40 years ago today, a national catastrophe occurred in the frigid skies over Florida. The space shuttle Challenger, after just 73 seconds of flight, exploded killing all aboard. It was confirmed later that a piece of equipment that was supposed to seal two parts of the rocket called an O ring malfunctioned. It allowed fuel to escape into the area where the rocket was blasting.
On board with the astronauts was the first person selected as a teacher to accompany them. She planned to teach a classroom lesson from space. Later, that lesson was taught by other teachers in many classrooms. The teacher program was immediately canceled.
The manufacturer of the O ring warned NASA staff that it could likely malfunction because the January temperature in Florida was too low. Staff members voiced their concerns that this was taking too great of a risk.
The man who made the final decision to blastoff was Lawrence Mulloy. He was a project manager of the event. He pressured the manufacturer of the O ring to agree with him that the launch should continue. He was named in a lawsuit by one of the astronaut’s wives to the tune of over $15 million. A few months after the tragedy he retired early and is now 86 years old living in Tennessee, admitting to regret and guilt.
This was a terrible decision that had terrible results. He was not the only one that has made bad decisions. One example is in our text about. King Benhadad ruled over Syria. He made the decision to threaten Israel with war, but King Ahab of Israel on the advice of his followers was told by God to kill Benhadad. That decision was catastrophic for him and Israel. It was prophesied to him that because he let the Syrian king go free, Ahab would take his place suffering the consequence.
We make decisions all the time every day. Should I eat a hamburger with French fries or should I eat chicken with mashed potatoes is one example. Many decisions are inconsequential like what I just cited. However, some decisions have far-reaching and drastic effects unbeknownst to us before we make that choice. Nowhere in my examples do we find God’s direction for how to make some confirmation that is before them. Certainly, we don’t know the future. What is important for us is to rely on the Bible and the impressions from the Holy Spirit, as well as advice from strong believers.
The purpose of this blog is to honor the people who died on the Challenger 40 years ago, their bravery and willingness to serve the country. A secondary purpose is for every one of us to take caution for the decisions we make. Sometimes we really know the correct decision but turn away from it such as not being involved in a crime or “significant” sin. We must be careful not to rush into a decision, nor must we not make a decision because we have predetermined that’s what we want. What are our motives? What in good faith with God and man do we want to happen. It is always wise for us to stop and think plainly and clearly. When I was a teenager, I had a pastor who used to say, “if in doubt, do nothing.” The choices are yours. The consequences are also yours.
Christian Writer 