Tragedy to Triumph

‘Houston, we’ve had a problem,’ were the words of Jim Lovell on the evening of 13 April 1970.

Nearly fifty-six hours into the mission to the moon, an explosion aboard the spacecraft plunged the crew into a fight for their survival. Within less than a minute there was a cascade of systems failures throughout the spacecraft. ‘It was all at one time – a monstrous failure,’ said NASA’s flight controller.

The spacecraft looped around the moon, using its gravity to return to earth. Millions of people followed the drama on television. Eventually, the capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga.

In an article headed ‘Apollo 13: From Disaster to Triumph’ the BBC science reporter wrote, ‘Although the mission was not a success from a conventional perspective, it was a triumph of ingenuity and determination.’ Jim Lovell said it showed the people of the world that even if there was a great catastrophe, it could be turned into a success.

The supreme example of triumph coming out of apparent catastrophe is the cross. What seemed to the world to be the ultimate defeat was in fact the ultimate triumph.

Triumph of God

Psalm 68:21-27

As we look around at the world today we see so much evil.

This psalm celebrates God’s ultimate triumph over evil and, in particular, evil nations and empires. You are invited to watch the triumphal entry of God into his temple. God has triumphed. Right will win the day. Human pride and inflated arrogance will one day be humbled before the majesty of God’s just rule.

David describes a triumphal procession celebrating the victory of God over his enemies: ‘Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies... your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King’ (v.21,24).

There follows a picture of the worshipping community as it should be, with singers, musicians, tambourines and more, all praising God – and with the princes among them (v.24–27). They are led by ‘the little tribe of Benjamin’ (v.27). The last and the least will be first.