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One of the trouble spots in the world is the Middle East. There, Jews and Palestinians have been quarreling ever since the establishment of the state of Israel over forty years ago, but the roots of Jewish-Arab hostility are found in events recorded in the Bible thousands of years before that. Nevertheless there is a small Israeli village where Jews and Arabs live together in peaceful coexistence. Called "Oasis of Peace", it was established in 1972 with two aims: first, to prove by its very existence that members of the two peoples to which the land belongs can live together in peace; second, to establish a School for Peace, where Arab and Jewish young people from all over the country can come for a few days to study together and to learn from one another. The aim of the school is to replace hostility with understanding. Seminars are organized for studying the Scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three monotheistic religions which are a part of the country's different cultures. Education in the elementary schools is conducted in both Hebrew and Arabic; the history and traditions of both peoples are taught. In an address to the U.N. General Assembly in 1963, U.S. President Kennedy stated: "Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly ending old barriers, quietly building new structures." -------According to an article in The Japan Times, when Miyuki Tamura returned to Tokyo after two years in Paris, she noticed a major difference between the two cities. Unlike the French capital, Tokyo was flooded with gaudy colors of vending machines, advertisements, traffic signs and billboards shouting their messages. Now Ms. Tamura has become the leading figure in a citizen's group campaigning to eliminate so-called color pollution. Her group, which now has about 150 members, organizes symposiums, sponsors color competitions for buildings across the nation. Coordinating colors and designs is a new concept in Japan's urban planning. In response to this group's recommendation to the Tokyo governor when the city buses were repainted, their colors were changed from yellow with a red stripe to beige with a green stripe and Tokyo residents seemed pleased with the result. Although most members of the group are industrial and graphic designers and color experts, ordinary people are also invited to join. Ms. Tamura stated: "To make the environment more attractive, individuals should be more sensitive to colors in their communities and express ideas for discussion." The English critic, John Ruskin, wrote: "The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most." -------Three categories of undesirable jobs in Japan are commonly identified by words beginning with K: 'Kiken', 'Kitanai' and 'Kitui', dangerous, dirty and hard. Now, another series of three K words has appeared in a newspaper advertisement to indicate desirable characteristics of an automobile. Instead of 'Ki' words, however, 'Ka' words were chosen for this purpose: 'Kashikoi', 'Kantan' and 'Kakko ii', clever, easy (to handle) and stylish. As in other attempts of advertisers to attract attention or to be a bit cute, this ad is a bit strained. Is it correct to use 'Kashikoi' in reference to an automobile? Can an automobile be clever, wise or intelligent? This advertisement may provide a hint about how changes in meanings of words occur in a living language. If 'Kashikoi' can be used of an automobile. many other machines, including computers, would certainly deserve this description as the distinction between living beings and manufactured products becomes blurred. In Oriental thought, there is a close relationship between the animate and the inanimate, the living and the dead, the divine and the human. But in Western thought, Creator and creation are clearly distinguished. In its true sense, wisdom is a quality of the Creator which can be shared only by beings made in the Creator's image. -------By present Japanese standards, the home in which I was born and raised was a large one with a large grass yard around it. In the side yard, we sometimes set up wire arches and short wooden posts to play a game of croquet, similar to 'ge-to bo-ru' now played by senior citizens in Japan. In the backyard there were two large elm trees, a maple tree, an apple tree and a pear tree. From a horizontal limb of one of the elm trees, a long swing called a 'buranko' in Japanese, hung down. A larger swing which hung from a wooden structure had two seats made of thin wooden slats facing each other with a floor of wooden slats between the seats. In the summer our parents also sat in this swing at times to enjoy an evening breeze. Between the maple tree and a metal post, a hammock was sometimes hung, in which one could sit and swing or lay down and read or rest while swaying back and forth. Nearby were the sandbox and teeter-totter, or seesaw, my father had made. Needless to say our backyard was a popular play area not only for us but for other neighborhood children as well. We had to be careful on Mondays, however, when the four clotheslines were filled with newly-washed clothes hung out to dry. -------Words used to denote the work one does to earn a living include: "employment", "occupation", "profession" and "vocation". "Vocation" is used especially for those who feel "called" to serve others in some way and may include pastors, priests, nurses, teachers and social workers. The primary aim of those following a "vocation" is not to earn money or to gain fame but to faithfully follow their calling to serve God and others. In the Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, readers are urged to "lead a life worthy of the calling [or vocation] to which [they] have been called." In one sense, all Christians have been called by God and they are expected to live their lives in keeping with that call, exhibiting such characteristics as humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance and love. In the same chapter, it is noted that particular gifts have also been given by Christ and these gifts are to be used to minister to the needs of others and to lead to greater maturity. All of us have natural gifts, abilities, talents or aptitudes. Each one of us is different with our own particular gifts, but if we recognize them as given by God, we will use them to accomplish God's purpose in the world. -------In my college days, a curfew was in effect for coeds living in the girls' dormitory. A curfew, spelled c-u-r-f-e-w, is a regulation that requires certain people to be at home or off of public streets by a certain time. In times of peace, such a regulation is usually prescribed for children or young people, but in wartime, a curfew may be enforced upon all residents. This word comes from French words meaning "cover a fire". In old days, fires were especially dangerous because most buildings were made of wood. So the practice developed of covering fires before retiring for the night and a bell was sounded at sunset to give notice that the time had come to extinguish fires. This signal was called a curfew and the word has now been extended to include regulations enjoining certain classes of people to retire from public places at a prescribed time. -------The word "convene" comes from a Latin word meaning to come together. In English, it means to assemble or to meet formally. The related word, "convenient", comes from the same Latin verb and means suited or favorable to one's comfort, purpose or needs. Finally, "convenience" denotes the quality of being convenient. In 1974, the first so-called convenience store opened in Tokyo. Now there are more than 40,000 such stores throughout the country, many of which are open 24 hours a day. At first, they used to sell mostly snack food, but now they sell many other Items and offer a variety of services. One may stop at a convenience store not only to get something to eat, to purchase a magazine or stationery supplies. At some such stores, one may get film developed, get copies made, pay utility bills, send parcels, make train reservations, arrange for ski rentals or flower deliveries, purchase tickets to movies or concerts and even liability insurance for motorcyclists. Do you ever patronize a convenience store? What thoughts or memories do you have about convenience stores and why do you think they have become so popular? Essays on this theme sent to me will be corrected and printed in the October 31st issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Among the flowering trees of Japan is the 'mokuren', the Chinese characters for which mean tree, or wood, lotus. In English, this plant is called a magnolia. Magnolia trees are common in the southeastern United States and a number of southern states have towns named Magnolia. In Magnolia Springs, Alabama, a special tree has attracted attention over the years. It is not a magnolia, however. It is an oak tree that rises to a height of 19.5 meters and has limbs that spread 45 meters across. Two and a half years ago, a 10-centimeter-wide gash was cut through the bark all the way around the tree's 8.7-meter-circumference by an angry man with a chain saw during a dispute over ownership of the property. Later, volunteers formed a foundation to raise money to save the tree, called "Inspiration Oak". New tissue was grafted on to bridge the gap so sap could flow. It was recently reported, however, that despite this effort, the tree will probably be completely dead within month or two because there seems to be no living wood left in that 500-year-old tree. The emotional reaction of one man, a group of men, or a nation can cause great damage to our natural environment to the detriment of future generations. -------One of the most popular names for boys in English-speaking countries is John and Johnson is a very common surname. One hundred twenty-two years ago today, on June 17, 1871, a baby was born into a family with this surname in Jacksonville, Florida. He was named James Weldon and in 1897, he became the first Negro to be admitted to the bar in the state of Florida. After serving as a U.S. Consul in Venezuela and Nicaragua, he became professor of creative literature at Fisk University and subsequently was a visiting professor at New York University. Johnson was an author who wrote a number of books. An early novel, "Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man," caused a great stir when it was published anonymously 1n 1912, but 15 years later, it was republished under his name. In 1910, Johnson joined with others to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and served as its secretary from 1916-1930. Included in the membership of this organization are people with a variety of skin colors, but their common aim is to bring an end to racial discrimination and segregation. The NAACP with its emphasis on non-violent protests, has played an important part in the civil rights movement and the name of James Weldon Johnson holds a respected place in that effort. -------Last month, a one-day conference was held in London to discuss the future of the British monarchy. About 550 people attended and expressed their views about the 1200-year-old monarchy: should it be continued or abolished. The group was about evenly divided between those who favored maintaining the present system and those who called for its elimination. During the past year, marital problems of various members of the royal family have been widely publicized and many people question whether the monarchy with its pomp and pageantry is appropriate in this modern age. While some acclaim the charming tradition, others consider it an expensive anachronism. A Gallup Poll conducted last December found that 24 percent of the respondents felt the monarchy should be abolished while 69 percent believed it should remain, but the younger generation were said to be completely indifferent. Last week's wedding of Japan's Crown Prince has again focused attention on the Japanese monarchy. For the sake of the imperial family itself and of the nation as a whole, I hope that the stifling, anachronistic restraints that control its members and almost imprisons them behind palace walls will be loosened to create a healthier, more democratic atmosphere in this equivocally modern nation. -------The backyard of our family home contained more than a play area. There were two small buildings in it. Between the apple tree and the pear tree with a few blackberry bushes next to it, where about a dozen chickens provided our family with a daily supply of eggs and periodic meals. During times when we kept a dog or rabbits, there was also a doghouse or a rabbit hutch in the yard, but most of the rest of the backyard was used as a garden area. Flowers, carrots, radishes, onions, chives, green peas, string beans, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, squash, pumpkins and strawberries were grown there. Along one side of the garden was a grapevine and a row of raspberry bushes that served as a kind of marker to separate our lot from that of our next door neighbor. As you may imagine, family chores in which we children shared, included feeding the chickens, gathering eggs and working in the garden: helping to plant, weed or harvest the vegetables and fruits. The other building in the backyard was the garage for our car which was located along the alley. As a high school student, after my father gave me a few driving lessons, I was happy to be told to drive the car from its place along the street in front of our house around the block, up the alley and into the garage. -------There is a basic difference between "knowledge" and "wisdom". Unfortunately, some well-educated people have much knowledge but little wisdom--or their "wisdom" may be of a particular kind. They may be simply "worldly-wise", which a dictionary defines as "wise in the ways or affairs of the world; sophisticated". To become a successful politician or businessman, it is necessary to be worldly-wise, but this is a different kind of "wisdom" than that noted by the Apostle Paul in the first chapters of his First Letter to the Corinthians. There, he contrasts the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God. From the standpoint of the worldly-wise unbeliever, "the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense", but Paul asserted that "God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness" and that "what seems to be God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom". [1:18, 20, 25]. He went on to teach that God's wisdom can only be apprehended by those who are spiritually mature, meaning those who are able to perceive spiritual truths on the basis of faith. He further indicated, however, that this spiritual maturity is seen in practical deeds of daily life that manifest the spirit of Christ. In Paul's teaching, genuine wisdom and the grasp of spiritual truth is not simply an intellectual exercise. It is the incentive for a particular kind of life. -------The word spelled s-c-h-e-d-u-l-e, which is pronounced "sked'jool" in American English and "shed'yool" in British English, is rooted in a Latin word for a slip of parchment or paper made of a papyrus leaf. This word may denote a program of events or a timetable of departures and arrivals. If things go according to schedule on this 21st day of June, my wife and I and our seven-year-old granddaughter will board a plane in Nagoya this afternoon and disembark in Portland, Oregon ten hours later. During the two months I am away from Japan, I hope no problems occur as I call in these messages daily from the United States. The time of the call may vary, depending on where I am, but at the end of each of the messages, most of which will be recycled ones, I plan to add a few words of up-to-date information regarding our activities and travel in the U.S. -------In Japan, along with very modern medical facilities and advanced medical treatment, much older, traditional methods of treatment, much older, traditional methods of treating illnesses are also practiced. Oriental medicine, which originated in China, includes the use of various kinds of herbs, 'kanpoyaku', needles to pierce the skin at particular places, acupuncture, and finger massages, 'shiatsu', and burning moxa. Recently, there seems to be a renewed interest in Oriental medicine not only in Japan but in Western countries as well. What do you think about Oriental medicine? What are its benefits or disadvantages compared with modern Western medicine? Do you ever make use of 'kanpoyaku'? Have you ever been to a acupuncturist of found relief through 'shiatsu' or burning moxa? Oriental medicine is the theme suggested for those who wish to write a short English essay for the October 31st issue of "Daily Word" Echoes, which I will correct before printing. Essays may be sent to me either in Japan or in the U.S. Those sent to the U.S. will be corrected while I am overseas. My addresses are: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463 or: Clark Offner, C.C.C., Dowie (D-o-w-i-e) Drive, Zion (Z-i-o-n), Illinois 60099 U.S.A. -------Just as the territory ruled by a king is a kingdom and that ruled by a sheik is a sheikdom, the territory ruled by a duke may be called a dukedom. But it may also be called a duchy, spelled d-u-c-h-y. One of the sovereign nations of Europe is a duchy. Until Monaco was admitted to the United Nations last month, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was the smallest U.N. member on the mainland of Europe. Luxembourg has an area of 2,583 square kilometers, approximately half the size of Aichi Prefecture, and a population of about 400,000. Its name means "little fortress" in the German dialect still spoken by many of its inhabitants, although French is the official language of the country. Today, June 23rd, is the Luxembourg National Day, celebrating the official birthday of the grand duke. The present grand duke, Jean, was born in 1921 and became the head of state in 1964. The main natural resource of Luxembourg is iron ore and, despite its small size, it is one of the 20 most important steel-producing nations. The duchy is surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany. Its national flag, consisting of three horizontal stripes colored red, white and blue, is almost identical to that of the Netherlands, except that the blue stripe in the Luxembourg flag is of a lighter hue. -------You will be surprised to hear that a white elephant spans a busy highway in Kyushu. A recent news item reported on this white elephant in Oita Prefecture. In old Siam, rare white elephants were considered sacred and not used for work. They became, therefore, a financial burden to their owners. Thus, the term "white elephant" has come to mean an expensive project that proves useless. When zoologists and environmentalists learned that a new highway would cut through the Takasakiyama Zoological Nature Park near Beppu, they urged the Japan Highway Public Corporation to build a special bridge over the highway to enable monkeys to move from one part of the park to the other during the mating season to forestall inbreeding which would increase birth defects. In April of last year, the 40-meter-long, 1-meter-wide "monkey bridge" was completed at a cost of ¥17 million. Since its completion, park workers have conducted field studies to find out if the bridge is being used by monkeys. They scattered favorite foods, such as peanuts and persimmons, on the bridge and in places nearby but, to their disappointment, they found no evidence that the monkeys have used the bridge at all. Thus, it seems that this expensive, but unnecessary bridge has become a "white elephant". -------This amusing newspaper article was written by Frank Endicott: "We've got a two-letter word we use constantly that may have more meanings than any other. The word is UP. It is easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or toward the top of a list. But when we waken, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? And why are participants said to speak UP? Why are officers UP for election? And why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? The little word is really not needed, but we use it anyway. We brighten UP a room, light UP a cigar, polish UP the silver, lock UP the house and fix UP the old car. At other times, it has special meanings. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, think UP excuses and get tied UP in traffic. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special. It may be confusing, but a drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning and close it UP in the evening. We seem to be all mixed UP about UP. In order to be UP on the proper use of UP, look UP the word in the dictionary. In one ... dictionary, UP takes UP half a page; and the listed definitions add UP to about 40." -------The sandbox in the backyard of our family home in the northern Illinois had been constructed by my father. About one-and-a-half meters square, it had sturdy boards for the floor and sides. When the sand needed replenishing, a couple of bucketsful were brought from the sandy beach of Lake Michigan, about two kilometers east of our home. The sandbox, along with such tools as small shovels, rakes and buckets, provided little children with hours of enjoyment. My father had constructed the teeter-totter, a few meters away, in such a way that it not only went up and down when children sat on opposite ends of the plank. It could also move horizontally in a circular pattern. Thus if a third person pushed the plank, the children would spin round and round and become dizzy. Sometimes, I played hopscotch with siblings or friends on the wide concrete sidewalk in front of our house. Using chalk, we drew numbered squares in a certain pattern on the sidewalk. We then tossed a small object onto the squares and hopped on one foot through the squares to retrieve it. I also enjoyed throwing a rubber ball against the concrete front steps of our house. With a little imagination, I could play a solitary game of baseball with my self as the pitcher and the steps as the batters. In the winter, we made a large snowman in the yard and had snowball fights. -------The Christian Bible is divided into two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. In this case, "Testament" means "Covenant". A covenant is a solemn agreement between two parties, but the Bible uses this word for a unilateral promise on the part of God. Nevertheless, human beings must fulfill certain conditions in order to obtain the promised blessing. The Old Covenant, given through Moses, was based on a law which had to be kept to gain God's favor. It was clear, however, that weak human beings could never perfectly observe the entire Law and thus earn the divine blessing. According to the New Covenant, revealed in Jesus Christ, God promised eternal salvation to all who humbly recognize their own weakness and, in simple faith, put themselves into the hands of their loving Heavenly Father. The Apostle Paul explains the difference between these two dissimilar ways of salvation in chapter 3 of his Letter to the Romans. There he teaches that no one can be saved by obeying the law. Salvation is gained by accepting by faith God's free gift of grace which was manifested in the sacrificial death of the Christ. According to Paul's words in Romans 1:16, the Gospel, or Good News, is "the saving power of God for everyone who has faith". -------When written in Chinese characters, the Japanese plant "wasabi" literally means "mountain hollyhock". The English translation of this word is "horseradish". Can you imagine why this plant was given such a name? Usually, "radish" is the translation of "daikon", but I doubt that "wasabi" is the kind of "big root" preferred by horses. In compound words, "horse" often denotes something that is big or coarse. Thus, a "horsefly" is a large fly and a "horse chestnut" is a large tree with rough bark that bears large seeds enclosed in a coarse shell. "Horseplay" means loud, rough play and a "horselaugh" signifies a loud, coarse laugh. Horseradish is a coarse plant with a pungent root. Grated horseradish is an important condiment in Japan and "sashimi" would be quite tasteless if it were eaten without it. -------English words denoting happiness include: contentment, pleasure, enjoyment and bliss. Epicureanism affirms that pleasure is the basic aim of life, the highest good, but its founder, Epicurus, taught that pleasure is not gained through indulgence but through a life of prudence, honor and justice. In the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount in the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus announced a very untraditional concept of what kind of people are happy or blessed. I would be interested to read your thoughts on what you consider to be the way to happiness. There are different levels of happiness: physical, psychological, spiritual. Of course , the way to attain it depends on the kind of happiness one aims to achieve. What do you think are necessary elements to gain happiness? Are you happy? Do you think most of your relatives, friends and acquaintances are happy? How would you compare the state of happiness of residents of Japan and other nations? Is there a relationship between a religious faith and happiness? I will correct essays on this theme sent to me and publish them in the October 31st issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463 (or CCC, Dowie Drive, Zion, Illinois 60099,U.S.A.) -------The highest mountain in North America is Mount McKinley in Alaska. Last month ago, a 54-year-old mother from Pennsylvania climbed to the top of this 6,191-meter mountain. What is unusual about this event is that the woman, Joni Phelps, is completely blind. Mrs. Phelps began losing her sight when she was a high school student. Since she was 30, she has relied on a Seeing Eye dog, but she never gave up her love of the outdoors and, despite her handicap, has traveled around the world and even gone scuba diving. In preparation for her climb, she worked with a trainer, lifting weights, learning how to tie knots and how to stop herself in a fall by burying her ax in ice. During her 16-day climb, she was roped to her twin sons, Mike and Mathy. At one point, they were forced to stay in a tent during a windstorm for four days and at another time, a misstep almost resulted in a 2,750-meter plunge, but it was only after her successful feat that she was told of those anxious moments. Mrs. Phelps is the first blind woman to scale this mountain and she should provide an inspiration to other handicapped people. It is apparent that Mrs. Phelps' physical blindness has not affected her mental vision. According to a Persian proverb, A blind person who sees is better than a seeing person who is blind. -------Today is the first day of the seventh month. Its English name is derived from the name of Julius Caesar who was born in this month. Following his death in 44 B.C., the month was renamed to honor him. July 1st, is the beginning of the second half of the year. In old Japanese tradition, purification ceremonies were held not only on the last day of the year, "omisoka", but also on the last day, "misoka", of the first half of the year, which was yesterday. This first day of July is designated "kokumin anzen no hi", Citizen's Safety Day. It marks the official beginning of the mountain climbing season in Japan. It is a national holiday in the African nations of Burundi, Rwanda and Somali, commemorating their independence. In the South American Republic of Suriname, it is a holiday to commemorate the abolition of slavery in that land. In the northernmost North American country, today is a national holiday called Canada Day. On this day in 1867, the British North America Act came into effect and the remaining British colonies in North America were united into the Dominion of Canada. "Dominion" is rooted in the Latin word for "lord". As you know, A.D. is the abbreviation of "anno Domini", literally meaning "in the year of the Lord." -------Living languages continue to change in various ways. New words are introduced and the meanings of old words are modified. It is difficult to establish strict rules regarding pronunciation, usage and grammar in the pluralistic, democratic society of the United States. It is somewhat easier in Japan where there is greater central control of education, but even in this country it is getting difficult to maintain uniformity or to determine what is "standard Japanese". The Council on the National Language, an advisory panel to the Education Ministry, recently reported on several problems the Japanese language now faces. Among them was the excessive use of words of foreign origin. It was noted that many English words, including "identity", "restructuring", "global" and "needs", are being used increasingly instead of their Japanese language counterparts. It also criticized the excessive use of such alphabetic abbreviations as ODA and PKO and noted the increasing use of such forms as 'tabereru' instead of 'taberareru' and 'dereru' for 'derareru'. Following his education in England, India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote: "A living language is a throbbing, vital thing, ever changing, ever growing and mirroring the people who speak it and write it. It has its roots in the masses, though its superstructure may represent the culture of a few." -------As I reminisced about my childhood home in Saturday messages over the past few months, I came to a new realization of what a nice home it was, although I think it was just an average home in that community. My parents were not rich and I am sure my father, who worked as a lowly bookkeeper, had financial problems as he sought to provide for his wife and six children during the Depression. At the time, however, I was completely unaware of such difficulties. Neither of my parents went beyond high school in their formal education, but all six of their children not only graduated from university. They also went to graduate school and two of them obtained doctorates. My brother became a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois, while all four sisters became teachers in elementary, junior and senior high school in Illinois and Michigan. One sister went with her husband to Africa where they served as missionaries in the Belgian Congo, which later became Zaire, until their retirement. All of us have continued to be active in our respective churches, which shows the influence of a healthy religious home atmosphere from childhood. In Saturday messages following my return from the U.S., I plan to include a few 'miyagebanashi', stories of memorable events that occurred during our trip. -------According to the Old Testament legal tradition, religious functions and priestly duties were performed by the Israelite tribe of Levi. An Old Testament book which contains detailed regulations for worship and religious ceremonies is called Leviticus. Although most of these ancient rules are not followed by Christians today and many are not kept literally by Jews either, the book contains passages which are relevant in every age. In chapter 26, following promises of physical blessings that will result from obedience to God's commands, verse 11 gives a spiritual promise that God will live among his people and that he will never abandon them. This is a promise that all people who seek to follow God's will can accept with thanksgiving. To live with a sense of God's presence with us at all times and to believe that he will never forsake us is a great encouragement indeed. In verse 13, God reminds the Israelites that it was he who delivered them from the bonds of Egyptian slavery and enabled them to walk uprightly, with heads held high. Today also, God continues to deliver those who trust him from the shame of spiritual slavery and gives them the courage to walk erect, with heads held high, but with humble hearts as they recognize their dependence upon him. -------There is an American city along the San Francisco Bay in California called Palo Alto, from Spanish words meaning tall log or tall tree. Stanford University, one of America's famous schools, is located in that city. This school was founded in 1885 as the Leland Stanford Junior University. It was founded and endowed by Leland Stanford Sr. as a memorial to his son. Leland Stanford, Sr., who was born in New York 169 years ago, on March 9, 1824, practiced law in Wisconsin before going on to California where he became a wealthy capitalist railroad builder and politician. He served as the governor of California and as a U.S. Senator. He was also a philanthropist, who wrote, "The advantages of wealth are greatly exaggerated" and "Money has little value to its possessor unless it also has value to others". -------Do you enjoy eating so-called "five-eyed-rice"? I wonder what the "five eyes" stand for in 'gomoku-meshi'? They seem to refer to a variety of things. 'gomoku-narabe', on the other hand, is quite clear in its meaning, for this is a game played on a square board that has 361 "eyes" on it. In this case, "eyes" refer to the intersections of the 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines on the board. When playing 'gomoku-narabe', the aim is to place five stones in a row on five consecutive "eyes" while one's opponent is trying to do the same and to keep you from doing so. The Japanese game of 'go' was introduced from China in the 8th century but continues to be popular among many Japanese today. There is now a variation of 'gomoku-narabe', called 'renju', which is played on a smaller board having only 15 lines instead of 19. The rules have also been changed to give the first player, who plays with the black stones, less of an advantage. 'Renju' has now spread to other countries and last year there were two international tournaments held in Sweden and the U.S.S.R. According to II Timothy 2:5, one cannot "win the prize unless he obeys the rules." This is true of all games, including the game of life. -------Today's message is about horses. The Chinese character for a horse comes from a simple sketch of a horse that included the horse's mane. The mane is the long and heavy hair that grows around the neck of horses and male lions. If I don't go to the barber shop for a long time, my wife may tell me that I have a mane also. There are different words used to refer to horses depending upon their gender and their age. A colt is a young horse, or a young male horse in particular. A young female horse is called a filly. A mature male horse is a stallion while the mature female horse is a mare. Do you know what a nightmare is? It has nothing to do with a female horse. A nightmare is a frightening dream in particular or a horrifying condition in general. The "mare" in this word means an incubus, which refers to an evil spirit or goblin that is said to sit or lay on a person's breast while the person is asleep. In the Middle Ages, this demon was also called a "night-hag". Some people are often troubled by nightmares, but I believe that the person whose heart is peaceful during the day will not be visited by nightmares at night. The peace that God gives to the believer's heart is effective throughout the day and all night long as well. -------A "perk", spelled with a k, is a shortened form of "perquisite", which is spelled with a q-u, and refers to some benefit given to employees in addition to their regular wage or salary. A recent issue of an American newsmagazine contained a short article about a new perk for employees of some Japanese companies, which it called "the ultimate in corporate togetherness." It was referring to a company tomb, where the ashes of deceased employees are interred together in the hope that company ties will continue after death. Employees of Japanese companies are known for their company spirit and camaraderie. They often drink together after hours or go together on outings. Now, such associations need not be ended by death. On one company tomb is this inscription: "sometimes getting together as they have in this world to talk, inspire each other and exchange cups of sake." This is an interesting, thoroughly Japanese idea. Although there are many things about the afterlife I do not understand, personally, I do not think that the place where remains are deposited will have any influence on the soul of the departed. For the Christian, death marks the beginning of a new kind of life in communion with our Creator and Savior and this faith gives us hope. -------The Andes are the highest mountain range in the Western hemisphere. This name comes from the Indian word for "metal" and refers, in particular, to the copper found in them. Although second to the Asian Himalayas in height, the Andes are a much longer range, extending from some 6500 kilometers throughout the length of the South American continent. These mountains form the border between Argentina and Chile. At times there have been disputes about the actual boundary and wars were fought to advance the claims of one side or the other, but early this century, a series of peace and boundary treaties were signed between these two nations. To commemorate the historic event, a towering bronze statue of Christ was erected on their border in a 3800 meter high pass. With hands lifted up toward both nations, it is called "The Christ of the Andes" and was dedicated on March 13, 1904, 89 years ago. At its base is a tablet that bears the following words in Spanish: "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer." This statue reminds us that Christ came to bring peace to the world and his followers should also be peacemakers. -------
Jones is one of the most common surnames in the United States. Today is the birthday of John Luther Jones, who was born in 1864 in the state of Kentucky. As a youth, he went to the town of Cayce, where he was employed as a telegraph operator. From the name of the town, he was given the nickname of "Casey". Later, he became a locomotive fireman and then an engineer. He was famous among railroad men for his boast that he always brought his train in on schedule and for his peculiar skill with a locomotive whistle. On April 30, 1900, he was operating the 'Cannon Ball' train going to Canton, Mississippi. The train was behind schedule and he was speeding to get there on time when he saw a stationary freight train on the tracks ahead of him. He ordered his fireman to jump and applied the brakes. The 'Cannon Ball' crashed into the other train, killing Jones but the passengers were saved. His body was found with one hand on the brake lever and the other on the whistle pull. Before long popular ballads and songs were written about him. Wit is the natural ability to perceive or know. It may be used as a synonym for intelligence. Nowadays, it is often used in a more specific sense of the ability to perceive humor in a situation and to make comical comments. A person with wit makes conversations interesting and amusing. Usually, the suffix "ness" has the meaning of "state, quality or condition", as in such words as goodness, kindness and usefulness, but the word "witness" has a somewhat different meaning. A witness is one who testifies to what he or she has seen or knows. In the New Testament, Jesus' disciples were called to be his witnesses and, as a result, the message of Christ has spread throughout the world. In the Old Testament also, people were called to be witnesses. In the 43rd chapter of Isaiah, the prophet, speaking for God, proclaims to the people of Israel in verses 10 and 12, "You are my witnesses". Throughout the ages, the Jewish people have been strong witnesses to the nature and character of the one, true and living God. Those who have experienced the comfort, guidance and merciful love of God continue to be his witnesses in the world today. -------Flags of some Islamic countries contain a crescent and a star including the Pakistani flag which has a white crescent and star on a green field with a white bar along the edge. March 23 is the national day of Pakistan, commemorating its new constitution which went into effect on March 23, 1956. The name, "Pakistan", was created in 1933 by some Muslim students in England by taking the first letters of the regions of Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir and Sind and the last letters of Baluchistan. However, the name can also be considered a combination of the Persian word, "pak", meaning "pure, unadulterated or holy" and the Urdu word, "stan", meaning "land or place". Thus Pakistan may be interpreted to mean "Land of the holy". According to the Bible, the truly "Holy Land" is the place where God dwells. -------You have probably heard of Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf at the age of 19 months but who overcame these handicaps to graduate from one of America's outstanding colleges and become a world famous writer and lecturer. Of course, Miss Keller's natural ability and perseverance were required to bring about this result, but it would never have been possible without the sacrificial help and guidance of her dedicated teacher and friend, Anne Sullivan, who was born 127 years ago, Miss Sullivan herself had weak eyes as a child and studied in a school for the blind, where she learned the manual alphabet used for communication with deaf-mutes. She became Helen's teacher when she was 21 years old and Helen was seven. For the next 49 years, until her death, Anne Sullivan was the teacher, companion, friend and interpreter for Helen Keller. After teaching her the manual alphabet by touch, she accompanied her to her college classes and repeated the lectures to Helen by touch. The inspiration that Helen Keller brought to the world is largely due to the devoted effort of her mentor. As Miss Keller once wrote, "When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another." -------In the 1940s, hamburger stands proliferated along streets and highways across the United States. Catering to people in cars who stopped for a bite to eat, waitresses took orders from cars and returned with them on trays that could be attached to a car door. 38 years ago in the suburban town of Des Plaines, northwest of Chicago and about 40 kilometers away from my hometown, a hamburger stand was opened. The owner of this new enterprise was Ray Kroc, whose motto was "Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value". Many such hamburger stands went out of business after a few years, but this one continued and expanded. Eventually it became a hamburger chain which spread around the world. It's name is McDonalds and you may have eaten one of its all-beef hamburgers. When I was a high school student, I often went to a hamburger stand with my friends. At that time, hamburgers were fried 'after' the order was taken and we could order what we wanted with it, such as ketchup, mustard, a slice of onion or pickle relish. Some fellows would order a hamburger "with the works", which meant to include everything. The wise person is careful about his or her diet and will choose the kind of physical and spiritual food that provides healthy nourishment for both body and soul. -------The Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture acquired a new resident. It arrived in Nagoya aboard a chartered plane from the Philippines and was given VIP treatment. This rare sea mammal was a present from President Aquino, who promised to make such a gift when she visited this country in 1986. The Japanese name for this creature is "jugon", which is usually written in Katakana these days instead of the older Chinese characters. In English, the proper name for it comes from the same Malayan word from which the Japanese word was derived. It is called a dugong, spelled d-u-g-o-n-g. However, it is also commonly called a sea cow or a sea pig. In the language of the Philippines, it is referred to as a "human-fish" or mermaid. In fact, this may be the very mammal from which legendary mermaid stories originated. A mermaid, of course, to a half-human, half-fish creature having a fish tail instead of legs. Tales of such creatures are found in the folklore of many lands, including Japan. It remains me of the English expression, "neither fish nor fowl", which refers to a person or thing that is ambiguous and hard to categorize and may be used to describe the religious thought of some people who do not have a solid faith. -------The "crux" of an argument is its basic or central feature. The word "crucial" refers to something of critical or supreme importance. "Crucible" may mean a severe test or trial and "crusade" refers to a holy war or a vigorous movement for some special cause. All of these words come from the Latin word for "cross". Similarly, "crucify" means to put a person to death by nailing or binding him to a cross. Compared with other methods of capital punishment, crucifixion is the most cruel. The crucified one, unable to move his body and suffering from exposure to heat, cold and insects, slowly dies as the result of fatigue, hunger and thirst. It was such a death that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, experienced almost 2000 years ago. The Friday before Easter is the day Christians commemorate Jesus' crucifixion. It is called Good Friday, for Christians believe that Jesus' death on the cross had a crucial, good effect for the whole world. Jesus endured that crucible of suffering on our behalf. Indeed, the cross, at the crux of the Christian faith, is a symbol of the infinite love of God for all people. According to Colossians 1:20, God made peace through his Son's death on the cross and thus reconciled the whole world to himself. -------Do you know what a centenarian is? It is a person who has lived for over a century, which is a hundred years. Do you hope to reach that ripe old age? If you do, you might be interested in the research conducted by the Institute of Gerontology in Tokyo. This study indicated that there were 1851 centenarians in Japan as of September 1986 in comparison to only 153 in 1963. Researchers visited 1260 of them in all parts of the country last year to study their lives, personalities and living surroundings and came to the following conclusions: three out of four centenarians are women; most centenarians have an outgoing, cooperative spirit; they eat more meat, soybeans and other high-protein food than the average person; about 30 percent drank more than 180 cc milk daily and over 30 percent ate vegetables more than twice a day; but hereditary factors are also involved in human longevity. According to Psalm 91:16, long life is one of the blessings of God, but more important than the length of life is its content. Some people live a fuller, more satisfying life in 50 years than others do in a hundred. -------There are many different kinds of religions in the world. All of them have their own distinctive forms of worship. In most religions, some type of offering is included in the worship ceremony. Offerings may include such natural products as grain and fruits or vegetables. They may include other kinds of food or drink, such as mochi and sake. Beautiful flowers may be offered or something of special value, such as money. In ancient Judaism, it was common to offer animal sacrifices to God as an expiation for the sins of the people. It is for this reason that Jesus Christ was called "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." In Christian thought, Jesus' death on the cross is considered a kind of sacrifice, whereby he took upon himself the sins of all people in order that all people might be forgiven through their faith in that crucial expression of God's infinite love. In the 10th chapter of Hebrews, a comparison is made between the sacrifice of Christ and the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament. On the first Sunday of every month, we commemorate Christ's sacrifice in our celebration of the Lord's Supper, remembering that even as Christ gave his life for us, we also should give our bodies as living sacrifices in loving service to God and people. -------Laughter is a kind of universal language which is understood in all nations. When a baby laughs, it does not laugh in a particular language, but, among Japanese adults, laughter sounds, such as ha-ha, hi-hi, fu-fu, he-he and ho-ho, seem to each have a particular nuance. May 4th is the day of the annual Laughing Ceremony at the Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya. It is said that the sacred grass-mowing sword was temporarily taken from the shrine and deposited within the Imperial Palace around 686 A.D. When it was returned to Atsuta Shrine, the shrine personnel were so happy they laughed hilariously. Priests related to the shrine try to recreate the joy of that time through this Laughing Ceremony. Although it may be possible to force ourselves to laugh, true joy comes from within and, according to Galatians 5:22, it is produced by the Spirit of God. -------The fifth day of the fifth month is a national holiday called Children's Day not only in Japan but also in South Korea. Children have been called "poor men's riches" and it is true that in poorer countries people have larger families. Children can bring much happiness into a home, but Emerson was right when he said: "There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep," In reference to fruits or vegetables, "fresh" and "spoiled" are opposite terms, but when given a slight change of meaning, both of them can be used of children. Morris Goldfisher has written that "If a growing object is both fresh and spoiled at the same time, the chances are it is a child." In this quotation, "fresh" has the meaning of impudent and "spoiled" refers to a child who is pampered or who always gets its own way. In an affluent society, many children are both fresh and spoiled. They have not experienced hardships and are given little responsibility, thus their values and aims are different than their forebears. Along with loving discipline, all children need to have a good example to follow. Both of these are provided by conscientious parents. In Proverbs 22:6, we read, "Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all of his life." -------To analyze something means to separate it into smaller parts for more careful study. We may analyze problems, things or people. The prefix "psych" or "psycho" refers to the mind, so "psychoanalysis" is an analytic technique to investigate mental processes. This technique was originated by Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist, who was born 137 years ago. Freud wrote: "Look into the depths of your own soul and learn first to know yourself, then you will understand why this illness was bound to come upon you and perhaps you will thenceforth avoid falling ill." The theories and methods used by Freud have been challenged, rejected and revised by various psychologists but he remains a key figure in the history of treating mental disorders. In 1933, following a public burning of his books in Berlin, he wrote, "What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now they are content to burn my books." Freud also wrote that, "The idea of life having a purpose stands and falls with the religious system." I agree that it is only through a healthy faith that people are able to find a satisfying purpose in life. The Bible teaches that human satisfaction is found through a loving relationship with God, our Creator, and with our fellow human beings. -------The headline of a newspaper article read: "Woman cleans up on U.K. Pools". Can you understand it? The word "pool" has various meanings. It may mean a swimming pool, but a "pool room" is not a room in which there is such a pool. In a pool room, there is a pool table on which a game called pool is played. Pool may also refer to grouping of resources for the common advantage of the participants. People going to the same place may join a car pool, going together in one car instead of using many cars. But this article was referring to yet another kind of pool, in which bets are placed on the outcome of sporting events. The bets are pooled and then paid out to the winners. "Clean up", as an informal expression, means to make a large profit and the article told of a housewife who placed a £ 1.20 wager on the outcome of British soccer games. Since her predictions came true, she won the jackpot of £ 1,032,088, so we can say she really cleaned up. Another meaning of "clean up" is to make something clean. In Matthew 23:25, Jesus spoke of hypocrites who clean only the outside of things while the inside remains dirty. He taught that it is more important to clean up our minds than to cleanse our bodies. -------The Red Cross is an international organization which aims to alleviate human suffering and to promote public health. There are national Red Cross societies throughout the world having millions of members. May 8 is World Red Cross Day, commemorating the birthday of the Swiss philanthropist who was responsible for its founding. Jean Henry Dunant was born on May 8, 1828. In 1862, Dunant published an account of the terrible suffering of wounded soldiers on a battlefield in the Italian War and urged the formation of voluntary aid societies for the relief of such war victims. As a result, the Red Cross came into existence. In 1901, Dunant was a recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The Red Cross symbol is identical to the Swiss national flag except that the colors are reversed. The cross has a special significance to Christians, for whom it is a symbol of the self-giving love of God that has no limits. The ministry of the Red Cross may be an expression of that love of God to suffering people. You may receive a weekly printed copy of these daily telephone messages by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope plus ¥30 in stamps to: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office 463. -------Rakugo is a form of comic monologue performed by a kimono-clad storyteller who uses variety of vocal and facial expressions in his narration of a drama dealing with the joys and sorrows of common people. The dictionary gives the English translation as "a comic story, a story ending in a joke". Because there is an 'ochi' in the story, it is called 'rakugo'. Do you think English-speaking people can enjoy 'rakugo'? A 45-year-old storyteller from Osaka, Shijaku Katsura, has decided to find out. Since enrolling in an English conversation school, he began translating some of his stories into English. He has eight English pieces in his repertoire which he used during a trip to the United States and Canada in 1987. He performed in Honolulu, Los Angels and Vancouver. Since there are many Japanese residents of those cities, at least they were able to enjoy his performances. One of his original pieces entitled "Robot Shizuka-chan", which satirizes talking dolls and machines, appears in an English language textbook for Japanese senior high school students. According to the famous comedian, Charlie Chaplin, laughter is "the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain." -------Many older people these days complain that young people are quite self-centered and not well-behaved. If this is so, it shows a lack of parental responsibility in training their children. Parents who truly love their children will be firm in disciplining them for their own good. The word "discipline" comes from the same Latin word as "disciple" and refers to training aimed at producing a certain character or pattern of behavior. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 12, states that "The Lord corrects those he loves, as a father corrects a son of whom he is proud". No one, whether a child or an adult, enjoys being corrected or punished, but such discipline is necessary for healthy development. The text for my message today is found in the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 12, verses 5 and following. There we are taught that troubles and problems in our lives may be considered a kind of discipline given by our heavenly Father to make us better people. From this standpoint, such experiences should be received with gratitude because they are for our own benefit. In verse 11, we read, "When we are punished, it seems to us at the time something to make us sad . . . . Later, however, those who have been disciplined by such punishment reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life." -------242 years ago, on March 16, 1751, the fourth president of the United States was born. He was the eldest of 12 children and before entering political life, he had taken advanced studies in theology. He was a strong advocate of religious freedom in opposition to the principle of an established church in his home colony of Virginia. His influence on the writing of the American Constitution was so great that he has been called the Father of the Constitution. His name was James Madison and the following quotation from a speech he delivered at the Virginia Convention on June 16, 1766 is relevant today. "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." -------Do you consider yourself fallible? The word "fallible" means capable of making an error, so "infallible" means incapable or erring. According to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, official pronouncements of the pope regarding faith and morals are infallible. However, many independent-minded American Catholics seem to disagree with this doctrine. A recent poll indicated that 93% of American Catholics believe it is possible to disagree with the pope and still remain a good Catholic. Official Church doctrine teaches that abortion and artificial birth control are immoral and must not be practiced, but 78% of American Catholics replied that it is permissible to make up one's own mind on these matters. While 53% of them agreed that the pope is infallible when making pronouncements on matters of faith such as the divinity of Christ, only 37% accept his infallibility on moral issues. Even so, the pope remains a popular figure in the United States and will be given a warm welcome as he visits that country and Canada beginning today. Protestants do not recognize the pope's infallibility. They believe that the Bible alone is the standard of faith and practice. -------Many people in Japan enjoy gathering or eating clams. A clam is a sea animal that is protected by two shells hinged together. When clams are dug up, their shells are usually tightly closed and may be difficult to open. So a person whose mouth usually remains closed, who has little to say or is uncommunicative may be referred to, informally, as a "clam". And the verb "to clam up" means to cease talking or to remain silent. On the other hand, another English expression implies that clams are happy, for to be as "happy as a clam" means to be very happy. Can you guess why? We have no reason to think that clams are particularly happy creatures, but this expression is a shortened form of the original longer one, "as happy as a clam at high tide". Since clams are usually dug out of the sand only when the tide is low, during high tide they are safe and thus, supposedly, happy. How to find true happiness is a constant question for human beings. At the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount, found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, Jesus speaks of those who are, or will be happy. Among them are the humble, the merciful, the pure in heart and those who work for peace. Such people are really much happier than clams. -------The Chinese character that has a sheep, or "hitsuji", standing next to a ruler, or "kimi", refers to a group of some kind and is pronounced "mure". This word may be used for various kinds of groups which are expressed in English by different terms, depending on the particular group indicated. For example, a group of non-living things such as stars or trees may be called a _cluster_ or a _clump_, a group of people is a _crowd_, and a group of sheep or of birds is a _flock_. In fact, even flocks of particular kinds of birds may have a special name, such as a _bevy_ of quail, a _skein_ of geese or a _covey_ of partridges. A group of cows or elephants is called a _herd_, while a group of dogs or wolves is a _pack_. When it comes to a group of insects, such as bees, that's a _swarm_, while a group of fish is called a _school_. I will have more to say about this word in tomorrow's message, but all of these terms may be translated by the same Japanese word: "mure". In the Bible, "flock" is often used literally in reference to sheep, but it is sometimes used figuratively for a group of Christians, the leader of which is a shepherd or pastor. In I Peter 5:3, pastors are told to be examples to their flocks rather than tyrannical rulers. -------Some words change their meanings as they move from one language to another. As mentioned in yesterday's message, "school" may refer to a group of fish. It may also refer to a group of persons, such as philosophers, artists or writers, whose thought, work or style demonstrates a common influence or underlying belief. The more common meaning, however, is an educational institution, where people receive instruction. The English word came from a Latin word which, in turn, came from a Greek word, 'schle', which originally meant "leisure, freedom from labor". In later Greek usage, it came to mean a place where there is leisure for anything, a school. This word is found once in the Greek New Testament, in Acts 19:9, where it has been translated as school, hall, and lecture hall. As a matter of fact, school should not be considered a place where information is crammed into the heads of pupils, students or so-called scholars. The ideal school will also provide leisure time, without external pressure, when students may express themselves in a creative manner. Formal education does require certain structures, guidelines and rules, but these should be aimed at encouraging rather than stifling creativity. In fact, all of us should be creative scholars in the school of life. -------Do you know what a benediction is? This word comes from two Latin words meaning to speak well. It this refers to a blessing and, in Protestant church services, to the formal words of blessing given by the minister at the close of the service in particular. In the Roman Catholic Church, there is a religious order of monks called Benedictines. This order was founded in the 6th century by St. Benedict, an Italian monk who laid down the basic rules for Western monasticism. The Rule of St. Benedict is more moderate than the austere regulations of older monastic orders. In the Roman Catholic Church Calendar, today is the feast day of St. Benedict. Benedictine monks live together in a monastery, called an abbey, where they promise to remain until death. Under the supervision of an abbot, the monks share a common life devoted to worship and work. As champions of religion, scholarship and the cultivation of the arts, the Benedictine Order was an important factor in preserving and extending western civilization in Europe following the collapse of the Roman Empire. Many Japanese might agree with St. Benedict, who said that "Idleness is the enemy of the soul", but he further maintained that "to work is to pray", but note that that word is spelled with an "r"! -------The English word "promise" comes from a Latin word literally meaning "to send forth". A promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do or not do something. Some people are great promisers but poor performers, as the saying goes, "Easier said than done." The title of my message today is "The Promises of God" and my text is found in the Book of Galatians, chapter 3, verses 15-22. The Bible contains many promises of God that have been transmitted through his servants, the prophets and apostles. And one of the outstanding characteristics of God, according to the Bible, is his faithfulness. The God of the Bible is one who fulfils his promises and that is the basis of the hope that Christians have. No matter how dark the present situation may seem, the future is as bright as the promises of God. As Annie Johnson Flint has written, "God has not promises skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through, God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love." -------Have you ever heard of the Montessori method? This is a special method of teaching small children which has become quite popular in Europe and America. The method was originated by Maria Montessori, an Italian educator and physician who was born on August 31, 1870, 123 years ago. She developed her particular method while working s a psychiatrist with retarded children in a school in Rome. The theory behind the Montessori method is that a child will learn naturally if placed in an environment of "learning games" suited to the child's abilities and interests. Relying on self-motivation, the teacher intervenes only when a child needs help. Thus, the child, in effect, teaches himself or herself and is given much freedom of action while learning through doing. This principle is valid when learning a foreign language and in the field of religion as well. Speaking and doing is more important than perfectly understanding grammatical rules or abstract theories. -------114 years ago on June 4, 1879, a shrine in Tokyo was given a new name. It was one of many "spirit-inviting shrines", or 'shokonsya', dedicated to the spirits of those who died for their country. The name of this Tokyo Shokonsha was changed to "Peaceful Country Shrine", or 'Yasukuni Jinja'. It became the major shrine for the veneration of the spirits of the war dead and an emotional focal point of militant Japanese national feeling during the Pacific War. Some years ago, the spirits of leading Japanese militarists who were executed as war criminals were surreptitiously enshrined there. Since the end of the war there has been an ongoing effort made by right wing groups in particular to use government funds to support this religious shrine. Many religious groups are opposed to this effort because they consider it an unhealthy reversion to the previous state-religion alliance which is prohibited by the present Constitution. When Prime Minister Nakasone made an official visit to the Yasukuni Shrine two years ago, he was criticized by foreign countries as well for they feared it indicated another dangerous step in the wrong direction--toward a revived militancy. One does not nurture a peaceful country by glorifying military heroes. -------A previous message noted the hard-working habits of the Japanese. In contrast, today's message is related to the custom in some hot countries to have a daily siesta. Do you know what a siesta is? This word is rooted in the Latin word for "sixth hour", meaning the sixth hour after sunrise, or noon, and refers to a rest period, usually taken after the midday meal. In Greece, most stores close in the early afternoon for a siesta. For many years Greek governments have tried to introduce a streamlined work schedule that would reduce traffic jams, modernize business practices and make life easier for Athenians by abolishing the afternoon siesta. Supermarket and department store owners favor the plan, but fierce resistance from small store owners, plumbers, electricians and carpenters have forced the government to back down. So the siesta in Greece will continue, at least for a while longer. Athens will continue to have four rush hours a day instead of two and tourists and other consumers will be unable to shop during the afternoon hours. Long-lasting habits are hard to change, but a relaxed lifestyle is difficult to harmonize with the rapid pace of modern life. A German industrialist once said, "When I rest I trust." -------In the English alphabet, the 17th letter is "Q". As a capital letter, it resembles an "O" with a tail. As a small printed letter, it resembles a "p" written backwards, while in its small written form, it resembles a "g" with the lower loop reversed. Actually, it is a completely unnecessary letter, insofar as pronunciation is concerned, for it is pronounced the same as a "k". In English words, a "q" is usually followed by a "u", but there are exceptions in the case of some words derived from Arabic. In fact, there is an Arabic country whose name begins with a "Q" followed by an "a". It is a peninsular nation, about the size of Gifu Prefecture, jutting into the Persian Gulf. Most of the country is a hot, sandy desert and over half of its 300,000 inhabitants live in the capital city of Doha. The importance of this State of Qatar lies in the fact that under its sandy desert lie immense oil deposits. Sept. 3 is a national holiday in Qatar, commemorating the anniversary of its independence from Great Britain. Qatar is not a scenic country but it has one natural resource in abundance. Which do you think is preferable: to have a beautiful exterior or to have an abundance of inner resources, a kind of hidden beauty? -------There are various kinds of traditional Japanese instruments called 'fue', or flute. Some of them are played in a vertical position, like the 'shakuhachi, while others are played in a horizontal position. "Wind-flute", or 'futeki', is the Japanese word used as the translation for an unusual musical instrument called a bagpipe. A bagpipe consists of a flexible bag with one double-reed melody pipe and from one to four drone pipes, each producing a single droning sound. Originally, the bagpipe consisted of the entire hide of a sheep or goat with the melody pipe with finger holes fitted into a wooden plug in the animal's neck. Drone pipes emerged from other plugs in the forelegs. A blowpipe filled the bag with air, and the player's arm over the bag provided pressure to make the pipes release their piercing sound. Late in the first century bagpipes were introduced from Asia to Rome, where they were a great curiosity and an immediate success. Nowadays, bagpipes are most widely used in Scotland and Ireland. According to the 150th Psalm, all kinds of musical instruments are to be used in praising the Lord. Flutes are included in that list, but bagpipes are not found there. -------Miller is a fairly common surname in the United States. As a common noun, the word refers to a person who works in, operates or owns a mill. In the old days, a mill was a device for grinding grain between rotating stones called millstones. If the power supply for the mill came from a wheel with blades that were rotated by the wind, it was called a windmill. These days, Holland is the country that is famous for its windmills. One may see many picturesque windmills while driving through the countryside of the Netherlands. The largest Dutch windmill was built in 1718. Its sails measure almost 30 meters from tip to tip. However, Holland was not the birthplace of the windmill. The first windmill was probably constructed in eastern Persia, now called Iran, near Afghanistan in 644 A.D. It had sails that were moved horizontally by the wind. Later, a vertical wheel with blades to catch the wind was introduced and the windmill became popular in Europe from the 13th century. The wind is a mysterious force that is difficult to describe. In Greek, the same word is used to refer to wind, breath and spirit and in John 3:8, Jesus compared the mysterious working of God's Spirit in a person's life to the wind. -------Titus was the name of the Roman general who became emperor after he captured and destroyed the Jewish capital of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. To commemorate that event, a memorial arch was erected in Rome a few years later and that Arch of Titus still stands there almost two thousand years later. In Christian history, there is another important figure named Titus. He was a fellow-worker and assistant to the Apostle Paul. He was appointed by Paul to be the pastor of the church in Crete, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, and the New Testament contains a letter written to him there. My message today is taken from the 2nd chapter of the Letter to Titus, in which he is given instructions regarding how he should teach older men, older women, young women, young men and slaves. These instructions make clear that a living faith must be evident in all areas of life, not only in formal religious rites. Some people who perform religious ceremonies do not have a living faith that is seen in their social, business, political and recreational activities. Titus is told to teach people to live as good examples to others, bringing honor to God through their conduct. He describes Christians as "pure people" who belong to God alone and "are eager to do good". -------There are two words in English pronounced gambul. The word spelled g-a-m-b-o-l means to leap about playfully, to frolic. The word spelled g-a-m-b-l-e means to bet money on the outcome of some event or to play a game of chance with the hope of winning a valuable prize. Unfortunately, such gambling is often done by people who cannot afford to waste the little money they have. In the United States, there are said to be more women gamblers than men gamblers. A report indicated that, in Japan, sales from publicly run gambling in the 1986 fiscal year was 6.7 per cent higher than in the previous year. Those events showing a large increase were auto races, bicycle races, horse races and boat races. Mark Twain once wrote, "There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can." -------You may have heard the saying, "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Do you know the source of this quotation? It comes from the song "Home Sweet Home" which was written by John Howard Payne who was born in New York 202 years ago. Mr. Payne made his debut as an actor in New York City in 1809 and continued acting for 30 years, during which time he also wrote a number of plays. He wrote "Home Sweet Home" for the play called 'Clari', which was produced as an opera in London in 1823. Later, Mr. Payne became the American consul in Tunis, where he died in 1852. Having lived abroad for many years, he knew from personal experience the natural longing for home. The German poet, Goethe, has written, "He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." And Henry van Dyke, an American author and clergyman, has stated, "Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest, is surely home, and home, sweet home, for there the heart can rest." Christians consider their home to be where God, their heavenly Father abides, so they may speak of their "heavenly home" and may say of a person who has died that he or she has gone home to be with the Lord. I hope your home is a happy one and it will be if it is filled with the love of God. -------While reading a newspaper article which noted that some 300 bathers were stung by jellyfish Sunday while swimming at Shonan beaches, I decided to make a message about that strange marine animal which resembles jelly. The Japanese word for this particular kind of jellyfish is 'katsuo-no-eboshi', which is also an interesting word. 'Katsuo', of course, is a kind of fish, called bonito in English. There are a number of compound Japanese words beginning with 'katsuo', including 'katsuo-mushi', an insect known as a museum beetle, 'katsuo-dori', a bird called a booby gannet, and 'katsuo-no-eboshi'. As you know, an 'eboshi' is an old-fashioned headgear worn by nobles in court, but the dictionary translation for 'katsuo-no-eboshi' is Portuguese man-of-war. Usually, man-of-war refers to a warship, but a Portuguese man-of-war, for some reason, is the name given to this particular kind of jellyfish that has tentacles carrying poison, with which it stings its prey. In English, we may call an indecisive or weak person who has no strong convictions and no moral backbone a jellyfish. From my point of view, a morally healthy person must have some basic convictions to undergird his or her entire life. -------6 years ago, I changed my residence to the Omori area of Moriyama Ward, but I continue to use my bicycle for transportation within the city, often riding to Sakae or Nagoya Station. Sometimes I speak of my bicycle as a "jinrikisha", for the wheels on a "jitensha" do not move automatically like those on a "jidosha". Rather, a bicycle is actually a man-powered-vehicle, literally, a "jinrikisha". In modern Japan, rickshaws are used only for tourists in sightseeing areas but they continue to be more widely used in other Asian countries. Technology for the People, an organization based in Geneva helps transfer technology to developing countries. This organization has made improvements in the design of the rickshaw that should make it more pleasant to use -- for both drivers and passengers. The improved version has a two-speed, hand-controlled gearbox (one gear for starting, the other for coasting), making the vehicle easier to pull. Disc brakes have been added and the traditional wooden seat has been lowered and replaced with fiber glass, making it safer and lighter. Man-powered tools and machines may be used for many tasks, but the world needs God-powered people to work for a more just society. -------64 years ago, on June 12, 1929, a baby girl was born into a Jewish family in Germany. As a child, she enjoyed life along with other girls her age, but under the Nazi regime the fate of Jews became increasingly difficult and dangerous. When she was 13, she fled with her family to Holland and for two years remained in an attic on the third floor of an old house in Amsterdam. There she spent her early adolescent years which she recorded with sensitivity in her diary. When her hiding place was discovered, she and her family were sent to concentration camps where they died. When her diary was later published, Anne Frank's name became known throughout the world. It was Anne's custom to pray every night before going to sleep and, in spite of her dismal circumstances, she would thank God for all that is good and lovely and beautiful. The world is richer as a result of the simple, yet profound, diary of that talented young lady whose life was cruelly ended before her 16th birthday. Remembering Anne Frank should inspire us to oppose the senseless prejudice against people of other races or nationalities and to be aware of the anti-Semitism which seems to be growing here in Japan as seen in the popularity of some recent publications. -------128 years ago, on June 13, 1865, one of the great poets of Ireland was born. His name was William Butler Yeats and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1923. Yeats' father was a painter and he also studied painting as a boy, but he came to realize that poetry was to be his art. He was also an accomplished playwright. Fascinated by the folklore and legends of Ireland, he became involved in the occult. Yeats was an Irish nationalist and one of the founders of the Irish Literary Theater in Dublin. His poetry and dramas indicate that he continued to change as he grew older, which is the mark of an honest man. He followed his own advice to "Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people." Regarding the aging process, William Butler Yeats had this to say: "The years like great black oxen tread the world, And God the herdsman goads them on behind, And I am broken by their passing feet." As the days go by, all of us are getting older, but the person with a healthy faith need not feel broken as time goes by. If we are willing to seriously consider new truth and willing to change our lives in accordance with it, life will never be the uninteresting existence of the narrow-minded. -------There are many examples of English words that have been converted into Japanese and given a peculiar nuance that is different from the original meaning. One such word is "service". In Japanese, sa-bisu often refers to an "omake", something extra that is given without charge by a storekeeper. In English, the noun, "service", has a number of meanings related to the verb "to serve". In tennis, the ball is put into play by the service of a player, but the basic meaning of "service" relates to the duties of a servant. The Sunday morning meetings in Protestant Churches are often called services or, more exactly, worship services. In fact, a Greek word used in Romans, chapter 12, verse 1, can be translated either "worship" or "service". There it is written that the true worship or spiritual service of Christians is to present themselves to God as living sacrifices. The Old Testament law required sacrifices of animals or produce in ceremonial worship, but in the New Testament, following the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, such sacrifices are no longer required. Rather, we must give up ourselves in loving service to God and to people. As we gather together to worship God on Sunday mornings, we are reminded of our responsibility to be servants to those around us. -------If you read the fine print on some Japanese calendars, you will see that Oct.5 is the memorial day of the Indian who traveled to China to become the founder of Zen Buddhism. It is said that he sat facing a wall in meditation for nine years until his legs became unusable. In Japanese, he is called Daruma. There are now many short, plump Daruma dolls in Japan having no legs, no arms and not even a neck. Weighted at the bottom, whenever they are pushed over they return to the upright position, symbolizing determined perseverance. Political candidates often paint in one eye of a large Daruma doll as election day begins. Winners then paint in the other eye at their victory celebration, symbolizing their success with both eyes open. According to the Book of Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 2, Christians gain perseverance and final victory by keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of their faith. -------Elie Wiesel was born into a Jewish family in Romania 64 years ago. His parents and a sister died in German concentration camps and he himself survived internment in the camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He is now a naturalized American citizen and a human rights activist. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the next year, he gave a speech at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Japan Advertising council in Tokyo. In that speech, he acknowledged Japanese successes in the fields of industry, technology and business, but he asked the rhetorical question, "Why don't you reach higher? Why don't you go into other fields. . . of spiritual values and of human rights?" He also made a plea to Japanese intellectuals to speak out against the growing anti-Semitism in Japan which is reflected in the popularity of recent books describing Jewish conspiracies to run the world and ruin the Japanese economy. He called on Japan to protest against violations of human rights and human dignity wherever they occur. I believe that his words should be taken seriously by all conscientious Japanese and by the rest of the world as well. If we are not concerned about the rights of others, we show a lack of understanding of the responsibility which accompanies the rights which we enjoy. -------According to the Japanese proverb, "The post that sticks up will be hammered down". Japanese feel more secure as part of a group than as individuals. Harmony is an important principle here and the middle of the road is the place to stand on controversial issues. The ideal of the "golden mean", or 'chuyo', is deeply rooted in this society. Therefore, it is not surprising that most Japanese consider themselves members of an exceedingly broad "middle class". According to a recently released poll, about 90% of Japanese put themselves into this category. So many people are now in this class, that it must be divided into an upper middle class and a lower middle class. The American humorist, Robert Benchley has written, "There may be said to be two classes of people in the world: those who constantly divide the world into two classes, and those who do not." Sinclair Lewis, the American novelist, called the middle class the "prisoner of the barbarian 20th century", and Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, has written, "A moderately honest man with a moderately faithful wife, moderate drinkers both, in a moderately healthy house: that is the true middle class unit." Harmony and moderation are considered virtues in the Bible also, but on moral issues of right and wrong, a clear-cut stand should be taken. -------As you may know, the given name of the person who creates these messages and tapes them for your listening practice, if not enjoyment, is Clark, spelled C-l-a-r-k. Although my parents did not know the meaning of this name when they gave it to me, actually it means clergyman or scholar. At first, my parents had planned to spell my name with an "e" on the end until my eldest sister pointed out that the names of my father and mother, my elder brother and two elder sisters all had five letters in them, so they omitted the final "e". Later, my two younger sisters were also given names having five letters. In "The Columbia Encyclopedia", which I often use for research for these telephone messages, 41 persons are included with the surname of Clark(e), 19 of which are spelled with an "e". One of them, John Clarke, was born in England 378 years ago on October 8, 1609. John Clarke became a physician and pastor, a founder of the American colony of Rhode Island and a pioneer of religious liberty in America. Largely due to his efforts, freedom of religion was recognized in Rhode Island and later became assured throughout the country by being inscribed in the Bill of Rights. Religious liberty is an important principle in any democratic society. -------When I was a pupil in elementary school, I was taught that Christopher Columbus and his comrades were the first Europeans to set foot on the North American continent. In fact, he seems to have been the first European to have left written records of his journey, but there is reason to believe that a group of Norsemen had reached the continent from Iceland some 500 years earlier. Greenland, the largest island in the world, was discovered by Eric the Red. His son was named Leif and, thus, was later called Leif Ericson. Sagas of Leif's journey to North America were communicated orally for centuries before being written down, but there have been archeological discoveries which seem to verify these ancient stories. Among them are the remains of a Norse settlement in Newfoundland, Canada, which was occupied about 1000 A.D. Since 1964, United States' presidents have proclaimed October 9th as Leif Ericson Day and communities with many Norwegian-Americans have special programs on this day. The name "Leif", spelled L-e-i-f, means "beloved one" and "Eric" means "kingly". Thus, Leif Ericson means the beloved son of the kingly one. According to Matthew 4:17, it was God, the King, who called Jesus his "beloved Son", with whom he was well pleased. -------Oct. 10 is a national holiday in Japan called 'taiiku-no-hi'. Literary, this means "Body-Training Day", but the usual translation is Sports Day or Physical Education Day. This holiday was created in 1966 and the date was chosen to commemorate the opening of the Tokyo Olympics on this day two years earlier. It is now commonly recognized that some kind of physical activity is necessary to keep one's body in good condition. Likewise, to keep one's mind alert, continued mental stimulation is needed and one good kind of mental activity is learning a foreign language. However, another part of our being also needs to be cultivated. That is our spiritual nature. Some people with healthy bodies and alert minds make wrong use of them because of a lack of spiritual or moral character. Distinguishing right from wrong and good from bad requires moral education which is related to some kind of belief. In the New Testament, life is sometimes referred to as a race and the Olympic Games are used as illustrations of spiritual truth. In Hebrews, chapter 12, it is written, "let us run with determination the race that is set before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end." -------The heart of the Old Testament, which is the Jewish Bible, and of Jewish religion as a whole is the Torah, or Law. This Law contains many commandments which cover social, moral and ceremonial aspects of life. Teachers of the Law in Jesus' day often argued over the relative importance of these commandments. One day, a legal scholar asked Jesus which commandment he considered most important of all. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verses 28-31, Jesus replied that the most important commandment was to love God above all else. But he immediately added the second most important commandment: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself". There is a close and inseparable connection between these two commandments. Love for God, whom we cannot see, is seen through our loving people, whom we can see. In the First Letter of John, chapter 4, verse 20, we are told that we cannot truly love God if we do not show love to our brother. True religion does not consist simply of a noble theory, an esteemed tradition or beautiful ceremonies. It must make a difference in our daily lives. It is not enough to know the right answers or to perform the correct rituals. Followers of Christ must show their love for God through loving concern and acts of mercy for their fellowmen. -------The War of 1812 was an armed conflict between the United States and Great Britain. During that war, a prominent Baltimore doctor was being held prisoner on a British ship in Baltimore Harbor. A 35-year-old Baltimore lawyer was sent to that ship to deliver a message from President Madison demanding the doctor's release. Arriving at the ship just as the British attack on Fort McHenry began, he watched the 24-hour bombardment from his boat. In the early morning of September 14, 1814, 179 years ago, seeing the American flag still flying over the fort, he took an envelope out of his pocket and wrote the first words of a poem entitled "Defence of Fort M'Henry". The man's name was Francis Scott Key and his poem later became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner". 117 years later, in 1931, this poem was officially designated the American national anthem. -------Do you know the location of the southernmost territory of Japan? It is the islet of Okino-torishima, about 2000 kilometers south of Tokyo. Although uninhabited, it is considered important because sovereignty entitles Japan to exclusive fishing and mineral rights in the surrounding area of some 400,000 square kilometers. At low tide, the island stretches 1.7 kilometers from north to south and 5 kilometers from east to west. But at high tide it is almost entirely submerged, except for two rocks that protrude above sea level. The larger rock is 4.7 meters wide and stands 3 meters at high tide. The other is 2.6 meters wide and 1 meter high. Under international law, Okino-torishima remains Japanese territory as long as one of these rocks is visible at high tide, but these two pillars of Japan's claim to the island are eroding at their bases and may disappear beneath the surface within a few years if nothing is done to reinforce them. The Construction Ministry has appropriated ¥50 billion for a survey of the island. Then it will try to strengthen the rocks and Japan's claim to this area of the sea. In the Old Testament, God is often referred to as a rock, but he is a rock which will never disappear. -------If one makes a trip overseas and visits a Japanese family there, one of the most appreciated gifts from the Japanese homeland is 'an-pan'. 'An-pan' is a peculiar combination of Japanese and Western confectionery and baking skills which is not ordinarily available outside of Japan. During the Meiji Era, the term, 'Wakon-yosai', meaning, "Japanese soul-Western technology", was popular. At that time, Japan was interested in importing scientific knowledge from the West while being careful to maintain its own spiritual character. 'An-pan' may be considered a symbol of that idea, for it consists of a traditional Japanese bean-jam placed in the middle of Western-style bread. This is an example of the Japanese skill in combining foreign and traditional Japanese elements into a somewhat harmonious whole. Today's Japanese language also includes many terms which are combinations of foreign and Japanese words, including 'an-pan'. In Mark 2:22, Jesus taught that the new and living message which he proclaimed could not be combined with the traditional forms of his day, because it would be like putting new wine into old wineskins. The wine would burst the skins and both wine and wineskins would be lost, for living truth cannot be bound by conventional forms. -------The word "constitution" refers to the composition, structure or make-up of something. When referring to the structure of society, it may be translated into Japanese as 'soshiki' or 'kosei'. In the case of a person's constitution, or physical make-up, the Japanese word is 'taikaku' or 'taishitsu'. But when referring to the basic law of a nation, the Japanese translation is 'kenpo'. Although Sept.17 is not a legal holiday in the United States, it has been called Constitution Day, commemorating the signing of the Constitution 206 years ago on September 17, 1787. In recent years, this day has been designated Citizenship Day and the week in which it falls is called Constitution Week. Some localities give special recognition to young adults who have attained legal voting age and immigrants who have been naturalized during the past year on this day, and both the rights and obligations the Constitution bestows on citizens are noted. 33 years ago during his campaign to become president, John Kennedy stated, "Our Constitution is founded on the principle that all men are equal as citizens and entitled to the same rights, whether they achieved citizenship by birth, or after coming here as immigrants, seeking to find in America new freedom and new opportunities." -------Have you ever heard of an abominable snowman? Of course, a snowman is, simply, a 'yuki-daruma'. However, when the word "abominable", meaning 'imawashii', is placed before it, there is a completely different meaning. Japanese legends of the snow country include stories of a snow fairy, or 'yuki-onna', but the Japanese translation of "abominable snowman" is 'yuki-otoko', and it refers to a hairy, manlike animal said to inhabit the Himalayan mountains. It is also called a yeti. There have been a number of reports by mountain climbers of seeing tracks in the snow left by yeti. Others have reported seeing the strange creature itself, but whether or not abominable snowmen actually exist is still uncertain. Chris Frost, an English biologist, has explored the wilds of southern Tibet searching for yeti. He thinks his chances of finding one are greater than those of teams of researchers who make more noise, but a dilemma would arise if he should find a yeti. Should it be caught and put in a zoo, even if it is humanoid and intelligent, or should it be left alone to face possible extinction? In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, "Seek and you will find", but he was referring to seeking truth and not abominable snowmen. -------Six years ago, a British housewife established a new record when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Nottingham City Hospital. The infant was born by Caesarian section ('teio-sekkai-jutsu') and weighed 2.9 kilograms. It was Kathleen Campbell's seventh child. Her last one before this was 16 years old. But the new record had nothing to do with these facts. Mrs. Campbell, a 55-years-old grandmother, was reported to be the oldest woman ever to give birth in Britain. Doctors had advised her that having a baby might endanger her life because she weighed 133 kilograms and had high blood pressure. But during her pregnancy, she lost 31 kilograms and her health improved. Most women are unable to bear children at this age and Mrs. Campbell and her 65-years-old husband were happy to have this addition to their family. In Genesis, chapter 21, the Bible contains the story of a miraculous birth to Sarah, the elderly wife of Abraham, from whom the Israelites, or Jews, descended. Although it is rare for an old woman to give birth to a child, even old people can conceive and produce new ideas as long as their minds are healthy. A healthy faith in God, the Source of life, may be a constant channel of new vitality despite one's age. -------In Japan, as in most countries of the world, this first day of the week is a holiday. Why is that so? It is because of the Christian belief that it was on the first day of the week that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Jesus' disciples, who were Jews, had always kept the seventh day of the week as the sabbath, but following Jesus' resurrection, they celebrated this extraordinary event on the first day of the week, which was called "the Lord's Day". However, the date of a yearly festival to commemorate the resurrection became a subject of controversy due to the desire both to keep the celebration in connection with the Jewish feast of Passover, which is held according to the lunar calendar, and to always celebrate it on a Sunday. Eventually the following formula to determine the annual date of Easter was developed: the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Thus, Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 22 to April 25. On Easter Sunday, Christians rejoice in the victory of Christ over sin and death and the assurance of eternal life which his resurrection implies. Through our faith in Christ, we not only face the future with hope, we experience the joy of new life today and everyday. -------To "sup" literally means to take a liquid, such as soup, into the mouth by sips, but it may also refer to eating the evening meal called supper. Dinner, from the word "dine" refers to the main meal of the day, which nowadays is usually eaten in the evening. Lunch is the light meal eaten at midday and breakfast is the first meal of the day when we "break our fast". A recent survey of high school students in the Tokyo area indicates that 31% of the boys and 17% of the girls "almost never" or "only occasionally" eat breakfast. Most of them take box lunches to school and only 18% eat in school cafeterias. Nine out of ten students eat snacks between meals. Eating habits are changing these days, but according to 1 Corinthians 3:19, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we should take good care of them. -------Spain was once one of the world's great colonial powers. Its explorers and settlers created an empire that included large areas of North, Central and South America, small colonies in Africa and the Far East and various islands around the world. However, within a comparatively short time, that empire was lost and it was the Spanish-American War that decisively brought it to an end. That war was fought over Cuba, which lies just off the American mainland. In April 1898, the United States had demanded that Spain grant independence to Cuba, so Spain declared war on the United States. In response, the U.S. replied that a state of war already existed and retroactively declared that the war had begun on April 21st, 95 years ago. Whenever the war began, it lasted only a few months and some of the major battles were fought halfway around the world, in the Philippine Islands. As a result of this war, Spain was without an empire and the United States was on the road to becoming a world power, with both Cuba and the Philippines under its control. I'm not sure this was good for the United States. Lewis Mumford has written that "War is both a product of an earlier corruption and a producer of new corruptions" and I think he was right. -------A hawk is a bird of prey, having a short, hooked bill and strong claws. A person who favors a strong military force to carry out foreign policy may also be called a hawk, in contrast to the so-called doves who advocate a peaceful settlement of problems. The Japanese word for hawk is 'taka', but the English word for a large hawk, or 'otaka', is goshawk, from old English words meaning goose hawk. Due to deforestation, the withering of pine trees and illegal hunting, the goshawk is in danger of extinction in Japan so a branch of the Wild Birds Society plans to place small video cameras inside goshawks' nests to record how parent birds keep their eggs and raise the baby birds. Members of this society have been carefully observing the movements of these birds over the past six years. They have found that goshawks make their nests in red pine trees about 18 meters in height and that the young birds fly within 200-300 meters of their nests for about a month after they leave them. An owl is another bird of prey. Because of its large eyes, it has become a symbol of wisdom, so we may refer to a wise person as an owl. An American politician once said, "I am not very keen for doves or hawks. I think we need more owls." -------Misunderstandings between people of different nations may occur due to inaccurate translations or interpreting words in different ways. However, even when a common language is used, one word may have quite different meanings, so it is important to discern the meaning of the word in the mind of the speaker. For example, although I am a doctor, that doesn't mean I treat sick people; although I am a master, that doesn't mean I have slaves who do my bidding; and the fact that I am a bachelor does not mean I am unmarried. In these cases, the words refer to a person who holds certain scholastic degrees. If you hold a college degree, you also are a bachelor, even if you are a woman. In feudal days, a bachelor was a young knight in the service of another knight, but these days its most common meaning is an unmarried man. Of the 40 men who have been president of the United States, only one was a bachelor. Born 202 years ago and preceding Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, his name was James Buchanan. During his administration, his niece served as the White House hostess. In Matthew, chapter 19, when asked if it were better not to marry, Jesus replied that it depends on the person and the motivation. All people cannot be forced into the same mold because all are different. -------The word "library" comes from the Latin word for book. A library is a place where books and periodicals are kept for reading or reference. One of my favorite college professors used to tell his classes that the next best thing to knowing some information is knowing where to find it. Libraries are places where all kinds of information may be found. As you may surmise, I have a small library in my study, including various kinds of reference books, which I constantly use in preparing these daily messages. 193 years ago, on April 24, 1800, the United States Congress established a library by approving an act providing "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress ... and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them." Although originally intended specifically as a parliamentary collection to aid the legislative branch of the government, the Library of Congress has expanded its services and has become the national library of the United States and one of the largest libraries, if not the largest library, in the world, containing over 75 million items. The English word, "bible", comes from the Greek word, 'biblia', meaning "books" and the Bible is a collection of many books that are valuable reference materials. It is a kind of library in itself and well worth becoming acquainted with. -------Can you guess the name of the largest and most splendid European city of the middle Ages? It was located on the Bosporus, that narrow strait in Turkey which separates Europe from Asia. Founded in 330 A.D. as the new capital of the Roman Empire, it was named after its founder, Constantinople I. In Greek, Constantinople means "City of Constantine". We can see the influence of the Greek word, 'polis', meaning "city", in such English words as police and metropolis, which literally means "mother city". Constantinople was the metropolis of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years. After being conquered by the Turks, it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Following the First World War, Turkey's capital was transferred to Ankara, although Constantinople continued to be the larger, more important city. 63 years ago on March 28, 1930, the name of the city was changed to Istanbul, from Greek words meaning "to or in the city". A change of name may indicate a change of character and some people change their names in the hope of changing their fate. However, to change our destiny, a basic change of nature is required. In John 3:3, Jesus said, "no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again." -------Today is Sunday, the first day of a new week. It is the day Christians gather together to worship God. The Old Testament law designated the seventh day of the week as the day of rest and worship. Jews continue to observe the time between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday as the sabbath day but Christians changed the "holy day" to the first day of the week in commemoration of Christ's resurrection from the dead on that day. Christian worship services usually begin with a "Call to Worship" which is often taken from the book of Psalms. The 100th Psalm contains words which are often used for this purpose: "Sing to the Lord, all the world! Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs! Enter the temple gates with thanksgiving, go into his courts with praise." The basic characteristic of worship services should be joy, thankfulness and praise. It is for this reason that Christian church services include the singing of joyful songs, called hymns, from the Greek word meaning song of praise. Although all of the hymns in the Japanese 'sanbika' are not songs of praise, joyful praise and thanksgiving are always at the heart of true worship. I pray that on this day of worship, you also will rejoice and be thankful. -------To reform means to improve by changing, correcting errors or removing defects. It may be translated into Japanese by such words as kaizen, sasshin and kaikaku. Although the religious reformation sparked by Martin Luther in the 16th century is most famous, there have been many other religious reformers both before and after him. One of them, Girolamo Savonarola, was born in Italy on September 21, 1452. He became a popular preacher and attacked the moral laxity of people of his day, including that of the pope, who had fathered four children whom he actively favored. As often happens to reformers, Savonarola was opposed by the comfortable, established hierarchy, excommunicated and finally executed as a false prophet. Jesus told his disciples, in Matthew 5:12, that they should be happy when they are persecuted for being faithful to the truth like the prophets before them. -------One of the things my wife and I enjoy about the fall and winter seasons in Japan is the availability of delicious 'mikans'. Do you know what we call 'mikans' in English? In my family, even when we are speaking English, we call them 'mikans' because that's easier to say than "tangerines". Although they are usually called "tangerines" in America, they are sometimes referred to as "mandarin oranges". It is interesting to know that the word "mandarin" which was used to refer to the major Chinese dialect and to an important public official in imperial China, is not a Chinese word at all. Rather, it came into English through the Portuguese alteration of a Malayan word that was rooted in a Sanskrit term meaning "counsellor". It is further suggested that the use of "mandarin" in regard to oranges may have come from the color of the robes that Chinese mandarins wore. Of course, the English word "orange", when used as a color, came from the fruit which is that color. Learning how words originated and how their meanings have changed over the years is an interesting study. The branch of linguistics related to this area is called etymology and regular listeners to these "Daily Word" messages know that I am interested in that subject, but I am more interested in nurturing the fruit of loving deeds that is the result of a healthy faith. -------In English, certain colors have been given symbolic meanings. For example, the color red may mean danger and a red traffic light means "stop". To have a red face means to be embarrassed, but to "see red" means to be very angry. Because of the red flag used by the international Communist movement, a "Red" may refer to a Communist, but to be "in the red" means to be in debt. "To roll out the red carpet" means to welcome someone with great hospitality or ceremony because red carpets are laid down for important visitors, but "red tape" refers to routine office procedures which take up much time because red tape was used in Britain to tie up official documents. A redcap is a porter who will carry your bags in a railway station or an airport, but a red herring is some irrelevant matter introduced to draw attention away from the issue at hand. Since holy days in church calendars were marked in red, a "red-letter day" has come to refer to any special day. On Japanese calendars, Sept.23 is a red-letter day, a holiday known as 'Shunbun-no-hi', or Autumn Equinox Day. In Isaiah 1:18, the promise given to believers is that though their sins are a deep red, they will become as white as snow. -------I sometimes learn a new Enlgish word or expression by reading the Japanese newspaper. It happened again when I read an article about a 'kitsune-zaru' at the Higashiyama Zoo. In English, a 'kitsune-zaru' is called a lemur, spelled l-e-m-u-r, but that's not the new word I learned. Rather, I learned what an "Elizabethan collar" is, for the article noted that such a collar was put around the neck of a lemur in the zoo. The collars worn by women in the time of Queen Elizabeth I were stiff and flared out from the neck, but my unabridged dictionary defines an Elizabethan collar as "a broad circle of stiff cardboard or other material placed about the neck of a cat or dog to prevent it from licking or biting an injured part". Following a fight between two lemurs in the zoo, one received a superficial wound. Because the lemur continued to lick the wound and even bite it, instead of healing, it got worse. The zookeeper thinks this is the result of stress caused by being kept in a cage and always being stared at by people. To keep the lemur from making her wound worse, an Elizabethan collar was put around her neck. Human beings also need to be restrained at times to keep them from injuring themselves, but many of us bring trouble upon ourselves by our foolish words and actions. -------When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea, he mistakenly thought he had reached India so he called the inhabitants Indians. That word came to be used for all the native peoples of North and South America so it is now an ambiguous term which may refer either to a citizen of India or to a native American. The so-called white people from Europe who came to the so-called New World were often quite cruel to the so-called redskins and the treatment of these native Americans is a real black mark in American history. In recent decades, efforts have been made to bring the plight of the American Indian to the attention of the general population and to urge compensation for past injustice. In some states the fourth Friday of September is called American Indian Day to commemorate Indians and their contributions to American life and civilization. Although now legally able to participate in the democratic process, Indians are still underprivileged in many ways along with other minority peoples. In America, Japan and all nations of the world, continuing effort is needed to achieve the ideal society in which all people are respected regardless of their ethnic, national or religious backgrounds. -------A kindergarten, which comes from the German words for children-garden, prepares children to enter the first grade of an elementary school. In the United States, elementary school usually include kindergartens and my wife is the kindergarten teacher at the Nagoya International School, which is based on the American system. September is the beginning of a new school year in the United States and some teachers at an elementary school in Portland, Maine thought their eyes were playing tricks on them when they saw some of the children who entered the kindergarten there in 1987. The new class included five sets of twins, accounting for six percent of the kindergartners. I wonder if there is a tendency for more twins to be born these days, for a 1987 periodical published by my home church in Illinois included pictures of four sets of twins born to church members over a period of four months. According to the 'Guinness Book of World Records', the record for the number of children produced by one woman is 69. Between 1725-1765, a Russian peasant gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets. Genesis chapter 25 includes the story of the birth of the first set of twins mentioned in the Bible. Their names were Esau and Jacob. -------Many temples are included in famous sightseeing sites in the historic city of Kyoto. A temple is a place where believers go to worship, pray or meditate. Some temples, considered to be the abode of a deity, the house of a god, are very beautiful buildings in which the presence of the divine may be perceived. The Jewish Temple of Jesus' day was a splendid structure and the Jews were proud of its elegance, but Jesus predicted that it would soon be destroyed [Luke 21:5-6]. In 1 Corinthians 3:17, the Apostle Paul asserted that the true temple of God, the place where God's Spirit really dwells is not a man-made structure but the body of the believer. "Don't you know," he wrote in chapter 6, verse 19, "that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you?" This is one reason why Christians must take good care of their bodies and try to keep them healthy. If it is true that our bodies are the temple or dwelling place of God's Spirit, then our daily conduct should show the character of that divine Spirit who inhabits us. In fact, the bodies and lives of believers should be the means by which God works out his divine purpose in the world. In the basic sense of the word, a "Christian" is one in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells. -------Do you know what a dunce is? Spelled d-u-n-c-e, it now denotes a slow-witted or stupid person. The word has an interesting history, however, for it is derived from the name of one of the most brilliant scholars of the Middle Ages. John Duns Scotus, a Scottish theologian, was a very conservative thinker who founded a scholastic system called Scotism. A master of theological analysis, Duns Scotus attracted a group of followers who opposed changes which had occurred in the church following the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. His followers, called Dunsmen or Duncemen, eventually became known for the subtle distinctions they made and for their opposition to change of any kind. In time, they came to be considered dull hair-splitters and even stupid. Thus the word "dunce", from the name of a brilliant scholar, came to mean a stupid person. -------There are two words in English spelled d-i-e-t and pronounced 'die-it'. One signifies the usual food and drink of a person. The other denotes the national legislative assembly of certain countries, including Japan. According of Article 42 of the present Japanese Constitution, "The Diet consists of two Houses, namely the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors." Subsequent articles give further specifics regarding these two bodies. Do you think the two Houses of the Diet are functioning in a suitable way, as the framers of the Constitution had in mind? What do you think about the present state of affairs in the Japanese Diet and of the movement to revise the manner of selecting its members? What are your impressions regarding the Diet, its members and its manner of operation? This is the 6th theme I am suggesting for the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes, which is scheduled for publication on October 31st. The other five themes are: The Crown Prince's Wedding, Fruits, Convenience Stores, Oriental Medicine and Happiness. Short essays on these themes should be sent to me by Saturday, September 25th. They will then be corrected before their publication. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Today, September 15th, is the 380th anniversary of the birth of a famous French writer, Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld, who was born on this day in 1613. Being the head of an ancient family, he was involved in protests against the king as a young nobleman but later devoted himself to writing. Although his 'Memoires' are interesting historically, La Rochefoucauld is best known for his moral maxims and reflective epigrams. Characterized by both lucidity and brilliance, these pithy sayings reflect his pessimistic view that selfishness is at the heart of all human behavior. Here are a few examples of his maxims, first published in 1665. What do you think of them? "We have all enough strength to bear other people's troubles." "We need greater virtues to bear good fortune than bad." "If we had no faults we should not take so much pleasure in noticing them in others." "Love of justice in most men is no more than the fear of suffering injustice." "The intellect is always fooled by the heart." "Quarrels would not last so long if the fault were on only one side." "Hypocrisy is the homage paid by vice to virtue." And "It takes great cleverness to be able to conceal one's cleverness." -------A guinea, spelled g-u-i-n-e-a, was the name of an old British gold coin worth one pound and five pence. It's name came from the African area which was the source of the gold from which it was first made. Europeans called that area "Guinea" because that was their pronunciation of a Berber phrase meaning "land of the black men". The second largest island in the world, after Greenland, is the island of New Guinea, which was so named by a Portuguese explorer in 1511 for its resemblance to the Guinea coast of Africa. This island lies in the Pacific Ocean just north of Australia. Politically, the island is divided into two sections: the Indonesian province of West Irian in the west and the self-governing country of Papua New Guinea in the east. The Portuguese explorers called the aborigines on this island 'Papuas' from the Malayan word for "frizzled or curly hair". In this region, which is a little larger than the U.S. state of California, over 700 different languages or tribal dialects are spoken, but pidgin English has become the main medium of communication between the different tribal groups. Eighteen years ago today, on September 16, 1975, Papua New Guinea gained its independence as a sovereign state, so today is a national holiday in that country. ------- |