God is Near!

God is Near!
　


(herriot95.jpg)
　
　



Kato, do you believe in God?



Diane, how come you ask me such an eternal question?

Am I offending you by any chance, Kato?

No, you're not. 　But they say, don't talk about politics and religion if you get along well with your neighbors.

So, you mind my quetioning about God, don't you?

No, Diane, not at all.

But you seem to avoid answering my question.

Well..., tell you the truth, Diane, I believe in many gods.

I'm talking about God, Kato,---not many gods.

I know, but I enjoy Christmas. 　I attend the funeral directed by a Buddhist priest as well as marriage ceremonies directed by a Shinto priest. 　I also cerebrate the New Year's Day at a Shinto shrine. 　Therefore, I'd say, I'm multi-religeous.

So, you believe in many gods, don't you?

Yes and no.

What do you mean by that?

I don't think I really believe in a particular god, but I admit that people believe in their own god. 　Believing in a god isn't a bad thing at all.

Kato, I don't think you're quite serious.

Believe me, Diane, I'm dead serious.

Are you sure? 　In any road, how come you've brought up today's relideous theme---"God is Near!"

A good question, Diane... Last night, I happened to read a short story written by James Herriot.

Oh... what kind of story is that?

It goes like this...

God is Near!


(herriot97.jpg)


(granma2.jpg)

"You know, Mr. Herriot, it will be my turn next."


(herriot98.jpg)

"What do you mean?"

"Well, tonight Ben has gone and I'm going to be the next one. I just know it."


(dog202.jpg)



"Oh, nonsense! You're feeling a bit low, that's all. We all do when something like this happens."



"I'm not afraid. 　I know there's something better waiting for me. I've never had any doubts. But I have only one fear."

"What is it, Miss Stubbs?"

"It's the dogs and cats, Mr. Herriot. I'm afraid I might never see them when I'm gone which worries me so. You see, I know I'll be reunited with my parents and brothers, but ... but ..."

"Well, why not with your animals?"

"That's just it. 　They say animals have no souls."

"Who says?"

"Oh, I've read it and I know a lot of religious people believe it."

"Well, I don't believe it. 　If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. You've nothing to worry about there."

"Oh, I hope you're right. Sometimes I lie at night thinking about it."

"I know I'm right, Miss Stubbs, and don't you argue with me. They teach us vets all about animals' souls."

"I'm sorry to bore you with this and I'm not going to talk about it again. But before you go, I want you to be absolutely honest with me. I don't want reassurance from you--just the truth. I know you are very young but please tell me. 　What are your beliefs? Will my animals go with me?"

"Miss Stubbs, I'm afraid I'm a bit foggy about all this. 　But I'm absolutely certain of one thing. Wherever you are going, they are going too."

"Thank you, Mr. Herriot, I know you are being honest with me. That is what you really believe, isn't it?"

"I do believe it. 　With all my heart I believe it."


(herriot50.jpg)

Author Profile: James Herriot

Oh, Kato, this is a nice and lovely story.



I know you love this story. 　That's why I've decided to talk about "God is Near!" today.

So, Miss Stubbs believes in God, doesn't she?

Yes, of course, she does. 　Miss Stubbs was bed-ridden. 　Hanging from the old brass gas bracket on the wall above her head is the following strip of cardboard about eight inches long with plain lettering:


(herriot93.jpg)



So, Kato, James Herriot is your favorite writer, isn't he?



You're telling me, Diane. 　I love his short pooch stories.

All Creatures Great And Small

Documentary Part 1



All Creatures Great And Small

Documentary Part 2



All Creatures Great And Small

Documentary Part 3



All Creatures Great & Small

Set Visit 1985



World of James Herriot





Oh, Kato, you're an enthusiastic fan of James Herriot, aren't you?



Yes, I am.

Miss Stubbs and James Herriot believed in God, but you don't believe in God, do you?

Diane, you aren't self-centered nor self-righteous, are you?

No, I'm not self-centered nor self-righteous.

I thought you were open-minded.

Yes, I'm still open-minded.

Yet you're still asking me such a mind-crashing question, aren't you?

Kato, you're over-reacting.

Then why don't you ask me to take a forest-bathing, instead of asking me about God?


(dianef02.jpg)



Oh, that's another thing I'm worried about you, Kato. 　Don't confine yourself in the library. 　Instead, take a stroll in Stanley Park and enjoy forest-bathing.



Diane, focus on the matter in hand. 　We're talking about God.

So, Kato, you believe in God or what?

To tell you the truth, Diane, I believe in Providence.

Oh, do you? 　But what do you mean by Providence?

Last night I watched the stars in the sky.

Oh, did you? 　What happened?

Nothing seemed to happen. 　Everything was so quiet and still, but I knew that a traffic cop is working in the whole universe.

Who on Earth is the traffic cop you're talking about?

That traffic cop is Providence.

Kato, I don't understand what you're talking about.

You see, Diane, most of us were sleeping in the middle of night. 　Nobody seems to suspect that we are actually moving faster than the fastest vehicle on Earth.

Worlds Fastest Car 2011! 439Km/h!





Are you saying the earth is moving faster than the above car?



Yes, I am.

You must be kidding!

Earth Rotation & Revolution

around a moving Sun





You know what, Diane? ... The Earth is travelling around the Sun at a speed of 29.78 km/s---that is, 107,200 km/h!



No kidding! ... 107,200 km per hour? 　That's 244 times as fast as the fastest car on Earth.

That's right!

So what's got to do with Providence?

You see, Diane, the Earth travels at a speed of 107,200 km/h! 　Yet no traffic accidents have taken place in the universe since the human beings appeared on Earth, where there are so many traffic deaths everyday.

So, you're saying, there must be a traffic cop in the universe, and this cop is Providence.

You're telling me, Diane.

【Himiko's Monologue】



Wow! Can you belive that?
If that is true, then I was hurtling at a speed of 107,200 km/h through the universe when I took a dip near the English Bay on the New Year's day in 2008.





The water was warmer than the air.
Can you belive that?



Probably because the speed excited me unconsciously so that it also kept me warm.

In any case, I hope Kato will write another interesting article soon.
So please come back to see me.

Have a nice day!
Bye bye ...

If you've got some time,

Please read one of the following artciles:




■"Net Travel & Jane"

■"Net Love"

■"Complicated Love"

■"Electra Complex"

■"Net Début"

■"Inner World"



■"Madame Riviera and Burger"

■"Roly-poly in the North"

■"Amazing Grace"

■"Diane in Paris"

■"Diane in Montmartre"



■"Diane Well Read"

■"Wantirna South"

■"Maiden's Prayer"

■"Bandwidth"

■"Squaw House and Melbourne Hotel"



■"Tulips and Diane"

■"Diane in Bustle Skirt"

■"Diane and Beauty"

■"Lady Chatterley and Beauty"

■"Victorian Prudery"



■"Diane Chatterley"

■"From Canada to Japan"

■"From Gyoda to Vancouver"

■"Film Festival"

■"Madame Taliesin"

■"Happy Days"

■"Vancouver Again"

■"Swansea"



■"Midnight in Vancouver"

■"Madame Lindbergh"

■"Dead Poets Society"

■"Letters to Diane"

■"Taliesin Studio"



■"Wright and Japan"

■"Taliesin Banzai"

■"Memrory Lane to Sendai"

■"Aunt Sleepie"

■"Titanic @ Sendai"

■"Birdcage"


(sylvie121.jpg)

■"Roly-poly in the wild"

■"Silence is dull"

■"Zen and Chi Gong"

■"Piano Lesson"

■"Dangerous Relation"

■"Electra Complex"


(juneswim.jpg)

■"Covent Garden"

■"Fatal Relation"

■"Notre Dame"

■"Anne Frank"

■"Biker Babe"

■"Diane Girdles the Globe"

■"Diane in Casablanca"

■"Infidelity Neighbourhood"

■"Forest Bathing"

■"Enjoy Ramen!"

■"Sex, Violence, Love"

■"Halifax to Vancouver"

■"A Thread of Destiny"

■"Fujiyama Geisha"

■"Beaver Lake"






Hi, I'm June Adams.

Earth Orbit



Do you know that the Earth is rotating at about 2.9 miles (4.64 Km) per second?

The Earth is also travelling around the Sun at a speed of at a speed of 29.78 km/s---that is, 107,200 km/h!

The Sun is travelling around the Milky Way galaxy at a speed of about 142.9 miles (228.6 Km) per second.

And the Milky Way galaxy (and thus the Sun and the Earth) is travelling---relative to other galaxies---at a speed of about 3,728.23 miles (5,965.23 Km) per second.

Amazing, isn't it?

ところで、愛とロマンに満ちた

レンゲさんのお話をまとめて

『レンゲ物語』を作りました。

もし、レンゲさんの記事をまとめて読みたいならば、

次のリンクをクリックしてくださいね。

■『愛とロマンのレンゲ物語』



■『軽井沢タリアセン夫人 - 小百合物語』

とにかく、今日も一日楽しく愉快に

ネットサーフィンしましょうね。

じゃあね。