|
A planet, spelled p-l-a-n-e-t, is a large heavenly body revolving around the sun and shining by reflected light. There are nine known major planets in the solar system. How many can you name? How many of their English names do you know? In Japanese, the days of the week are named after the seven celestial bodies which were important in ancient astronomy. The English word, "planet", is rooted in a Greek word, 'planetes', meaning "wandering" and in verse 13 of the New Testament book of Jude, we find this word in a figurative expression for false, unreliable teachers who are called "wandering stars". The building in which a representation of the solar system is projected onto a domed ceiling is called a planetarium. In a planetarium, many projectors beam rays of light onto the ceiling representing the heavenly bodies, showing their movements. The first planetarium opened in the United States is located in the city of Chicago. Called the Adler Planetarium, it was opened in 1930, but the opening date is unclear. One of my reliable reference books gives May the 10th, but another reliable reference book has May 11th, and I do not know which is more reliable, but either today or tomorrow is the 65th anniversary of that event. -------Large cities in Japan are divided into administrative units called 'ku', which are usually called wards in English. In New York City, the political units of the city are called boroughs. The five boroughs of New York City are also counties of the state of New York but three of the five have different county names than their borough names. The state of Alaska is unique in that it calls all of its administrative divisions boroughs instead of counties while in the state of Louisiana, counties are called parishes. Originally, a borough, spelled b-o-r-o-u-g-h, denoted a fortified place. In the United States it usually signifies a self-governing incorporated town. It is a variation of the suffix found in the names of such well-known cities as Johannesburg, Hamburg and St. Petersburg. The Scottish city of Edinburgh ends with an "h", but do you know how to spell the name of an American city named after William Pitt and pronounced 'pitsberg'? Does it end in a "g" or an "h"? The answer depends on which state the city is located. In California and Kansas, cities called Pittsburg end in a "g", but the more famous city in Pennsylvania ends with an "h", even though the federal government has pressured them to drop that final letter. -------According to an English proverb, "Every cloud has a silver lining". It is also a Christian conviction that "in all things God works for good" as we read in Romans 8:28. So what "good" has come out of the disastrous Hanshin Earthquake? Part of the "silver lining" is the remarkable "volunteer spirit" that has followed that tragedy. According to a government report, volunteers put in a total of 1.17 million workdays in the three months following the earthquake in Kobe and nearby areas, the largest mobilization of volunteers in recent memory. In the month after the quake, an average of 20,000 volunteers were working each day in the area. Many of them were students from distant areas who distributed relief goods and helped in various ways. Japanese young people are not noted for their interest in humanitarian activities and social work that do not affect them directly, but this outpouring of selfless service to needy people was an encouraging sign. Local businessmen contributed their services. Barbers provided haircuts. Bicycle shops repaired flat tires. Architects gave advice regarding repairs and doctors, nurses, counselors and social workers all gave voluntary assistance. Is this an example of 'Fuko chu no saiwai'? -------The seminary I attended in New York City was called the Biblical Seminary in New York, but its name has since been changed to New York Theological Seminary. When I attended that school, it was located on East 49th Street, just a couple of blocks away from the United Nations headquarters but it has since moved to a different place closer to the downtown area. The seminary building was al 2-story structure along a crowded street. On the first floor were the lobby and a large parlor. On the upper floors were the administrative offices, the library, classrooms, some faculty apartments and men's and women's dormitories. The dining hall was on the 12th floor. On the flat roof, the 13th floor, there were some benches and a volleyball court where we used to play during free periods when the weather permitted. The court was surrounded by a high fence but, at times, when the volleyball went over the fence, someone would have to take the elevator down the 13 floors and go into a neighbor's plot of land to retrieve it. In a small room on the roof, a Ping-Pong table was set up. That also was a place I often frequented. For us American students, sports were a means to get rid of stress -- not increase it. -------Inquisitive people who think deeply naturally try to understand the nature of the universe, how it came into existence and whether or not there is some purpose in natural events. They also try to discover meaning in human history and in their own individual lives. Such thinkers must consider the possibility of supernatural or divine influence upon the world. There are two contrary positions in this regard: theism and atheism. The former affirms the existence of God or gods that influence, to some degree, events in nature and history. The latter denies any such supernatural power or person. It should noted that both theism and atheism are beliefs or presuppositions on the basis of which we look at the universe and try to understand it, ourselves and others. The Bible teaches that there is one and only one God, who created and rules the universe. Biblical writers sometimes called God a "Rock", symbolizing a changeless character, trustworthiness and place of safety. The 19th Psalm which notes God's general revelation in nature and special revelation through prophets concludes with the words, "O Lord, my rock and my redeemer". Jesus' favorite term for God was "Father", symbolizing love along with power and justice. -------The highest rank in the army is "general". Do you know the highest rank in the navy? It is "admiral", spelled a-d-m-i-r-a-l. It seems logical to associate this word with "admire" and to consider an admiral as an admirable person but, in fact, the word is rooted in an Arabic word--the same word from which "emir", meaning prince, chief or lord, is derived. In English, we call the territory ruled by an emir an emirate, just as a sultanate is the domain of a sultan. Arab commanders of the sea were called 'amir-al-bahr' and naval officers of countries that had dealings with the Arabs began calling themselves 'amirales'. Later, this term was altered to link it to "admire". It has been said that we always like those who admire us, but we do not always like those we admire. -------The word "cult", spelled c-u-l-t, may denote a system of religious worship or ritual in general. Every religion follows certain cultic practices. But this word may also denote a religious group considered extremist or bogus. Historically, cults tend to arise or flourish during times of change, uncertainty and instability. Many cults engage in occult practices which are hidden from public view. Recently, the media has been filled with stories related to one particular religious cult. The focus of attention has not been on the teaching of this cult, but on its organization, facilities, method of operation and aims. It has forced many people to seriously consider the meaning of "religion" and the purpose and character of religious groups. What are your thoughts or impressions related to religion, religious cults and the Aum Shinrikyo in particular as a result of the news coverage in recent months? Have you had any personal contact with a religious cult? Do you have any suggestions regarding how to distinguish between true and false religion? I will correct essays sent to me and print them in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Today, May 17th, is a holiday in the Cayman Islands. Have you ever heard of them? Where do you suppose these islands, spelled C-a-y-m-a-n, are located? Are they off the coast of Europe, Asia, North America or Africa? The holiday is called Discovery Day, commemorating their discovery by Christopher Columbus on this day in 1503. That fact should tell you where they are found, in case you didn't know. They are a part of the British West Indies, northwest of the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus discovered them on his fourth trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the so-called New World in his final, futile attempt to reach Asia. It was also on this day in 1673 that two French explorers, Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, are reported to have discovered the upper Mississippi River in North America. One meaning of "discover" is to be the first to find something, but in both of these so-called discoveries, the meaning is: "discovered by Europeans" for the native inhabitants of the areas knew of their existence long before such "discoveries". Just as explorers may "discover" new lands or rivers, diligent readers of the Bible continue to discover new truths in its pages. -------The highest human authority in the Roman Catholic Church is the bishop of Rome. He is called the pope, from the Latin word for papa. The pope is also the ruler of the ministate occupying less than one-half of a square kilometer in the city of Rome called the Vatican. Roman Catholic historians consider Jesus' disciple Peter the first pope, but the list of his successors is confusing due to controversy over who were the true popes and who were antipopes during times of political turmoil. The person elected pope chooses a name to identify himself. Among the hundreds of popes over the centuries, the favorite name has been John. It was Pope John XXIII who convened the historic Second Vatican Council in 1962. He was followed by Pope Paul Vl the following year. The man who succeeded Paul Vl, was the first pope to choose a double name, the names of his two immediate predecessors. John Paul I lived for only 34 days after becoming pope and his successor chose to take the same name. The present pope, John Paul II was the first non-ltalian pope in over 400 years. This pope, whose name is Karol Wojtyla, was born in a town near Cracow, Poland on May 18, 1920, 75 years ago today. -------One morning two weeks ago, a two-hour blackout occurred on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Seven trains were canceled and there were delays of up to about two hours on other trains. Some 25,000 passengers were inconvenienced. The simple cause of all this trouble was a crow's nest that had been built on an overhead power cable, causing a short circuit. When I saw the words "crow's nest" in the title of the newspaper article I was reminded of another meaning of this term and wondered if the listeners to or readers of these "Daily Word" messages were acquainted with it. A crow's nest is a small, sheltered platform close to the top of a ship's mast. From that lookout, a sailor can see far away to the horizon. Another interesting term related to this bird is "crow's feet". Have you ever seen crow's feet? You can see them on the faces of some adults who have wrinkles at the outer corners of their eyes. Looking up the meaning of that term in Japanese, I found the term 'mejiri' and was surprised to learn that the human eye had a 'shiri'. The sole mention of a crow in the New Testament is found in Jesus' words in Luke 12:24, where he told his disciples to "Look at the crows" and to learn from them not to worry. -------The common meaning of "seminary" these days is a theological school for the training of ministers or clergymen. Most seminaries require a college diploma for applicants to enter its three-year course of study. Seminaries provide a higher quality and more extensive education than Bible Schools. The seminary I chose to attend was called the Biblical Seminary in New York. The original purpose for establishing that "Biblical seminary" was to combine the good points of both Bible Schools and seminaries. The central focus was on the English Bible but the original languages of the Bible, Hebrew and Greek, were also taught along with church history, dogmatic and practical theology, religious education, foreign missions, etc. Some years after my graduation, its name was changed to New York Theological Seminary, which is its present name. Since classrooms, library, dining hall and dormitory rooms were all located in the same building, it was possible for students to go for many days without going outdoors, although I'm sure that was uncommon. Reading my message of last Saturday, in which I spoke of the seminary building, I realize that I failed to mention that there was also a chapel located on the first floor and a small gymnasium where we could play basketball in the second basement. -------The Fatherhood of God is one of the basic teachings of the Bible. There are three different senses in which the term "Father" is applied to God. In the most general sense, it implies that God is the Creator of all. In this broad sense, all human beings are children of God and thus brothers and sisters, despite our different skin colors, cultures, languages and so on. In the narrowest sense, it points to the unique relationship between Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, and his heavenly Father whom he came to reveal. But the most common use of the term in the Bible denotes the spiritual relationship between God and those who consciously share his Spirit through their faith in Jesus Christ. According to the 8th chapter of Romans, those who open their hearts to God, receive his Spirit, which is also called the Spirit of Christ. Those who share the Spirit of Christ become members of God's family in the spiritual sense and recognize God as their "Father". It is through a personal act of faith that we become children of God in this sense. Ideally, those filled with the Spirit of Christ should be recognizable by the Christlike lives they lead rather than the religious rituals they perform. -------This telephone service is called "Daily Word". Some Japanese listeners think it strange that the singular noun is used instead of the plural, but although the messages are composed of many words, each message is one unit. On the other hand, some Japanese readers think it odd that the periodical containing essays reflecting or responding to certain messages is called "Daily Word" Echoes, using the plural noun instead of the singular, but since the "echoes" are many and varied, the plural is more appropriate. Echo was the name of a Greek nymph who was said to be in love with Narcissus. He did not return her affection, however, because he was in love with himself. In her grief, Echo pined away until nothing of her was left except her voice, speaking only when spoken to and repeating only the words she hears. -------The next issue of '"Daily Word" Echoes' is expected to be available at the July 30 meeting of "Daily Word" fans. That will be the 50th issue of the Echoes and that will be a special meeting commemorating 15 years of this telephone service. In the middle of next month, I expect to transmit the 5000th different telephone message. For that commemorative issue of "Daily Word" Echoes, I would like to have many listeners and readers write an essay, informing me how they were introduced to this telephone service, when they began making use of it and how it has been helpful -- in regard to their comprehension of English, gaining new information, being stimulated to think about relevant matters or to gain a new perspective. I hope some old-timers who have not written for a long time will contribute an essay that includes their memories and experiences and that newcomers will also participate, giving their impressions of the service. Listening to or reading the messages, writing for or reading the Echoes and attending the meetings are all relevant topics along with suggestions to make the service more helpful. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------From ancient times, the number nine has had a special significance in various religious and cultural traditions. One of its fascinating characteristics is that whatever number 9 is multiplied by, the sum of the figures in the answer will always add up to nine. For example, 9x13=117 and 1+1+7=9. Four years ago in the American state of Ohio an organization called the Article Nine Society was founded by a retired professor of engineering. Can you imagine the reason for its name? It is taken from the Japanese Constitution in which Article Nine states that the Japanese people forever renounce war and that military forces and war potential will never be maintained. The long-term goal of the Article Nine Society is to encourage all countries in the world to follow this Japanese example and incorporate such principles in their own constitutions. Dr. Charles Overby, the founder of this society is now visiting Japan and will give a lecture entitled "Article 9--Child of War, Path for Peace, Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the End of World War II" at the Nagoya YWCA, near Sakae, on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock. A participation fee of ¥1000 is requested. -------One kind of decoy is an artificial bird used to lure other birds into a certain area. Usually, the purpose is to bring the birds into a trap or into shooting range so they can be killed, but a recent news article told of using decoys for a more admirable purpose. The decoys on a small island off the coast of Hokkaido are to entice a certain kind of bird to come there, build nests and breed. The reinforced plastic decoys are about 30 centimeters long, about the same size as a fully grown puffin. Puffins are diving birds with short legs and small wings. They usually have black feathers with a white breast and a large triangular bill brilliantly colored in yellow, blue and vermilion. For many years, that island was a breeding ground for about 300 puffins that migrated there every May, but the number has decreased since many have become caught in fishing nets and killed. Last year, only about 20 birds were observed and an owner of an inn on the island is hoping the decoys will encourage puffins to return in larger numbers. If the aim is for the benefit of the puffins themselves or for the enhancement of the environment. May this be an example of the saying that the end justifies the means? -------Years ago, many people used a "ten-thousand year writing brush", or 'mannenhitsu', in Japan. Nowadays, such a writing device is rarely seen. When was the last time you saw or used one? Many young people today have never made use of such a writing implement. When first produced in the 19th century, the new kind of pen was a great improvement over those that had to be repeatedly dipped into inkwells. In the new pens, the ink flowed continuously like water in a fountain, so they were called "fountain pens" but, unlike the fountain Jesus mentioned in John 4:14, they did not last for ten thousand years. The common pen used today is called a 'boru pen' in Japanese. The first patent for a "ball-point pen" was granted in 1888 in the United States, but it was following the Second World War that they were improved and became very popular. In a ball-point pen, a tiny ball transfers ink stored in a cartridge onto a writing surface. Elderly Japanese sometimes complain that children today are too dull to sharpen a lead pencil. They would also not know how to fill a fountain pen and when a ball-point pen is out of ink, it is simply thrown away, which is the case with many modern products. -------The men's dormitory in the Biblical Seminary in New York was on the 6th floor. Four of us first-year students who entered in the fall of 1948 were assigned rooms at the end of the hall. One came from the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Another, the son of missionaries, had spent most of his life in India. And two of us hailed from the state of Illinois. Although we came from completely different denominational backgrounds, we quickly became very close friends. I was the youngest of the four and the only one who, at that time, was engaged to be married. The other three found their spouses at the seminary and since I brought my new bride with me to the seminary the following year, we four couples formed a lasting friendship. Over the years, it has been our custom to get together with the other three couples at some mutually convenient place and time whenever we returned to the States. Two years ago, when we gathered at one couple's home in Michigan, the missionary son brought his new wife from Florida for his first wife had just passed away the previous year and the man from Brooklyn was suffering from an incurable illness. We had an enjoyable reunion, but we have recently received word that our Brooklyn buddy died earlier- this year, so the original eight have been reduced by one-fourth and we are reminded of our own mortality. -------Whether we speak of rules, laws, precepts or commandments, all social groups, including religious organizations, have some basic principles which its members are expected to follow. Often, these regulations have a negative character, telling us what we must 'not' do. Many religions are characterized by such negative commandments, but in the 3rd chapter of the New Testament Letter to the Colossians, verses 20-23, such precepts are rejected as human rules with no lasting value. One of the basic differences between the spirit of Jesus and that of the religious leaders of his day was related to how true religion or genuine faith should be expressed. The religious legalists insisted upon strictly following the Old Testament laws with their many prohibitions and detailed ceremonial regulations. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, verses 34-40, when asked what was the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus replied that it was the positive command to love, to love God first and above all and to love one's neighbor as one's self. A religion which seeks to follow both the teaching and way of Christ will be characterized by the positive spirit of love rather than a series of prohibitions. -------In both the United States and the United Kingdom, this last Monday of May is a holiday called Memorial Day and Spring Bank Holiday, respectively. There are various meanings of the word "bank". A mound of snow, clouds, ground or sand and the slope of land adjoining a body of water all may be called a bank. But the Spring Bank Holiday is a holiday for that business which keeps or lends money. This word "bank" comes from the Italian word denoting the bench or table formerly used by money-changers in transacting their business. A bank has been facetiously described as an institution that urges you to save as much as possible of what you earn and urges you to borrow as much money as you can spend so you can spend more than you make. That is good business for a bank. -------When our children were young, we used to keep a pet animal, either a dog or a cat. Likewise, our children now have pets for their children. Recently, a friend called my wife and asked if she wanted to take the beautiful cat that had been left at a neighbor's house. It was a temptation, but my wife wisely refused the offer. As a result, we are still without a cat, but I got a topic to suggest for essays this week. "Cats" is the suggested theme for those who wish to write an essay for "Daily Word" Echoes, which I will correct before publication. What do you think of cats? Why do you like or dislike them? Have you ever kept a cat as a pet? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a pet cat? Do you know any English words or expressions that include the word "cat" or any traditions related to cats? When you go to the zoo, what members of the cat family do you see there and which do you like best? Mark Twain once wrote: "Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat." This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463. -------Alert listeners to these daily telephone messages may have noticed a slight change in my voice earlier this month. The reason was that I had caught a slight cold. When I was a child, one of our simple home remedies for a cold was to drink orange juice, so that's what I did a couple of weeks ago. It was at that time that my attention was attracted to a news article with the following title: "Kids who drink excessive amounts of fruit juice likely to be short or fat". This was one conclusion of a study carried out by a doctor of pediatrics at Columbia University in New York. According to her survey of 94 children two years of age, "those who drank more than 336 ml a day were four times as likely to be short for their age than children who went easy on the juice". When she repeated her tests with 74 children aged five, "the juice-guzzlers were twice as likely to be short". Checking further, she found that 53 percent of the serious juice drinkers ranked in the top quarter of their age groups in obesity. She speculated that these children prefer juice to more nutritious foods and that they consume too many calories. At my age, I no longer need to fear about my height, but I do try to keep my weight within proper limits. -------Today is the first day of the sixth month according to the Gregorian calendar used in most countries these days. As you may know, the old, traditional Japanese name for the sixth month is 'minazuki', but that sixth month according to the lunar calendar, will not begin until the end of this present month. Among the various theories regarding the original meaning of this term, two have completely opposite meanings: "month of no water" and "month of water". In the present calendar, it is the month of rain. In English, the sixth month is called June. There are also different theories regarding the origin of this name. According to one of them, the name comes from a Latin word meaning "youths". If this is so, June is a month dedicated to the young. A correlative of this theory is that the name of the previous month of May was derived from a Latin word meaning "elders". A more prevalent theory, however, is that May is derived from the name of the goddess, Maia, and that June is derived from Juno, the wife of Jupiter, the chief of the gods. Juno was considered the protector of women and guardian of marriages and that may be one reason why June became a popular month for marriages in the West. -------Looking over a chart of the national flags of 165 countries around the world, certain colors predominate. By far, the most common color is red. The second most popular color is white, followed by blue, green and yellow. Of the 33 flags composed of only two colors, 14 of them, including Japan, are red and white. Almost half of the flags include three colors, the most popular of which are red, white and blue. The flags of six countries are composed of horizontal or vertical stripes of red, white and green. Among them is a country celebrating its 51st anniversary as a republic today. Italy became a republic as the result of a referendum on June 2, 1946, following two decades of dictatorship under the Fascist premier, Benito Mussolini. Preceding this plebiscite, King Victor Emmanuel III abdicated and installed his son as King Humbert II, but when voters rejected the monarchy and chose to become a republic, the son followed his father into exile. Despite the change from a monarchy which had been dominated by a fascist dictator, the traditional Italian flag has remained. Like Japan, Italy suffers from political instability after a dominant political party has been displaced. -------There are many educational institutions in New York City, including many graduate schools with their various specializations. I chose to attend the Biblical Seminary in New York because its systematic and scholarly instruction in Biblical studies in particular attracted me. However, I was also interested in a broader perspective that could be gained from graduate study in a university. Consequently, soon after enrolling in the Biblical Seminary, I also enrolled in the philosophy department of the Graduate School of New York University. During my three year course at the seminary, once or twice a week, I regularly took the subway to the downtown Washington Square campus of NYU to attend evening classes in philosophy. As a result, a couple of weeks after receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the seminary in May of 1951, I received a Master of Arts degree from the university. Since I had spent only three years in university to obtain my Bachelor of Arts degree and since I had always been one of the youngest members of my class since elementary school because of my December birthday, I was exceptionally young to receive these two graduate degrees at the age of 23. -------There are a number of English words that begin with the prefix p-e-n-t, from the Greek word for "five". The best known is "pentagon", denoting a figure having five sides and five angles. It is the shape of the government building in Washington which houses the American military establishment and is thus called by that name. The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch, or five scrolls. "Pentecost", from the Greek word for "fiftieth", is used for a Jewish feast that fell on the 50th day after the first day of the Passover festival. It was on the day of Pentecost that a strange event occurred in Jerusalem where Jesus' disciples were gathered together following his resurrection and ascension. As described in the 2nd chapter of The Acts of the Apostles, the disciples were filled with new life and power as the Holy Spirit from God came upon them as Jesus had prophesied in chapter 1, verse 8. It was from that day that they began their mission of being his witnesses, or missionaries, to the ends of the earth. In the Christian Church calendar, this seventh Sunday after Easter is celebrated as Pentecost in commemoration of that event which is also called the Birthday of the Church. -------A number of English words begin with the prefix p-a-n, from the Greek word meaning "all". "Panorama", which includes a derivative of the Greek word "to see", denotes an unlimited view of all things over a wide area. "Pantheism" includes a derivative of the Greek word for "God" and is the belief that God is all and all is God and the Pantheon was a temple in Rome where all gods were worshipped. This brings us to the word "pandemonium", which was coined by John Milton in his poem, 'Paradise Lost'. In contrast to the Pantheon, the Pandemonium was the place where all demons dwelt, the Capital of Hell. Nowadays, however, it is used simply to denote wild disorder, noise or confusion, which my wife says is sometimes the situation in her 3-year-old nursery school classroom. -------Next week, on June 15th, I will transmit the 5000th different message since beginning this "Daily Word" telephone service on September 1,1980. On July 30th, the 5th Sunday of next month, we plan to hold the 59th meeting of "Daily Word" listeners and/or readers. That will be a special meeting commemorating 15 years of this telephone service and at that meeting, the 50th issue of "Daily Word" Echoes will be available. As the last theme for those who wish to write a short English essay for that special issue, I am suggesting that you look back fifteen years and write about that time. What were you doing fifteen years ago? Has your situation changed since then? If so, how is it different? What do you recall about the social or political situation in Japan in 1980, when Zenko Suzuki became prime minister? Do you remember anything that happened on the international scene that year, when Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter for president of the United States and the summer Olympics were held in Moscow? Please send essays to reach me by Saturday, June 17th. I will correct them before printing them in the Echoes. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office 463. -------In many ways, Japan is deeply indebted to its neighbor across the sea to the west. Much of its culture, along with its written language and predominant religion came from China. Despite this close cultural relationship, political relations between Japan and China have not always been friendly. There are both similarities and differences in the relationship of the United States and the country across the sea to the east to which it is likewise deeply indebted in regard to culture, language and religion. The United States was established following a revolt against the mother country, Great Britain, by its former colonies in North America. Following that Revolutionary War and the subsequent War of 1812, relations between the two nations were tense, but cultural and linguistic affinities have encouraged a special relationship between them over the years. It was not until 46 years ago today, on June 7, 1939, however, that the first British sovereign made a visit to those former colonies. On that day, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, parents of the present Queen Elizabeth II, entered the U. S. A. from Canada on their way to the World's Fair in New York and to the nation's capital, thus strengthening their historic ties. -------Last month on our church picnic, we went to the Meiji Mura outside of Nagoya. While there, I enjoyed once again going into the lobby of the famous Imperial Hotel which had been moved there from Tokyo. I had entered that lobby in Tokyo on various occasions over forty years ago and had even stayed in that hotel for a couple of nights when my wife's parents were visiting us while their daughter was in a Tokyo hospital following the birth of their granddaughter. The Imperial Hotel is well-known for being the only large structure in Tokyo to survive the disastrous earthquake of 1923 and for being designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, considered the most inventive of modern architects. Wright maintained that a structure should harmonize with its surroundings and that it should correspond to human needs. He advocated "organic architecture" and sought to blend indoor and outdoor space. Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin 126 years ago today, on June 8, 1869. Voicing his disapproval of increasing automation back in 1955, he made this prophetic statement in The New York Times: "If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger." -------The word "don", spelled d-o-n, has a variety of meanings. As a verb, it means to put on clothes, so we may don a jacket before going outside on a cold day. In Spanish, it means "sir", so we may speak of a gentleman as a don and when capitalized and used before a man's name, it is a courtesy title, as in Don Pedro, But "Don Juan" is used to denote a seducer of women and "Don Quixote" signifies an impractical idealist who makes futile attests to overcome evils. There are also rivers in Russia, Scotland and England named Don, but the most common use of this word is as the nickname of Donald. Do you know anyone named Donald, which means "world ruler" What about a cartoon character? I'm sure you have heard of Donald Duck. How old do you think he is? Actually, today, June 9th, is his birthday, for he made his debut as a minor character in a Walt Disney cartoon, 'The Wise Little Hen', which was first shown 62 years ago today in 1934, six years after the appearance of his elder friend, Mickey Mouse, in 'Steamboat Willy'. Over the years, Donald Duck has been a favorite of many children and twelve years ago today, a special 50th birthday celebration was held for him at Disneyland in California. -------Since I got married during the summer vacation following my first year in seminary, it was only during that first year that I lived in the seminary dormitory. As was my custom in college, I applied for a job to help pay the cost of both living and learning at the seminary. The job I was given was that of a waiter in the dining hall. The dining hall was on the twelfth floor of the building. If my memory is correct, at breakfast, diners passed along a counter in a line, filling their own trays, cafeteria-style, and took them into the dining hall to eat. I don't recall if waiters and waitresses waited on tables at lunchtime or not, but for dinner, the tables were covered with tablecloths and white-jacketed waiters and waitresses set the dinnerware on the tables. We also brought the individual plates filled with food on large trays from the kitchen and served the tables at which eight or ten people were seated. We replenished food and drink as needed and brought the dessert at the close of the meal. Afterward, we also carried the used dishes and silverware back to the kitchen and cleaned up. Waiters and waitresses went up to the dining hall earlier than the diners to eat our dinners before the dining hour. It was a good experience to be a servant of others for that is really what a "minister" is meant to be. -------It is well-known that the second Sunday of May is celebrated as Mothers Day. It has also become customary to observe Fathers Day on the third Sunday of June. It was in the early part of this century that both of these special days began to be observed by Christian Churches and then spread to the secular world also. It is not so well-known, however, that this second Sunday of June has been observed in many American churches as Childrens Day for over a hundred years. Because it is customary in some churches to give children flowers on this day, it is also called Flower Sunday. Many years ago in the city of Kariya, our Sunday School children used to present flowers to policemen stationed in various police boxes in that city on this Flower Sunday. Jesus manifested a kind attitude toward children. A story in the 10th chapter of Mark tells of people who brought their children to Jesus to ask for his blessing upon them. His disciples scolded the people, but Jesus then scolded his disciples for their cold attitude. He taught that "the Kingdom of God belongs to such [children]" and said that all people need to have the attitude of a child in order to enter the Kingdom of God. He then placed his hands on each child and blessed it. -------You probably know the name of the slim figure wearing a top hat with stars on it, a formal coat with tails, a star-spangled vest and striped trousers that is commonly used to personify the United States. He is called Uncle Sam. But do you know the name and form of the popular personification of England? This "typical" Englishman is pictured as a stout gentleman, wearing a flat hat, cutaway coat, riding breeches and boots. He is described as hearty, bluff or blunt, good-natured or hot-tempered, slightly pig-headed, but honest and plain-dealing. The name of this figure is John Bull and he has been used to personify England since the publication of 'The History of John Bull', written by John Arbuthnot, a court physician, which was published in 1712. -------Japan is known as a very orderly nation where trains run on time and detailed rules are carefully followed, not only in such traditional disciplines as flower arranging, tea ceremony, calligraphy and the martial arts but in factories, offices and schools as well. The Japanese army during the Pacific War was, generally speaking, a well-disciplined organization in which new recruits soon learned to mechanically follow the orders of often brutal officers. But were the soldiers produced by the severe military discipline characteristic of both Germany and Japan better and more efficient than those of other nations? An assistant sheriff in Los Angeles conducted research to discover whether stressful or non-stressful training produces better policemen. Half of a class of 74 rookie policemen were given strict, punishment-oriented training. The other half (matched by age, marital status, education and prior military or police experience) were given non-stressful training. The results showed that the non-stressed outdid the stressed in everything. They even wore their uniforms better. Spartan training may bring short-term benefits, but in the long run, it may be self-defeating. Consider the history of Sparta itself. -------During the first battles of the Revolutionary War between the American colonies and Great Britain, the rebels fought under the flags of individual colonies or local militias, but on June 14, 1777, 218 years ago today, the Continental Congress resolved "That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union [which is the upper, inner corner] be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." When two new states joined the Union 17 years later, two more stripes and two more stars were added to the flag. For the next 23 years, this new flag of fifteen stars and fifteen stripes was the official flag, but after that the number of stripes was fixed at thirteen and an extra star was added for each new state, so now the flag has thirteen stripes and fifty stars. This 14th day of June is celebrated in many American communities as Flag Day and in the state of Pennsylvania, it is a state holiday. Coincidentally, it was on this day in 1914 that the Olympic Committee meeting in Paris created the Olympic flag of five intersecting rings colored red, white, black, yellow and green, representing the five continents. -------It was on Monday, September 1st, 1980 that the first "Daily Word" telephone message was transmitted. On that day, four telephone calls were received. Since that day, daily messages have been transmitted without a break for almost 15 years. If my calculations are correct, yesterday was the 5400th message to be transmitted. During my visits to the United States during that period--often for a couple of months at a time, previously-taped messages were recycled. Today's message is the 5000th different message. I'm sure you can write the figure 5000 in either Japanese or Arabic numerals, but do you know how to write it in Roman numerals? Roman numerals have only seven different symbols that correspond to the English capital letters of I, V, X, L, C, D and M. M is the symbol for 1000, but if a bar is placed over another symbol, its value is multiplied by 1000. Thus a bar over the capital letter V indicates 5000. The combined total of calls recorded through May 31st comes to 725,557, an average of 135 calls per day over those 14 years and 9 months. I have learned much through composing the messages and am happy that listeners have also found them worthwhile. -------The word for today is 'ti:z'. There are five very different words or letters with this pronunciation and you will not understand which I mean unless I spell the word or use it in a sentence. First Tees, spelled T-e-e-s, is a proper noun. It is the name of a 110 kilometer long river in northern England flowing into the North Sea. Without the capital letter, that word "tees" becomes a verb which signifies what a golfer does before he hits the ball off of the small peg called a tee. Of course, when spelled t-e-a-s, teas is the plural of the common beverage in Japan. There are many different kinds of teas in this sense also. And since this word may be used to denote a social gathering at which tea is taken, some socialites often meet one another at such teas. If an "e" is added to this kind of "teas", the word becomes a verb meaning to annoy, pester or make fun of. And a person who enjoys teasing others may be called a "tease". Finally, since "t" is one of the letters of the English alphabet, its plural form is "t's", spelled "t apostrophe s". When children are learning to write the letters of the alphabet, they may be reminded to "cross your t's". But if you think English is difficult because it has a few words with the same pronunciation, I suggest you look up the number of words pronounced 'ko' in a Japanese dictionary. -------The core of the curriculum at the Biblical Seminary in New York was the English Bible. Its primary emphasis was not to impart information about the Bible but to lead its students into a meaningful encounter with the Bible itself in their native language. In all of the Bible classes, which treated different portions of the Bible, the study method was basically the same. It consisted of the same three steps used by scientists in their investigations. The steps were: observation, interpretation and application. First, we carefully examined the text to observe what was there. Next, we tried to interpret the text to find its original meaning in the historical and cultural context in which it was written. Finally, we had to apply the teaching of the text to our particular time and place. Students were challenged first to confront the text itself before making use of reference books or relying upon the interpretations of others, including renowned scholars. It was only after we had made our personal observations and interpretations that we were encouraged to compare them with those of others. In this process, we were urged to think for ourselves and I have always been grateful for that encouragement. -------The most common term that Jesus used in reference to God was "Father". As a twelve-year-old boy, he spoke of the Jewish temple, which was usually called the "House of the Lord", as "my Father's house" [Luke 2:49]. In his own prayers, he called God "my Father", even using the word 'Abba', a childish term for "father" [Mark 14:36]. And the prayer he taught his disciples to pray begins with the words "Our Father" [Matthew 6:9]. In this concept of "father" such qualities as authority, responsibility, provision, guidance and love are all included. Human fathers also must recognize and fulfill the responsibilities placed upon them. There are two New Testament passages where specific instruction is given to fathers. In Ephesians 6:4, they are admonished not to provoke their children to anger, but to "bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." And in Colossians 3:21, they are likewise advised not to provoke their children, "lest they become discouraged." For over eighty years, this third Sunday of June has been observed in the United States as Fathers Day and now the custom has spread to many other countries. It is a good time for us fathers to reconsider our responsibilities in our homes and to try to sincerely discharge them. -------Combining the Chinese character for bug, insect, or worm ('mushi') with that meaning "arrive" ('itaru'), results in a new character pronounced 'hiru'. Do you know how we say 'hiru' in English? It is called a leech, spelled l-e-e-c-h. Originally, this word denoted a physician or doctor and in the old days, doctors used leeches in their medical practice to bleed their patients, for leeches are bloodsucking worms. According to a recent report, leeches are again being used by modern doctors not only because they are effective in relieving a blood clot but because chemicals in their saliva numb the patient's skin, widen the veins and ensure the blood won't clot again for several hours. Thus, Mother Nature continues to aid scientists. -------One of the original purposes of this telephone service was to help Japanese students of English to improve their comprehension of spoken English. Recently, I have been reminded of my own need to listen more carefully to the spoken Japanese of news reporters. At times I have been temporarily confused, thinking the news was about the gas attack in the Tokyo subway when it was actually about the earthquake in Russia. It was the slight difference in pronunciation between 'sarin' and 'saharin'. Then, my attention was drawn to another case where a simple syllable in a foreign word made a big difference. I am usually not interested in horse races, but a recent article in an English newspaper titled "Rice Shower tragedy stuns Takarazuka" caught my attention. "What is a 'Rice Shower'?" I thought to myself. I found out that it was the name of a racehorse, but as I began reading a column in a Japanese newspaper, I wondered if a relative of the former U.S. ambassador to Japan had begun racing, for the difference in the two names is the presence or absence of a simple 'su': 'raisushawa-' and 'raishawa-'. Proficiency in a foreign language and many other areas of life requires careful attention to details. -------The verb "exist", spelled e-x-i-s-t, comes from two Latin words meaning "to stand out". To exist, means to have being or life. The noun, "existence", denotes the fact or state of existing and the adjective, "existential", pertains to existence. A more difficult word, "existentialism", signifies a philosophical system, called 'jitsuzonshugi' in Japanese. Are you acquainted with this term? Do you know its meaning? Can you name a famous existentialist philosopher? Existentialism is a pessimistic philosophy based on the supposition that the universe is purposeless and emphasizes the isolation of the individual in a hostile environment. The most notable exponent of this atheistic faith following the Second World War is the French novelist, Jean-Paul Sartre, who was born 90 years ago today, on June 21, 1905. According to Sartre, "the first principle of existentialism" is: "Man is nothing else than what he makes of himself." Many people today are living according to the nihilistic faith of the kind of existentialism expressed by Sartre in his novels and plays. As a result, those educated in such an atmosphere often seek for meaning in life through strange religious cults as well as more respectable religious teachings. -------A recent news article noted that the Iraqi government has been punishing lawbreakers in an unusual way. Over 1,700 Iraqi men reportedly have had an ear amputated and a brand with a cross design burned into their foreheads. Such measures are said to be in keeping with the 'sharia'. Originally, this was a comprehensive term for the proper mode of life in Islam, the moral "path" that God has ordained for human beings to walk along, but now it is used especially for the "tradition al Muslim law" in contrast with the "secular law" used in non-Muslim countries. The report indicated that many deserters from the military forces have been punished in this manner. Although the law originally prescribed that the right hand of deserters should be amputated, when wounded war veterans complained that they could be mistaken for deserters, the decree was changed and an ear was removed instead. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, verse 43, Jesus said: "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell". I know of no one who thinks Jesus' words should be taken literally, but the principle is clear: be willing to sacrifice what is less important for what is more important. -------Complicated negotiations were recently carried out between political parties in the Japanese Diet regarding the resolution relating to Japanese actions preceding and during the war which came to an end fifty years ago. The intense concern about the precise wording pointed up continuing differences between generations, ideologies and the characters of individuals. Attempts were made to both accept and evade or lessen the responsibility of Japan for inhumane policies during the first half of this century. Whether or not to includes such terms as "aggression", "colonization" and "apology" were bones of contention. I was interested to read about how the debate about whether to use the term 'shinryaku-koi' or 'shinryakuteki-koi' was resolved. After it was found that either term would be translated the same in English as "acts of aggression", the softer term was chosen. To me, this concern for how the statement would be translated into English implied that, at least in the minds of some negotiators, it was not the accuracy of the statement itself but the reaction it would stimulate in foreign countries that was important. This was another example of the traditional Japanese sensitivity to the political or social atmosphere in deciding on one's words or actions. -------The basic aim of the seminary I attended in New York City was to provide high quality education in the English Bible for its students. It was considered of primary importance that Christian workers have a comprehensive comprehension of the Bible in their native language, the language they would use to teach others. In order to correctly understand the English text, however, a basic understanding of the original languages in which the Bible was written is also necessary. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek. Consequently, classes in both of these languages were also included in the seminary curriculum. Although I had studied Spanish in both high school and college and had lived with a Mexican family in Mexico City for six weeks while attending the University of Mexico, it was in trying to truly understand the Bible that I deeply realized the great problems involved in accurately understanding and translating concepts from one culture to another. Needless to say, this proved an important part of my preparation to try to make the Bible and Christian truth understandable to people in the foreign culture of Japan. -------The word "psalm" begins with a silent "p" and includes a silent "l". Spelled p-s-a-l-m, it comes from a Greek word meaning "to play the harp". The harp was an ancient stringed instrument used to accompany the singing of sacred songs during religious services. The Old Testament book of Psalms is a kind of ancient hymnal. It includes poems or hymns written by various men over a long period of time. Many of the psalms are prayers addressed to God and express very personal, human emotions. Others are strong affirmations of faith. The 100th Psalm is a hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God. It begins with a call to "all the world" to "Sing to the Lord" and to "worship the Lord with joy". The musical instruments are different, but worship services in Christian churches today also are characterized by joyful singing. This psalm reminds us that God is our Creator and that we are God's people, "his flock", and the reasons given for praising and giving thanks to God include God's goodness, eternal love and faithfulness. Worshippers with a healthy faith do not attend church primarily to get something from God, but to joyfully offer to God praise, thanksgiving and themselves to be used in his service. -------Literally, a "minute", spelled m-i-n-u-t-e, is one-sixtieth of an hour, but in the expression, "just a minute", it does not mean "sixty seconds" but simply a short time even as the Latin root of this noun means "small". Another English word, spelled the same but pronounced differently, has the same root and means exceptionally small or tiny. It is the adjective, " minute". The official record of proceedings at the meeting of an organization are called "minutes". In this case, the original meaning of the plural noun was not related to time, but to size. In the old days, minutes were recorded in small handwritten form and later transcribed into larger writing. Now that I often add a personal comment at the end of these telephone messages, they may take up to two minutes or more. -------The first question in today's message is: Have you ever heard of Djibouti? The second question is: Do you know how to spell it? And the third question is: Do you know where it is located? Today is a holiday in the Republic of Djibouti, which gained its independence from France on June 27, 1977, just 18 years ago. Djibouti is spelled D-j-i-b-o-u-t-i, and it is located on the Gulf of Aden. Do you know where that is? It is the gulf off of northeastern Africa between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. The country is mainly a stony desert of 22,000 square kilometers, about the same size as the combined areas of Gifu, Aichi and Mie prefectures in Japan. Since it has no land fit for cultivation, the major occupation of its inhabitants is raising animals, such as sheep, goats and camels. The capital, the only large town in the country is also named Djibouti. It is the terminal of the railroad connecting Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, its western neighbor, to the sea and gets most of its income from the transportation business. Almost all its inhabitants are Muslim and the main languages are Arabic, French, Afar and Somali. This concludes our geography lesson for today. -------In recent months, the names of Sarajevo and Bosnia-Herzegovina have often appeared in news reports. There, United Nations "peace-keepers" have been faced with the impossible task of keeping peace where there is no peace. For centuries, the Balkan Peninsula has been politically and socially unstable. It was in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, that an event which occurred 81 years ago today, on June 28, 1914, became the spark that ignited the conflagration known as the First World War. On that day, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, and his wife were assassinated. As a result, the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary began fighting those of France, Russia and Great Britain. By the time the war ended over three years later, 28 nations on five continents had become involved, ten million people had died and 20 million had been wounded. It was on the fifth anniversary of the assassination of the archduke, on June 28, 1917, that the Treaty of Versailles was signed, officially bringing an end to that war. Former U. S. President Kennedy once stated, "Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind." Is not Japan in a unique position to work for world peace? -------An ocean is a large body of salt water. Sometimes, it is also called a sea. Looking at a map, however, we see that the larger bodies of water are named oceans while some smaller bodies of water connected to oceans are named seas. In this sense, seas are subdivisions of oceans. Seas and oceans, which are all connected, cover about 71 percent of the surface of the earth. Do you know how many oceans there are? How many can you name? The four oceans are: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic, but the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are also divided into northern and southern parts. The Indian Ocean lies between southern Asia and eastern Africa. In the Indian Ocean there is a group of about 85 islands some 1000 kilometers off the coast of Africa. They are called the Seychelles and they have a population of about 100,000. Most of its citizens are of European and black African descent. Vanilla, coconuts and cinnamon are its major agricultural products. Today is holiday in the Republic of Seychelles, celebrating the nineteenth anniversary of its independence. Tourism is becoming an important source of income and the inhabitants of these islands consider themselves "the happy heirs of Paradise Lost." -------What is your impression of a gorilla? Most people do not think very highly of these large apes. In fact, this word is also used in modern English to denote a mobster, a thug or a brutish man. Actually however, big, strong gorillas are naturally quiet and retiring. They are vegetarians and although they roar and beat their chests to frighten opponents, they seldom, if ever, initiate an attack on people. In the jungle, male gorillas weigh an average of 200 kilograms, but in zoos they often become fat and weigh much more. Although they can stand erect, they usually walk on the knuckles of their hands as well as the outsides of their feet. In the Toronto Zoo, there is a very special gorilla named Charles. Since he was young, his keeper has encouraged him to paint pictures. Recently, his pictures, painted with the back of his knuckles, have been displayed in the zoo's African Pavilion. The framed pictures sell for $320 to $585. The pictures are said to "have a lot of excitement" and seem to be the result of "organized thought", but his keeper says that he has to be inspired and cannot be forced to paint if he doesn't want to. We also need to be "inspired" to do artistic work of any kind. -------In the United States, a seminary is a school to train ministers or priests. (Incidentally, the word "priest" is used for clergymen in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Anglican churches, but "pastor" is the more common term for Protestant ministers.) When I attended seminary over forty years ago, most seminaries admitted only college graduates as regular students and the regular seminary course was for three years. Since the seminary I attended was interdenominational, students represented a variety of denominational and theological backgrounds. Thus, there were no special courses related to the kind of detailed ceremonial procedures which are so important in the training of priests in traditional Japanese religions. The focus of study was the Bible, primarily in English, backed up by study in the original languages in which it was written. Other courses included theology, church history, missions, philosophy of religion, pastoral counseling and homiletics. In the homiletics class, we were instructed on how to prepare sermons that would be biblical, instructive and inspiring as well as interesting and I have tried to utilize the instruction received in that homiletics class in my preparation of these telephone messages over the past fifteen years. -------A crucial event in the history of the Early Church was the conversion of a Jewish rabbi named Saul. He belonged to the conservative, legalistic sect called Pharisees, which Jesus often criticized for their hypocrisy. The conversion experience of this man, who changed from a furious persecutor of Christians to an enthusiastic missionary of the Church, is recorded three times in the book of Acts, in chapters 9, 22 and 26. Following this dramatic experience, he was known as Paul and wrote a number of letters which are included in the New Testament. In the 3rd chapter of his Letter to the Philippians, he explained the change that took place in his life. He noted that when he was a Pharisee, he felt he could earn God's blessing by perfectly obeying the many rules and regulations of the Old Testament. Following his conversion, however, he realized that it was impossible to earn salvation based on human effort. His testimony points up an essential difference between the teachings of various religions. The New Testament teaches that a satisfying life in the present and the hope of an even fuller life in the future is attained through faith in God's love, not by strenuous effort nor strict observances of religious ceremonies. -------The Greek word 'hupocrites' denotes one who plays a part, an actor. It is from this word that the English word "hypocrite" is derived. A hypocrite is a person who pretends to be what he or she is not. For example, a person who pretends to be honest, pious or virtuous, but is really not so is a hypocrite. Hypocrites seem especially evident in politics and religion. In the New Testament, this word was often used by Jesus in reference to the religious leaders of his day who were very concerned about keeping traditional customs and ceremonies but completely ignored the more important inner qualities of love, mercy and kindness. And it may not be accidental that the name of Uriah Heep in Dickens' "David Copperfield" is similar to the first syllable of hypocrite. -------The recent controversy in the Diet regarding the precise wording of a resolution commemorating the end of the war pointed up different views of history among Japanese. One's view of history may be inferred by which of two Japanese holidays a person prefers: National Foundation Day (February 11th) or Constitution Day (May 3rd). February 11th is said to be the date in 660 B.C. that the first Japanese emperor was enthroned, but no objective historian accepts the accuracy of that date. There is no doubt, hoewever, about the date the so-called Peace Constitution went into effect. In the United States, there is no division about when to observe the nation's birthday. The 4th of July is celebrated as Independence Day by all patriotic Americans. On July 4, 1776, delegates to the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence that officially severed the colonies' ties with Great Britain. American colonists did not desire to separate from their mother country at first. It was only after oppressive taxes were forced upon them without their consent or representation in Parliament that stimulated their revolt. Some foreigners in Japan these days also are raising the issue of being subject to "taxation without representation". -------There are two different English words spelled m-i-n-t. One of them denotes a plant with a spicy smell, whose leaves are used in medicine and to flavor food. Another kind of mint is a place where money is coined. This word is derived from a Roman temple built for the goddess Juno in the 4th century B.C. Juno's surname was Moneta and that was the name given to the temple where ancient Roman coins were produced. Thus the name of that temple became the source of the words "mint" and "money". Money is used as a payment for something bought or for services performed. Many kinds of money have been used in human history: stones, shells, ivory, beads, tobacco, furs and dried fish. In industrialized countries today, metal or paper currency are the most common forms of money. On coins of many countries the face of an important person or a reigning sovereign is engraved. It was 178 years ago today, on July 5, 1817, that gold coins called "sovereigns" were first issued in Great Britain, valued at 20 shillings or one pound sterling. Speaking of money, the words found in the New Testament book of 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 10 are particularly relevant today: "The love of money is a source of all kinds of evil." -------Centuries ago, the work of women was centered in the home. Women who spent much time at a spinning wheel spinning thread were called spinsters, but nowadays, this word denotes elderly women who have never married. Originally, the word distaff, spelled d-i-s-t-a-f-f, denoted the staff holding the flax or wool which was spun into thread. It then came to mean women's work and now may signify women in general. Now, there is no longer such a clear distinction between the work of women and that of men. Women are pushing out men in some areas, even in Japan. A recent news article stated that "women rule the airwaves" "on Japan's network news shows". It noted that "until the late 1980s, almost any woman on Japanese TV news was expected to be a pretty young thing whose chief role was to nod approvingly when the men talked" but now these ladies are experienced opinionated journalists, most of whom speak English. Another article told of the increase of female taxicab drivers in Kyoto. An early advocate of women's rights in America, Susan, Anthony, once wrote, "Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother." -------As you well know, one of the difficulties in learning English is the irregular relationship between the spelling and pronunciation of words. In contrast, Japanese symbols for syllables always have the same pronunciation. One of the difficulties in learning Japanese, on the other hand, is that there are not only 90 different 'kana' symbols to remember but hundreds of Chinese characters, or 'kanji' to learn besides. Furthermore, the 'kanji' have a variety of pronunciations, some of which are completely arbitrary. For example, what do you call this 7th day of the 7th month, which is one of the five annual traditional festivals in Japan? It is called 'tanabata', but how do you write it in kanji? It is usually written with characters literally meaning "seven evenings" even though that is not the pronunciation of those characters. Of course, the pronunciation came from 'kanji' meaning "shelf loom", but the character for "loom", may be pronounced not only 'hata', but also 'ki' or 'ori' and may denote a certain time or occasion as well as a machine. Every language has its peculiar difficulties, but if you look up at the sky this evening, I suggest you also look up the words of the ancient poem in the Old Testament book of Psalms, chapter 8. -------One of the purposes of a theological or biblical seminary is to prepare its students for a ministry in the Christian Church. Some students at the Biblical Seminary in New York were already pastors of churches in the metropolitan area, but most of us were young college graduates who were planning to become church workers in the future. Our preparation included not only formal study in classes. Each student was assigned to some kind of Christian service in a New York City church. During my first year in seminary, when I was unmarried and lived in the men's dormitory, I was assigned to the Edgewood Reformed Church in Brooklyn. The pastor of that church had served as a missionary to China for many years. On a few occasions, I preached the sermon at the Sunday morning worship service, but my main responsibility was to teach a Sunday School class and to supervise the young people's group on Sunday evenings. The church was not large by American standards and regular attenders at youth activities were only a dozen or so, but on Sunday mornings and evenings, I went by subway to that church and tried to put into practice some of the knowledge I was accumulating in the seminary classes. -------In commercial relationships, it is important to pay one's debts. In social relationships also, we should fulfill our obligations to others. Children are indebted to their parents, pupils are indebted to their teachers and citizens have an obligation toward their countries. In the 13th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul recognized the various obligations that all people have, but he compressed them all into one. In verse 8, he wrote: "the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law." He noted that there are many commandments, in the Old Testament Law, but asserted that they are all "summed up in the one command, 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself."' This is in keeping with Jesus' answer to the question about "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" in Matthew, chapter 22, verse 36. His answer was: Love, love for God and love for your neighbour. In our lives, establishing priorities is important for we do not have the time or energy to do everything we desire to do or should do. Among our many obligations, we must decide which are most important. The Biblical answer to this question is that our basic social obligation is to show love to all people. -------The day before today is called "yesterday". What do we call the day after today? In modern English, it is called "tomorrow", but in old English, it was simply "morrow". Thus, in the King James Version of Matthew 6:34, Jesus urged his disciples not to be anxious about, to worry or to take thought for "the morrow". Even today, in literary English, "morrow" is some times used to mean the following day. This word is rooted in an older English word, 'morgen', which meant "morning" as it still does in German. Thus, "tomorrow" originally meant "in the morning". (Similarly, the Japanese word 'ashita' may also mean "tomorrow" or "morning".) Tomorrow's telephone message will include a special announcement, so I hope you will listen to it, whether it be in the morning or at night. -------Today's message is an announcement about this telephone service. The spoken messages for the following day are recorded every night between 11:30 and midnight. On Thursdays, printed copies of the messages for the following week are mailed to those who request them by sending me stamped, self-addressed envelopes plus ¥30 in stamps for each week of messages desired. Japanese translations of the previous week's messages are available for another ¥30 per copy. On Sunday, July 30th at 1:30 a meeting of "Daily Word" fans will be held at the Nagoya International Center, east of Nagoya Station. At that meeting, I hope to hear comments regarding this telephone service. Are messages too difficult? Do I speak too fast? Do you listen to the messages everyday? more than once? Or do you only read the messages? If you both listen to and read the messages, do you read them before, after or while listening? Which subjects do you particularly enjoy? What suggestions do you have to make this service more helpful? Following the regular meeting on July 30th, a party will be held to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this telephone service. The fee is ¥3000 and those who plan to attend are requested to inform Ms. Midori Kodama, telephone number 052-621-9691, by July 15th. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------One meaning of "poach", spelled p-o-a-c-h, is to cook in a boiling liquid. Some people like poached eggs for breakfast. Another meaning of "poach" is to trespass on another's property and to hunt animals illegally. In certain areas of the world it is illegal to hunt and catch or kill certain animals considered endangered. In Africa, the poaching of elephants has been a problem. In Japan, where attention is often focused on small things, a new law passed by the town assembly of the Kagoshima town of Kurino makes it illegal to catch insects on land owned by the town on and around Mount Kurino-dake. About 93 hectares of municipally-owned land lie on a side of the mountain in Kirishima-Yaku National Park. Various kinds of butterflies, including one species that has been designated endangered by the Environment Agency, live in the area's oak forests along with dragonflies, stag beetles and other insects. All of them are protected by the new law which prohibits the collecting of insects or their eggs on the municipally-owned land. The aim of this first local ordinance to protect insects enacted in Japan is not to harshly penalize poachers who may try to poach eggs, but "to enlighten people to be friendly to nature". -------Recently, a funeral was held in the town of Tifton in the American state of Georgia. The ceremony was not held in a church, but in a football stadium--not because the deceased was an unbeliever nor because he was a football enthusiast. According to the news article, it was because the coffin did not fit through the church door. The coffin, measuring 1.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters long, held the body of 54-year-old Sylvanus Smith III, who weighed 450 kilograms, which is about 60 percent more than sumo wrestler Konishiki. The coffin, covered with flowers, sat on a flatbed truck in the middle of the stadium during the funeral service, attended by about 400 people. Mr. Smith had appeared several times on a nationally syndicated TV talk show to discuss problems related to obesity. In 1993, during a six-month stay in a hospital, he lost 140 kilograms but regained it after returning home. According to a therapist at the hospital, "he really wanted his problem to help other people" and desired "to bring attention to the problem of morbid obesity." Let us remember this truth: people with weaknesses may also be an inspiration to others. -------Many so-called religious wars have taken place in various areas of the world. In most cases, however, although religion is often emphasized by both sides of the dispute, it is usually only one of many factors involved, including political, ethnic, economic and social tensions. A number of famous religious wars that occurred between the 11th and 13th centuries in the area of the land considered holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims are called the Crusades, taken from the Latin word for the symbols of the cross the Christian crusaders displayed. One aim of the Crusades was to force the Muslims out of the "holy city" of Jerusalem. Needless to say, there was fierce hostility between Christians and Muslims and in some places, this hostility continues today. Last month in the "unholy city" of Rome an event took place that may indicate a change of spirit. In that city of nearly 1000 Catholic churches, including the world's largest church, a mosque was officially opened. This Muslim house of worship, which cost $50 million and took 11 years to complete, will serve the spiritual needs of more than 700,000 Muslims in Italy. Hopefully, it will also serve to lessen tensions between two different religious communities. -------The cultural and commercial heart of New York City is Manhattan, an island named after the tribe of Indians who originally lived there. The seminary I attended was in midtown Manhattan so I had many opportunities to visit historic sites and modern places of interest in that borough. In downtown Manhattan, the short, narrow street called Wall Street is the center of one of the greatest financial districts in the world. A little to the north of Wall Street is a street called Bowery, from the Dutch word for "farm". Originally, it was a road that led to the farm of the governor of the colony of New Amsterdam. A hundred years ago, many fine theaters lined the Bowery, but the character of the area changed and it became notorious for its saloons, dance halls, swindlers and vagrants. When I was in seminary, there was a Christian mission in the Bowery that provided food, beds and other assistance to homeless people in the area. I was asked to go to that mission and teach a weekly Bible Class and did so on one occasion. But because my schedule did not permit a regular commitment to teach a class on that day of the week, I did not continue my service there. -------The first five books of the Old Testament are known as the Pentateuch, from a Greek word meaning "five scrolls". The fifth book of the Pentateuch is called Deuteronomy, from Greek words meaning "second law". This book is arranged as a series of addresses given by Moses to the children of Israel at the end of their long journey through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan. The aim is to remind the Israelites of God's marvelous blessings over the past forty years and to urge them to be faithful to Yahweh, their God. In chapter 10, verses 12-22, the people are commanded to love and obey God with all their hearts. They are also reminded that God loves and cares for those people who are often discriminated against: orphans, widows and foreigners. The Israelites are commanded to "show love for those foreigners, because you were once foreigners in Egypt" [19]. This reminds us of the so-called "Golden Rule" given by Jesus in Matthew 7:12 that we should treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated. The moral character of a nation is clearly seen in the attitude shown to the socially, politically and economically disadvantaged members of a community. How does Japan fare in this regard? -------One of many English words with a strange spelling is the word "island", which contains a silent "s". Why is it pronounced 'ailand' when it is spelled i-s-l-a-n-d? Until the 17th century, this word was spelled i-l-a-n-d, derived from Old English words meaning "island land". Later, influenced by the Old French word "isle", the "s" was added. Land surrounded by water is an island. Both Japan and Great Britain are islands off the coasts of large continents and both nations developed an insular mentality. But John Donne, a 17th century English poet and clergyman, expressed another idea--also typical of Japanese thinking, when he wrote: "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent." We must remember that every individual is also part of a community. -------Two weeks ago, a man came to Japan who had spent 27 years in prison. Despite his prison record, he met and talked with the emperor and empress, the prime minister and other government officials. Today, July 18th, is a special day for this man, Nelson Mandela, president of the Republic of South Africa. In Japanese tradition, it is the day for the "joyful-congratulatory" celebration known as 'kiju', in honor of one's 77th birthday, for Mr. Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. In 1964, when he was 46 years old, Mr. Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment as a result of his efforts to change an unjust system and to gain freedom and equality for his fellow countrymen. Following 27 frustrating years in prison, he was released in 1990 and less than four years later, was elected president of his country. He continues to face serious problems regarding how to govern that nation with its sorry history of racial discrimination, but he has given the world a shining example of moral leadership in his refusal to seek revenge but to work for the good of the whole country. This is in keeping with the teaching of the final verses of the 12th chapter of the New Testament book of Romans: "Repay no one evil for evil ... but overcome evil with good." -------Recently, tennis fans around the world have been watching the televised matches from Wimbledon. Do you know where that town is located? It is in England, near the capital city of London. In fact, it is included in the area called Greater London, which encompasses the City of London and 32 boroughs. Wimbledon, located in the borough of Merton, is England's tennis headquarters, but cricket and golf matches are also played there. The first men's tennis tournament was played at Wimbledon in 1877 and the final match of that first championship competition was held on July 19, 118 years ago today. Spencer Gore was the winner. Through 1967, Wimbledon tennis tournaments were limited to amateur players, but now the professionals have taken over--which means I won't be playing there. It has been my custom for many years to play tennis regularly on Monday mornings. Walter Pitkin, an American author and educator, once wrote: "One man in a thousand can play tennis through his fifties, but the rest of us must drop it early or it will drop us with a bang." All of the Monday morning players in my group, however, are in their sixties. Could it be that we are exceptional players? -------These days, if an American hears the name "Hilary", the first person that comes to mind is the wife of President Clinton. This name, along with the adjective "hilarious", is derived from a Latin word meaning cheerful. Originally, it was a man's name; two ancient saints and a pope bore this name. Today is the birthday of another famous person by the name of Hillary, but his name is spelled with two "l"s. Sir Edmund Hillary was born in New Zealand on July 20, 1919, 76 years ago today. He became a mountain climber and explorer, participating in many mountain-climbing expeditions before taking part in the one to climb of the world's highest mountain. Along with a Nepalese companion, he reached the 8,848 meter high summit of Mt. Everest on May 28, 1953, when he was 33 years old. Later, he led a five-man group by dog sled and snow tractor across 1931 kilometers of Antarctica to the South Pole. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth 11, the title "Sir" is now attached to his name. According to Helen Keller, the blind and deaf author and lecturer, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." In this "daring adventure" of life, the person with a healthy faith can always be cheerful. -------These daily telephone messages have a variety of purposes. One is to give listeners an opportunity to hear a native speaker of English at any time, day or night. But the content of the messages is also important. The content is meant to be informative, interesting and meaningful. They are composed by an American Christian, whose viewpoint and faith is reflected in them. Hopefully, they will both increase and broaden listeners/readers understanding and stimulate them to think. Thinking, in its highest sense, is a process that differentiates human beings from animals and should be encouraged. (Please note the big difference in meaning between thinking and sinking, although the difference in pronunciation to Japanese ears may be small.) Some people think that a firm religious faith implies a closed mind. Certainly there are many examples of extreme believers of any system of thought whose minds are closed, but a healthy religious faith actually opens the mind to new and deeper truth. All of us need to remember that human knowledge is limited. We are reminded in the New Testament book of I Corinthians, chapter 8, that "knowledge puffs up" and those who think they know something still do not know as they ought to know. -------Until I graduated from the high school in my hometown located in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, I had never traveled beyond the neighboring states of Wisconsin and Indiana. I first crossed the Mississippi River when I went off to college in the state of Iowa. During my college days, I hitchhiked through a number of western states on my way to and from the University of Mexico in Mexico City, but I had never gone east until I entered seminary in New York City. That seminary was located between 2nd and 3rd Avenues on East 49th Street, so it was within walking distance of Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Grand Central Station and the future site of the United Nations headquarters. Of course, public transportation, including busses, subway and elevated trains were used to visit sites or attend meetings further away. The elevated tracks that ran overhead made 3rd Avenue a somewhat dark and gloomy street, but even so, in those days, we were not afraid to walk down the street at night. There are many famous churches in New York City where eminent preachers could be heard, so I tried to make the rounds of all of them during my seminary training to supplement the classroom study with living encounters with various Christian traditions. -------We are now studying the New Testament book of Acts at the Thursday evening class in our church in Takahama. Recently, we studied chapter 16, verses 6-10, where the Apostle Paul's plans to enter certain areas were somehow thwarted by the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Jesus. As a result, he ended up in the town of Troas where he had a vision that resulted in his taking the Christian Gospel into Europe. During my fifty-minute bicycle ride from downtown Nagoya to my home in Moriyama-ku the other day, l pondered the significance of these verses as I changed my route depending on the traffic signals. Often, when I see a red light, instead of stopping and waiting for it to change, I change my course and go to a different intersection or cross the street where there is no traffic signal. So it is in our lives. When our paths are blocked or doors are closed, we must often make changes which we may not like, but the changed plans may have a more beneficial result than the previous ones. It is our Christian conviction, as stated explicitly in Romans 8:28, that "in all things, God works for good". Thus, there may be a hidden purpose to be realized by the changes in my route home that are caused by the red lights. -------There are two English words spelled m-a-r-o-o-n and pronounced maroon. One is a verb meaning to abandon a person on a deserted island. This is what pirates sometimes did as a kind of punishment instead of killing a person outright. This word is derived from a Spanish word meaning "wild" and, as a noun, it was used for a fugitive Negro slave. The other word denotes a dark brownish red color and the school colors of my high school were maroon and white. This word comes from the French word for the large, sweet chestnut that is used in confectionery, a 'maron' in Japanese. In Japan there are confectionery stores called 'Maronie', which is the French name for the chestnut tree itself. A marooned person would be happy to find a 'maron' to eat while waiting to be saved. -------Today, July 25th, is a holiday in Puerto Rico whose name means "rich port" in Spanish. This island in the West Indies, lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, is officially a commonwealth in association with the United States. According to its constitution, which was adopted 43 years ago today, on July 25, 1952, citizens elect a governor, a legislature and a representative to the United States Congress who has a voice but no vote. Puerto Ricans continue to be divided between those who prefer the present status as a commonwealth and those who wish to become a full-fledged state. Advocates of complete independence are a small minority. On this coming Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:30, a meeting of listeners to and readers of these telephone messages will be held at the Nagoya International Center. My wife and I are looking forward to hearing comments related to this telephone service along with criticisms and suggestions. Following that meeting, a party will be held to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this service which will be attended by those who have made reservations. But all listeners/readers are invited to the earlier meeting. -------One advantage of the Japanese 'katakana' syllabary is that it is used to transliterate the names of foreign places and persons approximately as they are pronounced in their original settings. For example, the Swiss psychiatrist who was born 120 years ago today, on July 26, 1875, whose surname is spelled J-u-n-g, is pronounced 'yoong', but not a few Americans will pronounce it 'Jung'. Carl Gustav Jung was the founder of analytical psychology. His earlier views were in harmony with those of the Austrian psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud, but he subsequently developed different theories regarding the causes of mental disorders. Jung divided all people into two classes--introverts and extroverts. The activity of the latter is directed toward the external world and that of the former is directed inward upon himself or herself. The following quotation from Jung is a good one for us to remember. "There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity." -------Five years ago, a man digging in his garden in the southern part of Sweden happened to find a golden necklace. It was a little peculiar, having two ornamental bulbs connected by strands of braided golden thread, so he decided to keep it. Recently, when he showed it to some friends, they gasped and told him he should notify a museum. The curator who examined the necklace a couple of weeks ago declared that it was a rare artifact, about 2000 years old. Under Swedish law, the man must turn over the necklace to the state but he can receive compensation equal to its gold value plus about ten percent for its uniqueness. Considering the present price of gold, the finder will receive at least the equivalent of about 7500 American dollars for the necklace. This true story reminds me of the parable Jesus told in Matthew l3:44 about a man who happened to find a treasure hidden in a field, covered it up and sold everything he had in order to buy that field. There are no further details given in this parable, but it pictures the great joy one experiences when finding the kingdom of God and one's willingness to sacrifice everything in order to obtain it. -------Professional baseball is a popular sport in Japan and in recent months, interest in American professional baseball games has greatly increased in this land. Is this an indication of a deepening international spirit? Not necessarily! The interest is primarily directed toward one individual in particular and he is not American, but Japanese. Hideo Nomo, who has been called "a Japanese tornado", seemingly has caused a sensation in the United States as well as in Japan. His unique windup, his fast pitches, his personal character and manner have all made deep impressions on baseball fans and others. I'm sure you know the team he belongs to, but you may be surprised to know how it got its name. The name, Los Angeles Dodgers, is not related to the agility of its players on the baseball field. Until l958, this team was located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and was called the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the old days, streetcars were known as "trolley cars" and Brooklyn was crisscrossed with so many trolley car tracks that its residents became known as "Trolley Dodgers". Consequently, "Dodgers" became the name of their baseball team. These days, l presume it is difficult for Mr. Nomo to be a "dodger" of sports reporters and baseball fans. -------During my first year in New York City, where I attended seminary and graduate school, my fiancee was living in her hometown in a suburban community west of Chicago and working in her father's men's clothing store. We had decided to get married during the summer vacation following my first year in seminary, so I hitchhiked back from New York to take part in the ceremony and let my fiancee become a June bride. At that time in America, it was customary for the bride's family to take the major responsibility for wedding plans. There was not much that the groom and his parents were expected to do. The morning of the wedding, I made a leisurely visit to a well-known zoo outside of Chicago. Our wedding took place in her home church, but we had asked our favorite college professor, who taught Bible courses and was also a minister, to come and officiate. The wedding party consisted of her sister-in-law as the matron of honor, my brother as best man, two of my sisters as bridesmaids and her brother and two of my boyhood friends as groomsmen and ushers. A girlfriend of the bride sang a solo and following the afternoon ceremony, relatives and friends attended the reception which was held in a hall in a nearby town. -------In his New Testament letters, the Apostle Paul sometimes relates personal experiences. In chapter 12 of the Second Letter to the Corinthians, he tells of a strange, mystical experience he had. He then explained that he was given "a thorn in the flesh" to keep him from being proud and puffed up because of that experience. He called that "thorn in the flesh" a "messenger of Satan". Bible scholars have given a number of different suggestions regarding the meaning of that expression. It seems to mean a physical ailment of some kind that periodically troubled Paul, who repeatedly prayed that God would deliver him from it. But the answer he received was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is strongest when you are weak". It is clear from this passage, that the prayers of even the most sincere believer are not always answered in ways the believer desires. In fact, many believers are plagued with problems they would like to be rid of, but a healthy faith in our heavenly Father helps us to see purpose even in misfortune. It is when we are in difficulties that we recognize our human weakness and our need to rely more fully upon God. So Paul concludes with the paradoxical expression: "when I am weak, then I am strong." -------A homonym is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word but has an entirely different meaning. Some homonyms have the same spelling but others are spelled differently. The large ape with a stocky body and coarse, dark hair found in Africa is a gorilla, spelled g-o-r-i-l-l-a. A member of a small force of irregular soldiers which carry out surprise raids against an enemy is also a guerrilla, but this kind of guerrilla is spelled g-u-e-r-r-i-l-l-a. In English, these words are homonyms, but in Japanese they are pronounced differently. The latter word is rooted in a Spanish word literally meaning "little war". It was first used during the Peninsular War in Spain in the early 19th century when Spanish nationalists successfully opposed the French army under Napoleon. -------Today is the first day of the 8th month of the year. The English name for this month comes from the name of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. A well-known person in American history by the name of Clark was born on this day. His name was William Clark, but he was not the William Clark who came to Japan to establish an agricultural college in Sapporo in 1876. This William Clark, born on August 1, 1770, was a soldier who joined Meriwether Lewis in leading an expedition to explore the land west of the Mississippi River. For two years the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which included more than forty "hardy young men" explored this newly acquired land and the account of their adventurous trips up/down the Missouri River is a thrilling part of American history. Another not so famous American by the name of Clark, who is the composer and transmitter of these messages, will be leaving Japan, accompanied by his wife, near the end of this month for a short trip to his homeland to join others of his high school class to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation. This telephone service will continue during my absence, but themes for essays will not be suggested until after the next meeting of fans on October 29th. -------New information about anything and about recent happenings in particular may be called "news". When such news is printed on paper, it is not surprising that the publication is called a newspaper. The Japanese word for a newspaper, however, literally means something "newly heard" and now that radios and television sets are so popular, many people actually do hear the news before they read it. The first regular organ for spreading news was the 'Acta Diurna' ('Action Journal') which was begun by Julius Caesar in Rome in 59 B.C. This daily gazette was posted throughout the city and contained social and political news, announcements of births, marriages, deaths, details of criminal trials and executions and even highlights of sporting and theatrical events at the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. According to the 'Guinness Book of World Records', the largest single issue of a newspaper was the October 17,1965 Sunday edition of 'The New York Times' which consisted of 15 sections, totaled 936 pages and weighed over 3 kilograms. Much of today's newspapers are filled with bad news or sad news, but the basic message of the New Testament is the "good news" of God's love and this is the meaning of the term "Gospel". -------The word "gossip" now denotes rumor or idle talk of a personal nature about others. This word comes from an old English word which meant "god parent", the term used in some Christian churches for the couple who serve as sponsors at an infant's baptism. These "god-sibbs" often talked about personal matters and eventually both the pronunciation and meaning of the word changed to what it is today. A recent study by a University of Michigan psychologist revealed that among American children aged 9 to l2, about fifty per cent of the conversation of both boys and girls is devoted to gossip. There were some differences between the two groups, however. Boys who were close friends gossiped less than those not so close, but the closer the girls were, the more time they spent gossiping. Also, girls were more likely to talk about specific boys whom they or other girls liked, but boys talked about girls in general terms and rarely talked about specific ones. The psychologist called gossip "the mortar in the brick of conversation" of these preteens, but gossip should be one of the "childish" activities that mature Christians have discarded, as noted in I Corinthians 13:11. -------Today is the birthday of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. You may be surprised to know that it is her 95th birthday, for she was born on August 4, 1900. Although she may also be called "queen" even after the death of her husband, George VI in 1952, speaking more exactly she is the queen mother, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. When Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the daughter of the 14th earl of Strathmore, married George, the duke of York in 1923, she never expected to become a queen. In 1936, however, George's elder brother, Edward VIII, gave up the British throne after less than one year as king in order to marry an American divorcee. As a result, the Duke of York became George Vi and Elizabeth became the queen consort. Elizabeth seems to be a popular name for European royalty. Beside the queens of England and the United Kingdom, there have been a czarina of Russia, an empress of Austria and queen of Hungary, a queen of Bohemia and a queen of Rumania bearing this name. In recent decades, there have been various domestic quarrels involving her younger daughter and her grandchildren, but the queen mother herself has been a stable symbol of traditional family harmony. Happy birthday to Queen Elizabeth, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. -------In Japan these days, it has become common for newlyweds to make a trip overseas for their honeymoon. When my parents were married in 1919, they were quite exceptional in that their honeymoon consisted of a six-week trip by train to the west coast of the United States while their new house was being built in northern Illinois. It was in that house that my brother, four sisters and myself were born and raised. In 1949, following our wedding ceremony and reception, my wife's brother and his wife drove us to a hotel in Chicago where we spent the night. The following day, we boarded a train for a 500-kilometer trip to a small town in northern Wisconsin. There, on the side of small lake, my wife's grandmother owned a secluded summer cabin surrounded by trees. My wife had often spent enjoyable times there during her childhood with her family and her cousins. Her grandmother had graciously made the cabin available to us for our honeymoon. A steep stairway descended through the front yard to a short pier extending into the lake where we enjoyed swimming. Our two weeks there proved to be the auspicious beginning of a happy and eventful married life. -------The essential character of the Christian God is expressed in the statement in the First Letter of John, chapter 4: "God is love". The same word may be used to express the essential character of the Christian faith, for Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love one's neighbor in Matthew, chapter 22. The Greek word used for "love" in these cases is agape. These days, "love" is a very popular word, but it has a wide breadth of meaning and the New Testament concept of self-sacrificing love is quite different from the fleeting emotion of modern songs. The translators of the King James Version of the Bible translated this word as "charity" in about one-fourth of its appearances. In I Corinthians, chapter 13, we find a beautiful description of Christian love in which all 12 instances of agape are translated "charity" in the classical English version, but if a person wishes to understand the Christian concept of love for others and of the ideal Christian character, this chapter is a good place to start. Among the characteristics noted are: patience, kindness, humility, selflessness and endurance. If all Christians today exemplified such characteristics, our world would be a different place indeed. -------Each person is a unique individual with distinctive characteristics which are evident both in one's physical appearance and mental or spiritual disposition. During the recent election campaign, we saw the pictures of many candidates on posters or in newspapers. In some cases, it seemed possible to imagine their personalities by looking at their faces. Faces may be described as: round, square, oval or triangular, but to say a person has a "long face" implies something different than its shape. A "long face" has dejected eyes and a mouth drawn down at the corners, giving it a sad or glum appearance. Thus to say a person has a long face means that he or she is disappointed, dissatisfied or sorrowful. In case you have a long face today, please read Psalm 118, verse 24. -------In traditional Chinese thought, odd numbers are considered lucky, so seasonal festivals are held on the days in odd-numbered months, when the number of the month and the day are the same: January 1st, March 3rd, May 5th, etc., but this even-number 8th day of the 8th month is not special here. In another Asian country, however, it is the 46th anniversary of its becoming an independent monarchy. I wonder if you can guess which country it is, where it is located and how to spell its name. It is a small country, smaller than Hokkaido but larger than Kyushu in size. With a population of about 800,000, it is located in the Himalayas between India and China. It is known as "the land of the thunder dragons" because of the violent storms that originate in mountains which soar to over 7550 meters. The name of this country is Bhutan, spelled B-h-u-t-a-n, and on August 8,1949, Great Britain officially granted it independence, but its foreign affairs are handled by India. Bhutan has abolished slavery and the caste system, emancipated women and enacted land reform. The native people of Bhutan are ethnically related to Tibetans and their religion is closely related to Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, many Bhutanese live in monasteries. -------In the United States the president and vice president are both elected at the same time every four years. In the event the president is unable to discharge the duties of his office, the vice president is authorized to take his place. There has been one time in American history when a man served as president who was not elected to either of these two offices. Do you know who that person was and how and why he became president? It was just 21 years ago today, on August 9, 1974, that this person became president following another exceptional event: the resignation of a president to avoid being impeached for his deceitfulness in relation to the so-called Watergate Affair. The former vice president had resigned nine months earlier after being charged with income tax evasion. According to the 25th amendment to the Constitution, which came into effect six years earlier, when the office of vice president becomes vacant, the president may nominate a successor to be approved by Congress. In December 1974, President Nixon's choice of Gerald Ford, the Senator from Michigan, to be vice president was confirmed by Congress. Seven months later, when President Nixon resigned, he became the 38th president of the U.S.A. -------Before coming to Japan, I had never eaten certain foods that are commonly eaten here. One of them was the long fish known as eel, or 'unagi'. I think that many Americans from the Midwest, at first, feel a certain revulsion against eating that snake-like creature, but as is the case with squid, raw fish and even 'natto', we find that we can adjust our eating habits to conform to the local custom if necessary. You may be surprised to know that some European countries also have eel-eating customs. In Italy, roast eel is a customary dish on Christmas Eve. In Germany, smoked eel is enjoyed by many, and in England the eel may be jellied. I understand that there is a tradition among French gourmets that the proper way to kill an eel before cooking it is to drown it in wine. In Japan, during the hottest period of the year it is customary to eat eel in the hope that it will keep the eater healthy. In English, the word "eel" does not have a healthy connotation. The expression "slippery as an eel" is used to indicate an evasive, deceitful person whose word cannot be trusted. Criminals who are too clever for the police to catch and smooth-talking politicians who refuse to speak in concrete, understandable terms are sometimes called eels. -------Some years ago in the United States, a friend told me about a group of older people who were chatting about the various illnesses or surgical operations they had had. One person told of having a kidney removed. Others spoke of liver problems, heart trouble, a stomach tumor, etc. He said it sounded to him like an "organ recital". Do you understand the meaning of this pun? Usually we think of an "organ recital" as a musical performance in which beautiful music is produced from a musical instrument called an organ. But the word "organ" has different meanings and so does the word "recital". In human bodies, which are "organisms" as are other animals and plants, there are various "organs" that do not produce music but do perform specific functions. Furthermore, to "recite" may mean to speak aloud, to give a detailed oral account of something. Thus, those senior citizens who spoke in detail about their internal physical problems were giving a kind of "organ recital". There is still another meaning of "organ". It may denote a regular periodical published by an organization. To keep any kind of organ in good condition, attentive care and a well-balanced, nutritious diet is required. -------Following our honeymoon in northern Wisconsin, my wife and I returned to my hometown in northern Illinois, where I worked as a laborer for a construction company until it was time to return to seminary in New York City. A former high school teacher of mine who was taking a summer course in Colorado made his apartment available to us for most of that period. At the end of the summer, I took my new wife back with me to New York, but this time, I did not hitchhike. Rather, we went by train. Upon our arrival, we went to the seminary and stayed in one of the dormitory rooms there. The next morning, we went out to have breakfast at an eating place in the neighborhood. During my first year in the seminary when I lived in the dormitory, I always ate in the seminary dining room, so I was not acquainted with eating places around there. But I knew that those on 2nd Avenue would be cheaper than those on 3rd or 4th Avenue in the opposite direction, so we walked along 2nd Avenue and stopped at a restaurant called "Freddies". I don't remember what we had for breakfast, but my wife later informed me that it was a very disappointing introduction to the cuisine of the big city. -------In the first sermon recorded in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, the following words are found in chapter 4, verse 7: "No other nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the Lord our God is to us. He answers us whenever we call for help." This was a conviction of pious Israelites when they were delivered from Egyptian bondage and came into contact with other nations with their particular gods. The gods of their neighbors were mainly natural phenomena or idols made by human beings, but the Israelites worshipped an invisible Spirit, whom they believed to be the Creator of the world and the Ruler of history. It is this same God that Christians worship today. We also believe the God is near and once entered human history in the person of Jesus, the Christ, who promised his disciples to be with them always [Matthew 28:20]. Christians believe that the Spirit of God is always with us in every situation. Such a faith comforts our hearts in times of sorrow, calms our minds in times of danger, inspires hope for the future and stimulates confidence and boldness in the present to work of what we believe to be right and merciful. -------In the United States, this 14th day of August has been called V-J Day, meaning "Victory over Japan" Day, for it was in the evening of this day in 1995, that the Japanese surrender was announced by President Truman. In Japan, it was August 15th. The Greek goddess of victory was 'Nike', which is also the Greek word for "victory". From this word the U.S. Army's missile, "Nike" [pronounced NAI-ki], got its name. I presume the name of this goddess is also the origin of the brand name of a popular kind of sports shoes. In the New Testament, the Greek word, 'nike', is found only once, in the First Letter of John, chapter 5, verse 4, where it is written: "And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith." Final victory does not come by atomic bombing, missiles or sturdy shoes. it comes through faith. -------In Japan, today is the 50th anniversary of its unconditional surrender which brought an end to the Second World War. Men who served in the Japanese armed forces look back over that half a century with mixed emotions and some groups on the far right continue to spout chauvinistic nonsense. Do you know the meaning of "chauvinism"? In Japanese, it may be translated 'nekkyoteki aikokushugi'. The English word is derived from a man's name. Nicolas Chauvin was a soldier of the First French Empire. After showing great courage in battle and being severely wounded, he received from Napoleon a sword, a red ribbon and a pension. He became known as an enthusiastic admirer and devoted follower of "the Little Corporal" and, even after his hero's exile, was not shy about expressing his high regard for the humiliated emperor. Today is the birthday of Napoleon I, who was born on August 15, 1769, but in France it is called Chauvin Day. Because of the extreme character of this man's devotion, "chauvinism" has come to mean a fanatical patriotism, an irrational glorification of one's country as well as prejudiced belief in the superiority of one's own group. In recent years, the term "male chauvinist" has been coined. Can you guess what it means? -------For today's message, I will give a report on the meeting of "Daily Word" listeners/readers which was held on Sunday afternoon, July 30. Since 1981, such meetings have been held about four times a year, usually on the fifth Sunday of a month. At that 59th meeting, held at the Nagoya International Center, 42 persons were present, including my wife and me and our daughter who is visiting from Thailand. The 50th issue of "'Daily Word' Echoes", consisting of essays submitted by listeners on themes suggested in the messages, was on hand. As is customary, the meeting, led by one of the members--this time a lady from Kobe--was conducted in English and each person present made a few remarks regarding this telephone service. Following that meeting, a party was held which had been planned by a committee of four "old-timers" to commemorate the 15th anniversary of this service, which began on September 1, 1980. A few more people came to the party and my wife and I enjoyed meeting many old friends as well as newcomers. For the first time my wife did not prepare any refreshments. Flowers/gifts received included those from the sponsors of this service: NTT and Meitetsu Media. It was a very enjoyable time for all. -------Today's message will be another test of your international knowledge. As Japan becomes more and more internationalized, knowledge of other countries should be increased--knowledge not only of the industrialized nations with economic or military power, but of smaller nations as well. On the continent of Africa, there are 16 independent countries that lie on or south of the equator. How may of them can you name? One that lies on the equator adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean is celebrating its Independence Day today. Thirty-five years ago, on August 17, 1960, it became an independent republic within the French Community. Its area is about the same as the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu together and its population of over 1,100,000 is made up of black Africans from a number of ethnic groups but French is the official language. Most of the inhabitants are subsistence farmers, raising cassava, plantains, taro and rice. Cacao, coffee and palm products are produced for export. The country has natural mineral resources, but the lack of a transportation network makes it difficult to take advantage of them. The name of this country has five letters, beginning with G. Its ruler since 1968 has been Omar Bongo and its name is Gabon, spelled G-a-b-o-n. ------- |