Charlie Duke is the absolute Number One most impressive man I have ever met. He is still going strong at age 87. He was an astronaut. He is one of twelve men who walked on the moon. 2022 is the 5oth anniversary of his Apollo 16 moonwalk in 1972. If you’ve seen the movie “Apollo 13”, Charlie was also a back-up for that famous flight and the main man in a simulator figuring out how to get the doomed astronauts home safely. He went to MIT. He retired as a General in the Air Force. He is really smart!
But the most impressive thing about Charlie Duke is that he is not impressed with himself. Humility flows through his veins.
The short version of his story is that he returned from walking on the moon in 1972- age 37- and wondered, “OK, now what?”. Despite his great achievements, he was empty. His wife Dotty was close to divorcing her famous husband. But she met Jesus and slowly introduced her husband to his only Hope. And that experience was more life-changing for Charlie than walking on the moon.
The first time I really heard Charlie’s story was at a CBMC Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in Lexington, Kentucky many years ago, probably 2005. He gave a clear witness to over 600 people, including lots of people who thought they were important. The room was full of business leaders, politicians, and people who are accustomed to being the most important person in the room.
The moonwalker Charlie Duke topped them all- and was crystal clear that Jesus Christ was the Answer- no matter what the question might be. He quoted Scripture and offered his own experience that Jesus was “The Way, the Truth and the Life”
At the end of his 40-minute testimony, he offered a sincere prayer which offered all in attendance the opportunity to pray to this same Jesus, asking for forgiveness of sins, a clean heart, and eternal life.
Dozens of people filled out a card which indicated they had prayed with Charlie and would like more information. The card also offered space to give feedback to the committee about the breakfast.
I was leading the follow-up effort. A few of us had planned to spend the rest of the morning, after the breakfast, visiting with those who ‘checked the box’ that they prayed with Charlie. This was the guts of the CBMC ministry- office visitation after events with an invitation to learn more through weekly study of the Word.
As our small committee sat to review the comment cards, two tough assignments were obvious for the follow-up. As the ‘leader’, I agreed to take them both.
The first was Sam, a bank president. He most definitely did NOT check any boxes. But his comments were scathing. He wrote on his card that he feared that we had offended people of other faiths, especially Muslims. He said something like, “If I had known what this breakfast was about, I would not have sponsored a table.” I presume he was expecting a nice religious/political event where people of every political party and religion would participate and pat each other on the back about their belief in a higher power and the American flag.
With some trembling, I went unannounced straight to his office. I took a friend with me (we always visited in twos), frankly hoping he would not be there. But sure enough, Sam was in his office.
I dove right into the conversation, thanking him for coming to the breakfast but also thanking him for his honest comments on the card. I quickly discovered he was a Methodist. I was able to say - “me too”. He told us that he was very uncomfortable with the Jesus talk, quite sure it was offensive to Jews, Muslims and other religions. He offered his concern that some of his business friends and political friends might be offended by Charlie Duke’s clear witness that Jesus was the only Way.
I did not argue with him but just calmed him down with some smiles and let him understand that this was Charlie’s story, and he had a right to tell his story. I took some time to share my own story and the Gospel with this man, who was obviously quite lost in his success. He was polite but we left the meeting with a sad awareness that this Methodist needed Jesus.
The second visit of the day was going to be an even bigger challenge, or so it seemed based on Sam’s comments. The bank president was sure we had offended Muslims or Hindus, but the name on this card was clearly from either India or Pakistan, or so I thought. Parveen Majumder had “checked the box”, indicating that he had prayed with Charlie Duke for the first time to accept Jesus. The card said he worked for the local Sheriff’s office.
Again, with fear and trembling, my partner and I walked straight from the banker’s office to the Sheriff’s office. We asked for Parveen. And to my shock, out came an attractive lady in her 30’s, not a man. This was a dilemma- since our policy was that women should be followed up by women- all for obvious reasons. But it was too late. We were there, so we followed her back to a conference room.
We quickly discovered that she was one of the chief financial officers for the Sheriff’s operation. She was from Bangladesh, a nation where over 90% of the population is Muslim. About 10% are Hindu. Virtually no one is “Christian”.
We simply asked, “What did you think about the speaker’s story?”
The Methodist banker was sure we had offended all Muslims. As it turned out, just the opposite happened. Parveen was on the edge of tears as she told her story. She grew up as a devout Muslim, like everyone in her community. She immigrated to the USA, married a Kentucky boy who also worked for the Sheriff, and settled into the American life. She had a beautiful young daughter. She was still a Muslim but admitted that she was not really satisfied with her ‘religion’.
Her main impression was not the story of the walk on the moon, as impressive as it was. Her primary awe was the Prayer of Charlie Duke at the end.
“I have never heard anyone pray like that. Charlie Duke prayed to God as if he knew Him. We Muslims pray, but it is a formal memorized prayer to Allah who we can never really know. It is all very impersonal. Hearing him pray made me want to know this God he was speaking to.”
So, the journey began that day for Parveen. She was sure that she wanted to know this Jesus who Charlie Duke prayed to. We prayed. She wanted me to meet her husband and little girl. My wife Sue and I started to meet with Parveen and her husband, going through “First Steps’”, a simple weekly Bible study to help them get started with Jesus.
Parveen and her husband started attending a local mega-church where she heard that believers should be baptized. A few weeks after the breakfast, she called me. “Judge, I am going to be baptized on Sunday and I need you and Sue to come, please.”
“Wonderful”, I said, “but I am in California right now. Could you wait until next Sunday?”
I was sure she would say, “Of course. No problem. We will wait until you get home next week.”
Instead, she paused and surprised me. “I don’t think so. I need to do this NOW.” And she did, she couldn’t wait on me- she wanted to nail down her decision for Jesus NOW.
It was many months later when she called and told me her excitement that her husband Chris and their daughter would be baptized as well. And this time, Sue and I made it there to witness the sacred act of baptism.
So… a Moonwalker prays.
A Methodist is offended.
A Muslim is saved. Her whole family finds Jesus.
Charlie Duke has the most impressive resume ever. But on the top of the list for me is this- he prays to a God who loves and listens.