Family Discussion: Houston, We Have Documents
The following article is designed to help parents dialogue about a current event with their children. It was written at a 7th grade reading level.
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The government just beamed down its UFO files.
For decades, Uncle Sam has kept reports about mysterious flying objects locked up. That all changed last Friday.
The Pentagon released 160+ previously secret photos, videos, transcripts, military memos, and eyewitness accounts. Some of the files date back to the 1940s, and all are sightings the government could not explain. Now, they’re available to anyone online on a retro-looking government website—no security badge or tin foil hat required. (Check out the website here)
The sightings are called UAPs, which means unidentified anomalous phenomena (anomalous means bizarre or abnormal). The government ditched the name “UFO” in 2021 because it made everyone think of aliens… and it’s hard to have a serious meeting about national security when half the room is picturing little green men on saucers.
Some UAPs include:
Weird lights during the Apollo 11 moon mission.
A dancing object doing high-speed corkscrews in the sky over Kazakhstan.
Super hot, flying orbs (not the sun).
A bouncy-ball-shaped object travelling 483mph in Syria.
An eight-sided star weaving through the sky.
The files landed after President Trump ordered the Pentagon to release them earlier this year. Many of the files turned out to be explainable (like the bouncy-ball-shaped object), and the Pentagon hasn’t changed its mind: they’ve found no evidence that aliens exist. But officials are encouraging earthlings to read the files and decide for themselves what’s out there.
Supporters have praised President Trump for being transparent. Critics are worried that people who aren’t familiar with military tech might misinterpret the material.
The Pentagon said more files are on their way down.
REFLECT
Ask your kids what they have already heard about this story.
The potential existence of extraterrestrial life introduces plenty of potent questions to ponder and many mysteries to mull (Psalm 8:3-4). Encouraging a young believer to follow their curiosities and ask questions rather than fear mystery helps create a resilient faith—reinforcing that faith is not opposed to scrutiny (1 Peter 3:15).
Before rushing in to craft the “right” answer about aliens and the gospel, ask what they’ve heard about these files. Do they think aliens exist? What would it mean if they did? What would it mean if they didn’t?
What response to this story do I want to model for my children?
Convicted curiosity. If much of parenting is caught, not taught, your kids might respond more to seeing a faith that sits with mystery than one that’s always buttoned up.
Show them that mature faith isn’t always knowing the right answer, but being so secure in Jesus that mind-bending questions become an opportunity to worship rather than a threat to belief. No matter what those files contain, it doesn’t change what we know: God created this world, loves it, and is committed to making it new. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1 CSB).
RESPOND
Look at the stars and let them guide a curious conversation. Bust out the blankets and snacks, and open the door for imagination-stretching conversations by offering your own celestial observation or question.
Memorize Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge” (CSB).
Pray that your family would learn to approach the unknown with wonder, worship, humility, and faith.
Credit: Decaf (The Pour Over for Families). "UFOs, UAPs, and PDFs." May 14, 2026.