You are now using pencil and paper to get from Pluto’s orbit, 39 astronomical units (AU) from the sun, to the proposed Oort cloud, at 200 AU. Question: should you traverse directly out to the threshold; or would fuel be saved by continuing the fall-in and making a close turn around the sun?

The spaceship is currently motionless, so the speed required for direct traverse can be developed only from engine thrust. However, by falling in, at the closest approach to the sun, the ship would be going so fast it’d set your hair on fire (271 miles per second)! And so we appeal to a physics equation that accounts for both thrust and speed:

POWER equals FORCE times VELOCITY

POWER is then how fast energy is transferred into the spaceship’s motion. FORCE is the engine’s thrust, and VELOCITY is speed with respect to the sun.

The thrust is the same whenever the engine burns, whether going slow or fast. This equation then says that power will depend on velocity. At low velocity, power will be little; at high velocity it will be great. Consequently, the rocket engine will be much more powerful if activated near the sun.

Suppose the thrust is such that a 10 minute burn would be required to go directly out to the Oort cloud. Conversely, if no burn were performed, the ship would fall into the sun … not a good idea. However, the course could be adjusted, using negligible fuel, to make a close approach at 1 solar radius above the sun’s surface.

Here, the ship will have great velocity giving the engine great power. A burn performed at this time need be only 4.7 seconds to propel the ship all the way out to 200 AU. Thus, the 10 minute burn of the direct traverse would require nearly 130 times more fuel! So, without the multiplying power of the sun’s gravity, the spaceship would probably run out of fuel and perish in outer darkness.

Now, physics often parallels Biblical truth. While the Lord is the creator and sustainer of all things (Heb 1:2-3), He is also the author of the Scriptural testimony (II Tim 3:16). This story of the spaceship is then a metaphor of Spiritual truth. Just as the spaceship was enabled to survive and complete its mission by coming near the sun, we are enabled to receive Life and accomplish God’s will by drawing near to Jesus (John 15:5-7). In fact, we are given the exhortation, “Walk while you have the light” (John 12:35). Revelation 1:16 even says, “His face shown like the sun.” Also, just as the sun multiplied the spaceship’s power, the Lord multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fishes to feed 5000 men, as recorded in John 6:5-13.

The speed of recent events would suggest that our country is very near the sun, having but a short window to maximize power. Recall the Lord’s words, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matt. 9:37-38). Let us then go about reviving the latent fire for Christ within our once God-fearing culture by demonstrating the Gospel through our words and actions. In other words, if we would but fire the thrusters, as in the founding of our country, or the later sending out of worldwide missionaries, we may light the Third Great Awakening!