This time of the year the Sun is going at its fastest northwards before it slows down for the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. In human time it lingers there for up to seven days, not moving at all before restarting the engines round about 21st June for the run South. It has never changed.
As long as Man knows it has been like that. We have learned that it is entirely and positively reliable, made so by the Hand of the Grand Designer of the Universe and maintained by Him.
This year, and this day of May 7th, the latter so determined by knowledge that Humankind has acquired through processes of learning and study has been no exception.
The seasons have brought about some changes as modified by Nature and to some extent by what Mankind has done [or not done] but like Time, the Seasons are set. Man and animal living, loving or whatever we do, have coped as well as we could with drought in the Southern while our compatriots in the Northern parts have had to cope with storms, floods and severe cold. All this has happened before and will happen again.
Nobody I have read has as far as I know ever offered an explanation for the apparent difference of the movement of the sun, or I should say the “speed of the cycle” in human time measurements, but it is there. It clocks up to 4 minutes a day near top speed and the two lengthy sojourns at the “turnaround” North and South are not enough to disturb the common logic that it is all pre-determined by a Mighty Hand.
These things and what follows herein are my own philosophies and I don’t expect any hunters for my signature to stand in line at the front door, but I am awed by those who can write and discuss God and Faith in great words, books and even in Blogging. I don’t have that gift.
However, I admit that my thinking has been influenced by a few people better known than I am.
The first one, John Steinbeck, is my favorite and in my thinking the greatest writer of all times except for the writer[s] of the Scriptures in all the major Faiths. I managed to collect all Steinbeck’s works during his lifetime [1902 to 1968] except his very first book, ‘The Wayward Bus’ that I found by chance in a second hand bookshop at a few shillings not long after his departure. I think he self-published it; it was only a short work but the genius of the future Nobel was already visible.
Steinbeck as far as I know never disclosed his own religion; he certainly did not make any noise or created any fuss about it, but his understanding of God and mankind comes through as no other one ever managed. There is no other as deep as Steinbeck’s ‘To a God Unknown’ about man and God, or equal in my experience. In ‘The Winter of our Discontent’ [1961] he paints a vivid picture of Man in agony with his conscience. He gets very close to craft the painting of Ethan Hawley into exquisite art. The end of the work is a masterpiece of pure art.
In ‘East of Eden’ Steinbeck becomes alive as a Man; part of his history, his family and his deep faith in family life all mingle with the joy and tragedy of those who lived and died, those who died but never lived and the few who will for ever live.
Then there is ‘Travels with Charley’ and what can anyone say on that?
I will get to that masterpiece, the best ever travelogue by anyone, and to the other writers who inspired me. Let us now look at the Seasons of Time.
This time of the year, more or less almost spot on the 7th of May and again about 7th of November the Seasons of Nature change in both Southern and Northern Hemispheres. It has been like that for ever and will endure forever.
Nature is our only guide to what has been and what will be.
I do not believe the Prophets of Doom or the gullible predictions of how great Mankind can make the World. Nature is [and was] part of the creation, and I live very close to it every day of my life.
I don’t mind the speculations of Darwin and his ilk; actually it is great reading and great opportunities for conversation but it is no science.
Science as developed by fragile Mankind is based on theory and the limits of understanding what is far beyond our capabilities, and even further beyond our need to know more than that.
All the great Faiths and Religions are in perfect harmony on Nature and Creation, and I accept that evolution was and still is part of the Creation and that they are perfect similarities; that some humans would claim that they are incongruent is and remains a mystery to me.
The Seasons of Nature tell me that they are part of the Greatness of God, our Creator and the Great Hand that guides our future.
I therefore on this day want to state where I stand and will take you through another favorite writer, though I did not agree with him on everything in life of his later years I respect him for ‘The Source’ and his name is: James Michener.
‘The Source’ was first published in 1965; it does not say what I am about to say but that is what I took from it way back, sometimes forgot about, but now wish to state as my motto.
I believe in God the Almighty Creator and our Destiny AND I believe that:
God=Jehovah=Allah=Jaweh=God
And I don’t know or understand what the fuss is all about.
Ike Jakson
In Americus GA saka Americoon
Jaksonian Philosophy 