Read
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.
Ephesians 5:13-14a
Reflect
Like so many people who grew up in the late 1960s and early 1970s, America’s chase for superiority in space captured my imagination. It helped that my family lived on the Space Coast, easily within the distance of being able to view rocket launches with the naked eye. Because of my Dad’s connections in the newspaper industry, I was actually at the launch of Apollo 13 (“Houston, we’ve had a problem”). We watched the launch of the Apollo-Soyuz mission from our backyard. And while I was in college, I witnessed the Challenger disaster through a window at Stetson University.
But my earliest memory was when we still lived in Texas. I was almost three, and I remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, in my parents’ bedroom. It was a moment that captivated not only this country but the world. It was one of mankind’s greatest achievements — and it’s since become one of the greatest conspiracy theories on the planet. Surveys consistently show that at least 5 percent of people believe the moon landing was a hoax pulled off by our government. Conspiracy theorists provide a host of arguments, each of which has been debunked by numerous third-party experts. For those who truly believe the myth, no amount of evidence matters.
If you haven’t noticed lately, there’s no shortage of conspiracy theories. Just do a search for those words — “latest conspiracy theories” — and you’ll get page after page listing the latest and greatest rumors circling the web. And when it comes to people who engage in conspiracy theories, the truth is usually the last thing that they believe. Once they fall for the deception, it becomes the reality that they cling to. And if you’ve noticed, true believers in conspiracy theories are some of the best evangelists for their causes. They might not know anything about scripture, but they can quote chapter and verse about all of the “evidence” that supports their beliefs.
As Christians, we should always be on the side of truth. But we should never engage in discussion that is rooted in half-truths, gossip or rumors. Our time is precious, and spending it debating things that are of little or no consequence is fruitless. Moreover, the Bible tells us that once the light truly shines on the darkness, it will be clearly exposed. God doesn’t need us to be activists for or against rumors. He needs us to be active in spreading His Word and His love in the midst of the darkness.
The next time you receive another text or email espousing another theory about something in the news, remember that the best response to most of these messages is no response at all. Let others debate the moon landing, the flatness of the Earth or the government’s latest attempts at mind control. Spend your time discussing things that are in the light and that have more eternal consequence.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
