20)
Misery also deeply touches Christians. But, they radically declare: “It is possible to believe Sovereign God somehow filters all of these evils through his loving and just hands – his nail pierced hands – in such a way that someday we will whole-heartedly sing: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
Jesus’ incarnation
Although “There is no easy way from the earth to the stars,” we add: “Nor was there an easy way from the stars to the earth.” At the center of our universe is The Person who is also The Star – a mega source of revitalizing light/eternal energy – a Star who personally reconnects us with God. Whether or not we can make this connection, God has united Star and Person in Christ.
Imposters, Satan and idols, attempt to rob him of his glory. Satan: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!” (Isaiah 14:12) Idols: “You have lifted up…the star of your god — which you made for yourselves.”(Amos 5:26)
Despite such fraud, the ancient prophecy connected Star and Person: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob.” (Numbers 24:17) Eventually, magi asked: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).
This One who came so far to join us knew he had to be touched profoundly by suffering. About him, Isaiah prophesied: “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.” (53:11). Despite our darkness, that “light of life” still shines. “I, Jesus,…am the bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16).
“Thus you shall go to the stars” is fulfilled through Jesus.
Friend, will He pilot your flight?
Note 1: The King James Version uses “disaster/ous” and “calamity/ous much less than any of our modern translations. Were the KJV translators more aware of the impersonal, godless origin of these words?
| Disaster/ous | Calamity/ous | Sum | |
| KJV | 0 | 17 | 17 |
| Message | 53 | 7 | 60 |
| ESV | 85 | 42 | 127 |
| NIV 1984 | 117 | 28 | 145 |
