One of my heroes

The anniversary of the nuclear bomb being dropped on Nagasaki reminded me of one of the most moving books I've read, The Bells of Nagasaki, by Takashi Nagai. I'd really recommend it if you can track down a copy. Dr. Nagai was raised in the Shinto religion but became interested in Christianity after his mother's death. As a young radiology student in a Nagasaki medical school, he lived with a Catholic family and ended up becoming a Christian himself and marrying their daughter, Midori. The dangers of x-rays weren't well known back then and he was already dying of leukemia when the bomb hit Nagasaki in 1945, killing his wife. He spent his last 6 years with his young children, caring for bombing victims and writing books about faith and encouraging people to forgive and love each other. Today there is a distinct difference in how Hiroshima and Nagasaki deal with their nuclear experiences, Hiroshima being very militant, and Nagasaki being more philosophical and reaching out to others. A lot of that attitude is attributed to Dr. Nagai. Anyway, more serious than most things I post here, but it's a book very worth reading. http://praiseofglory.com/tnagai.htm
http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/na-bomb/nagai/nagae01e.html