“Mad” Mike Hughes, 62 years old, believes the world is shaped like a Frisbee. It is not a globe. He not a scientist, but a limousine driver from Apple Valley, California. Even so, he has been determined to prove the earth is pretty much flat.
In March 2018 he did this by blasting himself into space. After several months of delays, he successfully launched himself over the Mojave Desert in a home-made steam-propelled rocket. He landed hard and said he probably wouldn’t be able to get out of bed the next morning.
So, did he “prove” Earth is flat? Not exactly. “Mad” Mike only launched himself about a quarter-mile up. That’s pretty impressive for a do-it-yourself astronaut but about 61 miles short of getting into space. He plans to improve his rocket and try, try again. Like cartoon star Wile E. Coyote.
Trying to establish that what you believe is true makes a lot of sense. Some things cannot be proven because they are not true. Other things cannot be proven because they are inaccessible to us. The resurrection of Jesus is like this: it happened long ago, we ourselves were not there to witness it and all we have are mostly second-hand accounts. Nevertheless, there are compelling arguments for believing it really happened.
“Mad” Mike Hughes will eventually be disillusioned by his quest. Or, more likely, killed by it. Those who believe in Jesus will not be disappointed but amazed that it is even more glorious than they could have imagined. Christians don’t have to launch themselves into space – Jesus has already gone there and he will bring us to be with him with his own power, not ours.
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Adapted from an article in the “This Is True” internet newsletter edited by Randy Cassingham, March 25, 2018; < https://thisistrue.com >.