Some of us are inconvenienced by the coronavirus pandemic, others of us know the fear of having COVID-19 and wondering if we will survive it, and yet others, almost 700,000, have paid the ultimate price. The entire world is rightfully focused on this invisible enemy, even to the point that enemies have had to bury the hatchet and work alongside one another to end this tragedy. It seems inconvenient and maybe even insensitive to remind us of another tragedy 75 years ago today that, in the blink of an eye, slaughtered some 50,000 citizens of Hiroshima. The aftermath of the “Little Boy” bombing and the “Fat Man” bombing of Nagasaki three days later would lead to as many as 226,000 Japanese perishing in the ensuing months.
To this day, the Manhattan Project that produced these atomic bombs remains a terrible moral dilemma. While this dramatic stroke effectively terminated World War II, it ushered in a fearful age that has led to nuclear devices thousands of times more powerful than these two primitive weapons. I cannot resolve this moral dilemma except to encourage all of us to remember this day and to remember World War II, even as our eyewitnesses of this awful Armageddon pass away and entrust these necessary memories to us.
My wife and I had the privilege of visiting Hawaii about twelve years ago. We relished the amazing views from Diamond Head, the extraordinary wildlife in the seas, the richness of the fauna on land, the stark beauty of black lava flows, the wondrous privilege of swimming in the ocean’s warm water, and the constant reminder to each other that it was January, not June. But we also had the opportunity to visit Pearl Harbor and hear the stories of Herb Weatherwax, a survivor of the attack there on December 6, 1941, as we saw the remains of the USS Arizona. He passed away at age 99 in 2016, leaving behind only three other Pearl Harbor survivors to tell the story. Thankfully, he also left behind videos and other recordings that preserve his eyewitness testimony to the attack that led to US involvement in World War II, which are worth our viewing. You can easily pull these up by typing his name into your browser.
Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the entire Manhattan Project is the codename “Trinity” which refers to the first testing of the atomic bomb on July 16, 1945, scarcely three weeks before Hiroshima. Did we really believe we had the power and the authority of God Almighty hidden in this weapon and its detonation over these two Japanese cities? This sobering possibility should humble us and lead us to repentance for our pride and self-sufficiency.
Thirty-five years ago, I composed The Day After Trinity, for flute and piano, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of this event. I share it again as my witness of this frightful time. Some have commented that the music I have been able to create over the years is quite dissonant and atonal, but that it always includes hope. My hope is in the real Trinity, Who, as I claimed 35 years ago, “alone can create peace.” I hope you will be inspired in listening to this work by clicking this link: http://waltersaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/04-The-Day-After-Trinity.mp3.
If you would like to purchase the CD Out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light, featuring this splendid recording by Jane Shelly, flutist, and myself at the piano, please visit this link: https://waltersaul.square.site/, and scroll down. May you know God’s peace through this pandemic and this troubling anniversary.