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By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged

As those who’ve followed Artemis II’s record 252,756-mile journey from Earth have discovered, faith is extremely important to Victor Glover, the moon mission’s pilot.

In an interview with Glover and his crewmates Sunday, CBS News’ Mark Strassman noted that Apollo 8 — which in 1968 became the first human spaceflight to reach the moon — “had a memorable Christmas Eve reading from Genesis.

“Do you have a message from space that you’d like to share about Easter Sunday?” Strassman asked.

Glover replied that he didn’t have anything prepared but was glad Strassman brought it up.

Then the 49-year-old former combat aviator offered this eloquent response: 

“I think these observances are important, and as we are so far from Earth and looking at the beauty of creation, I think for me one of the really personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see Earth as one thing. And when I read the Bible and look at all the amazing things that were done for us — who were created — you have this amazing place, this spaceship.

“You guys are talking to us because we are on a spaceship really far from Earth. But you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe, in the cosmos. 

“Maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we’re doing is special. But we’re the same distance from you. And I’m trying to tell you, just trust me: You are special. 

“In all of this emptiness — this is a whole lot of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together. I think as we go into Easter Sunday, thinking about all the cultures all around the world — whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not — this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are and that we are the same thing and that we got to get through this together.”

On Monday, just before the Orion spacecraft experienced an anticipated 40-minute communications blackout on the far side of the moon, Glover again reflected on his faith.

Read the full column.

This column appears in the online magazine Religion Unplugged.

NASA photo