Apollo 8 astronauts read Genesis from lunar orbit on Christmas Eve 1968

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Editor’s note: This essay is adapted from the new book, "One Nation Always Under God: Profiles in Christian Courage" by Senator Tim Scott. Copyright 2025 by Timothy Scott. Published with permission from Broadside Books and HarperCollins Publishers.  

This is just one of my favorite Jim Lovell stories. Two years earlier, Jim had been on another historic mission. Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth’s orbit, reach the moon, orbit it, and return safely to earth. This mission was crucial in testing the spacecraft’s navigation and communication systems over long distances, ensuring that the technology and procedures were robust enough for an eventual lunar landing. And while that mission could easily warrant a chapter of its own, what I love most about it was what happened on Christmas Eve of 1968. 

NASA recognized the historic significance of every word said on the broadcast of this early mission, especially since there was likely to be a huge audience of families at home for Christmas. But when Frank Borman, the mission commander, asked a NASA public relations official what to say, that official merely said it should be "something appropriate." 

But how in the world could Borman find the words suitable to such a special moment? At the height of the Cold War, he felt honored that his government trusted him to choose his own words — what a contrast to the hypercontrolled cosmonauts of the Soviet Union! — but when it came down to it, everything he could think to say seemed unworthy of the occasion. He asked a friend, who in turn consulted a friend who worked in the Bureau of the Budget. 

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The answer finally came when that official asked his wife. A former French resistance member and ballerina during the Second World War, Christine Laitin had the answer. 

Sen. Tim Scott's newest book details stories he found of Christian courage. (Getty Images)

"Go back to the beginning," she said. 

So that’s exactly what they did. In a moment collectively experienced by virtually every American citizen, astronauts Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, and Bill Anders took turns reading the first 10 verses from the Book of Genesis. This historic broadcast was heard by countless millions of people on Earth, making it one of the most-watched television broadcasts at the time. 

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"‘In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night, And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called the Seas: and God saw that it was good.’ And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth." 

What a moment! The history of the United States is replete with Holy Spirit moments like this. Even the idea of going to outer space is so audacious and visionary that it remained only in the realm of imagination for centuries. While many cultures throughout history have dreamed of reaching the moon, it was the United States that turned this dream into reality. This monumental achievement could only have happened in America. 

Portrait of the crew of NASA's Apollo 8, Florida, December 1968. Pictured are, from left, command module pilot James Lovell, lunar module pilot William Anders, and Commander Frank Borman. (Photo by NASA/Interim Archives/Getty Images)

This story is by no means an isolated phenomenon but a recurring theme throughout American history. When faced with adversity, Americans have consistently pulled together to find solutions, overcome challenges, and emerge stronger. This is the story of America! Every story I have told in this book, the story I have personally lived, and the story each and every one of us finds ourselves in is the story of an overcomer. From our nation’s very beginning, Americans have shown a remarkable ability to unite and confront challenges head-on. As I just laid out in the previous chapter, in the American Revolution, thirteen colonies, each with its own interests and identities, came together to fight for independence against the most formidable military power of the time. The power of collective effort and shared purpose was palpable, driving the fledgling nation toward a hard-fought victory and laying the foundation for the United States. 

Why is it important to remember these stories? Because this is who we are! No matter how great the obstacle, we as a nation will overcome it. We will rise to the challenge, harness our ingenuity, and achieve the impossible. These stories remind us of our resilience, our determination, and our unyielding spirit. They also reflect the Judeo-Christian principles that have guided us throughout our history, playing a crucial role in every significant achievement. With unity, faith, and perseverance, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. 

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But there’s one bigger lesson to take from the experience of astronauts as well. Jim Lovell’s reaction to space was not to find Earth comparatively small and unimportant but rather to grow more and more appreciative of the gift we’ve been given to have been born at all. Jim felt revival happen in his heart as he looked at that retreating blue dot, hundreds of thousands of miles in the rearview mirror. Even in the depths of space, astronauts worshiped. 

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Presbyterian Buzz Aldrin took communion on the moon, having received permission from his church. "At the time," he later said, "I could think of no better way to acknowledge the Apollo 11 experience than by giving thanks to God." So often, we can only perceive our lack of gratitude when the thing we have taken for granted is snatched away. We only know what we have in its absence. Very few of us will be astronauts, but hopefully, through reading their stories, we can recover our gratitude for what we take for granted, without needing to lose it. We should study the vivid photos of the cold and dead surface of the moon, and that famous photo of Earth peering from over the rim of the moon’s barren surface, to remind us of what a gift our world truly is. 

South Carolina Republican Tim Scott's new book, "One Nation Always Under God: Profiles in Christian Courage," is being released Aug. 5, 2025. (Published with permission from Broadside Books and HarperCollins Publishers)

Not for nothing did King David feel his own insignificance when he looked on the stars. He prayed to God:  

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" —Psalm 8:3–4, ESV 

And yet his final takeaway is one of humility and hope: 

When faced with adversity, Americans have consistently pulled together to find solutions, overcome challenges, and emerge stronger.

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