Mars Part 2
As we follow up on last week’s conversation, I find myself thinking less about rockets and technology... and more about what all of this says about us.
Because for Christians, Mars isn’t really the question. The question is what Scripture has to say about human ambition, stewardship, and our place in God’s creation. And the truth is, faithful Christians look at this issue from different perspectives.
Some point to Genesis 1:28, where God tells mankind to “fill the earth and subdue it.” They see exploration, discovery, and even space travel as a natural extension of the creativity and curiosity God placed within us. They would argue that studying the universe, reaching farther, and learning more about creation can ultimately glorify the Creator. After all, Psalm 19 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
Others look at Scripture and come away with a different emphasis. Psalm 115:16 says, “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to mankind.” And they ask a simple question: Has God already given us our home? Because when we look at Earth, we see a world uniquely designed for life. We breathe its air. We drink its water. We grow food from its soil. Every detail seems to point to a Creator who fashioned this place specifically for human beings.
Mars, by contrast, is barren. The atmosphere can’t sustain us. The environment is hostile. Every step of survival would require technology to overcome conditions that Earth provides freely.
And that’s where I find myself thinking about Babel.
In Genesis 11:4, we read; “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves...”
God had already instructed Noah’s descendants to spread out and fill the earth. But instead, they gathered together, set their sights upward, and began building.
Now, many theologians rightly point out that the sin of Babel was not architecture. It wasn’t engineering. It wasn’t even ambition itself. The problem was pride. It was the desire to make a name for themselves apart from God. And to ignore God’s very specific mandate for them.
But I also think the story raises another question. Was there, beneath all of it, a belief that what God had already provided was somehow not enough? And that’s where I think Christians should pause and reflect. When we talk about colonizing Mars, are we talking about responsible exploration of God’s creation?
Or are we talking about a growing belief that humanity can ultimately solve every problem, conquer every limitation, and secure its future through its own ingenuity? And are some trying to make a name for themselves? Maybe it’s one. Maybe it’s the other. Maybe it’s a little of both. The Bible never mentions Mars. But it does tell us something far more important. It tells us who we are. We are stewards, not owners. We are creators, but not THE Creator. We are called to exercise dominion, but always under God’s authority.
And while humanity dreams of building cities on Mars, Scripture points us to a different future altogether. II Peter speaks of a “new heavens and a new earth.” Hebrews speaks of a city whose builder and maker is God.
In other words, our ultimate hope has never been found in escaping Earth.
It’s not found in technology, or in another planet. It’s found in Christ