Friday, July 20, 2012

But for the Grace of God

c0 US Marines with civilians at Marpi Point, JapanOne Saturday morning I watched a segment of WWII in HD on the History Channel [July 30] in which the tragic events at Saipan's Marpi Point are recalled in images and soldiers’ letters. One thousand Japanese civilians killed themselves rather than be captured by the advancing American army, which they feared would rape and torture them.

The images were graphic and my throat was thick with suppressed tears. My daughter Dee Dee had made me an "ice cream cone" out of Legos and asked me to pretend to eat it. I looked at her, and looked at the TV.

Back and forth, back and forth.

What confluence of events or forces or minds places our consciences in these bodies at this time, and not those at that time, casting themselves off cliffs?


Left: Japanese girl, picture by Puzant "Mike" Keropian, http://www.keropiansculpture.com/wwii_photos.html ; Right: My daughter Dee Dee with her new bicycle this summer.

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Started: 2012-06-30
Posted by Angel2ndClass at 7/20/2012 07:21:00 AM

2 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 23, 2012 at 10:13 AM

    Your question: What confluence of events or forces or minds places our consciences in these bodies at this time, and not those at that time, casting themselves off cliffs?

    Truly (and reverently) only God Knows.

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  2. AnonymousJuly 23, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Thanks for the comment; I agree. I was inverting the epic question asked by Job - why them and not me? We ask this all the time when others suffer misfortune and we don't, or why they excel and we don't.

    The only answer we have in this lifetime is the one you gave, and the one God gave Job

    --c0

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