(NewsNation) — Artemis II astronaut and pilot Victor Glover inspired millions of Americans with a unique and specific message on his way around the moon.

“As we get close to the nearest point to the moon and farthest point from Earth, as we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries on Earth, and that’s love,” Glover told ground control on April 6 from aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft Integrity.

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“Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are,” he said. “And he also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it. And that is to love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Navy veteran and engineer has been open about his faith throughout his NASA career. And as he and his fellow astronauts, commander Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen, made history, Glover referred to it again and again.

After splashing down in the Pacific on April 11 after a 10-day odyssey, Glover expressed gratitude.

“I have not processed what we just did. And I’m afraid to start even trying. When this started on April 3, I wanted to thank God in public. And I want to thank God again,” he said, getting emotional, “ because even bigger than my challenge trying to describe what we went through, the gratitude of seeing what we saw, doing what we did and being with who I was with… it’s too big to just be in one body.”

The Artemis II crew made history by successfully navigating NASA’s long-awaited lunar comeback, the first major step toward establishing a sustainable moon base.

The mission broke Apollo 13’s distance record and marked the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth when the crew reached 252,756 miles.

Astronaut Victor Glover’s message of faith and unity

As Glover returned to his Houston-area home, video on social media showed him delivering another message of faith and unity to his neighbors.

“Some of us have never met before,” Glover is seen saying. “You know whose fault that is? Ours. So let’s choose to do this. Let’s be this more. Let’s be neighbors.”

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“God told us to love Him with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves,” he said to applause and cheers.

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