Mars Close-ups

Remember the first photos of Mar’s surface? A barren, rubble-covered wasteland. But recent close-ups reveal something more.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been circling Mars for three years now. Its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera (HiRISE) photographs the planet’s surface at just inches per pixel. The photos reveal amazing variety and beauty.

The difference between the works of God and the works of man is that the more closely we look at God’s works, the more intricate perfection we see, whereas the more closely we examine human works, the more mistakes and imperfections we see. We have all experienced this. Whether building a fence, painting a picture, or writing a blog, we can always find a mistake or room for improvement.

Earth is marred (pun intended) because of God’s judgment on sin: thorns and thistles from the curse of Adam’s rebellion; lost species from the Great Flood and from human mismanagement; deserts, pollution and chronic illness because of greed and ignorance. Yet, the creation itself—God’s work—is incredibly complex and beautiful: microscopic life, the human body, the laws of physics.

We could easily become discouraged if we looked only at our mistakes. Better if we keep “looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2.

Here are two sites for marvelous photos of Mars: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/11/martian_landscapes.html and http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/releases/sept_09.php?page=1