(All Around the North of Tokyo Metropolitan Area)Aurelius Augustinus in the Summer of 386
After having checked a late-night TV news program last night, I referred to some sites each of which presented a unique view of Japan and the United States.
For example, an old article a newspaper reporter wrote last summer in his blog tells that hedge funds in New York and London would start to buy uranium since the mortgage business was facing a downturn and they would even start to persuade the US President Mr. Bush to regard North Korea as a future business partner due to rare metal mines so rich and promising in the poorest country of the Far East.
( http://tamurah.iza.ne.jp/blog/entry/281182/ )
However, a funny TV news report invoking a smile would really help me sleep better.
So, after observing on TV the shapes of cookies made by Mrs. McCain and Mrs. Obama, I fell into a restful sleep, since those shapes are of a kind a cookie monster would simply love.
SECTION I: AT THE END OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
The Roman Empire, 360 years after the execution of Jesus Christ, repented and converted into Christianity just to survive 100 more years as "The City of God" must have been written.
378–395: Theodosius I, Roman emperor, bans pagan worship, Christianity is made the official religion of the Empire.
395: Roman Empire splits into West Rome and East Rome.
410: St. Augustine writes The City of God.
452: Pope Leo I talks around Attila the Hun in order to Protect the city Rome.
476: The Fall of Rome in the West.
It will be truly a fan to study the end of the United States in a history class in the future. Students all over the world, say, in the 22nd century will love to read this part of history.
But, so far as now, we have to first discuss the end of the Roman Empire.
When Jesus Christ came among ancient Israelites to equip people with the Gospel, the history of ancient Israelites since Abraham who had left the Mesopotamia around 2000 B.C. ended.
Likewise, when St. Augustine came among Romans, the history of the ancient Roman Empire ended.
It is as if the ancient Israelites had existed, lived, and worked only to wait for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Likewise, it is as if ancient Romans had existed, lived, and worked only to wait for the coming of St. Augustine.
I think so because without the prior emergence of St. Augustine Pope Leo I could not have wisdom and guts to meet and deal with the king of the Huns.
I think so because without the prior emergence of St. Augustine the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation would not have been possible at all.
Likewise, I think that without the emergence of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago descendants of ancient Israelites could not have survived and descendants of the Roman citizens, namely West Europeans, would not have evolved as we observe them today.
SECTION II: Augustine of Hippo
Just like St. Paul, St. Augustine was given sudden divine advice.
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In the summer of 386, after having read an account of the life of Saint Anthony of the Desert which greatly inspired him, Augustine underwent a profound personal crisis and decided to convert to Catholic Christianity, abandon his career in rhetoric, quit his teaching position in Milan, give up any ideas of marriage, and devote himself entirely to serving God and the practices of priesthood, which included celibacy.
Key to this conversion was the voice of an unseen child he heard while in his garden in Milan telling him in a sing-song voice to tolle lege ("take up and read").
He grabbed the nearest text to him, which was Paul's Epistle to the Romans and opened it at random to 13:13-14, which read: "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."[13]
He would detail his spiritual journey in his famous Confessions, which became a classic of both Christian theology and world literature. Ambrose baptized Augustine, along with his son, Adeodatus, on Easter Vigil in 387 in Milan, and soon thereafter in 388 he returned to Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo
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This is a miracle.
It is a kind of miracle that happened only once in Europe in these 2000 years after the conversion or the metanoia of St. Paul.
Based on this miracle, the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation were actually made possible.
As the miracle of St. Paul’s conversion led to the end of ancient Jerusalem, the miracle of St. Augustine led to the fall of ancient Rome.
The significance of these incidents in terms of causality is deep and profound.
For example, if you wish the fall of America, you still need this kind of miracle.
SECTION III: HISTORICAL INEVITABILITY
Ancient Jerusalem must have prospered so as to fall with St. Paul.
Ancient Rome must have prospered so as to fall with St. Augustine.
The fall of ancient Jerusalem became a foundation of development of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
The fall of ancient Rome became a foundation of development of Christianity in Europe.
Then, with whom to fall must America prosper?
Whose foundation of development of faith in God or Allah will the possible fall of America become?
Millions of knowledgeable people, critics, pundits, scholars, experts, journalists, politicians, and awaken citizens in the world are talking about the possible end of supremacy of the United States; but nobody argues the need of another St. Augustine.
For example, you may happen to be super rich in Wall Street; but you cannot happen to be super powerful enough to destroy Wall Street.
There you need a paradigm change to realize a real change. And such a paradigm change is only possible in the context called inevitability in history.
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After having checked a late-night TV news program last night, I referred to some sites each of which presented a unique view of Japan and the United States.
For example, Mr. Bill Totten wrote in his blog that the U.S. wanted to militarily attack Iran since the U.S. Government, Republican or Democratic, was characterized by violence and arrogance in addition to greed for crude oil, which however would turn to a great crisis of the world economy.
( http://www.ashisuto.co.jp/corporate/totten/column/1187325_629.html )
However, a funny TV news report invoking a smile would really help me sleep better.
So, after observing on TV the Olympic torch relay in Beijing, an unthinkable event if decades ago with the huge portrait of Chairman Mao behind in the Tiananmen Square, I fell into a restful sleep, since Mao Tse-tung looked like poorly helpless seeing off a relay runner from the great wall of the Square.
I mean that another St. Augustine does not look like emerging from China or the United States at all, since they do not look like being able to make distinction between the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the laity, and the kingdom of the Devil, all on the earth.
(If you don’t mind listening:
http://www.fukuchan.ac/music/movie/proudones.html )
Exo 8:7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
Exo 8:8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.
Exo 8:9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
Exo 8:10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
Exo 8:11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.
Exo 8:12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.
Exo 8:13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.