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Do you know the difference between a désert and a dessért? I hope so, for a désert, spelled d-e-s-e-r-t, is a dry, barren, often sandy region with little or no vegetation. A dessért, spelled with two s's, is a portion of sweet food, such as fruit, ice cream or pastry, served as the last course of a lunch or dinner. This word is derived from a French verb which means "to remove what has been served", that is, to take the dishes from the table. At a formal meal, the dishes of the main course are removed before the dessert is served. There is another word, however, pronounced desért, spelled with only one s. It means to forsake, or abandon. In the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 5, readers are reminded that God will never forsake them. We may be alone in the desert and have no dessert, but our heavenly Father will never desert us. -------Today is the fifth Tuesday following the last meeting of the "Daily Word" Fellowship, so I should suggest another theme for listeners/readers to write an essay on. I will do so, but first I must make an embarrassing confession. Although you are listening to this message on March the 2nd, it was prepared on February the 8th. Before preparing it, I looked over the list of themes I had suggested previously (all 239 of them) to see if I had given the theme of "recycling" before. I did not find that theme listed, but I did find the theme of 'Setsubun', which I suggested again in my message of February 2nd. I'm sorry for that duplication and confess that it was due to my carelessness and defective memory, now that I have reached the age of 65. I will try to be more careful in the future, but I admit that I am only human and try to view my foibles with a sense of humor. I hope those of you who catch mistakes I make will do likewise. There is an increasing emphasis these days on recycling or reusing products rather than just throwing them away. What are your thoughts about recycling and why it is important? Do you make an effort to recycle goods? If so, in what way? Essays on this theme sent to me will be corrected and printed in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------On March 3, 1931, the president of the United States signed a bill passed by Congress that officially designated 'The Star-Spangled Banner' the country's national anthem. A "banner" is a flag and "spangle" means to sparkle or glitter. This song was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 during the unfortunate war with Great Britain known as the War of 1812. Following a night-long bombardment, Key saw that the American flag with its stars and stripes was still flying over the fort in the early morning and composed his poem which immediately became popular in the Baltimore area. Fifty years later, the song was often sung by Union soldiers during the Civil War. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered it played by army and navy bands and since then it has been considered the national anthem but it was not officially designated as such until President Hoover signed that bill 62 years ago today. For almost a hundred years, the Japanese song, 'Kimi ga yo' extolling the imperial reign, has been played or sung on ceremonial occasions and is generally recognized as the national anthem of Japan. Nevertheless, it has never been officially designated as such by the elected representatives of this democratic nation. -------A certain company in Kyoto is looking for internationally-minded university graduates for full time positions which involve regular contact with foreign clients. English language ability is considered a definite advantage. The salary may be as high as ¥8.35 million a year. What kind of job do you imagine is being offered under such conditions? It is nothing else than a taxicab driver. Over the past 32 years, the MK Taxi Company has grown from a 10-car business to Kyoto's second largest taxi fleet. The move to hire university graduates almost exclusively in the future is another step in the company's effort to improve the quality of its drivers and to develop a pool of English-speaking drivers for foreign visitors. As the preferred carrier for a number of foreign firms and embassies, the company often carries celebrity passengers. Rental limousines may be ordered before coming to Japan and with an English-speaking driver, a special English-speaking guide is unnecessary. The 64-year-old president of the company immigrated from Korea in 1943 and dropped out of Ritsumeikan University to peddle gasoline from the back of a bicycle before moving into the taxi business. "Taxi drivers are like airplane pilots", he said. "They are entrusted with the lives of others. It is important work, so they should be respected by and respectful of, their passengers." -------Socrates, the famous philosopher of ancient Greece was sentenced to death in 399 B.C. He was convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens and of introducing strange divinities. In the case of Socrates, do you know how he died? Throughout history, various ways of executing people considered worthy of death have been used: stoning, crucifixion, beheading, shooting, hanging, gassing, and so on. If he had been convicted in old Japan, he may have been given a dagger and told to disembowel himself. Socrates, however, was given a cup of hemlock and told to drink it. He did so in prison surrounded by some disciples. He then laid down and died. Because of this famous story, many people think of hemlock only as a poison. Poisonous hemlock is a plant of the carrot family, having small white flowers and a hollow purplish stem. In Japanese, it is called 'doku-ninjin', or poison carrot. In the United States, however, hemlock is the name of an evergreen tree of the pine family. It has small cones and short, flat needles and is used for lumber. The Chinese character for this plant is composed of the characters for "wood" and "mother" and is pronounced 'tsuga'. In English, therefore, when speaking of "hemlock", it is important to clarify what kind of hemlock is meant. -------Monday was the regular washday in my home. On that day, my mother spent much time in the basement laundry room, washing dirty clothes and linen from our eight-member family. In another part of the basement was the workbench where there were many tools used by my father in his making or repairing things after returning from his office, before going to the office or on holidays. He seemed to enjoy making things to please his family, but we never called him a "Sunday carpenter", 'nichiyo-daiku', because he never did such work on Sundays. I also made use of his tools sometimes, but my elder brother, who became a mechanical engineer, seemed to be more talented along that line than I. Another area of the basement was used as a playroom. There, there was a pingpong table, which sometimes had a miniature electric train track assembled on it. It was always a cool place in the summer but a cold place in winter. There was an old radio in one corner and a large record player next to it on which flat disk photograph records were played. On another side of the room, there was a bunk bed which could be used for guests and which I made use of during the day after working night shifts at a factory during my high school summer vacation. -------There are three different English words spelled b-o-w. Of the two pronounced [bau], one denotes the front section of a boat and the other means to bend the body. The third word, pronounced [bou], denotes something that is curved, bent or arched. Archers use bows to shoot arrows. Another kind of bow is seen in the sky when the sun comes out after a rain. This beautiful 7-colored arc is called a rainbow. The rainbow is considered a sign of hope for it appears as dark clouds give way to bright sunshine. At the conclusion of the Old Testament story of Noah and the great flood in Genesis, chapters 6-9, God tells Noah he is putting his bow in the clouds as a sign of his covenant with the world. A covenant is a solemn promise made between two or more parties. It is an important word in the Bible and in western history. The Christian Bible itself is divided into two covenants, or testaments. The covenant given through Moses in the form of a law was with a special people, Israel, but that given earlier to Noah was with the whole world. Christians believe the new covenant revealed through Jesus Christ is also universal. It promises new life in the present and inspires hope for a brighter future in all who believe. -------In Japanese, 'tachikiku' means to stop and secretly listen to the conversation of others. In English, such an action is called eavesdropping. Although "eaves", spelled e-a-v-e-s, ends with an e-s and was originally a singular noun, it is now considered plural. It denotes the edge of a roof that extends beyond the side of a building so that rain drops away from the foundation. In Japanese, it is called a 'noki'. When it is raining, one may avoid the drops from the roof by standing under the eaves of a house. At the same time, one may hear the conversation carried on within the house, so the verb "eavesdrop" was coined to mean to listen secretly to the private conversation of others. In human society, eavesdropping is not considered polite, but the Bible teaches that God not only eavesdrops on all our conversations but even perceives the inner thoughts of our hearts. -------According to a Chinese legend, some sparrows picked up grains of rice and stored them in a piece of bamboo. After a rain the rice fermented and 'sake' was produced. This is one interesting theory of why the Chinese character for 'sake' is composed of characters meaning water and bird. Another interesting theory is that the Japanese pronunciation comes from 'sasake' meaning "bamboo smell". 'Sake' has played an important part in Japanese tradition and culture and in one of the major religions of Japan. In the present-day, 'sake' continues to be served on various occasions and people who refuse to drink may be thought strange or unsociable. Alcohol is considered both a social lubricant and a safety valve in the pressure cooker of modern Japanese society where strict self-control is required during daylight hours. What do you think about 'sake' and other alcoholic beverages? What are the pluses and minuses of drinking them? What do you think about people who refuse to drink? Why do you think there has been in an increase in the number of women and young people with drinking problems? Essays on 'sake' and alcoholic beverages sent to me will be corrected and published in "Daily Word" Echoes. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Papyrus is a plant that grew along the Nile River in ancient Egypt. According to the story found in the second chapter of Exodus, the baby Moses was placed in a basket made of papyrus reeds and hidden in the tall grass along the river's edge and in Job, chapter 8, verse 11, the question is asked: "Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?" Over 4000 years ago, the Egyptians used the stems of this plant to make a paper-like material, also called papyrus, on which ancient records were written. It is from this Greek word that the English word "paper" was derived. Recently, a new use of papyrus has been discovered and the city of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture has planted papyrus plants in irrigation ponds in the hope that they will serve as purifiers to improve the water quality. Experiments have indicated that papyrus plants absorb large quantities of water pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen. These chemicals, which find their way into freshwater streams and ponds from agricultural fertilizers and animal waste, promote the growth of a pungent scum on the water surface. If these plants can survive the Japanese winter and prove to be effective water purifiers, they will be planted in other freshwater reservoirs in Akashi, according to city officials. -------Play things for children are called toys. There are many kinds of toys. Some are useful educational tools. Using toys, children may learn numbers, colors, letters, words and other concepts. Playing with toys, they may develop muscle coordination and social skills. Other toys are simply time-filling amusements, but some may have positively harmful effects. A research institute recently conducted a survey among Tokyo families to find the number of toys children have and how much they cost. The results of this survey show the present affluent state of Japanese families. At the top of the list was the sixth-grade boy who had 1,736 toys. Among the 59 households surveyed, the average was 411 toys per child which cost some ¥190,000. The institute noted that a child's happiness is not necessarily related to the number of toys the child has and "the more toys they are, the fewer the number that are pleasing to mother and child alike." It advised limiting the number of toys but including a variety of kinds. The large number of toys per child is attributed to Japan's low birth rate and the generosity of parents and grandparents. Conscientious adults will choose toys they give children with care. The kind of toys provided for children reflect both the character of the giver and his or her hopes for the child. -------The character of a political leader is reflected in his/her methods of governing and seeking to gain popular support for his/her policies. The character of U.S. President Bill Clinton was seen in his effective campaign style when he sought close contact with common people. He has continued this effort to persuade ordinary citizens as well as their representatives by making trips outside of Washington to the hinterland or heartland of the country. He seems to enjoy personal contacts with common people and to be a persuasive speaker. One of his exemplary predecessors in this regard was President Franklin Roosevelt, another Democratic president who followed a Republican into office during a time of financial and social crisis. One week after his inauguration, on March 12, 1933, sixty years ago today, President Roosevelt delivered the first of a series of radio addresses to the nation, called "fireside chats", in which he explained the policies of the "New Deal" he was advocating to solve the country's problems. President Franklin Roosevelt was a little older and had wider experience than President Clinton when he became president and the problems he faced were more serious, but I wish the present president well in his attempt to make America healthier which should result in a healthier world. -------On the first floor of our family home in northern Illinois, there were four fairly large rooms and two or three smaller ones, not including the front and back porches. Of course, American homes do not have Japanese style 'genkan' (literally meaning "mysterious barrier"), but our front porch served as an intermediate space between the outside world and the family dwelling place. It was large enough to contain a number of chairs. In the summer, it was enclosed with screens, so we could sit there and enjoy a summer breeze while we read books, played games or simply gazed at people walking along the sidewalk or riding down the avenue. In the winter, screens were changed to glass windows to keep out the cold wind. These porch windows could not be opened, but windows in other rooms could be raised or lowered to regulate natural ventilation. Screens were also attached to the outside of those windows in the summer. In the winter, those screens were exchanged for storm windows which served as added protection against the cold. The summer screens and winter storm windows were stored in the small, unfinished room beneath the front porch. Twice a year, my father would take a long extension ladder out of the garage and go around the house, changing screens for storm windows or vice versa. -------In preparing these "Daily Word" messages, I often make use of one or more dictionaries. Dictionaries are useful for finding definitions of words, but some words or concepts cannot be exactly and completely defined for they are beyond human comprehension. One such word or concept, is God. Any attempt to define God implies limiting God, who is unlimited. In the Bible, the character of God is seen through divine activities, such as creation, providence and salvation, but three statements in the writings of John may be seen as definitions of a sort. In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verse 24, Jesus is quoted as saying that "God is Spirit" and in the First Letter of John, chapters 1[:5] and 4[:8], it is written that "God is light" and "God is love". Each of these terms -- spirit, light and love -- are themselves impossible to define precisely, but they give us insight into the Biblical conception of God. As "Spirit", God cannot be perceived by our physical senses, but as "light", God reveals truth to those who are truly seeking. The statement that "God is love" forms the basis of Christian theology for Christians believe that love is the motivation for all of God's activities and is most clearly seen in the life and work of Jesus Christ. -------When we look up at the sky on a clear night, we may see the beautiful sight of countless stars shining. In Oriental eyes, a portion of that bright display looks like a heavenly river ('ama no kawa') or a silver stream ('ginga'). Do you know what this "river of stars" is called in English? In Western eyes, it resembles a splash of milk in the sky and is called the Milky Way. It may also be called the Galaxy, spelled with a capital G. As a common noun, galaxy may denote other groupings of stars or even a group of brilliant persons or things. This word comes from gala, the Greek word for "milk" found in 1 Corinthians 3:2, where the Apostle Paul expressed his disappointment that he still had to feed the infantile Christians in Corinth spiritual milk because they were not yet able to digest the more difficult spiritual meat. A healthy faith will develop and mature. -------One method used to fight a forest fire is to start another fire in the direction it is advancing to create a burned out area in its path. Such a secondary fire is called a backfire. When starting an automobile engine, the small explosion sometimes heard in the exhaust pipe is also called a backfire. As a verb, however, backfire may mean to produce an unexpected and undesired result. Recently, a prison guard in Pecs, a city in southern Hungary, was carrying a bunch of bananas to a prison inmate. Along the way, he encountered his boss and kindly offered him one of the bananas. But his kindness backfired and resulted in his arrest. That guard now faces bribery charges. Relatives of the prisoner had bribed the guard to smuggle the bunch of bananas to their relative. The guard did not know that metal files had been inserted into a banana, but that's what the prison commander found when he bit into the banana offered him. In Numbers 32:23, it is written, "be sure your sin will find you out." Listeners to these telephone messages may receive written copies of the messages before they are spoken by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope plus ¥30 in stamps for each week of messages desired to: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------A number of English words beginning with the letters p-a-t-e-r or p-a-t-r are derived from Greek and Latin words for "father". They include paternal, paternity, patrimony, patricide, patriarch, patrician and patriot. In the New Testament, the Greek word 'pater' is often used for God and the Latin term 'Pater Noster', meaning "Our Father", denotes the Lord's Prayer which is repeated by Christians. This root is also seen in the given names of Patrick and Patricia. Patrick is an especially popular name for Irishmen. In fact, the word paddy, which usually denotes rice or a rice field, when spelled with a capital P, became a slang term for an Irishman. The popularity of this name in Ireland is due to the fact that it is the name of Ireland's patron saint. Today is the feast day of St. Patrick. People of Irish lineage and others who wish to join them in their celebration will wear something green on this day and American cities with large Irish-American populations hold St. Patrick's Day parades, the most famous one passes in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. There are many legendary stories about St. Patrick, but it is clear that the 5th century missionary activity of this "Father and Founder of the Church in Ireland" was one of the most successful in Christian history. -------The word "appease", spelled a-p-p-e-a-s-e, is derived from a Latin word meaning "toward peace". It means to calm or pacify by giving what is demanded. Parents may appease a crying child by giving a piece of candy. One must recognize, however, that genuine peace cannot be gained by appeasing ruthless rulers. Today is the 124th anniversary of the birth of the British prime minister who sought to gain peace in Europe through a policy of appeasement. Neville Chamberlain, born on March 18, 1869, was 68 years old when he became prime minister in 1937 during a troubled time in Europe due to the policies of Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and Franco in Spain. Chamberlain sought to bring peace by appeasing each of these three dictators. Upon his return to London after the Munich Conference with Hitler, he announced that he had secured "peace in our time", but his appeasement of Hilter's desire for parts of Czechoslovakia only encouraged greater incursions which resulted in the Second World War. Before becoming president of the United States in 1912, Woodrow Wilson said: "No man can sit down and withhold his hands from the warfare against wrong and gain peace from his acquiescence." On some issues, compromise is justifiable, but appeasement of what is morally wrong is not the way to lasting peace. -------In order to train children to take safety precautions in emergencies, schools sometimes have fire drills or earthquake drills. Soldiers have drills as a part of their military training. And policemen also have drills to improve their skills. One day last month in Niigata, the local police force was holding an armed robbery drill. To raise public awareness about crime prevention, an NHK television crew was filming the event. Television viewers saw a plainclothes policeman who posed as the robber with dark glasses dash out of a shop clutching a knife. A store employee was running after him. Then an unexpected event occurred that was not part of the drill. A motorist driving down the street thought it was a real robbery, bumped the knife wielding "robber" and sent him sprawling. This policeman in disguise then began yelling at the motorist for interrupting the drill and causing him minor injuries. When the driver realized the true situation, he apologized but he was later commended for his civic virtue and no charges were pressed against him. In business, politics and religion, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the genuine and the sham. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus warned his disciples against people who are dressed like sheep but are really savage wolves. -------On the first room of our family home in northern Illinois, there were four fairly large rooms and three smaller ones, including the walk-in closet off the master bedroom. The first room entered from the front door was the living room. In this carpeted room there was a long davenport, a couple of easy chairs, a rocking chair and one or two straight-backed chairs. In that rocking chair my mother often sat and rocked her babies while nursing them or to put them to sleep. Along the wide staircase that led up to the second floor, was an upright piano on which all six of us children took piano lessons when we were small, although none of us grew up to be accomplished musicians. I don't recall ever hearing my mother play the piano, but once and a while my father would play some of his favorite hymns. Early on Sunday mornings he often played quite loudly and sang at the same time we were still in bed. For us, it was a kind of signal that it was Sunday morning and it was time for us to get up and get dressed to go to Sunday School. There was a radio in the living room and sometimes we would sit on chairs or on the staircase to listen to favorite radio programs, news broadcasts or baseball games. Although at times we played games or read in the living room, that was primarily the place where guests were entertained, so it was kept neat and clean. -------The word "fast" has different meanings. In one sense, fast means to move quickly, but it has another, somewhat contrary, meaning. It may mean to be fixed firmly in place. Thus, to say "the horse is fast" can mean either it is swift or it is securely tied so it cannot get away. Still another meaning of fast is to abstain from food. In certain religions, fasting is a kind of discipline followed by pious believers. In Jesus' day, both the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus' disciples did not fast. In the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus was asked why his disciples did not follow this custom. His reply caused his questioners to reflect on the reason for the custom and to distinguish between form and substance. A person who fasts voluntarily usually does so when sad or as an ascetic practice to discipline oneself. It is not a custom followed on happy occasions. Jesus' reply implied that his disciples were happy and did not fast simply to conform to tradition. When they fasted, it would be a reflection of the sadness they felt within. Pondering the meaning of Jesus' words, we should consider how much of our conformity to traditional customs is only external form without any meaningful content. -------A "hawk", spelled h-a-w-k, is a bird having a short, hooked bill and strong claws with which it seizes its prey. In Japanese, it is called a "taka". Since hawks appear to be bold and aggressive, this word has been used in recent years to identify persons who favor military force to solve problems in contrast to doves, who favor more peaceful means. "Hawk" is also used as a verb meaning to advertise the goods one sells in public places by calling out. A person who hawks, or peddles, goods in this manner is called a hawker, even though he is not hawking hawks. He may also be called a peddler, even though he does not travel by bicycle. Tora-san is the amiable hawker in the television series "Otoko wa Tsurai Yo". "Hawker" is derived from the German word for "peddler", which, in turn, is rooted in an old English word for a covered basket. -------Botany, spelled b-o-t-a-n-y, is the biological science of plants, or 'shokubutsugaku' in Japanese. Today is the birthday of the man known as the "father of American botany". John Bartram was born 294 years ago on March 23, 1699. Bartram had no formal schooling but possessed a keen mind and a great interest in plants. In 1728 he purchased land along the banks of a river near Philadelphia named Schuylkill, which means "hiding stream" in Dutch. There he planted the first botanical garden in the United States, which was frequented by Benjamin Franklin and George Washington and which still exists today as part of the Philadelphia park system. In it there are many giant trees which were planted by Bartram himself. Bartram made treks into nearby mountains and south to Florida in search of new plants. His contacts with European botanists resulted in American plants being introduced into Europe and in European species being established in the so-called New World. The word "botany" comes from a Greek word for "plant" which is found only once in the Greek New Testament, in Hebrews 6:7 :"God blesses the soil which...grows plants that are useful to those for whom it is cultivated." Writers of essays should send them to reach me by Saturday, March 27. -------Having a sense of humor makes life more interesting and enjoyable. Newspapermen who recognize this fact sometimes include a play on words in the headlines of articles. For example, a recent article in 'The Japan Times' was entitled "Chinese dishes cause ministerial stir". From that headline, readers would imagine the article was related to Chinese cooking and they would wonder what kind of ministers would be stirred up about that delicious cuisine and why. In fact, the article was about the Chinese government's attitude toward foreign radio and television broadcasts and whether or not Chinese citizens should be permitted to own satellite dishes, the dish-shaped antennae needed to receive them. There was disagreement on this matter between two government ministries. Another article was entitled: "Beer-Lovers can party president". The Polish Beer-Lovers' Party, which was formed to promote beer drinking among vodka-loving Poles and holds seats in parliament, recently expelled its president and founder on charges of manipulation and financial mismanagement. Because of the association of cans with beer, the editor chose to use "can" in its slang meaning of "dismiss", thinking readers would smile at the pun. A sense of humor has been called the best "defense against adverse fortune". -------Today is a national holiday in the country considered the wellspring of Western civilization although its influence was much greater 2500 years ago than it is today. The early history of this land is so mixed with mythology it is difficult to separate factual events from legends, but its so-called golden age began in the 5th century B.C. Of course, I am referring to the country of Greece, or Hellas. Greece became a part of the Roman Empire and, in the 15th century A.D. was absorbed into the Ottoman Empire. After almost 400 years of Turkish rule, on March 25, 1821, 172 years ago today, the Greeks began their long struggle for independence under the leadership of Alexander Ypsilanti. A city in the U.S. state of Michigan bears that name in honor of his son, Demetrios. American communities with large Greek-American populations celebrate this day along with their relatives in Greece. The expression "all Greek to me", meaning incomprehensible or unintelligible, comes from Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar.' In the New Testament, "Greek" is often used to denote non-Jews, or Gentiles in general, so the statement in Romans 10:12 that "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all" means that the one God is the ruler of all people. -------According to a dictionary, a "week" is "a period of seven days, especially one beginning with Sunday and ending with Saturday". Among Christians, Sunday, considered the first day of the week, is celebrated as the day of Jesus' resurrection. The same dictionary defines a "weekday" as "any day of the week except Sunday" and a "weekend" as "the period from Friday night or Saturday to Monday morning". Thus, Sunday is both the first day of the week and the conclusion of the weekend. Now that many Japanese companies and government offices are adopting a five-day workweek, how to spend the weekend has become a problem in some families. Random interviews recently conducted with a hundred people in downtown Tokyo, indicated that ninety-six of the respondents or their spouses have a two-day weekend. Three-quarters of them expressed some dissatisfaction with their weekends, the most frequent being that it was too expensive and tiring. Instead of relaxing on the weekends, these holidays are often used for shopping and eating out, both of which can be expensive. Japanese are known to be good workers but not so good at utilizing leisure time. May I suggest that the weekend be used not only for recreation but also for re-creation, to bring refreshment not only to the body but to the spirit as well. -------There was a bookcase along the wall between the living room and the dining room in our family home. Each of its five shelves had a glass door that opened out and then could be pushed back into the shell above the books. The top shelf did not have any books on it. Rather, it was full of mementos my parents had collected themselves or received from others. Other than their extended honeymoon trip to the west coast, they rarely traveled to distant places. Only once did they visit a foreign country when they crossed the border into Canada, but there were mementos from the Holy Land that others had given them and later there were souvenirs that came from their son in Japan. On the lower shelves of that bookcase were books that we children used to make much use of it--whether for enjoyment, for study or for both at the same time. There was a series of children's story books which included nursery rhymes and poems along with fictional and historical stories for children of all ages. There was a many-volume set of 'The World Book Encyclopedia' which was the basic resource for school homework assignments. Often, I made use of these reference books while studying at the large dining room table. At other times, they were in front of or around me as I was sprawled out on the living room floor. -------The word "parable" is derived from Greek words meaning "to throw beside". A parable is a simple story used to illustrate moral or religious truth. In a sense, the story is "thrown beside" the truth it represents. Jesus used many parables in his teaching so that even simple, uneducated people could understand the deep spiritual truths he revealed. A few of his parables are given in the 4th chapter of the Gospel according to Mark and three of them are related to seeds. In the first of these parables, seeds sown by a sower fell on four different types of soil and the result depended on the kind of soil upon which it fell. The second parable emphasized the mysterious process of growth from seed to stalk to heads of grain which the sower himself did not understand. In the final Parable of the Mustard Seed the amazing difference between the tiny seed and the large plant it produced is emphasized. In these simple stories, Jesus taught the strange power of vital truth to develop, expand and bring forth much fruit when it is absorbed into a receptive mind. One purpose of these "Daily Word" messages is to sow seeds of truth, some of which, hopefully, will fall on good soil and bring forth an abundant harvest. -------In Japan, 'sosu' is added to certain dishes to enhance their flavor. In fact, there are hundreds of kinds of sauces used as condiments to flavor food. Some sauces are sweet: others are salty or spicy. The black liquid called 'sosu' in Japanese, containing soy and vinegar, is actually Worcestershire sauce which originated in the English county of that name. A popular sauce in fast-food restaurants, often used on hamburgers, hotdogs or chicken is red and made from tomatoes. It is called ketchup. Do you know how to spell this word? It may be spelled c-a-t-s-u-p, c-a-t-c-h-u-p or k-e-t-c-h-u-p, but it has nothing to do with either cats or catching up. This word, rooted in a Chinese word for a tasty sauce, entered English by way of Malaysia. We enjoy eating food that tastes good. According to Psalm 119:103, God's words are tasty, sweeter even than honey. -------Although light breezes of change from the West are beginning to blow into Japan, Japanese society continues to be dominated by men. This is most evident in the area of politics and government. Of the 749 members of the Japanese Diet, only 49 are women, about 6.5 percent of the total. The sharp increase in the number of women elected to the Upper House of the Diet in 1989 was erased in the election last year, when only 13 female candidates won, in contrast to the 22 who gained seats in the previous election. To encourage more women to enter politics, a new school was opened in Tokyo last month by the Japan New Party to train women who aspire to be politicians. Seventy students out of the 618 who applied for admission were accepted on the basis of their essays on the theme of women and politics. Most of them are ordinary office workers; a few are members of municipal assemblies, but 12 men are also enrolled. During the one-year course, students will attend lectures by incumbent politicians and scholars related to various aspects of politics, including agricultural policies, economic issues and the current controversy related to revising the U.S.-drafted Constitution. A society that does not take advantage of the wisdom and insight of half of its population is the poorer for its discrimination. -------A tower is a very tall structure that towers above surrounding buildings. In 1954, the 180-meter tall TV Tower became a landmark in central Nagoya, but Tokyo could not permit this "country capital" to have the tallest structure in the land, so four years later it constructed the 333-meter tall Tokyo Tower which was not only taller than Nagoya's tower, but taller even than the world-famous tower in Paris. The 300-meter Eiffel Tower was inaugurated 104 years ago today, on March 31, 1889. Three platforms at different heights in its iron framework are reached by elevators and stairs. The tower was named for its designer, Alexandre Eiffel, a French engineer who constructed or designed many bridges and viaducts in France. He also constructed the framework for the Statue of Liberty in New York, designed locks for the Panama Canal and contributed to the science of aerodynamics. The most famous story of an ancient tower, the so-called Tower of Babel, is found in the 11th chapter of Genesis. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, verses 28-30, Jesus advised his listeners to sit down and count the cost before building a tower or deciding to become one of his disciples. -------In a musical composition, the word "piano" is a direction meaning "softly" or "quietly". The opposite of "piano" is "forte". When this word appears on a musical score, the music should be played loudly and forcefully. A combination of these two words, pianoforte, from Italian words meaning soft and loud, was the original name of the musical instrument now known as a piano. In this instrument, invented in 1709 by Bartomoleo Christofori, an Italian maker of an older musical instrument called a harpsichord, sound is produced by vibrating strings struck by felt hammers. The sound may be made softer or louder by means of piano music include Austrians (Mozart and Haydn), Germans (Beethoven and Schumann) and Hungarians (Liszt and Bartok), a Pole, Chopin, and a Frenchman, Debussy. When it comes to Russian musicians, the names of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff must be included. Today, April 1st, is the 120th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Rachmaninoff, one of the greatest pianists of his age, who became the conductor of the Imperial Opera, gave concerts in many European and American cities and twice refused the permanent conductorship of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. -------Forty years ago, a 34-year-old mountain climber from New Zealand and his Sherpa guide became the first men known to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Since that time when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norkay stood on the peak of that 8,848-meter mountain, others have followed in their footsteps. The oldest climber was a 55-year-old American who reached the summit in 1985, but now, a 57-year-old Englishman is determined to break that record and become the oldest man to climb that mountain. Brian Blessed made his first attempt to scale the mountain three years ago but turned back before reaching the summit. Mr. Blessed is an actor who has performed in a variety of roles ranging from television slapstick to Shakespeare's dramas. He is quoted as saying, "It's not how old you are, it's how you're old" that's important. In other words, physical age is not as important as physical, mental and spiritual vitality. Recently, Mr. Blessed scaled 7021-meter Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere, as a "warm-up" climb. Blessed's childhood hero, George Mallory, who disappeared near the summit of Mount Everest in 1924, left these words behind him: "You can be dead a long time before you die. We must bring back adventure. Once you stop taking risks, you start to shrivel up and die." -------On the door on one side of the living room in our family home there was a wide, full-length mirror in front of which we could get a good look at ourselves before we left the house to make sure our hair looked neat and our clothes were on straight with no underwear visible. This door opened into the master bedroom of our parents. Other bedrooms, those of us children, were all on the second floor. One window in that bedroom opened on to the front porch and the other was on the cold, north side of the house. The large double bed in that bedroom was the birthplace of all six of us children. A stern but conscientious mid wife who attended our church came to assist mother at those times. For a year or so following a birth, a baby crib was put into a corner of that bedroom so mother and baby could be nearby. A narrow passageway between the bedroom and the bathroom had many clothes hooks along one side on which we hung overcoats for wearing outdoors during the winter. A large, walk-in closet off of another corner of the bedroom held the clothes of our parents and served as the hiding place for birthday or Christmas gifts until the time of their public display. Of course, the bathroom contained both a Western-type flush toilet and a bathtub. In my childhood, Saturday night was the time when the whole family took baths, but of course, they were also taken on other days as needed. -------Recently, the problem of graft among politicians in Italy and Japan especially has been widely publicized by the news media. In this case, "graft" means money gained by unscrupulous means because of one's position. Another meaning of "graft" is to transplant living material from one plant or animal into another. Surgeons make skin or bone grafts and tree surgeons graft shoots of one tree on to another. In the 11th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul used the figure of grafting to explain the relationship of the Gentile Christians to the Jews. According to this illustration, the original "people of God", the Jews, were an olive tree planted in a garden by God. But this tree did not bear the kind of fruit God intended, so God clipped off its branches and grafted in the branches of a wild olive tree, meaning the Gentiles. Using this figure, Paul urges the Gentile Christians to recognize, and not despise, the Jewish roots of their faith. Furthermore, they should realize that if they do not bear the expected fruit, they also may be cut off. The un-Christlike attitude shown toward Jews by many Christians and parts of the Christian church throughout the centuries is a shameful blot on Christian history. -------The small, wormlike larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar in English. Can you guess how it got such a name? Caterpillars have various colors, but the green caterpillars found on sweet potatoes are called ao-mushi or imo-mushi in Japanese. Most caterpillars are hairy and are known as kemushi in Japanese. The English word "caterpillar" is said to be derived from French words meaning "hairy cat". When a caterpillar has attained full growth it goes into retirement and spins a cocoon about itself, from which it emerges as a butterfly. "Flutterby" has been suggested as a more appropriate name for this insect, but there are various theories to explain why it is called a butterfly: because its wings or excrement are the color of butter or because of a medieval legend that fairies and witches in the form of butterflies stole butter in the dark of night. -------There are different meanings of the word "pole", spelled p-o-l-e. When spelled with a capital P, it denotes a native or inhabitant of Poland. When spelled with a small p, it may mean a long, slender, round piece of wood or other material. Flags are flown on the top of flagpoles. It may also signify either of two opposite forces, ends or principles. Magnets and batteries have positive and negative poles and liberal and conservative politicians are usually poles apart in their thinking. The opposite ends of an axis are also called poles. The earth itself has a North Pole and a South Pole. Today, April 6th, is the 84th anniversary of the arrival at the North Pole of an expedition led by naval engineer, Robert E. Peary, which included Matthew Henson and four Eskimo guides. Peary had previously made two unsuccessful attempts to reach the Pole. He set out on this third try in July 1908. After spending the cold, Arctic winter in a base camp, they began their final trek to the top of the world on March 1, 1909. Following days of exhausting effort, traveling 18 to 20 hours a day, and with their food supply dwindling, 42-year-old Henson, an Afro-American, reached the pole first with two of the Eskimos. The 52-year-old Peary, so tired out he was barely able to walk, arrived 45 minutes later. -------About 2,500 years ago, a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus made the significant statement that "Nothing is permanent but change." In the natural world, in human history and in modern society, changes continue to occur: the world is getting warmer, nations boundaries are unstable, and people are growing taller. Most Japanese young people today are, or will be, taller than their parents. This phenomenon is not limited to Japan. In Europe also, such a trend is evident. French Army recruits are 10 centimeters taller today than they were a century ago. Each generation of Germans is two centimeters taller than the previous generation. Among Britons, the differential is .57 centimeters. Taller people have trouble fitting into regular-sized beds, bathtubs and theater seats, find regular-sized bicycles and automobiles too small and have difficulty obtaining read-made clothes that fit. To alert governments and companies to their special needs, tall people's clubs are being organized in various European counties. Being tall is not always an advantage and I disagree with the statement of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, that: "Personal beauty requires that one should be tall; little people may have charm and elegance, but beauty--no." -------Have you ever heard of a "finishing school"? Can you imagine what kind of school it is? What do you suppose is "finished" in "finishing schools"? Such private schools for young women are meant to provide the finishing touches to their social or cultural education before they get married or enter sophisticated society. Training is given in such cultural subjects as art, music and social etiquette. A common Japanese translation of "finishing school" is "hanay0me gakko". Although Harvard University in the United States is a famous private school that provides training for superior scholars, it is not considered a finishing school and does not provide the kind of particularized education required to function gracefully as the wife of a crown prince or an empress of Japan. It is for this reason than Masako Owada is receiving specialized instruction in the history of the imperial system, imperial religious rites, the Japanese Constitution, calligraphy and Japanese poetry. To ease her adjustment to the tradition-bound formalities of the Imperial Household, such a "finishing education" is necessary, but for individuals with alert minds, education is never finished. As Bel Kaufman, a German-born American educator and writer, has stated, "Education is not a 'product': mark, diploma, job, money -- in that order; it is a 'process', a never-ending one." -------Today is the ninth day of this month. Do you know any English words or expressions which include the number nine? A "cat-o'-nine-tails" is a whip made of nine knotted cords fastened to a handle. It is used for flogging and leaves marks like the scratches of a cat. Because of the unusual ability of cats to survive accidents, there is a saying that a cat has "nine lives". "Ninepins" is a bowling game in which nine wooden pins are the target and a person who is very happy or delighted may be said to be "on cloud nine". This expression comes from terminology used by the U.S. Weather Bureau which divides clouds into nine types. According to its categories, cloud nine is the cumulonimbus cloud that may build up on a hot summer afternoon, so to be "on cloud nine" implies being very elated indeed. During the Second World War, a special corps of army guard dogs were called the "K-9 Corps", a kind of pun on the word "canine", which pertains to dogs. A story in the Gospel of Luke includes this number. In chapter 17, after ten men were healed by Jesus and only one, a Samaritan, came back to thank him, Jesus asked, "where are the other nine?" This story reminds us to give thanks to God and to others after our prayers or requests have been answered or fulfilled. -------When going from the living room to the dining room of my family home in the United States one passed in front of the wide, open staircase going up to the second floor. Between the dining room and that staircase was the floor register from which heat from the basement furnace was dispersed throughout the house. On one side of the register was a door opening to the stairway going down to the basement. On the other side was a door to the bathroom, but there was no door between the living room and dining room. In the center of the dining room was the dining room table at which we ate as a family on special occasions or when we had guests. The oval-shaped table could be made larger by pulling the ends further part and putting extra leaves in the center, so twelve people could sit around that table and eat together. Windows on the south and west sides of the dining room made it a bright and cheerful place. It did not have a carpet on the floor like the living room. The floor was wood, but sometimes covered with linoleum so the food dropping of little children could easily be wiped up. The dining room table was not only used for dining. It was sometimes covered with patterns of clothes my mother or sisters were making, with games we were playing or with textbooks, reference books or notebooks of students doing homework. -------The Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death is called Easter. According to the formula determined by a Church Council in the 4th century, in order to keep this celebration in conjunction with the Jewish festival of the Passover, Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This year, today is Easter Sunday. All four Gospel writers note that the resurrection occurred in the early morning on the first day of the week, so today Easter Sunrise services will be held in many areas, either within churches or out-of-doors. Such services include the singing of joyful hymns and messages emphasizing the victory of life over death and of good over evil. The Christian belief in the miracle of Christ's resurrection cannot be separated from faith in Almighty God and the belief that Jesus Christ was the divine Savior who entered human history to bring salvation. In the introduction to his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote that the Gospel, or Good News, is about "our Lord Jesus Christ: as to his humanity, he was born a descendant of David; as to his divine holiness, he was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being raised from death." -------In battles fought on the ground, "hohei", or foot soldiers, are very important. Do you know the common word for foot soldiers in English? Since they belong to the infantry, or "hoheitai", they are called infantrymen. In the word "infantry" we find the word "infant", but can you guess the relationship between infants and foot soldiers? "Infant", derived from Latin words meaning not speaking, denotes a child not yet capable of speaking. Italians used this word to mean a "youngster" and applied it to those who followed mounted knights on foot, those who were too inexperienced to become members of the cavalry. It is from Italian via French that the word entered English to mean less qualified foot soldiers in general. In the 2nd chapter of the 2nd Letter to Timothy in the New Testament, Timothy is urged to be "a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus." -------In days gone by, the abbreviation "CD" was used to mean "Certificate of Deposit", "Civilian Defense" or "Cash Discount". Nowadays, it is most commonly used to mean "compact disk". These CDs are popular among people who like to listen to high fidelity music, but music is not the only kind of sound recorded on CDs. The U.D. Corporation made 400 special CDs last year that were sold for between ¥35,000 and ¥50,000 to happy parents of new-born infants. These 15-20-minute-long-CDs were edited from recordings taken in the delivery room on the day of the baby's birth. They included the mother's gasps and the baby's first cry, followed by congratulations from doctors and nurses. The birth date and time, the baby's weight and description were also included along with a message from the parents. It would be interesting to know at what times and for whose enjoyment such CDs are played. In the Gospel of John, chapter 16, verse 21, Jesus gave the illustration of a woman whose suffering during childbirth is turned into joy after a baby is born. In the experience of many people, suffering has been the precursor of joy. -------Do you consider Japan a law-abiding country? Recently a newspaper reported the result of an investigation it had conducted into the effectiveness of the law which prohibits selling cigarettes to minors. A high school student in uniform went to 38 stores that sell tobacco and asked for a pack of cigarettes. If the student was asked his age, he answered truthfully and if asked who the cigarettes were for, he said they were for himself. How many stores do you think refused to sell him cigarettes because he was underage? Of the 38 stores, one store refused, two stores told him to make his purchase from the vending machine outside and 35 stores sold him the cigarettes without hesitation. According to a survey conducted last year among junior and senior high school students, twenty percent of the male high school students were regular smokers. In contrast, a law passed last year in Singapore prohibiting the manufacture, sale and import of chewing gum as well as the chewing of gum on subways seems to have had the desired effect of practically eliminating littering with spent chewing gum on subway trains and stations and other public places. Laws, including the Constitution, a country's basic law, are not effective unless they are supported by the people and enforced by the government. -------A popular pastime in Japan is the parlor game called "go". This game is played with white and black counters on a special board having two sets of 19 lines which cross each other at 381 intersections. Most of the 308 professional players registered at Nihon Kiin, the Japanese "go" association, are Japanese, Chinese or Korean. One of the two Western members of that association who holds the rank of seventh "dan" (the third highest rank out of nine levels) is 29-year-old Michael Redmond, an American. Michael was introduced to "go" by his father at the age of 11 and quickly immersed himself in the game. His "go" teacher brought him to Japan during a summer vacation when he was 13. The following year he was admitted as a student to Nihon Kiin after a competitive screening. He became a professional "go" player at 18 and, two years ago, married a Chinese player. They used to play with each other, but now she must care for their baby daughter. According to Nihon Kiin's statistics, there are now approximately 80,000 "go" players in the United States, 46,000 in Germany, 30,000 in Brazil and some 100,000 in Russia. Asked the secrets of being a champion "go" player, Redmond replied, "First of all, love "go". Then find good rivals to compete with." Both love and competition are important factors in progressing toward a goal. -------Today, April 16th, is the 104th anniversary of the birth of a world famous comedian. From the following description, I think you may be able to guess his name. He often played the part of a wistful tramp with a moustache, wearing a derby and baggy trousers, walking in an awkward manner with his toes pointed outward. Both of his parents were actors and when he was born in London in 1889, he was given the name of Charles. Charlie Chaplin began his stage career at the age of seven. He joined a vaudeville troupe on a tour of the United States in 1910 and soon after that began his career as a motion picture actor and later a director. He had a natural talent for making people laugh, but he also made some Americans angry because of his political views and personal behavior. From 1952, he settled in Switzerland with his wife, Oona. In 1975, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin died in 1977. Charlie Chaplin spoke of laughter as "the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain" and in his autobiography, he wrote, "I remain one thing and one thing only, and this is a clown. It places me on a much higher plane than any politician." -------The English word, buffet, spelled b-u-f-f-e-t, derived from French, may denote a meal in which people serve themselves from dishes set on a table or a sideboard which may also be called a buffet. On one side of the dining room in my home there was along, permanent buffet. The elongated mirror above it extended its entire length. On special occasions or when we had guests, a vase of flowers decorated the top of the buffet, but on normal days it was simply the place where we could conveniently put articles temporarily. This buffet, or sideboard, contained a number of drawers and compartments. In the largest compartment was kept the exquisite china set our parents had received as a wedding gift in two small drawers above it, the beautiful set of silverware they had received. Two other small drawers above contained personal effects of our mother and father while the large drawers below contained tablecloths, sheets and other linen. At the far end of the buffet was a separate vertical set of drawers which were allocated to us children. Each one of us had our personal drawer in this handy place in the dining room where we could keep our own things. Although the drawers could not be locked, we usually did not open another's drawer. -------The Ten Commandments recorded in Exodus, chapter 20, are best-known, but according to Jewish tradition, the divine law given to Moses on Mount Sinai included 613 commandments in all. With so many precepts to follow, at times, some commandments seemed to clash with others and it was necessary to choose which were more important, to establish some priority. Legal experts did not always agree on which commandments were primary. Matthew, chapter 22, contains the story of a teacher of the law asking Jesus his view on this matter. "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" he asked. Jesus' answer was that the "greatest and most important commandment" was to love God with one's whole being. He went on to say that the second most important commandment was to "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." In his answer, Jesus clarifies the heart of the Christian religion. The center of that religion is not one's self, one's nation, a special social group nor human beings at all. It is God, the Creator, Ruler and Savior of the world. The basic precept of that religion is not to perform ceremonies nor follow tradition, but to love. And love for God is seen in practical deeds of kindness to other people. -------The word "peculiar", which may mean unusual, distinct or unique, has a peculiar story behind it. It is rooted in the Latin word for cow. In ancient Rome, cows were used as a common medium of exchange. Property was evaluated in terms of cattle and a Latin word literally meaning "property in cattle" was used to express the sense of "one's own property". A related word, from which "peculiar" was derived meant "exclusively one's own" or "distinctive". A small town in the U.S. state of Missouri is named Peculiar. The first postmaster in that area is said to have received a letter from the Postal Department instructing him to select a name that was peculiar. Taking the instruction literally, he gave the town that name. The classical English translation of 1 Peter 2:9 speaks of Christians as a "peculiar people". This did not imply that they were strange but that God has selected them for a special mission. -------Like many other traditional Japanese customs, sumo wrestling is characterized by many formalized rituals, including the 'chiri-chozu, shikiri' and salt-scattering rituals performed before the wrestling begins, preceding the bouts of some popular wrestlers, advertisement banners are carried around the ring. Following those bouts, the referee presents the winner with a package containing money, but before accepting it, the wrestler again makes a ritualistic gesture. The amount of money in this package amounts to ¥30,000 for each of the banners paraded around the ring before that bout. Only companies may purchase banners and they must buy at least five banners per tournament. The cost of a banner is ¥55,000 plus ¥5,000 in expenses. At the spring tournament last year, a total of 629 banners purchased by 72 companies were displayed but this year, there were only about 500 banners from some 50 companies -- another reflection of the present economic recession in Japan. Now that there are three top-ranked Hawaiian wrestlers, the tour to Hawaii in June should be a popular event and may entice more advertisers, but ticket prices, ranging from $25-$150, are said to be too high. -------Today, April 21st, is the traditional date to celebrate the founding of one of the oldest and most important cities in world history. Rome is not only the capital of the Italian Republic. It is also the capital of the region of Latium and of the province of Rome. Furthermore, within its city limits lies a sovereign state called Vatican City, which is the residence of the Pope and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. According to Roman legend, the city was founded by Romulus in 753 B.C. and today is the day that parades are held and speeches are given to commemorate that event. I presume it was not simply by chance that this day in 1960 was chosen for the inauguration of one of the newest capitals in the world, that of Brasilia, situated in the highlands of Brazil. The establishment of this completely new city with its ultramodern public buildings was meant to encourage the development of Brazil's interior region. It required bold planning, steadfast perseverance and great expense to move the capital almost 1000 kilometers from Rio de Janerio on the coast. On this day when one of the oldest and one of the newest of national capitals is commemorated, I wonder whether the Japanese government's plans to move the capital away from Tokyo will ever come to fruition. -------On April 22, 1832, 161 years ago today, Julius Morton was born in New York State. He grew up in Michigan and settled in Nebraska after he got married. There he edited a local newspaper and became active in politics, later serving as secretary of agriculture as well as president of the American Forestry Association. Morton advocated planting trees on the Nebraska plains to serve as windbreaks, hold moisture in the soil, provide lumber and replenish the natural woodland. Following his suggestion, a specific day in April was designated Arbor Day. On that one day in 1872, a million trees were planted in Nebraska and some 350 million trees were planted in that state over the next 16 years. Other states also designated special days for planting trees and following Morton's death in 1902, Nebraska declared April 22nd, the anniversary of his birth, a legal holiday called Arbor Day. Since 1970, this day has been observed internationally as Earth Day to emphasize the necessity for conservation of the natural resources of the world. In the Biblical story of creation, God not only gave human beings the command to subdue the earth and control it. He also told them to cultivate it and care for it. We have been too concerned with the former command at the expense of the latter. -------People with creative minds continue to experiment with common products to bring forth something new or different. This is the path of progress. An Association for Discussing Miscellaneous Knowledge 'Zatsugaku Toku no Kai' has been collecting dandelions from Mt. Ikoma in Nara Prefecture. Having heard that these plants served as a substitute for coffee beans in Germany during World War II, they have made a new kind of coffee from dandelion roots. The coffee is made by slightly cutting the dandelion's roots, frying them for 30 minutes and then placing them in a filter through which water is poured. Another new kind of drink has been produced by the Nikka Whisky Distilling Company. Beginning next spring, this new wine made from persimmons will share shelf space with the apple wine the company already is producing. At a recent sampling party sponsored by the Aizu-Wakamatsu city government in Fukushima Prefecture, the wine was said to be slightly sour, but mild. It is hoped that this new wine will become popular and help the region's persimmon industry. -------The living room, or parlor, of our family home in the United States was not used so much for 'living' as for entertaining guests, playing the piano or to the radio. It was also a place to quietly read a book or to play a parlor game. Since there was no table in that room, such games were played on the carpeted floor. During the Christmas season, a Christmas tree, reaching to the ceiling, was erected in the parlor. Decorating the tree was a family affair. After father strung the colored Christmas tree lights throughout its branches, the rest of us added other ornaments and decorations on the branches we could reach. All six of us children and our parents exchanged Christmas gifts with one another. Gifts were wrapped in pretty Christmas wrapping paper and placed under the tree preceding Christmas, so by Christmas morning the base of the tree was surrounded by gifts. There was no fireplace in the living room, but behind the tree, my father attached a paper picture of a brick fireplace. On hooks over that picture, we children hung one stocking each, in order of our ages, to be filled by Santa Claus after we went to bed on Christmas Eve. Of course, we tried to find our largest stocking for that purpose. On Christmas morning, as soon as we got up, we could empty our stocking which had been filled with candies or small toys which we played with until the whole family was up and had gathered in the living room for the gift exchange. -------In the religious calendar used by the Christian Church, the Friday before Easter Sunday is the most solemn day in the entire year. It is the day commemorating Jesus' death on the cross. The Japanese term for this day is Junanbi, literally meaning "day of suffering", but in English, it is called "Good Friday". You may wonder why the anniversary of such a sad event is called a "good" day. One explanation is that this is a corruption of the earlier term, "God's Friday" meaning "holy Friday". I prefer the explanation, however, that the word comes from the deep meaning the crucifixion of Jesus has for Christians. We consider it a "good" Friday because through that sad event the infinite love of God was shown to us sinners and the way of salvation from sin was opened. In the 5th chapter of the Letter to the Romans, it is written: "It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. But God has shown us how much he loves us--it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! By his death we are now put right with God" [7-9]. Considering the good result of Jesus' sacrificial death, it is not strange that the day commemorating it is called a "good" day. In fact, for the person with a healthy faith, every day is a "good" day. -------
It is said that a 9th-century Arab goatherd, surprised to see how frisky his goats became after they had eaten the red berries of a leafy bush, tried some himself and felt more lively. He informed his fellow tribesmen of his discovery and for the next three hundred years these red berries were chewed for their stimulating effect. In the 13th century, the Arabs began to brew these berries and called the drink "qahwah", meaning "a drink made from berries". This Arabic word was altered to "cafe" in French and became "coffee" in English. Coffee is probably the most widely drunk refreshment in the world today. The English word "cafe", originally denoting a coffee house, is now used for a restaurant or bar as well. Alexander Pope, the English poet, wrote of There are two different English words spelled r-e-f-u-s-e. The verb, meaning to decline, is pronounced re-fyooz. The noun, which is pronounced re-fyoos, denotes something discarded as useless. There are a number of synonyms of refuse, including trash, rubbish, waste, debris and garbage. "Garbage" is used especially for refuse of vegetable or animal matter that comes from a kitchen, for example, but it may also be used for trash in general. In Japan, it is the rule to put burnable and non-burnable trash into separate black or blue garbage bags and put them out for collection by the sanitation department to be disposed of in different ways. This is a very sensible system, but there are always people who do not follow the rules. A number of local governments have now outlawed colored bags, insisting that clear plastic bags be used so that the contents will be evident and dangerous objects may be recognized. On the other hand, some residents are opposing this move, saying it is an invasion of privacy. "Garbage" or "refuse" may also be used in a figurative way to denote ideas or theories considered useless and in his Letter to the Philippians, chapter 3, verse 8, the Apostle Paul referred to the concepts he held before his conversion to Christ as "refuse". -------Thriftiness was once considered a characteristic Japanese virtue. In the old days, people made use of various methods to save money, but during the booming economy days, such practices were often neglected. Now that the so-called "bubble" has burst, money-saving measures are being reconsidered. A Nagoya company has found a couple of successful ways to save money. One is aimed at conserving electricity and thus lowering the electric bill. A string hangs from the light fixture above each desk in its office and when people leave, they turn off that particular light. In order to lower the telephone bill, pink telephones have been installed on each of the desks of its 60 sales offices around the country. As you know, coin-operated telephones in Japan come in different colors--red, yellow, green, grey and pink, and each has a special character. Pink telephones are privately owned but require ¥10 coins to operate. The company has found that salespeople naturally tend to shorten their calls when they hear coins dropping through the phone. Although the company spent more than ¥10 million to install the pink pay phones, a single year's phone bill savings paid back the investment. In the year 46 B.C., the Roman statesman Cicero wrote: "Men do not realize what a great income thrift is." -------Today, a national holiday in Japan, called Green Day, is the 92nd anniversary of the birth of the man who was enthroned as the Japanese "tenno" in 1926. "Tenno", literally meaning "heavenly sovereign", is translated into English as "emperor", but in European languages words used for rulers of empires are derived from the ancient Roman name of a noble family: Caesar, spelled C-a-e-s-a-r. After the reign of Julius Caesar, this name became a title for Roman emperors. "Kaiser", spelled K-a-i-s-e-r, was used for emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, of Austria and of Germany. Czar, spelled C-z-a-r, or Tsar, spelled T-s-a-r, was used for emperors of Russia. In fact, today is the birthday of the Russian czar, Alexander II, who was born on April 29, 1818. Ascending the throne upon the death of his father, Nicholas I, during the Crimean War in 1855, he immediately began negotiating a peace treaty to end that war in which Russian suffered a defeat. Alexander instituted liberal reforms, including the emancipation of the serfs and limited local self-government, but on the very day he signed a decree granting local assemblies greater power, he was assassinated by a terrorist at the age of 64. -------Last year, my wife and I bought a new car. Since we live and work in the area where Toyota cars are produced and since some of our church members work in Toyota-related companies, we feel obligated to buy cars made by the Toyota Motor Company. As we looked at various models, before purchasing another Corolla, my wife insisted that the new car have three conveniences that our older car lacked: air conditioning, power steering and power brakes. With air conditioning, the car is kept cool in hot weather and with power steering and power brakes it is much easier to steer and to apply the brakes because the human power of the driver is assisted by additional mechanical power. A recent news article told of a newly-developed power bicycle. Some people ride bicycles to get exercise, but riding up hills may require more power than the rider can produce. The power bicycle has an electric motor, powered by a rechargeable battery, that assists the rider. Pedaling is still necessary, but the harder one pedals, the more assistance the motor provides. After returning home, the battery can be recharged by plugging it into a socket. Since the cost of the bicycle is over ¥100,000, however, I think I will keep pedaling my old-fashioned bicycle a few years more. -------Next to the dining room in our family home was the kitchen. Linoleum covered the wooden floor of this fairly large room in which there was a stove with an oven, a sink and an oval-shaped table around which we ate most of our meals. The table was on rollers so it could be easily moved against a wall to provide more open space. Mother and father sat at opposite ends of the table and we children sat on both sides between them. On one side of the table a bench provided seats for two or three small children while the others sat on individual chairs. A highchair was also placed next to mother's chair when my younger sisters were babies. It became quite crowded around that table when all six of us children grew up. When we ate a meal together, we did not begin eating until a prayer of thanks was offered, either by one of our parents or one of us children. When eating by ourselves also, whether at home or away from home, it was our custom to bow our heads and silently pray before every meal. Following the evening meal, for our family devotions, father usually read a passage from the Bible followed by a few comments and prayer. Sometimes, mother or one of the children were given the opportunity to read the Bible and/or pray. So from our childhood, prayer and Bible reading were common--not only at church but in our home as well. -------In Hebrew, the word for man, 'adam', is related to soil, 'adamah', for according to one creation story in the Old Testament book of Genesis, the first man, Adam, was made from the soil. The Latin word for soil, 'humus', is the root of such English words as humus, human and humane, along with humble and humiliate. It need not be humiliating for human beings to remember that we were made from humus, but it should make us more humble. To be human is simply to be a person, as distinct from an animal, a plant or an inanimate thing. To be humane is to manifest the highest qualities of human beings, including kindness, tenderness, mercy and sympathetic consideration. The American Humane Society has designated this first Sunday of May as Humane Sunday, dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and cruelty to animals. Unfortunately, there are many examples of inhuman and inhumane acts of cruelty toward human beings and animals in the world today. According to the first creation story in Genesis, human beings were made to resemble God, their Creator. Therefore, we should exhibit the humane qualities that distinguish us from animals, but it is only as we receive God's Spirit into our lives that we can live as "God's children". -------Today is a Japanese holiday called Constitution Memorial Day, commemorating the day in 1947 when the present Constitution became effective. To constitute means to compose, set up or formally establish something. A constitution is a document which states the fundamental laws and principles upon which a government or other institution is based. Japan has a unique constitution which renounces war and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces. Constitution State is the nickname of the American state of Connecticut. This nickname is derived from the fact that, in 1639, three towns which had been under control of Massachusetts declared themselves a commonwealth and adopted a constitution called the Fundamentals of Connecticut. Some historians regard it as the first written constitution in the world and the basis for the present U.S. Constitution. -------Among the hints printed in a booklet to help foreign residents get along in Tokyo was one about using public telephones. If there are a number of public telephones in the same area and all of them are being used, it advised readers to get in line behind middle-aged women rather than behind salarymen or young girls. The stated reason is as follows: salarymen will use the phone for business and take a long time. Young girls also make long calls, talking about many things they don't want their families to hear. The middle-aged woman, on the other hand, will only be calling home to tell her children something like "Take the clothes out of the washer," and then she'll hang right up. It is a fact that many people talk too much. They keep on talking even when they have nothing to say. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., an American physician, professor and man of letters, wrote: "Talking is like playing on the harp; there is as much in laying the hand on the strings to stop their vibrations as in twanging them to bring out their music." The wise counsel found in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 10, verse 19 is: The more you talk the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet." -------This fifth day of the fifth month is called May the 5th in English. In Japan, where it is celebrated as a holiday in honor of children, it is called 'go-gatsu itsu-ka'. Today is also a holiday in Mexico, where it is called 'Cinco de Mayo', meaning "Fifth of May". The 'Cinco de Mayo' holiday commemorates one of the great days in Mexican history. A hundred thirty-two years ago, in 1861, the Mexican government failed to make required payments on bonds to France, Spain and England. These three countries decided to make a joint naval demonstration against Mexico to force payment. When a preliminary agreement was reached between the two sides, the British and Spanish ships sailed for home, but France decided to engage in a war of conquest. Convinced of the superiority of the "race, discipline and organization" of his 6000 French troops, the French commander expected a quick victory, but 2000 Mexican soldiers foiled his plans and drove the invaders back. Although French forces did conquer Mexico, this first battle won by the Mexicans provided the inspiration that brought an end to French rule five years later. Today, 'Cinco de Mayo' parades and other festivities are held in Mexico and in southwestern United States areas where many people of Mexican lineage reside. -------In the days before automobiles, people in England used horses as a common means of transportation. For those who did not own a horse of their own, livery stables kept horses that could be hired. Over 350 years ago, a man by the name of Thomas Hobson operated a livery stable in the university town of Cambridge. Of course, some customers were choosy. They wanted to look over all the available horses and choose the one considered most desirable, but Mr. Hobson established a firm regulation that each customer must take the horse nearest the door when he arrived, the one at the head of the line. He permitted no picking and choosing, which is to say "eri-gonomi o yurusanakatta." Because of this hard and fast rule, the name of this man has been perpetuated in the English expression "Hobson's choice." A Hobson's choice is not a choice between various possibilities. Since there is no alternative, it is a "choice" between taking what is offered or taking nothing at all. In our lives, events occur which we did not choose. They are determined by a power beyond our control, which some people call "fate." But Christians believe that all events are somehow related to the overall providence of a just and merciful God. -------In Japanese, the offspring of animals are simply indicated by putting a 'Ko', meaning either "small" or "child", before the character for that particular animal. Thus there are such words as 'ko-inu', 'ko-neko', 'ko-uma', 'ko-ushi', 'ko-hitsuji' and so on. In English, there are different names for each of these young animals: pup, kitten, colt, calf, lamb, etc. The word "cub" is used for the young of various mammals, including bears, foxes, lions, tigers and whales. This word is also used for an awkward youth, an inexperienced newspaper reporter, a member of the youngest division of Boy Scouts and a player on a Chicago baseball team. So what do you imagine is the meaning of "Super Cub"? This is the name given by the Honda Motor Company to the motorbike which has become one of the most popular two-wheeled motor vehicles in the world. Since it was first put on the market 35 years ago, changes have been made to improve its performance, but its original design remains the same. Over 20 million units were produced last year. This kind of "cub" should be easier to control than those of the animal variety, but in a vision of the future golden age recorded in Isaiah, chapter 11, calves and cubs feed together and lie down in peace. -------In informal American English, "dumb", spelled d-u-m-b, means "stupid", but its formal meaning is "lacking the power of speech". In this proper sense, a person who is dumb may also be called a mute. You may be surprised to know that the dictionary contains the word "dumb waiter". A "waiter", of course, is a man who waits on a table in a restaurant. Most waiters are not dumb, but my dictionary defines a "dumb waiter" as "a small elevator used to convey food ... from one floor to another." When I was a child, there was a dumb waiter in the inner wall of the kitchen of my American home. On the enclosed back porch off of the kitchen, there was an ice box which required a large block of ice to keep things cold. An ice man regularly delivered ice from his horse-driven cart for that purpose. Other food items which did not require that much refrigeration were placed on the shelves of the dumb waiter which was lowered to the basement when the sliding door was closed. (Of course, the basement was always cool, even in the summer.) When the door was slid open, the shelves reappeared. It was a very convenient arrangement which continued until my parents bought their first electric refrigerator which they situated in the opening left after the dumb waiter was removed. Thus the refrigerator did not take up any space in the kitchen itself. -------Eighty-five years ago, on May 10, 1908, the second Sunday of May, special church services were held to honor mothers in two American cities: Grafton, West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These services were the result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis following the death of her mother. Within a couple of years, churches throughout the country had adopted that custom and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation designating the second Sunday of May a day for "a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country". Today, Mother's Day is being observed in churches and homes in many countries around the world. It is a day to remember and to express our appreciation for the loving care and encouragement our mothers have given us from the time of our birth. In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 23, verse 22, we are given the advice, "When your mother is old, show her your appreciation." And in chapter 15, verse 20, it is written, "Only a fool despises his mother." According to a Jewish proverb, "God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers." And Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest figures in American history, said, "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." -------Have you ever heard of a "swan song"? A swan is a large, graceful bird with a long neck and white plumage that swims in the water. Many swans are mute; the only sound they make is a curt hiss when they are angry. Others make whistling noises or loud cries, but no swans ever sing. According to an ancient legend, however, swans sing one beautiful song just before they die. This legend has been perpetuated by many English poets, and the last great work of a creative artist, whether a poet, writer, painter or musician is called a swan song. The final speech of a politician or a businessman before leaving his position may also be called a swan song. The swan song of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is found in the 7th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. His final words, like those of Jesus, were a prayer that his executioners be forgiven. -------
One of America's most popular songwriters was born 105 years ago today in Russia. He accompanied his family to the United States when he was a small child and was educated in New York public schools. As a young man, he became a singing waiter in a restaurant and began to compose songs, even though he could not read music. He wrote over a thousand songs, many of which became famous hits of Broadway musicals or Hollywood films. I presume you have heard some of them. They include: 'Alexander's Ragtime Band, Always,' and 'Oh, How I Hate to Get Up In the Morning.' Though you may not be acquainted with these well-known American songs, I'm sure you do know 'White Christmas'. Do you know the name of its composer? When he was born into the Baline family in Siberia on May 11,1888 he was given the name Israel. In the United States, however, he changed his name to Irving Berlin. One of his best-known songs which continues to be sung in many American communities on special occasions is the following: In England, May is considered the month of flowers and there is a special word, "mayflower", to denote flowers that bloom in spring. The first day of May, called May Day, is the traditional day of flower festivals, but according to a reference book, this 12th day of May is observed in one community as "Garland Day". A "garland", spelled g-a-r-l-a-n-d, is a wreath or string of flowers and on this day in that community children carry garlands from door to door and receive gifts for the welcoming of May. This custom, which is said to be a ceremony left over from the old May Day festivities, is observed in the town of Abbotsbury in Dorsetshire. I know that the suffix "shire" is used in England to identify counties, regions or districts, but I do not know why a number of towns or cities end with the suffix "bury". I don't suppose that Abbotsbury was the place abbots were buried. I find that the county seat of Dorsetshire is Dorchester. This name causes me to wonder why a number of English towns end with the suffix "chester" or "cester". It is probably because I have a curious mind that prompts such questions upon seeing such names that I have found it interesting, stimulating and informative to continue preparing these "Daily Word" messages over the years. I hope listeners/readers find them so also. -------Today's message consists of announcements related to this telephone service. First, we will hold our regular meeting of listeners/readers on the 5th Sunday of this month, May 30th, beginning at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae. Ten days after that meeting, a notable wedding will take place in Japan. I would like to hear your views about that marriage and about "The Roles of Husbands and Wives in Modern Families." Second, my wife and I will make a two-month trip to the United States from the latter part of next month. During that time, I plan to continue this telephone service by calling in the messages daily from the U.S.--using recycled messages which were originally transmitted six years ago, making minor changes related to dates and time periods involved. Since I cannot mail written copies of the messages during that time, if you wish to receive copies of those ten weeks of recycled messages, please send me a self-addressed "kaku-gata 4-go" envelope with a ¥175 stamp affixed plus ¥300 in stamps for the copy fee. At the end of each of those messages, I plan to make an additional up-to-date comment regarding my activities. My address is: P.O.Box 30, Moriyama P.O., Nagoya 463. -------When Emperor Showa died 5 years ago at the ripe age of 87, he had reigned for 63 years, the longest reigning monarch in Japanese history. Queen Victoria, the longest-reigning English monarch also reigned for 63 years. She was 81 years old when she died. Among French monarchs, the record-holder was the man who ascended the throne 350 years ago today, on May 14, 1643, at the tender age of 4. When Louis XIV died at the age of 77, he had been king for over 72 years. Until he became 12 years old, his mother actually ruled as regent, but he was recognized as the king. There were 18 kings of France named Louis, spelled L-o-u-i-s, but this Louis XIV became known as Louis, the Great and the Sun King. He became an absolute monarch and made the famous assertion, "I am the state." The name, Louis, comes from the German name Ludwig and when it entered English, the spelling was changed to L-e-w-i-s and pronounced Loo-is. In the United States, both spellings are used for boys names. In my high school class, there were two boys with the same surname, Robinson. One was named Louis and the other Lewis, but both were called Loo-is and we distinguished them by their hair color rather than by their names. -------The small room off of a bedroom where clothes are kept is called a closet, but the small room off of a kitchen where food is stored is called a pantry. This word comes from an older word meaning "bread-closet" rooted in the Latin word for "bread", or 'pan' in Japanese. There was a pantry off of the kitchen in our home where canned goods and boxed food were stored on shelves. There were special bins for flour and sugar but none for rice. The various ingredients for making bread, cakes or pastries were on the shelves next to the counter where mother or sisters mixed them together before putting them into the oven to be baked. A small window just above the work-counter permitted the person who worked there to look out at the birds in the trees in the backyard as she mixed, kneaded or rolled the dough. There was a bread box and a cookie jar in the pantry also but neither homemade bread nor cookies lasted very long in our family. On one shelf, the common china and silverware used daily when eating at the kitchen table were kept. Underneath was a cabinet for pans and larger utensils. The pantry was right next to the kitchen sink and the door was often kept open so the person who dried the dishes after they were washed was just a step or two away from the shelf where they were placed. Although one of the smallest rooms in the house, the pantry was a very important place indeed. -------In the Bible, a prophet is not primarily a person who foretells the future. He is a spokesman for God and his message may include reflections on the past and exhortations for the present as well as predicting the future. Old Testament prophets used various methods to proclaim their divine messages. In Isaiah, chapter 5, the prophet joined in harvest festival celebrations by singing a song that starts out as a kind of love song which would attract listeners. He sang of his friend who planted a vineyard on a fertile hill, prepared the soil, cleared away stones, planted the finest vines and even built a tower to guard them. He expected the vineyard to produce delicious grapes but was disappointed to find that the grapes were sour. He questions what more he could have done to ensure a better harvest. As his listeners pondered the question, the prophet surprised them with his interpretation of the song, which was a kind of parable. The vineyard symbolized the nation of Israel and the planter was God. God had done all he could to produce a harvest of justice and righteousness, but he found injustice and oppression instead. In recent years, the nation of Japan has been greatly blessed by God. What kind of harvest is it producing? -------It is interesting how some countries got their names. Today is a national holiday in the northern European country called Norway, which means "north way". There are a couple of amusing stories about how Canada got its name. According to one, two Spanish explorers reached a point just south of the present Canadian border. One scaled a high bluff to see what lay northward. The other shouted to him, "Que ve usted?" ("What do you see?"). The reply was "Aca nada" ("Nothing's there"), but the initial "a" of his reply was not heard. The other story is of an Indian chief talking to a French explorer. In the chief's language, the word for "village" was "kanata" or "kanada". When he pointed to a certain area and explained that that was his village, the explorer thought he was talking about the entire region. Since then, Canada has become a very large "village" indeed. -------The state of Washington in the northwest corner of the United States has a number of attractive mountains. One of the most beautiful is Mount Saint Helens which was named for Baron St. Helens who conducted British negotiations with Spain regarding the northwest coast of North America. Thirteen years ago today, on May 18, 1980, this volcanic mountain which had been dormant for 123 years erupted with a giant explosion. Over a cubic Kilometer of the mountaintop was blown off; steam and ash rose to a height of over 18,000 meters. Communities were covered with up to 18 centimeters of volcanic ash and a 3-kilometer crater was formed. Scientists calculated that the explosion released 500 times more energy than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Thousands of fir trees were destroyed, millions of fish in rivers and streams perished along with over 30 people. One of those who died, Harry R. Truman, who had lived near the mountain for many years, refused to leave despite warnings of a possible eruption. He became a kind of legendary figure and a number of articles and songs were written to commemorate his independent, stubborn spirit. As many people living in Shimabara City in Nagasaki Prefecture can testify, an erupting volcano can be a very disrupting experience. -------There were a number of Scottish kings named Malcolm. The one that appeared in Shakespeare's play, 'Macbeth', became Malcolm III and his great-grandson was Malcolm IV. Although no king bore the name of Malcolm X, Malcolm X has become a well-known name in recent American history. That was the name chosen by the militant black leader born 68 years ago today on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm Little. While in prison, he was introduced to the Black Muslims and became a Muslim minister upon his release in 1952. An intelligent, conscientious preacher who sought to engender self-respect along with righteous indignation in the minds of his oppressed African-American countrymen, he quickly became a prominent leader in that black nationalist religious movement. Like other Black Muslims, he renounced his legal surname as a relic of the slave status of his forebears and replaced it with the single letter X. In 1965, two years after he was ousted from that group after clashing with its leader and forming a rival organization, he was assassinated. Malcolm X contrasted sadness and anger about social or political circumstances. When people are sad, he said, "they just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change." I wonder if Japanese citizens are angry enough to compel political reform in Japan. -------According to "Peter's Almanac", today, May 20th, is Eliza Doolittle Day in honor of the heroine of Bernard Shaw's play, "Pygmalion", which became a motion picture and a musical called "My Fair Lady." The day was established to encourage the proper use of language. In the play/movie/musical, Eliza Doolittle, a common girl speaking the Cockney dialect was transformed into a proper lady by a speech professor. In England, not only one's home region but one's social class may also be identified by one's dialect or manner of speech. Recent research by a lecturer at a university in Wales indicates that dialects are not limited to human beings in England. Lance Workman, of Glamorgan University, recorded the song of 80 robins--half from Wales and half from the southern English country of Sussex--on a sonograph, which highlighted the pitch and duration of the calls. According to Workman, there was a distinct difference in the lilt and intonation of the robins' songs from these two areas. "It looked as if they had different dialects," he wrote. He also found that Sussex robins tolerated the song of their known neighbors but became aggressive when they heard a Welsh robin's song. In the case of human beings, we should show respect to all people regardless of their dialect or facility in a certain language. -------Forty years after man first set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, that highest spot on earth is getting a much-needed cleaning. A multinational group of climbers and admirers using helicopters are removing 15 tons of garbage from its snowy slopes that had been left there by inconsiderate climbers. Recently on expedition of scientists sponsored by Swiss watchmakers carried 15 kilograms of scientific equipment to the peak of that mountain to accurately measure its height with the latest satellite and laser techniques. As a result, the mountain was found to be shorter than had been previously reported. According to earlier records, Mount Everest towered 8,848.13 meters above sea level, but this team calculated the height to be only 8,846.10 meters. That's only two meters different but in the modern world, accuracy is considered important. On Sunday afternoon, May 30th, we will hold a meeting of listeners to or readers of these "Daily Word" messages at the Nagoya City Kyoikukaikan near Sakae at 1:30 p.m. The topic for discussion will be the upcoming marriage of the Crown Prince and the roles of husband and wife in modern families. You are invited to attend. -------The stairway leading to the second floor of our family home was divided into two halves. The lower, wider stairs on one side of the living room, led up to a landing, midway between the first and second floors. A staircase landing is a wide area a stairway changes direction. In our home, the landing overlooked the living room and there was a door which opened to the narrower stairs leading to the upper floor. In the winter, that door was usually kept closed to keep heat from the first floor from escaping to the second floor. Although a stairway landing is translated as 'odoriba' in Japanese, it is not a place to dance. On the landing in our home there was a gramophone, which is an old-fashioned phonograph or record player. Gramophone records are in the shape of cylinders rather then flat discs. The cabinet underneath the gramophone contained many cylindrical records. On some, classical music was recorded and popular songs on others. As a child, my favorite records were not musical ones but humorous monologues or dialogues, similar to Japanese 'rakugo' and 'manzai'. A crank extended from one side of the gramophone and cranking was required to operate the machine. Whether by myself or with others, I used to sit on the landing or on the stairs while listening to the records. -------Japanese society is well-known for its cohesiveness. There is a strong group consciousness and conformity is expected. There are both positive and negative aspects of this traditional disposition. One of the negative ones is a weakened sense of individuality. In Jewish tradition also, there is an emphasis on the group, especially on the family, but an Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel, emphasized the responsibility of each individual for his or her fate. This is the central teaching of the 18th chapter of the book bearing his name. Ezekiel rejected the idea that the fate of a child is determined by the child's parents as implied in the proverb, "The parents ate the sour grapes, But the children got the sour taste." He clearly stated that despite the goodness or wickedness of one's parents, each individual must bear the responsibility for his or her own actions. Ultimately, one's destiny depends on the choices one makes. We may live in the midst of good or evil influences, but each individual is able to choose according to her or his own conscience. The prophet emphasizes that change is always possible. Regardless of one's age, one can decide to change the direction and destination of one's life. The chapter ends with the words, "I do not want anyone to die," says the Sovereign Lord. Turn away from your sins and live." -------The English poet, William Wordsworth, wrote: "the painter's true Promethean craft". What do you suppose is the meaning of "Promethean"? In Greek mythology, Prometheus was one of the Titan gods. He reputedly made human figures out of clay and animated them with fire he stole from heaven. For his crime of stealing, he was chained to a rock. Every day an eagle came and ate his liver, but every night it grew back again. In English, "Promethean" means life-giving, creative or boldly original. Thus Wordsworth's words denote an artist's boldly creative or courageously original work. Japanese are not noted for their creativity, but in recent years, some Japanese have been boldly questioning traditional customs and are seeking new ideas. According to C.I. Glicksberg, "there will always be nonconformists, bitter rebels, Promethean pioneers." -------In the west, the most common way to dispose of dead bodies is to bury them in the ground. Some people prefer to have their bodies cremated, however, as is the custom in Japan. Among those who request cremation, some give further directions regarding what should be done with their ashes. In the cases of my wife's parents and of Edwin Reischauer, the former American Ambassador to Japan, their ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. In Japan, the Group to Promote Freedom of Mortuary Ritual, which has over 1200 members, advocates "natural burial". Instead of being buried in family graves, members of this group desire to become a link in the food chain. Ashes of its members have been scattered in the mountains or at the base of fruit trees. My wife and I have stated that our bodies are to be donated to a medical university to be used for medical research or in the training of doctors in the hope that even after death our remains may be used for the benefit of others. On Sunday afternoon at 1:30 listeners to and readers of these "Daily Word" messages will meet at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae. You are invited to join us and share your ideas about the Crown Prince's wedding and the roles of husbands and wives in modern families. -------Do you know the name of the biggest automobile manufacturer in Europe? It's main factory is located in the German town of Wolfsburg and the name of the company means "people's vehicle". Until overtaken by Japanese imports, this company made most of the foreign-made cars sold in the United States. The company's name is Volkswagen and it was just 55 years ago today, May 26, 1938, that the first Volkswagen motor car came off the assembly line at the Wolfsburg factory. As with other European carmakers, Volkswagen recently has been suffering a decline in sales at home and abroad. Last year it sold only 75,000 cars in America, compared to 570,000 in 1970. Now, its new chairman plans to reduce the number of workers and increase efficiency to make it more competitive with Japanese cars. My wife and I are looking forward to meeting many listeners to / readers of these "Daily Word" messages on Sunday afternoon at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near sakae beginning at 1:30. we will talk about the upcoming wedding of the Crown Prince and "The Role of Husbands and Wives in Modern Families". Following that meeting, I will preach at the English language worship service of Nagoya Union Church. You are invited to attend either or both of these meetings. -------I'm sure you know that "Golden Week" is the week of many holidays at the end of April and the beginning of May. I hope you know that the "Golden Rule" is the precept Jesus gave in Luke 6:31 that we should do to others as we want them to do to us. But do you know what the "Golden Gate" is? This is the name given to the 6 1/2-kilometer-long strait that links the Pacific Ocean with San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. Named after the Golden Horn, an inlet on the famous Bosporus Strait in Turkey, it was given a new meaning during the California gold rush. The width of the Golden Gate varies from 1 1/2-3 kilometers and 53 years ago today, on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge over that strait was dedicated and opened to traffic. At that time, it was the longest bridge in the world having a total length of 2,824 meters with a main span of 1,280 meters, linking the city of San Francisco with Marin Country to the north. The "Daily Word" Fellowship will meet on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae and you are invited to join us for a time of talking about the upcoming wedding of the Crown Prince and the role of husbands and wives in modern families as well as enjoying some refreshments prepared by my wife. -------Among the various adjectives which may be used to describe the United States is polyglot, spelled p-o-l-y-g-l-o-t. The Greek root of this word means "many tongues". Truly, the U.S.A. is a country of many tongues. The Census Bureau recently reported that one American in seven speaks a language other than English at home. Nearly 32 million Americans use a greeting other than "good morning" when they get up. Over 17 million of them speak Spanish and there are over one million speakers each of French, German, Italian and Chinese. In recent years, the number speaking East Asian languages has increased rapidly while the percentage of those using European languages has declined. Spanish is the leading second language in 39 states, followed by French and German in four states each. Japanese is the leading second language in one state, Hawaii. Children of immigrants born and raised in the United States often become bilingual, but many immigrant parents want their children to remain fluent in the language of their ancestors. English will be the language used at our meeting on Sunday afternoon at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae, at 1:30. My wife and I will be happy to meet you there if you can come. -------The second floor of our family home originally consisted simply of a wide hallway at the top of the stairs with a bedroom on each side and a couple of hall closets. Closets in the hall and in the bedrooms were narrow with sloping ceilings beneath the sloping roof. The bedroom of my elder brother and myself was on the left and that on the right was eventually used by all four of our sisters. As the number of children increased, however, our parents recognized the need for expansion. What was formerly a hall closet was enlarged, a dormer was made in the roof and a toilet and wash basin were installed. The girls' bedroom was also enlarged with a dormer window fashioned on one side. Finally, the girls' bedroom contained two double beds while that of my brother and I had one. There was a small opening in both the floor contained a metal grate which could be opened or closed. It was immediately over the register on the first floor so when it was opened in the winter, warm air would rise in to the upper floor. The small opening in the ceiling was usually closed, but when a special ladder was set up, we could go through that opening into the attic, the open space just below the peaked roof. That was the place where many kinds of things were stored. -------In a courtroom, witnesses are called to testify to enable the judge or the jury to render a just decision. Some witnesses are asked to give testimony about the character of the person on trial. In the 5th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus mentions four witnesses to his character. First, he said that John the Baptist who baptized him bore witness on his behalf. Second, the deeds that Jesus himself performed bore witness regarding his character. Third, God the Father confirmed Jesus's divinity to those having spiritual perception. And finally, the Old Testament scriptures provided testimony regarding him. Christians view the Old Testament as the background or preparatory setting for the appearance of the Messiah, the divine Savior, of whom Old Testament prophets spoke. When the Old Testament is viewed from the standpoint of the New, many passages are seen to contain statements, figures or implications that can be applied to the person and work of Jesus. Probably the highest point of Old Testament prophecy regarding Christ is found in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah in the figure of the Suffering Servant who suffered on behalf of others who were healed or forgiven as a result of the sacrificial offering up of himself. -------The word "cynic", spelled c-y-n-i-c, has an interesting history. In modern English it denotes a person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness. The word comes from the name of the meeting place of an ancient school of philosophers founded by Antisthenes, a pupil of Socrates. Because a white dog once carried off a sacrifice being offered there, that meeting place outside of Athens was called Cynosarges, meaning "white dog", and those who met there were called cynics. Antisthenes and his followers believed that virtue was the highest good and scorned the pursuit of wealth, power and worldly pleasures. Consequently, these "Cynics" criticized the motives and actions of common people, which is what cynics do today. Oscar Wilde has sarcastically defined a cynic as "a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." -------This first day of June is a holiday in the island nation of Western Samoa located about 3,500 kilometers south of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, to celebrate the independence it gained 31 years ago. The nine major islands in this independent state have a combined area of about 2,800 square Kilometers, which is a little more than the area of Kanagawa Prefecture. The islands are mountainous, of volcanic origin and very fertile. They are surrounded by coral reefs. On the limited level land on the coastal areas, copra, cocoa and bananas are grown. These products, along with timber, are the country's major exports. Tourism is also an important source of income. Western Samoa has a population of over 200,000. In 1914, these islands were seized from Germany by New Zealand, which was granted authority over them by the League of Nations and the United Nations. resistance to New Zealand's rule arose, however, and following a UN-supervised plebiscite, independence was proclaimed on January 1, 1962. Normally, the independence day celebrations would be observed in January, but in Western Samoa that is in the rainy season so the celebrations are held in June instead. -------Two American psychologists recently published a book entitled 'The Learning Gap: Why Our Schools are Failing and What We can Learn from Japanese and Chinese Education'. A team of researchers assisted them in comparing the kind of education given in the United States, Japan, China and Taiwan along with attitudes toward education on the part of teachers, parents and pupils. The study focused on first and fifth grade classes in schools of Minneapolis, Sendai and Taipei. Among the points the study noted are: Asian students spend more time in school each year than their American counterparts -- 240 days on average as compared to 180 days in the U.S. Thus, by the time they reach the sixth grade, Asian pupils have spent the equivalent of almost two more years in school than American children. Asian children also spend more time each day on homework and other matters directly related to the formal curriculum. Asian parents have a greater interest in their children's education than American parents. 98 percent of students in Sendai had their own desks at which to do homework while only 63 percent of students in Minneapolis did. Comparatively speaking, Asian teachers received higher salaries and enjoyed higher respect than those in the U.S. On the other hand, Asian students tend to be less creative thinkers than those in American schools. -------David Kubiak, a 47-year-old lecturer at Ritsumeikan University, who has lived in Japan for 14 years, has filed an application to run for mayor of Kyoto in the August election. Needless to say, his application will be rejected because he is not a Japanese citizen, but the underlying purpose of his action is not simply to focus public attention on the lack of political rights of foreign residents in this country. His more fundamental goal is to change Japan's troubled political system into a working democracy and he has begun a campaign to stimulate thought on issues related to democratic processes. At a recent meeting of minority groups in Osaka, he emphasized a "direct democracy" that will ensure that concerns of common citizens are reflected in government policies. Kubiak maintains that municipal assemblies in Japan do not operate as representative democracies because laws are developed by the bureaucracy rather than by elected representatives of the people. Thus citizens' concerns related to the environment or the heights of buildings, for example, are ignored by the bureaucracy and big business. He advocates that common citizens be allowed to propose ordinances to be submitted for approval by the entire electorate. Hopefully, his campaign will cause people to consider whether Japanese democracy is truly a government of, by and for the people. -------You must be careful when spelling the English words pronounced 'Kap-i-tl'. The word spelled c-a-p-i-t-a-l denotes the city where the official seat of government is located. When spelled c-a-p-i-t-o-l, however, it denotes the building in which the state legislature assembles. The first U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., built on the elevated site chosen by George Washington, was burned by the British in the War of 1812. Atop the domed roof of the present Capitol there is a 594 centimeter bronze statue representing the goddess of freedom dressed in classic Roman style robes. During an inspection five years ago, it was found that the 130-year-old Statue of Freedom was deteriorating. Last month, this statue, weighing 6,800 kilograms, was lifted from its pedestal by a helicopter and lowered 85 meters to the ground where it is undergoing cleaning and restoration. The project is expected to take three months and cost $750,000. The cost of the new statue, which was put in place in 1863, cost $28,000. When the brightly shining Statue of Freedom is restored to its pedestal, let us pray that the "new birth of freedom" "under God" which Abraham Lincoln called for in his Gettysburg Address will be realized once again. -------The boy's bedroom on the second floor of my family home was on the left side of the hallway at the top of the stairs. I shared this room with my elder brother, who was four years older than I. The large double bed, with its head on the north side, extended into the middle of the room. On the opposite wall was a wide dresser with a large mirror. In the long, narrow closet with a slanted ceiling behind the dresser, clothes were hung and various items were stored. Our separate desks were on opposite sides of the bed. My brother's desk was in a little recessed area on his side of the bed. Mine was against the wall as part of a cabinet with a couple of large drawers below and one narrow drawer above the hinged leaf that was pulled down to form the writing shelf. Along with pencils, paper, et cetera, there was a little bank in my desk in which I kept my money, but in a separate matchbox, I deposited my tithe. A tithe is ten percent of one's income which, according to the Old Testament law, belongs to God. Being taught that ten percent of my income should be given to the church, I began doing so from my childhood. When I learned my first dime, I put a penny into the matchbox as my tithe, which was later given to the church, separate from regular offerings at worship services. Though no longer using a matchbox, I continue that practice even today. -------The Chinese character for "wait", combining a "gyoninben" with a "temple" (which originally denoted a public office) implies that, when going to such an office waiting is required before one's purpose is accomplished. This may be true even today when offices are filled with electronic machines. Busy people find it difficult to wait but waiting is sometimes necessary and important. At the beginning of The Acts of the Apostles, Jesus is quoted as telling his disciples to wait. Following his resurrection, Jesus informed them that they were to become his witnesses throughout the world. But before they went out to witness, they needed to wait until they received the necessary power from God to perform that mission. After waiting, the Holy Spirit from God descended upon them and they were empowered to boldly witness in spite of opposition and persecution. Today also, when we are given a job to do, we may need to wait until wisdom or power is given to accomplish it. We can be sure that if God called us to do something, he will give us what is needed to do it, but we may need to quietly wait for a while before such gifts are given for our time schedule is not always the same as God's. -------In Japanese newspapers, I sometimes read the term "Daisan Sekuta--" in reference to a project that has ties to both public and private organizations. I don't recall having heard that expression in the United States, but the term "fourth estate" is sometimes used. This term is said to have come from a speech of Sir Edmund Burke in the British Parliament in 1790. That parliament is made up of the three estates known as Lords Temporal (hereditary peers), Lords Spiritual (representing the Anglican Church), both of whom sit in the House of Lords, and Commons. In his speech, Burke spoke of those sitting in the Reporters' Gallery as "a Fourth Estate more important than they all". His implication was the press had such a great influence on public thinking that it was more powerful than the government. "Fourth Estate" is now used to mean the public press. -------Today's message consists of announcements. First: next week, I will mail out the ten weeks of recycled messages to be transmitted during my trip to the U.S. to those who send me a large, self-addressed envelope with a ¥175 stamp affixed plus ¥300 in stamps. During July and August, weekly copies of the messages will not be sent out. At the end of each of the recycled messages I transmit from abroad, I plan to add comments about current activities. Second: we plan to have a meeting of the "Daily Word" Fellowship as usual on the 5th Sunday afternoon of August at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Center. For that meeting, no "Daily Word" Echoes will be prepared, but my wife and I will talk about our trip during a time of free discussion. Third: the first two themes for the October 31st issue of the Echoes are: "The Crown Prince's Wedding" and "Fruits". What are your thoughts about the wedding and about the benefits of eating fruit? How many kinds of fruit have you eaten and which do you especially enjoy? If writers send essays on these themes to reach me by June 19, I can correct them while I am in the States. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463 (or C.C.C., Dowie [spelled D-o-w-i-e] Drive, Zion, Illinois 60099, U.S.A.) ------- |