Were the HIroshima and Nagasaki Bombings Good News?

so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:7

Seventy-years-ago, the world blew up--almost literally.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed tens of thousands of Japanese civilians. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On August 6, 1945 Hiroshima exploded when the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the unsuspecting city. However, "Little Boy" couldn't convince the emperor to surrender, so on August 9, 1945, the United States sent a plutonium bombed nicknamed the "Fat Man" to finish the job. After the bombing of Nagasaki, World War II ended.

Was this a happy day?

Without the bombs, the war would drag on. Service men would die. Civilians would be cut down. The war could well advance onto American soil as the bombing of Pearl Harbor proved. Yet, the bomb in Hiroshima killed more than 150,000 innocent civilians. In Nagasaki, more than 80,000 lost their lives in the first few months.

The cities were wiped out. Only one building remained standing (of sorts) in Hiroshima, a memorial still in existence today.

Good news. No more war.
Bad news. So much grief.

Think of the World Trade Centers. Three thousand souls perished on that day. We still mourn.

Today we battle the advancement of nuclear weapons in unscrupulous governments. But Neil and I recently had the opportunity to visit Oak Ridge National Labs (ORNL), K-12 and the rest of the "Secret City" in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Here they enriched uranium and made possible the creation of the atomic bomb.

Today we're down-sizing our bombs. But what did the nuclear age do besides end a war?

1. It keeps us safe. Russia or North Korea or fill-in-the-blanks, don't attack us because we can destroy them.
2. Nuclear medicine finds diseases we used to miss and allow us fuller and healthier lives.
3. We can heat and cool our homes more efficiently.
4. We improve the safety of food
5. It helps in archaeology--think of our carbon dating
6. Improves our mining abilities
7. These sites in Oak Ridge have now turned to nano-technology and 3-D printing. Pull out your phone or check something on your FitBit. These came about because of the atomic age.

You may be asking  why I bring this up. After all, this is a personal, not a scientific blog. What does this have to do with you?

Of course I can answer. We've all face misery. Many of us have minor catastrophes, perhaps comparable to a fire that destroys our homes. On the way home from Oak Ridge, we had a minor car accident when Neil backed into a cart-gathering machine in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Then some face extreme tragedy such as the World Trade Center episodes--devastating and debilitating. Others suffer on the scale of a Hiroshima.

The question we need to consider is not the devastation, but the growth that can come from it. Hiroshima thrives today. The city restored itself. The population exceeds three million. 

And we like Japan. No one considers her our enemy.

God restores. From the ashes of tragedy can rise greatness.

How can you grow from adversity? 

Does Someone Drive You Nuts?

This is what we'd like to do
to our Sophias.

Have you ever had to deal with a self-righteous, know-it-all, hypochondriac? In short, do people sometimes drive you nuts?

Why can't people be more like us?

I know this will come as a shock to those who know me in real time--but sometimes people drive me bonkers. Having read Scripture once or twice, I know this isn't a trait I should brag about on a public blog visible to all the world--but you've never met "Sophia."
     
Sophia quotes Scripture all the time--you make a statement, she gives a relevant chapter and verse. You do something not up to her standard--along comes chapter and verse. Someone doesn't see things the way she does--perhaps you like Corvettes when she prefers Mustangs, disdain curdles her voice, it becomes whiny, then supercilious (of course--I, the erstwhile English teacher, would have to define that word for Sophia). No one would dare dispute her assertions because she'd have the chapter and verse to prove how much better Mustangs are--the Bible does talk about horses--never autos.
     

Insert face of the offending woman

How are we to love someone like that?
     
This morning I discovered a key. Romans 12:17b says, "Have regard for good things in the sight of all men." My footnote from the Nelson Study Bible says, "A Christian should not concentrate on the evil in others, but instead should focus on what is good. By doing so, we encourage others around us to aspire to the good" (1903).


If I applied this to Sophia I would discover a woman who has raised wonderful children whom she loves dearly--her love is evident in her words and her actions and her children's sweetness. She's been married only once and still loves and respects her husband. She volunteers in church, is reliable and dedicated to both her job and her ministry. As a faithful, loving woman she demonstrates her Christian character.


How can I not like her?

How to be Blessed

Matt 6:34

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes”( Matt 6:34, THE MESSAGE).

early morning mist

I goofed. I know, no small surprise. And you ask, “What did you do now, Carol?” And I answer.  

 Remember, you asked, so it’s your problem when I unwind a long tale of writing woes: a mistyped title in a query, a header that’s wrong, spelling comma as coma, forgetting my pitch, getting rejected because no one’s seen my genius.

Have I told you? I’m the next great Hemingway. Of the female persuasion. I know it, but I haven’t been able to convince anyone else.

Lately, I’ve been bemoaning the three new rejections I haven’t received yet. (Believe me,  they’re coming).

Maybe. 

Maybe not.

But Matthew 6: 34 tells me I’ve got to stop my merry-go-round worrying about tomorrow. I’ve got to see and hear and taste all the good God has done in my life today.

I've seen:

·         Starlight on a black lake

·         Mist dancing on water

·         The diamond glint of frost

·         Encouragement in a good friend's eyes

I've heard: 

·         The whirr of partridge wings

·         The call of geese

·         The bark of a happy Springer spaniel chasing rabbits

·         The cry of a healthy newborn

I've tasted 

·         Pumpkin-spice coffee

·         Farm-fresh eggs

·         Dark chocolate

·         The lips of a doting husband

To worry about tomorrow only destroys today. What blessing have you been given today?

You can beat injustice: #chattanoogastrong

Our world's run amok. Hatred dominates. Freddie Gray and Michael Brown die at the hands of the police and Baltimore and Ferguson erupt in riots. People loot and burn the property of their neighbors. They turn on their community and make it safe for no one. They create a wasteland that will only promulgate more crime.

What is gained? We learn about police brutality. Arrests are made. Investigations begun. Meanwhile, communities become devastated.

Then we have the Mother Emmanuel murders. Pure hate crime, motivated only because of the color of the victims' skin. 

And most recently--Chattanooga. Five young men who dedicated their lives for our freedom were gunned down by a crazed youth who believed he was doing Allah's will.

In these last two murders, the reactions of those connected to the communities were diametrically opposite Baltimore and Ferguson. Those in Charleston begged for no riots. Flowers, balloons, candles and messages of peace were left at the scene. People of all faiths fell to their knees and prayed for their community. People of all color and all faiths packed Emmanuel AME Church for prayer services.

So, too, in Chattanooga. No riots arose from the despicable act done out of hatred. Vigils, prayers and a community bound by their love helped one another grieve and heal. The city didn't rob from others. Instead, donations pour in for the victims' families. The end result is a community stronger and more allied than before the heinous crimes.

Four horrible acts done in the last year--and two distinct ways of handling them.

For most of us, this kind of injustice is witnessed only on TV. Yet daily, we face inequity and maltreatment, and it cuts to our core.

I am divorced. My ex-husband cheated and eventually married his girlfriend. Our marriage, from the start was fraught with difficulty. I was told by one pastor, that even though the divorce happened prior to my salvation, I could never marry again. That was it. Cut off when even Jesus recognized infidelity as a permissible reason to dissolve a marriage. How should I have reacted? Refused Christianity? Turn from God? Or as Jesus did when others maligned him throughout history?

A dear friend suffers from serious health issues. She's had consistent surgeries, and each one creates a new issue that must be addressed. How does the church treat her? Some assume she's a hypochondriac. Some avoid her. How should she react?

How to face injustice:

Forgiveness. 

This is not to excuse injustice. Jesus did not condone his crucifixion. Instead, he said "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23: 34 , NASB).

How does one forgive?

1. Desire to forgive. If it's too hard to even desire, for many people have faced situations that are brutal, ask God for the desire to desire to forgive.
2. Do not dwell on the injustice. Every time you recall the wrong doing, pray simply, "Father, I forgive." You may not mean it. You may repeat this 60 times an hour. However, I know from experience, it works.
3. Eliminate the phrase, "I may forgive, but I'll never forget." That means you haven't forgiven. Forgiveness has nothing to do with the perpetrator. It has everything to do with you. Once healed, the memory of the abuse/inequity/trials will fade, and your healing will arise.

"Yet those who [wait for the Lord/ Will gain new strength;/ They will [b]mount up with [wings like eagles,/ They will run and not get tired,/ They will walk and not become weary" (Is. 40: 31, NASB).

What works for you? What do you struggle with? Leave a comment. You need not struggle alone. I will talk, and I will pray.

Majesty from Ruins: We Are the Basilica Santa Maria Degli Angeli--Rome

 Rome--no place on earth exists with the glory of Rome. Ruins rise from ruins and bloom into glorious works of art. No other place exhibits this more than the Basilica Santa Maria Degli Angeli.

And no place on earth exhibits this more than your own life.

Neil, my husband, and I scoured the Termini section of Rome looking for a church that housed Bernini's great sculpture "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa," an exquisite Baroque sculpture surrounded by gold beams, I had to see it. We wandered past the Diocletian Baths--fallen bricks and red stone walled off from the busy terminal. Unimpressive.

We found the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, sat on the steps and waited for it to awaken from its afternoon Roman siesta only to discover "The Ecstasy" was being restored and completely hidden from view.

Everything we wanted to see was closed that day. So we trudged back toward the Termini. We approached the Baths and knew we neared our destination when I noticed the facade of the Baths cloaked the entrance of a church.

You need to take note when traveling in Italy that houses of worship contain outstanding history in places like the Parthenon, and extraordinary works of art, such as Bernini's "Ecstasy." Most churches are free--so nothing is ever lost by exploring them.

However, nothing will prepare you for what this basilica holds.

 Interior of Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli
 e dei Martiri, Rome, Italy  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We pushed through drab metal door in the the plain brick exterior of what had once been a cove to the thermae. We entered a world that is guaranteed to drop you to your knees.

The basilica is essentially a Greek cross (arms of equal length). The end of each arm encloses an altar. The walls are adorned in gold and art, the vaulted ceilings force your eyes upward. Light streams through windows recreating a piece of heaven.

Sadly, my camera wouldn't capture the interior. It's a site you must see should you be fortunate enoughtto get to Rome.

Each step made me tremble in awe.

At last I arrived at the main altar. Only those who wished to pray could enter. I had to go. This place commands one think of God.

Plenty of places online can give you detailed descriptions of the basilica. They offer extraordinary images of the interior and  can tell you in greater detail all the points of art and architecture, about Michelangelo, and about Rome.

What I can say is this: we are like the basilica. God raises us from ruins. He doesn't take away our past. Yet, as we are transformed by His gifts, by His love, by His salvation, we shine with a glory that defies our lives.

We're Just Like Michelangelo

Before the victory
We should be like David

You are like Michelangelo.

And my husband has the traits of Michelangelo's famous sculpture, David.

We had finally made it to Florence, and Neil had orders. We would not leave Italy until we'd seen Michelangelo's David. I'd seen the Pieta, and thought seeing it again, although desired, would not thrill me like David.

Indeed, the David is superb. Created from a block of marble other sculptor's had rejected as too flawed, the twenty-six year old sculptor took on the commission with gusto. No one expected anything revolutionary from the tired subject of David and Goliath. Artistic greats like Donatello and Ghiberti  created their Davids after the battle. Michelangelo sculpted him prior. He's relaxed, but alert, his slingshot barely discernible. This fact showed David's victory was more from cleverness than force.

Michelangelo worked in secrecy in a courtyard, exposed to the elements--rain, heat, cold. For two years he labored, skipped meals and sleep. The end result was too monumental to be used in the setting the commissioners had wanted, the Duomo.

If you'd ever seen the Duomo, you'd be amazed to know this sculpture was too grand to be placed high on a pedestal in the beautiful cathedral. They convened a committee of thirty artists and dignitaries, among the Leonardo da Vinci. They decided to place the monument in the political heart of Florence, the Piazza della Signoria.

the David was too exquisite for the Duomo

Lessons from the marble

• It was flawed and rejected
• In the master's hand, it became one of the greatest masterpieces
• God's given us victory--relax. Enjoy the ride.

Lessons from Michelangelo

Having a modicum of artistic talent, I could never create anything close to the the magnificence of David. God did not give me the gift.

Even Michelangelo could not have created it himself without the effort, the work, the practice, the experimenting he did.

God, truly, had given him a gift. As a baby, he never asked to be the greatest sculptor ever. It was freely given.

So, we now come to my opening comments--how is Neil like David? How should we be like this statue?

My husband is relaxed. He doesn't worry about the battle, but he doesn't ignore it, either. He's prepared, attentive and gets the victory. We know the battle is God's. Why worry?

How are you like Michelangelo?

Salvation is a gift--given freely. Nothing we do can alter the fact that God has freely given us our grace. However, if we do not use the gift of God. If we do not work out our salvation, or recognize that faith without works does nothing, we have wasted our lives.

How else are you like Michelangelo or his masterpiece David?

Notice the ribs and the veins.
Michelangelo's detail is exquisite. 

Malone, NY Manhunt: Becoming a Hero

Main Street

Malone, NY had been my hometown since 1980. It has a world class golf course headed by PGA president Derrick Sprague, a beautiful ski resort and masses of wilderness. Little else except wonderful people I love to pieces.

Few people knew of its existence until the recent manhunt for convicted killers Richard Matt and David Sweat.

Lake Titus from Elephant's Head

For me, the misery of that time was muted by distance. Neil and I had moved into our home in Tennessee the day the killers escaped. Unfortunately, Neil had to return for the last of our belongings. Of course, he arrived in Malone, the day before Matt was killed--a distance of six miles from our home.

In the course of the manhunt, Neil was detained in the perimeter as thousands of Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) guarded 22 miles of wilderness--places I've hiked and kayaked. Areas where my friends live.

Friends had to leave their homes and seek safety with relatives. Others armed themselves, some with guns, others with wasp spray or ankle-biting dogs.

No one had peace.

The Salmon Rive above the falls

And least of all me as those I loved lived in fear. The potential for danger was not as thrilling as a Law and Order episode.

The LEOs swarmed downtown, the area by Elephant's Head, Fayette Road and the the dam at Chasm Falls where the Salmon River spills to lower levels and flows through the village.

Each of these men and women--many of them my friends--were heroes. Yet the man who finally brought down the last of the murders, Jay Cook, was not even part of the manhunt.

On the day he encountered Sweat, he was going about his business, doing his job--a mundane assignment of patrolling the area. Alerted by Sweat's appearance and behavior, educated in who to look for, conscientious in performing his duty, he brought the last of the men who held a town hostage for weeks.

The lesson here has little to do with two heinous men, but our own simple lives. We can be heroes simply by doing our jobs and living our lives in the manner we were trained to do. The teacher need not stop a sniper, but her love for a student could end the abuse he endures. The shopping clerk can be the solace for the lonely widow who has no one to talk to. The retired worker from Alcoa can check on his neighbor in times of trial and save a life.

Malone, NY is a filled with heroes--the LEOs deserve their kudos. But remember, we, too can be a hero.

And end of blog for today--but I have two odd "commercial" announcements.

My debut novel: DWF: Divorced White Female takes place in the heart of the search zone:

• Cheryl Chandler, the protagonist, lives in Mountain View
• her home on Moose Hill Road is, in fact, a fictionalized Wolf Pond Road--where the hunting camps are
• she snowmobiled along the roads Sweat and Matt took
• Marina, her baby, was born in Alice Hyde Hospital.
• Check it out on Amazon.com--click on the picture above for a direct link

Then, I've extensively dealt with Malone, NY on this blog: Dutch Shultz, wolf-head scandals, Underground Railroad and much more. Type in Malone in the blog search and you'll find more.

Leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts.