The Default Position

Armodoxy for Today: Finding the Default Position

In 1986, January 28, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into its mission, in the witness of millions across America and the world. For those who remember that day, the image and shock are unforgettable. For those who were not of age to remember the tragedy, no doubt they have heard about it. It was one of those events in my life where I specifically remember where I was and the feelings of that moment in time, akin to the memories I have of November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated.

Months after the Shuttle disaster, it was discovered and revealed that the Shuttle was launched against the recommendations of several of the people who were responsible for its operation. In recounting the events leading to the decision to launch or not to launch, one of those people, Brian Russell* explains it like this: “We were in the exact opposite philosophical position, where, if you had a problem, you had to show to prove, by data, by testing, by analysis, by whatever means, to make a logical argument of why it was okay to fly. So, if it wasn’t safe to fly, you didn’t fly. The default position was, don’t fly unless you can show it safe. … We had to prove it was unsafe, the exact opposite.”

The default position was, Russell says, if it wasn’t safe to fly, you didn’t fly! The default position was the most logical and simple response, but we often push ourselves to override the default positions, and this is where we get into trouble. The default position is not always the safest position, and so we pray for wisdom.

Divine Light, God, and Wisdom of the Father, open my heart to Your will. Help me to discover the paths of life that need to be conquered and overcome, as well as the paths that are laid before me, waiting to be followed. May I walk in the Christ Light so I may never fall. Amen.

*From the BBC World Service, “13 minutes: The Space Shuttle,” 2025.