On Christmas Eve in 1968, the crew of the Apollo 8 were asked to deliver a message to the Earth during a TV broadcast on Christmas Eve.

Originally their mission was to be a test of the command module as they travelled in an elliptical orbit around Earth.  But because of the concern that the USSR would be the first to fly around the moon, the flight plan was changed so that Apollo 8 would leave Earth’s gravity and attain orbit around the moon.  

Asked to say something, they had no formal guidance.  With help from a  reporter, and even more, the reporter’s wife, family and they chose a simple text from the Bible.  With this simple test, it was clear that all of mankind was included in what was an American achievement. 

One can only imagine what might have come form different men - we might have heard gloating and boasting (sound like our president?) but the there, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders were dedicated to selfless service. 

The text went like this:  

William Anders

We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.

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.

James Lovell

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Frank Borman

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he 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.

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