Have you heard of Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting skydive? This past Sunday he jumped from 128,100 feet above the earth (over 24 miles!) and parachuted safely back to earth. Jet planes don’t even fly that high — their record is a mere 123,523 feet!
Baumgartner had to wear a pressurized suit to protect him from the cold (70 degrees below zero) and to keep his blood from boiling. Since the atmosphere is so thin at that altitude, his free-fall accelerated to 833.9 miles per hour, making him the first person to travel faster than the speed of sound outside of an airplane or space capsule.
Austrian-born Felix loves to take risks and push the achievement envelope. No wonder his sponsor is Red Bull Energy Drink! Daredevil that he is, though, it’s enlightening to hear some of what he was thinking as he took in the sights from his 24-mile-high vantage point:
“When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about breaking records anymore, you do not think about gaining scientific data… Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are.”
Well said, Mr. Baumgartner! Well said, indeed. Because usually we have a larger-than-life view of ourselves, our abilities, and our accomplishments.
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens… When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Psalm 8:1-4)
