Armageddon or Apocalypse?

            Like many others, I find the appalling situation in North-East Japan impossible to get off my mind. In the final years of my career I was fortunate enough to visit the country over 30 times. Before my initial trip, I confess to feeling a certain reluctance in visiting a place whose reputation  had hitherto been associated with World War 2. However I would quickly discover that there was a total disconnect between the Japanese people that I came to know and the nationalistic monsters who would ultimately provoke the carnage and devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Reassuringly even after all the years, there continues to be an ongoing recognition of the sins of their fathers and a determination to purge themselves of their inherited guilt.When assessed against my  previous assumptions it seemed that the nation had completely reinvented itself.

 I discovered that the Japanese people to be the kindest, most compassionate I have ever encountered, always concerned enough to ensure that visitors from overseas are happy and comfortable in their immediate predicament. I also found out that to reach out to them rather than expecting them to do the reaching, has the effect of  breaking down their initial reserve and to become accepted as a true friend. Indeed on the mornings after a few boisterous evenings in the karaoke bars of Akasaka,Tokyo and elsewhere, I wondered if perhaps they were overdoing it a bit!

Their well developed social structure including their innate teamwork abilities, perhaps too formal and stultifying for the Western psyche, gives them the best possible combination of attributes to finally overcome and recover from this truly appalling series of catastrophes. Just where does one start? The task appears to be totally overwhelming. As if this were not enough, this morning’s news revealed that in addition to the nightmarish scenario which confronts them, the weather has deteriorated with snow, mud and cold augmenting the misery.

Although this may seem trite I feel bound to refer back to my previous post and wonder -where God is when you need him? Where is his infinite mercy? Perhaps he is busy working miracles in saving the handful of people who have been discovered alive beneath the debris!

How will it end? Happily, as in the many examples of the restoration and rebuilding that has taken place since 1945. They will rise again.

The exquisite Shukkeien Gardens, Hiroshima. Only the bridge remained in 1945.

Mysterious Ways indeed!

I was recently flicking through the TV channels en route to the evening news, when I stumbled across the religious channel,100 Huntley Street. I was sufficiently incensed by the outpourings of the speaker to write down something that has been bugging me for some time. 

I was solemnly informed that God loves us all unconditionally, shows limitless mercy and only has our best interests at heart. Looking around the world I find this oft-repeated bit of religious doggerel totally absurd.

This was evident following the recent earthquake in New Zealand where God’s “best interests at heart” involved the destruction of the very church from which the city gets its name! I can well understand the relief and joy felt by survivors. I can also understand their impulse to give thanks to something or someone for their continuing existence. Indeed this is to be expected if they have been recipients of a diet of religious pablum over the years. However what I take issue with (-apart from the fact that they believe it!) is how cruel and insensitive this must have appeared to the friends and families of those who were less fortunate.  Where did they go wrong? Why did they fail to make the cut? Could they define any shortcoming in their lives which had offended God and resulted in such a distressing outcome? Of course not!

This brings me to my point.  Why is it that God gets all the credit for the good things but none of the blame for the bad? Either God is omnipotent or he is not.

Countless variations of this anomaly exist throughout the world. One obvious example is the seemingly limitless suffering of the millions of African children, many of whom are starving, sick, homeless, orphans or (and) victims of the most appalling abuse. Where is the unconditional love, limitless mercy and any evidence of having their best interests at heart?

Similarly, many admirable people dedicated to doing good works and whose life is conducted fully in accord with the concept of the “Golden Rule”, are without warning laid low by terminal cancer or other life ending tragedies.  Why? Didn’t they pray long, loud or fast enough -or heaven forefend; maybe not at all! Certainly it cannot be justified as divine retribution for unsatisfactory conduct. In the case of the African children, they’ve simply not had the time.

How can this dispenser of unconditional love be so capricious and illogically selective? Maybe it’s as some would insist “God moving in mysterious ways his wonders to perform!”

Indeed the notion of a bearded old man wearing a long dress, sitting on a cloud with his celestial lap top, carrying out periodic performance updates on over 6 million souls is no more ridiculous.

I am not an atheist. Indeed I believe that we have a spirit (-some people might be more comfortable with the word conscience) and that a divine spark exists within all of us. As Lance Armstrong once said in a Suburu commercial “We are driven by what’s inside”.

Ongoing research conducted by quantum physicists has revealed the mysterious, weird and unpredictable nature of sub-atomic particles. This has made clear that we know far less than we thought. However, having discovered the existence of the electromagnetic matrix, field, flux or plenum (-choose one) which comprises the cosmos, hopefully we will progressively draw closer to a true, more mature understanding of the origins, wonders and evolution of the universe(s).

Bizarre sense of priorities

I was just watching the recently released helicopter video of the 911 World Trade Centre attack. Why this justified a mention in this morning's news bulletins in not clear. The quality of the filming and the video itself is of poor quality and shows nothing that has not already been seen before. Moreover, although we were witnessing a truly appalling event with thousands of people losing their lives, it was thought appropriate to warn viewers that the video contains cursing!

Raleigh Twenty

I have recently acquired a vintage 1973 Raleigh Shopper bike (top two pictures). It will be interesting to compare it to my 1975 Dawes Kingpin Shopper even though the latter has been extensively modified. Even though they nominally both feature 20" wheels, they differ in that the Raleigh features 406mm rims whilst  the Raleigh's are of 451mm. This can make the choice of tyres confusing!

The Raleigh has a three-speed Sturmey-Archer rear hub and is virtually as it left the factory, whilst the Dawes, which also had a similar hub when new, now boasts a six-speed Campagnola Victory rear derailleur.Other component updates have made it about 10lb lighter than the Raleigh! The latter was Raleigh's top seller for some years. The production in 1977 was no fewer than 140000units!