Of all the shows I listened to on Sunday, the one that I, at least at one time, liked the best was Star Trek. The original one caught my imagination in reruns in the 1970s when the Apollo program was in full swing, including the Apollo-Soyuz project with the Soviet Union. I visited NASA, took physics, and briefly entertained a career in the field (although women were invisible).
I was never a “Trekkie,” but at one time I owned a tribble and a set of communicators. I’ve moved on, and the original episodes haven’t aged well, but the opening words still catch my attention.
Space—the final frontier.
Even if you never watched Star Trek, you probably recognize those words. To me, they carried a sense of possibility, curiosity, and hope. Star Trek believed the future could be better than the past, and that human beings, at their best, could grow into that vision of the future.
Week after week, the crew of the Enterprise faced the unknown. New worlds. New cultures. New moral dilemmas. And beneath the adventure was always a deeper question:
What is the right thing to do?
Star Trek was, at its best, a morality play dressed up with aliens, phasers, and starships. And cheap sets. But power was meant to be restrained by wisdom. Exploration was meant to be guided by responsibility. Differences weren’t to be feared, but approached with humility and curiosity.
Even though Star Trek’s creator was an outspoken atheist, it turns out these values aren’t far from the life of faith. The Bible encourages us to seek wisdom, to act responsibly in our dealings with others, and to walk humbly with God.
Faith requires us to admit we don’t know everything. Faith encourages us to listen, adapt, and sometimes rethink our assumptions entirely.
Following God isn’t a call to stay safely within the borders of what we already understand. It’s an invitation into holy curiosity, and to trust that God is already present in the unfamiliar places we are hesitant to explore.
Of course, curiosity requires courage. It’s easier to cling to what’s predictable than to think about change. But spiritual growth has always involved crossing thresholds: meeting new neighbors, reconsidering long-held views, and discovering that God is larger than we imagined. Spiritual growth invites us to ask better questions, see dignity in those who seem different, and believe that wisdom matters more than winning.
Faith itself is a voyage into the true final frontier. It’s not a five-year mission, but for a lifetime. The “strange new world” we’re exploring and participating in is nothing less than the kingdom of God. And, we’re invited to go boldly. Because God will be with us every step of the way.
Today, as you navigate your day, watch out for those Klingons and Romulans! But also consider: What new adventure might God have planned for you? What unfamiliar space could become holy ground if you approached it with humility and love? What new person you meet might be someone needing to hear words of encouragement from you, or might have words to offer you?
Prayer: God of infinite wonder, you are always greater than the edges of my understanding. Give me the courage to explore without fear, humility to listen and learn, and wisdom to choose what is loving and just. Lead me beyond the safety of the familiar into the expansive life you are calling me to live. Amen.
