Happy First Contact Day!
April 5th, 2012
Holidays usually celebrate past events. Not in Star Trek…
Nope, in Star Trek, we share a narrative history comprised of “future” events. So, why not celebrate them? Just as Riverside, Iowa, proclaims itself (with Gene Roddenberry’s approval) “The Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk,” so April 5th is officially recognized in the Star Trek world as the day we will make contact with the Vulcans.
For those of you who are wondering, the future day in question is April 5, 2063. (And the good Captain’s birthday is March 22, 2228. Don’t forget to send a card.) You can read more about First Contact Day in this overview from StarTrek.com or in this longer article.
Of course, none of us (well, almost none of us) actually expect this event to take place on the prescribed date–if at all. But, like all things Trek, it’s a fun way to celebrate our love of Star Trek and buy or sell a good bit of swag in the process.
With all this talk of celebrating future events, though, I can’t help but think of the way the followers of Yahweh God have looked forward to the future in the same way. The Jewish people looked forward to the return of Elijah and the coming of the Messiah. Elijah did return (John the Baptist) and the Messiah did come (Jesus). Now, Christians look forward to the return of Christ, when he will restore order to all Creation and bring his kingdom to Earth.
That’s why many Christian traditions celebrate Ascension Day, to remind us of Christ’s promise to return. But the Second Coming is also looked forward to in traditions surrounding both Advent and the current season, Easter. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we also look forward to his return. We share with First Contact Day, Kirk’s birthday and the recognition of other “future” events in Star Trek history the expectant hope that the future will be brighter than today and that our best lies ahead of us.
(Here’s how Ben Sisko’s story echoes our longing and hope for Christ’s return.)
Like Star Trek’s vision of humankind’s future, the fullness of our destiny can be achieved; like its portrayal of an ever-advancing humanity, we can seek to bring the Kingdom of God here and now, not just there and then. However, unlike Star Trek’s calendar of the future, with precise dates for events that will not happen, the return of Christ cannot be known as an exact date, but can be known as a future fact.
No one—not even Jesus—may know the day or the hour, but we know the hope that comes with the consummation of salvation and the restoration of all things in Christ. It will be our Second Contact, but the greatest contact of all.
(Thanks to my friend Brandt Boehne for reminding me about First Contact Day!)
For those of you who are wondering, the future day in question is April 5, 2063. (And the good Captain’s birthday is March 22, 2228. Don’t forget to send a card.) You can read more about First Contact Day in this overview from StarTrek.com or in this longer article.
Of course, none of us (well, almost none of us) actually expect this event to take place on the prescribed date–if at all. But, like all things Trek, it’s a fun way to celebrate our love of Star Trek and buy or sell a good bit of swag in the process.
With all this talk of celebrating future events, though, I can’t help but think of the way the followers of Yahweh God have looked forward to the future in the same way. The Jewish people looked forward to the return of Elijah and the coming of the Messiah. Elijah did return (John the Baptist) and the Messiah did come (Jesus). Now, Christians look forward to the return of Christ, when he will restore order to all Creation and bring his kingdom to Earth.
That’s why many Christian traditions celebrate Ascension Day, to remind us of Christ’s promise to return. But the Second Coming is also looked forward to in traditions surrounding both Advent and the current season, Easter. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we also look forward to his return. We share with First Contact Day, Kirk’s birthday and the recognition of other “future” events in Star Trek history the expectant hope that the future will be brighter than today and that our best lies ahead of us.
(Here’s how Ben Sisko’s story echoes our longing and hope for Christ’s return.)
Like Star Trek’s vision of humankind’s future, the fullness of our destiny can be achieved; like its portrayal of an ever-advancing humanity, we can seek to bring the Kingdom of God here and now, not just there and then. However, unlike Star Trek’s calendar of the future, with precise dates for events that will not happen, the return of Christ cannot be known as an exact date, but can be known as a future fact.
No one—not even Jesus—may know the day or the hour, but we know the hope that comes with the consummation of salvation and the restoration of all things in Christ. It will be our Second Contact, but the greatest contact of all.
(Thanks to my friend Brandt Boehne for reminding me about First Contact Day!)
Comments (Closed in Archive)
- Rebecca Skipper says:
April 7, 2012 at 3:40 PM
Thank you once again for a powerful and inspiring post! If you want to see how some in our trek universe address the Christmas season check out final frontier! there is an episode where q appears on Christmas Eve!- Kevin C. Neece says:
April 8, 2012 at 9:26 PM
Final Frontier? Is this the new venture from the “Phase II/New Voyages” guys?
Thanks for your kind words, Becky! I’m glad you liked it.
- Kevin C. Neece says:
- David naugle says:
April 7, 2012 at 11:33 PM
Great Kev. Wonderful theology & parallel- Kevin C. Neece says:
April 8, 2012 at 9:24 PM
Thank you, sir! It’s always good to hear from you here. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
- Kevin C. Neece says:
- Rebecca Skipper says:
April 8, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Sorry, I’m mistaken. The series is called hidden Frontier and you can watch it at http://www.hiddenfrontier.com/. It has some controversial elements not seen on television so I advise caution. It has wonderful characters though and a good storyline. If you’ve seen Phase II then controversial topics is nothing new. Speaking of Phase II The Child has been released and is rich with ethical delimmas– namely– bond between parent and child. You may want to add a another book to your reference library as well. Are you familiar with Wrath of Kant by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this book if you’ve read it.- Kevin C. Neece says:
April 9, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen this one before. I’ll have to check it out. I’m really interested in Phase II’s version of “The Child,” since that was originally written as a TOS episode. I usually don’t do any analysis of fan films, but that one might be interesting in conversation with the TNG version when we get to it. Thanks for letting me know!
I do have that book, but I’ve not dug into it yet. It’s in my queue. I spend a lot more time watching and writing than reading, but it looks great and I’m excited about it. It’s a collection of essays, so I’ll probably read parts of it here and there, as I’ll likely be doing withStar Trek and Sacred Ground. But, who knows? I get caught up in these things! Have you read it?
- Kevin C. Neece says:
- Rebecca Skipper says:
April 9, 2012 at 7:23 PM
I’m on Chapter 9 of Wrath of Kant and find the book very interesting! there are plenty of novels and series I haven’t read yet and it would take a lifetime to read everything in the Trek universe!!- Kevin C. Neece says:
April 10, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Yeah, I don’t read the novels. There are a few that interest me that I might get to one day, but I rarely read fiction in the first place. Plus, as you say, there are a ton of them out there! I’d be afraid I’d get obsessed and want to read them all! (And the novel fans are thinking, “What’s wrong with that??)
- Kevin C. Neece says:
- Rebecca Skipper says:
April 10, 2012 at 5:55 PM
Well, until I joined the Trek Universe, I didn’t read much fiction. I’m particularly interested in the novels dealing with Spock’s character or the Shatner universe. The Genesis series is good as well! I don’t get upset about the cannon and noncannon debate since Star Trek is fictional anyway with multiple and parallel universes. The idea of parallel universes is fascinating in its own right along with time travel!- Kevin C. Neece says:
April 11, 2012 at 11:23 AM
I tend to agree. I like the idea of a general canon, but also having room for offshoot stories and alternate universes. It works for comics; why not Star Trek? As long as things stay true to what Star Trek is ultimately about, I enjoy the journey!
- Kevin C. Neece says:
- Rebecca Skipper says:
April 11, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Agreed! Star Trek takes us on a fascinating journey!
