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In my August 1st message, I mentioned the Lewis and Clark expedition in connection with the birthday of William Clark, a leader of the group that explored the western United States at the beginning of the 19th century. Today is the birthday of the senior member of the group, Meriwether Lewis. (Note: the word "senior" is used to mean either "older" or "of higher rank"; in this case, it has the latter meaning, for Meriwether Lewis was four years younger than William Clark.) Lewis, who had served as the private secretary of President Jefferson and later became governor of the territory of Louisiana, was born on August 18, 1774, 221 yeas ago today. Meriwether is a very unusual name, but Lewis is very common, both as a surname and as a given name. L-e-w-i-s is the English spelling of the French name spelled L-o-u-i-s and pronounced 'loo-e'. The French name, in turn, is rooted in the German name Ludwig, meaning "famous in war". Many Americans pronounce both of these names the same: 'Loo-is'. In my high school class, there were two boys named Robinson. Although their names were spelled differently, they were both called 'Loo-is'. We distinguished them by their hair color: "black-hared Lewie" and "brown-hared Louie". -------Upon our arrival in New York City following our marriage, two problems confronted us. As I was about to begin my second year at seminary, my new wife needed to find a job to support us and we wanted to find an apartment of our own instead of staying in the seminary dormitory. Fortunately, we were able to stay in the dormitory at a reasonable cost until we found an apartment. Providentially, my wife found a very appropriate job soon after we arrived. The International Missionary Council had informed the seminary they were looking for a secretary to work in their office who could also serve as a stenographer. My wife had taken both typing and shorthand in high school and applied for the job. She often used a typewriter while at university, but she had not kept up on her shorthand. She quickly tried to brush up on it by listening to and transcribing speeches on the radio. She got the job and worked as a secretary in the IMC office on Fifth Avenue for the two years we lived in New York City. Not only was her work financially rewarding, it served to acquaint her with various aspects of missionary activity in different countries and prepared her, in some ways, for coming to Japan. -------The word "charisma" denotes a special quality of personal magnetism or charm that some people have which attracts the trust and devotion of others. This word comes from a Greek word signifying a divine gift. These 'charismata' are the theme of chapter 12 of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. In the Church in Corinth, there were divisions among the believers. Some believers felt superior to others because they had such "charismatic" powers as speaking in tongues, healing sickness or performing miracles. In this chapter, Paul made clear that individuals have different gifts but they are all given by God and should be used for the common purpose of strengthening the Christian community. He compared the church to a body, the "body of Christ". As each part of the body has a peculiar function to perform, so each individual has been given a certain gift that should be used for the benefit of the whole community. In the church or in society at large, if we recognized our individual abilities as gifts from God to be used for the benefit of all rather than for personal exaltation, our world would be a happier place to live. And it would be even happier if we took to heart the teaching of the following chapter on love. -------On American coins, there are two legends. The Latin phrase, 'E pluribus unum', means "out of many, one"; the other, "In God we trust", is self-explanatory. In this case, the word "legend" denotes an inscription on a coin. Another meaning of this word is an explanatory list of symbols appearing on a map or chart. But the most common meaning of "legend" is a popular story handed down from earlier times. Such stories frequently include exaggerated exploits of a person who may also be called a legend. This word is rooted in a Latin word meaning "to read" and originally signified a part of a religious service during which a narrative of the life of a saint was read. There are various legends about 'Shotoku Taishi', but the stories about 'Jinmu Tenno' must be called "myths". -------The word "civil", comes from a Latin word meaning "citizen". One of its meanings is civilized behavior. People who politely observe accepted social customs are considered "civil". Even when we disagree with others, it is better to speak in a civil manner. The term "civil war" seems to be self-contradictory, for no war is "civil" in this sense, but a war between factions or regions of one country is called a "civil war". Whether to call the present war in the former country of Yugoslavia a "civil war" depends on whether or not there is one country to which the various factions belong. In American history, the Civil War was fought between the Confederacy of southern states and the Union of northern states over the issue of slavery. Today is the 353rd anniversary of the day King Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham, on August 22, 1642, which began the English Civil War. Although religious, social and economic factors were also involved, the basic issue was related to sovereignty: do kings rule by divine right? does Parliament have rights that are not subject to the monarchy? After six years of fighting, King Charles was beheaded and a Commonwealth, under the Puritan leader, Oliver Cromwell, was established. -------Although I enjoy composing these daily telephone messages in English, I am neither an English teacher nor a specialist in the English language. I am an American clergyman, whose special field of interest is the Bible and religion. My native language is American Midwestern English, however, and if listening to or reading these messages is helpful in your understanding of the English language and of the thinking and faith of an American pastor in Japan, that's fine. I began this message with the conjunction "although". In essays contributed to the periodical, "'Daily Word'" Echoes, I have sometimes changed the word "though" to "although" because, to me it seemed more fitting. Checking reference books, however, I find that, when used as a conjunction, a 'setsuzokushi', the two words are interchangeable, meaning "despite the fact that", "however", or "even if". "Although" is usually placed at the beginning of the clause, but "though" may be placed elsewhere. Two famous Old Testament passages in the classical version using this word are Job 13:15: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" and Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." -------A few years ago, one of the regular members of our Monday morning tennis players group was a man named Wilbur. To the rest of us, it seemed that he was an unusually lucky player. Balls he hit that bounced off the net or just nicked a line seemed, more often than not, to work to his advantage. So even now, after he has left Japan, one of the remaining players frequently speaks of "Wilbur-force" when he hits a lucky ball. Today is the 236th anniversary of the birth of William Wilberforce, who was born on August 24, 1759. Elected to the British Parliament when he was 21, he experienced a life-changing religious experience five years later. He withdrew from fashionable society and sought to implement his newly-acquired Christian convictions. Along with others, he worked strenuously for the abolition of the slave trade, the enactment of more humane criminal laws and other social reforms. He organized the Society for the Prevention of Vice, a movement which ought to be revived in our day. On his deathbed, he listened to the reading of a bill he supported to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire which was passed a month after his death in 1833. William Wilberforce left us a good example of a man who tried to put his faith into action. -------Our daughter has now returned to Thailand after a short visit to Japan, the land of her birth. Since she enjoys bicycling, her bicycle along with the bicycle bag which contains convenient implements are kept for her to use on her visits here. Earlier this month, she rode to the neighboring City of Kasugai, where she had lunch. Returning to her bicycle, she tried to work the combination to unfasten the chain lock but could not do so. Looking in her bag, she found that her chain lock was still in it, so she surmised that someone had seen her unlocked bicycle, put a chain lock on it either to confuse or to admonish her and was probably now watching from some nearby place. Looking around, she noticed a police box, but saw no suspicious characters. She told her story to a construction worker working nearby, who cut the chain with a wire cutter. She reported the incident to a policeman and then rode home. My wife and I shared her amazement that such a trick would be played on someone here in Japan, but that evening, when she showed the cut chain lock to my wife, my wife recalled that she had found that chain lock over a year ago and, presuming it belonged to Susan, had put it in her bicycle bag. So the mystery was solved. -------While we were living in the seminary dormitory in New York City, my wife providentially found a very suitable job as a secretary at the International Missionary Council. Our next challenge was to find an appropriate apartment in a suitable location at a reasonable price. While looking for an apartment listed in the classified advertisement section of a newspaper, we saw a man working inside a house on the east side of Manhattan, a number of blocks north of the seminary, and told him we were looking for an apartment. He informed us of an apartment that he owned on the west side and urged us to consider it, so we went to look at it. He and his wife, who both spoke with a German accent, lived on the first floor of the 4-story brownstone apartment house. The apartment for rent was in the basement, directly underneath their apartment. They both seemed very eager for us to rent it and we agreed to their conditions. I presume I signed a contract, but now I don't remember doing so. From the street, a stairway of eight or ten steps led up to the entrance of the landlord's apartment, but our basement apartment was three or four steps below street level. -------The last book of the Bible is the Revelation to John, also called the Apocalypse, from a Greek word meaning "unveiling". Apocalyptic literature is written by people who have had one or more visions in which spiritual truth or future events have been uncovered or revealed. Such writings are full of strange figures and symbols which must be interpreted. The mystical meaning behind such symbolical writing was probably better understood by people at the time it was written than by us readers hundreds of years later. I would caution you to be skeptical of anyone who purports to know the detailed interpretation of such apocalyptic writings for throughout history such "teachers" have usually confused the literal and the symbolic and have turned out to be "false prophets". In chapter 20, repeated mention is made of a thousand year period, a millennium, but to take this one figure literally amidst all the symbolic numbers is a questionable interpretation. The basic truths of the book of Revelation which should be grasped are that God is in control of the world, of history, that, in the end, evil will be defeated, the righteous judgment of God will be performed and that God's perfect plan will be accomplished. -------Have you ever eaten chop-suey? This is a famous Chinese dish consisting of small pieces of meat or chicken cooked with bean sprouts and other vegetables and served with rice. One would naturally think that this dish was native to China, but that is not so. According to one reference book, it was just 98 years ago tomorrow, on August 29, 1897, that a New York chef devised this concoction to appeal to Chinese and American tastes. Its name comes from Cantonese words meaning "mixed pieces, odds and ends". Another source states that the dish originated in a California mining camp when a Chinese cook simply threw together food he had left over and called it "chop-suey". In either case, this well-known Chinese dish was first "made in the U.S.A." -------Nanking is one of the major cities of China, with a population of over 2 million. It has served as the capital of China at various times in the past and is now an important industrial center. During this fiftieth year after the end of the Pacific War, many articles have been written about the historical beginnings of that man-made catastrophe. A number of such articles mentioned the so-called "rape of Nanking" to denote the atrocities and brutality committed by the Japanese army when it finally entered this city after heavy fighting in 1937. It was almost a century earlier, on August 29, 1842, 153 years ago today, that the Treaty of Nanking was signed, ending the so-called Opium War between Great Britain and China. This three-year war began after China took action to enforce its prohibition of opium importing and Great Britain sought to force China to end its restrictions on foreign trade. Because of its superior modern arms, Great Britain easily won the war. As a result of this Treaty of Nanking, port cities were opened to British trade and Hong Kong was ceded to Britain. It was twelve years later that Japan was forced to open its ports to trade with the United States by Commodore Perry. -------An odd-looking creature with a frightening appearance may be called a monster and a monster in the shape of a human being is sometimes called a Frankenstein. This word is also used to denote an agency or work that gets out of control and destroys its creator. Frankenstein was the name of the main character (I hesitate to call him a "hero") in a novel, entitled 'Frankenstein', which was published in England in 1818. In this terrible (meaning "terrifying") story, a young German student of physiology discovered how to infuse life into lifeless matter and constructed a monster out of dead body parts. Eventually, this monster, craving human sympathy and dissatisfied with his ugly appearance, destroyed Mr. Frankenstein himself. The novel may be considered a warning to proud scientists not to play God and create monsters they cannot control which may finally destroy not only themselves but possibly the whole world as well. The author of 'Frankenstein' was not an angry man, but the wife of the great English poet, Percy Shelley. Today, August 30th, is the 198th anniversary of the birth of that lady, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who was born on this day in 1797. -------Domestic rituals differ depending on the country. In Japan, it is not a traditional custom for husbands to kiss their wives when they leave the house. They simply utter a verbal announcement of their departure. But according to a poll taken in the west, the man who kisses his wife goodbye when he leaves for work every morning averages a higher income than the man who does not. The suggested explanation was that "Husbands who exercise the rituals of affection tend to be more painstaking, more stable, more methodical, thus higher earners." An observation related to the relationship between happiness and marriage was made years ago by scholars at the University of Chicago. According to them, "Husbands are happier than single women. Single women are happier than married women. Married women are happier than bachelors." Finally, psychologist, Carl Jung has stated that "The most surprising element necessary to make a happy marriage is tension." A conversation is more interesting if your partner does not always agree. "Mentally, morally and physically, nature has created extreme differences between man and woman, so that he finds his opposite in her and she in him. This creates tension." Do you agree with him? -------In Japan, this first day of September was the day of the disastrous Kanto earthquake in 1923. Consequently, it has been designated Disaster Prevention Day. Speaking of disasters, in western countries both the beginning and end of another kind of disaster is commemorated on September 1st. It was on this day in 1939 that the forces of Adolf Hitler, without a declaration of war, invaded Poland. It was this action that initiated the Second World War which eventually involved every major power in the world. On one side, Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and militaristic Japan formed the Axis powers. On the opposing side were the Allies, led by Great Britain and France, the Soviet Union and China and, eventually, the United States. It was also on September 1st, six years later, that Japan's Foreign Minister Shigemitsu signed the surrender document which officially brought an end to the war on the battleship 'Missouri', moored in Tokyo Bay. In Japan, however, the date was September 2nd. Natural disasters are sometimes called "acts of God", but wars are the acts of sinful human beings. They are outward expressions of the proud, greedy, self-centered hearts of those who initiate them and to prevent such disasters requires a radical change of heart. This is a thought to keep in mind on this Disaster Prevention Day. -------The small basement apartment we decided to rent in New York City was a block and a half west of the large Central Park in the borough of Manhattan. The apartment was about four steps below street level and was set back about three meters from the street. Needless to say, there was no 'genkan' to this or any of the other apartments in that old apartment house. Beside the front door was a window that faced the street through which we could see the legs of people walking along the street. In our front room was a sofa and a couple of chairs. We sat on the sofa during the day, but at night it was unfolded, pulled out and made into a bed. Adjoining the living room was a small dining room, in which there was a small dining table with chairs around it. Off of the dining room was a tiny kitchen, which obviously had previously been a small closet. There was a sink in the kitchen and also a small refrigerator, on top of which was a stove, over which was an oven. The kitchen was so small that only one person could fit in it. This provided me with a convenient excuse for not helping my wife in her kitchen-related activities. Next to the kitchen was the bathroom, which must have been four or five times the size of the kitchen. -------Today is Sunday, September 3rd. In both English and Japanese, the name given to the first day of the week is related to the sun. In the traditional Japanese mythology, the sun is personified as a bright, polite elder sister known as Amaterasu Omikami, the Great Kami Shining in Heaven, who is memorialized in the Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. As the star closest to the earth, only 150,000,000 kilometers away, the sun is a source of both light and heat for our world. Thus, we can understand why the ancestors of the Japanese people revered the sun so highly. To them, it represented divine goodness. The Christian perceives divine goodness, the light of God's truth and the warmth of his love, in another kind of Son, spelled S-o-n. In Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lived on earth, we see clearly what the invisible God is like and experience his mercy. Christians worship in churches on the first day of the week to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For them also, Sunday is the day of the Son, the Son of God. I pray that the light of God's truth and the warmth of his love given through his Son will be yours today. -------This first Monday of September is a holiday in the United States called Labor Day, in honor of laborers. It was first celebrated by an American labor organization called the Knights of Labor in the year 1882 and was proclaimed a legal holiday in 1894. In Japan and many other countries of the world, May Day, the first day of May is celebrated as the laborers holiday. The word "labor" denotes physical or mental work. Japanese are known to be good workers, but it is important to consider the end result of our work. An Old Testament prophet wrote (in Isaiah 55:2): "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" To gain satisfaction from our labor requires a healthy mental attitude, a kind of faith that our lives and our labor have meaning. -------In the county of Hampshire in England is found the nation's main naval base located at Portsmouth. In the American state of New Hampshire, there is also a seaport city called Portsmouth, and on an island off of this city is a U.S. naval base. It was here, on September 5, 1905, 90 years ago today, that the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed. Have you ever heard of this treaty? It was the peace treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War. Through the mediation of President Theodore Roosevelt, representatives of Russia and Japan were brought together at this naval base where the peace treaty was signed. Although this treaty recognized Japanese rights in Manchuria, Korea and other places, dissatisfaction with the terms resulted in riots in Tokyo. Probably no peace treaty is completely satisfactory to all parties. This will always be so. Still, we must continue to work for peace and seek to bring about the kind of mutual understanding that will result in peace. The Apostle Paul wrote in his Letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verse 18, "Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody." This is a good admonition for both nations and individuals. -------Various plants that flower in the month of May are called Mayflowers. 'Mayflower' was also the name of a ship that set sail from Plymouth, England for the American colonies on September 6, 1620, 375 years ago today. Aboard that ship were 102 passengers, including 34 children, who were seeking a new beginning in the so-called New World. A group of these passengers were known as "Pilgrims". They were travelling to the New World to escape from restrictive rules and the religious persecution they had experienced in England and Holland. They were also known as "Puritans" and as "Separatists". "Pilgrim" usually denotes a person who travels to a sacred place for a religious reason. These pilgrims on the Mayflower were also making their trip for a religious purpose, hoping to gain religious freedom. As "Puritans", they sought to purify the church by simplifying its creed and ceremonies and by advocating strict religious discipline. "Separatists" denote those who separated from the state church to form their separate religious groups. Religious freedom is an important part of the American heritage which Americans feel it is important to preserve. -------The word "Dutchman" denotes a man from Holland, which is also known as the Netherlands. In the 17th century, there was an intense rivalry in trade along with a combination of jealousy and fear relating to naval power between the English and the Dutch. As a result, many expressions entered the English language which use the adjective "Dutch" in a negative or demeaning way. For example, "Dutch courage" is the courage that comes from getting drunk and "Dutch consolation" is the assurance that things might have been worse. A "Dutch bargain" is a promise that is not likely to be kept and a "Dutch treat" is not a treat at all for everyone pays for what he or she gets. To "get in Dutch" means getting into trouble and a "Dutch uncle" is a person who bluntly scolds or lectures someone else. From my own experience, Dutch people are as noble and as virtuous as any other nationality. We should not simply categorize people on the basis of their national origin. We should consider each person as a unique individual to be respected. The more we get to know people of different backgrounds, the more we realize that all human beings are basically the same. -------There are three short words in English pronounced 'doo', but each one is spelled differently and has a different meaning. The verb "do", spelled d-o, means to perform some action. In the New Testament book of Galatians, chapter 6, verse 10, it is written that as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone. The adjective "due", spelled d-u-e, denotes something owed another, like a debt. In Romans 13:7, we are told to pay our dues to all people: taxes to whom taxes are due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due. The noun "dew", spelled d-e-w, signifies the atmospheric moisture that appears as little drops on cool surfaces in the early morning. In the Old Testament, dew was considered a symbol of God's refreshing blessing from heaven and in Hosea 14:5, the Lord said that he would be like dew to Israel, providing the moisture which would result in both flowers and fruit. According to the Japanese almanac, today, September 8th, is known as 'hakuro' or 'shiratsuyu', literally meaning "white dew". As we see dew on the grass and leaves, let us remember God's blessings to us, to pay to God and others their due and to do good to everyone. -------Today is the 9th day of the 9th month. It is the last of the traditional five annual festivals, or 'gosekku', in Japan. It is known as the Chrysanthemum Festival. Chrysanthemums are not yet in bloom on this day of the solar calendar, however, so this festival is not so popular as the Doll's Festival on March 3rd, the Boys' Festival on May 5th and the Star Festival on July 7th. This was an important festival in the Edo era when feudal lords were expected to call on the 'shogun' Chrysanthemum Festival. The emperor used to hold banquets on this day. Since the chrysanthemum is the symbol of the imperial family, along with cherry blossoms, it may be considered symbolic of Japan. The English word "chrysanthemum" comes from two Greek words meaning "golden flower". In this case, "golden" does not primarily denote color. Rather, it denotes preciousness. Because the word is so long, it is frequently shortened to "mum", spelled m-u-m. In Matthew, chapter 6, Jesus instructed his disciples to look at the flowers and to consider how God cares for them and gives them such beautiful clothes. He taught that our Father in heaven will also provide our needs, so we should trust in God. -------It is quite well-known that Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It is a bit less well-known that Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Very few people, however, know that since 1979 in the United States, the first Sunday after Labor Day has been designated Grandparent's Day. Since Labor Day is the first Monday of September, Grandparent's Day usually falls on the second Sunday of the month, which is today. "Grand" denotes something large, great or imposing. Although all grandparents do not literally fit that description, it is well for us to give special recognition to these parents of our parents. The word for a grandparent is found only once in the Bible. It is in Paul's Second Letter to Timothy, chapter 1, verse 5, where he wrote: "I remember the sincere faith you have, the kind of faith that your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice also had. I am sure that you have it also." It is true that the faith of parents is often reflected in the lives of their descendants. I wonder what kind of faith we are or will be transmitting to our children and grandchildren. -------In what country do you suppose the word "guardman" originated? It was neither England nor the United States. It was Japan. In English, "guard" may mean a person who watches over some thing to keep it safe, but adding "man" to this word is a Japanese innovation. A Japanese newspaper reported that a female "guardman" in a supermarket, called a 'supa-' in Japanese, caught a man in the act of shoplifting. The shoplifter himself was a veteran "guardman" who was employed at a different supermarket. We who condemn the duplicity of this man should reflect on our own lives and consider how different our actions sometimes are from our words. In Romans, chapter 2, it is written: "You teach others -- why don't you teach yourself? You preach, 'Do not steal' -- but do you steal?" It is much easier to preach than to do and at times the sins of others may serve as a mirror in which we may see ourselves. -------In English, there are various contractions for certain verbs followed by "not". For example, "is not" becomes "isn't", "are not" becomes "aren't", "has not" becomes "hasn't" and "have not" becomes "haven't", but most educated English speakers avoid the use of "ain't" as a contraction for "am not". Originally, it was acceptable to say "I ain't ready", but because it was misused in place of other contractions, resulting in such expressions as "that ain't true, they ain't here, I ain't got it" and so on, it has become an unacceptable term for most educators. In England, it is a considered acceptable to say "aren't I", but when the Englishman's pronunciation of the "r" sound is considered, there is little difference in pronunciation between "aren't I" and "ain't I". A living language continues to change. What once was considered vulgar or irregular may later gain general acceptance and vice versa. It is only dead languages, like dead people, that never change. As living individuals, we are constantly changing. The question is: as we changing for better or for worse? Are we developing and continuing to grow or are we deteriorating? Jesus warned that plants that do not grow and bear fruit will be destroyed. -------Certainly one of the most popular made-in-America expressions is "OK". As an adjective or adverb, it means "all right" or "correct". As a noun, it signifies an approval or endorsement. It may also be used as a verb, meaning to approve or endorse. There are many theories regarding the origin of this expression. It is said to have come from the initials of a railroad freight agent, Obadiah Kelly, who put his initials on bills of lading or from an Indian chief, Old Keokuk, who initialed peace treaties. It is said to denote timbers used for the outer keel by shipbuilders or to the Orrins-Kendall crackers that Union soldiers enjoyed during the Civil War. It is also said to have originated in Boston in 1838 as a humorous abbreviation of o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t, meaning "all correct". Or it may have its roots in an African language in which 'O ke', spelled O k-e, meant "all right", "that's it". In 1840, a Democratic "O.K. Club" was organized in New York City which supported Martin Van Buren, who was called Old Kinderhook, for president. Whatever the facts are regarding this expression, I hope that you are feeling OK today, that you will give your OK only to those things that are proper so that God will OK your conduct also. -------The word "prolific", spelled p-r-o-l-i-f-i-c, means producing many offspring or abundant results. Probably the most prolific of American inventors was Thomas Edison, who held over 1300 U.S. and foreign patents. When asked about the results of his research, he replied, "I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work." Edison's inventions that did work and still work include a telegraph, a telephone, a phonograph, an electric light and motion pictures. Edison had only three months of formal schooling before he became a newsboy at the age of twelve. Because of his inventive mind, he was considered a genius, but he himself said that "genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Never satisfied with his own achievements, he declared that "discontent is the first necessity of progress". "Show me a thoroughly satisfied man," he said, "and I'll show you a failure." The great men and women of history are those who were not content with the way things were. They were active in bringing about changes--hopefully for the better. The healthy mind is one that continues to develop, producing new ideas, challenging dead traditions and aspiring to something better. -------On this Japanese holiday, called Respect for the Aged Day, I will quote an Old Testament verse, Leviticus, chapter 19, verse 32, in three different translations. In the King James, or Authorized, Version, published in 1611, it reads: "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man." "Hoar", spelled h-o-a-r, is an old English word meaning white or grey so "hoarfrost" denotes white, frozen dew on the ground in cold weather. "Hoary" signifies something white or greyish, especially something or someone old. The New English Bible, published in 1961, translated this verse: "You shall rise in the presence of grey hairs, give honour to the aged." The Good News Bible, published in 1976, gives a looser translation: "Show respect for old people and honour them." Today is the day to honor the e1derly, but when does a person become "old"? That is a perennial question. I now have a "hoary head", but I don't feel old--at least most of the time. I am encouraged by the verse in Proverbs 16:31 that "grey hair is a crown of glory". We should not be saddened by our grey hairs. Rather, we should be thankful for God's blessings over the past many years when we discover them. -------Today, September 16th, is the Mexican Independence Day. On this day in 1810, the drive for Mexican independence from Spain began under the leadership of a Mexican priest. It took 11 years, however, for independence to be achieved. Indian civilizations developed in Mexico more than 2000 years ago and archaeologists continue to study the superior attainments of the Maya Indians, which include a written language, a calendar, astronomy and construction arts. In recent years the collapse of oil prices along with other problems have created a severe financial crisis for Mexico. About one-fourth of its labor force are engaged in agriculture and over ten percent of its population is illiterate. After studying Spanish for two years in high school and one year in college, I attended summer school at the University of Mexico and lived with a Mexican family in an elite area of Mexico City. At that time, I spoke Spanish fairly fluently, but since I have made no use of it over the past fifty years, I have almost completely forgotten it. If one does not continue to make use of an acquired language, one will forget it. Jesus taught, in one of his parables, that talents not used would be forfeited. -------One of the persistent problems that have plagued human society over the centuries is that of an irrational prejudice against others on the basis of ethnic, cultural or religious differences. Even today in the Balkans, the Mideast, Northern Ireland, the United States, Japan and other countries of the world, such prejudice is clearly evident. One of the reasons the Jewish people have often been the objects of discrimination is because their sense of being chosen by God resulted in their looking down upon their non-Jewish, or Gentile, neighbors. The Apostle Peter had such an attitude until he was given a special vision from God as recorded in the 10th chapter of The Acts of the Apostles. Following that vision, he entered the home of a Gentile for the first time in his life and began his sermon to those who had gathered there with these words: "I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him, no matter what race he belongs to." Christians especially should be good examples in this regard, showing nondiscriminatory love to all people, regardless of race, culture or religion following the example and teaching of their Lord. -------Between 1899 and 1902 the Boer War occurred in South Africa. Do you know what a boer is? Spelled b-o-e-r, it is the Dutch word for "farmer". In that South African War, Dutch farmers fought against British intruders. The English word "neighbor" is related to this word, literally meaning a farmer who is nigh, or near. In Dutch, 'boer' does not have a disparaging meaning, but the English word "boor", spelled b-o-o-r, does. It denotes a crude person with rude or clumsy manners. Some so-called cultured people who live in the city look down upon farmers from the country whom they consider unrefined, rustic or ill-mannered boors. God, who looks on the heart, however, would value the naivete and honesty of the rustic higher than the hypocrisy of the urbanite. -------Usually, I enjoy composing these daily messages for I, myself, learn many things in the process. But sometimes, it is frustrating and today, that was the case. According to one reference book at hand, September 19, 1796 was the date of the famous Farewell Address of America's first president, George Washington, so I decided to write about that address today and to quote some of its relevant parts. One problem was that another reference book I consulted gave the date of the address as September 18th. So I checked other sources and found that one of them confirmed the September 19th date, but three others gave the date of September 17th. I do not know which is correct, but I was surprised to find the statement in one book that the address was "published but never delivered". I did not find a copy of the address itself, but it is widely known that in it, Washington warned against permanent alliances with foreign powers, big public debt, a large military establishment and the devices of a "small, artful, enterprising minority" to control or change government. Obviously many subsequent presidents disagreed with him and American policy today is quite different from his ideals. -------Last month, an interesting picture in the newspaper attracted my attention. Its caption was "Amazing Maize Maze". Can you understand the meaning or guess what was in the picture? The photograph was taken from an airplane and showed the peculiar formation of a large cornfield in Shippensberg, a small town in south-central Pennsylvania. The town was holding its 10th annual corn festival and it expected this cornfield to gain entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. The cornfield had been fashioned into an intricate, confusing network of hedged pathways through which people could walk. In Japanese, this is called a 'meiro' or a 'meikyu', but in English, it is called a "maze", spelled m-a-z-e. Another name for the cereal plant called "corn" in the United States, or 'tomorokoshi' in Japan, is "maize", spelled m-a-i-z-e. Thus the picture caption was correct. It was indeed an "amazing maize maze". Incidentally, the word "corn" may denote a different cereal grain depending on the nationality of the speaker. In England, the word means wheat ('komugi') and in Scotland it signifies oats ('o-to mugi'). In Jesus' parables about sowing seed, the harvest depends upon both the kind of seed and the kind of soil. -------The earliest roads were simply animal paths followed by human beings. The Romans were the great road builders in the pre-Christian era and the basic engineering principles they used in the roads they built leading to and from Rome continue to be followed today. Most highways these days are made of concrete, but some roads are paved with asphalt mixed with crushed stone gravel or sand which is also called blacktop. A similar kind of road pavement, made up of layers of small broken stones combined with tar or asphalt, is called macadam, spelled m-a-c-a-d-a-m. This word comes from the name of the Scottish engineer who invented this method of paving roads. Many Scottish surnames begin with Mc or Mac, meaning "son of" and the surname McAdam means "son of Adam". According to the biblical story of creation, all men could be given this surname, but the engineer noted above, John Loudon McAdam, was born on September 21, 1756, 239 years ago today. When he was 14 years old, John was sent to live with an uncle in New York and stayed there until the end of the Revolutionary War. He returned to his native land a rich man and was appointed general surveyor of roads. It was to improve the condition of English roads that he developed the paving process which was named after him. -------What do you think is the opposite of "short"? When used of length, the opposite is "long", but when used of height, the opposite is "tall". A "short story" is a short piece of prose fiction having a single theme. In Japanese, it is called a 'tanpen shosetsu'. But do you know what a "tall story" is? It is not a long story, but a story that is difficult to believe, a 'shinjigatai hanashi' or a 'horabanashi'. Is a recent report in the China Information News a tall story? According to the report, short people tend to live longer than tall people. A 1993 survey showed that China's longest living man and woman were both dwarfs and that more than half of its centenarians were only about 1.5 meters tall. When riding the crowded trains of Tokyo over forty years ago, I recall that I was able to see over the heads of most of the other passengers, but the average height of Japanese has increased regularly since then. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. expressed his opinion that "Personal beauty requires that one should be tall; little people may have charm and elegance, but beauty--no." Contrariwise, in I Samuel 16:7, it is not external form but the internal beauty of the heart that attracts God's attention. -------For the major part of the first two years of our married life we lived in New York City, in a basement apartment in midtown Manhattan just west of Central Park. In those days (from mid-1949 to mid-1951), that was a quiet neighborhood. My wife worked in an office from Monday to Friday and I studied at the seminary during the day and attended evening classes once or twice a week at the graduate school of New York University. For a while, my wife also attended classes at the seminary on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings. On Sundays, we were involved in church activities both in the morning and in the evening. Consequently, we had little time to socialize with people in the neighborhood. As I recall, the only neighbors we got to know were our German landlord and his German wife who lived just above us on the first floor. Because of the convenient public transportation system in the metropolitan area, we had no trouble getting to our places of work and study. My wife took a bus down Broadway to her office on Fifth Avenue downtown and I went by subway to the seminary on the east side of the city. We also went to church by subway. -------The two main divisions of the Old Testament are the Law and the Prophets, but among the books not included in these two sections are certain writings known as Wisdom Literature. The main part of this group is the Book of Proverbs. The short, pithy sayings called proverbs, which are found among all peoples of the world, reflect the traditional wisdom handed down from generation to generation. A basic emphasis of the Old Testament book of Proverbs is the superior value of wisdom. In answer to the question of what is most important in life, some people would answer health, wealth, family or recognition by others, but the short poem found in Proverbs, chapter 3, verses 13-18 teaches that finding wisdom and gaining understanding is more precious than silver, gold or jewels. Wisdom, in the Biblical sense, includes a moral quality rooted in a relationship with God. In the materialistic, modern age, people are coming to realize that material affluence does not ensure happiness. On the other hand, the person with a healthy faith may find happiness even in unfortunate circumstances. In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman who brings life and peace to those who "lay hold of her". -------One kind of KER-nul is spelled just the way it sounds, k-e-r-n-e-l, and denotes a grain or seed. Another kind of KER-nul has a very irregular spelling: c-o-l-o-n-e-l. Do you know the meaning of this word and can you imagine why it is spelled like that? Rooted in a Latin word meaning column, in Italian, it signified a column of soldiers. In French, it received a little different pronunciation and denoted the commander of the column. The English word, derived from French, originally had an 'r' instead of the first 'l' and was pronounced with three syllables, but for some reason, apart from any known Japanese influence, the 'r' was replaced by an 'l' and became a two-syllable word. A colonel is a military officer and one colonel has become famous for his Kentucky Fried Chicken. -------The manner in which one behaves or conducts oneself is called behavior. Behaviorism is a school of psychology that seeks to explain human and animal behavior simply in terms of responses to stimuli. Behaviorists maintain that environment is the determining factor in behavior. The Russian physiologist whose experiments related to conditioned reflexes played an important role in behaviorist's theories, the first Russian to receive a Nobel prize, was born 146 years ago today, on September 26,1849. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was director of the physiology department at the Institute for Experimental Medicine in Leningrad. An experiment for which he is famous is related to dogs. A bell was rung whenever dogs were fed. Eventually the salivary glands of the dogs would begin to function whenever they heard the bell ring even if they were not given food. In such autocratic regimes as the U.S.S.R., where people were sometimes treated like animals, such conditioned reflexes were skillfully used by the dictatorial government. From the Christian viewpoint, personal behavior is not determined solely by one's environment. Even a prisoner is able to make moral choices on the basis of conscience or faith. -------Within most human bones there is a soft tissue called marrow spelled m-a-r-r-o-w. If a person says he or she is touched "to the marrow of my bones", it denotes an extremely deep feeling. It was this expression that General Douglas MacArthur used to describe his reaction to the words of Emperor Hirohito upon their first, historic meeting that occurred just fifty years ago today. The General's staff had advised him to summon the Emperor to his office and to put him on trial as a war criminal. MacArthur resisted such counsel in consideration of the feelings of the Japanese people. "I shall wait and in time the Emperor will voluntarily come to see me," he replied. "In this case, the patience of the East rather than the haste of the West will best serve our purpose." So it was that on September 27,1945 the Emperor presented himself to the General. Rejecting the advice of his personal adviser not to assume any responsibility for the war, he made the surprising statement that he bore the "sole responsibility for every political and military decision made and action taken by my people in the conduct of this war." It was this statement that so moved the General who called him "the First Gentleman of Japan." -------According to a reference book, it was 250 years ago today, on September 28,1745 that the British national anthem was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre. Do you know the name of this song? The name is said to have been taken from a Latin phrase used in a church ritual, but it is also found in the King James translation of the Bible in I Samuel 10:24, where it is written: "And all the people shouted and said, God save the king." In modern English translations, the shouted words have been changed to: "Long live the king" which a modern Japanese translation renders 'Osama banzai'. The words of the British song are changed depending upon whether a king or queen is reigning at the particular time. In the United States, the same tune used for the British anthem is used for the song entitled "America", which begins with the words, "My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing." In place of the phrase "God save the King" in the British song, the American song has the words: "Let freedom ring." Certain characteristics of a nation may be seen in the song it has chosen for its anthem. As you may know, the American national anthem focuses on the meaning of its flag, called "The Star-Spangled Banner". -------It is well known that one of the most offensive policies of the Japanese government during its colonial rule of Korea was its insistence that Koreans adopt Japanese names, but it is not generally known that forced name changes has continued to be a policy of a modern government in the Middle East. Jewish leaders of the state of Israel immigrated from various countries. When they arrived in the new nation, their family names reflected the language of their native lands. Until now, it has been the policy of the Israeli government to require its official representatives to adopt Hebrew names. The custom was established by Israel's founder and first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, whose original family name was Green. His protege, Shimon Persky, the present Foreign Minister, followed suit and changed his name to Peres. Former Prime Ministers Golda Meir and Yitzhak Shamir likewise changed their names from Meyerson and Yzernitzky respectively. It is now recognized that such forced name changes are violations of basic human rights so they are no longer required but still advised. An important name change in the Bible is that recorded in Genesis, chapter 32, where Jacob's name was changed to Israel. -------During the first two years of our married life, my wife and I lived in a basement apartment in New York City just west of Central Park, a 340 hectare tract of land in the middle of Manhattan Island. In that nicely-landscaped area, there were footpaths and a variety of recreational facilities, including a zoo, a lake on which boats could be rowed, an outdoor theater, a skating rink and tennis courts. Although at that time, it was safe to walk in the park even at night, we seldom went there because we were so busy. On weekdays, my wife left early to go by bus to her office and I took subways to my seminary and graduate school. Saturday was the day for shopping. We regularly walked to a large grocery store where we tried to purchase most of the food needed for the coming week. It was very tiring to carry the large paper bags filled with food the two long blocks to our apartment. On Sundays, we were occupied with church activities. My assignment was to a Presbyterian Church in the borough of Queens, where my responsibility was to lead the youth activities in the evening and teach in the Sunday School in the morning, but when the pastor retired, I also served as a temporary pastor until a new pastor was called. -------The original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew while that of the New Testament is Greek. For centuries until the Protestant Reformation, a Latin translation of the Bible was used by the educated elite, but it was not translated into vernacular languages. The situation is very different now when there are many translations in both English and Japanese. An interesting modern translation of Proverbs 4: 13 is: "Always remember what you have learnt. Your education is your life--guard it well." There are different ideas regarding the proper content of a child's education and of the education method. The Chinese character for "teach" originally pictured a whip in the hand of the teacher who forced a child to submit to instruction, but the English word "educate" comes from Latin words meaning to educe or "lead out". Different philosophies of education lie behind these different words. At times, a forcible insertion of knowledge into minds of pupils may be necessary, but it is important to stimulate students to express themselves and reveal what is in their minds. A key concept of the book of Proverbs, noted in chapter 1, verse 7 and chapter 9, verse 10, is that true knowledge or wisdom is based on a healthy reverence for God. -------An apron, spelled a-p-r-o-n, is a garment worn over the front of the body to protect one's clothes. It is a kind of large napkin. In fact, these two words share the same root. In Old English, "apron" began with an "n". It was a "napron". It is one example of a number of words whose spelling has changed as a result of an initial "n" becoming combined with the indefinite article preceding it. Thus, "a napron" became "an apron". The same thing happened in the case of the words "adder", "auger" and "umpire". Originally a "numpire" denoted an uneven number, a third person chosen to render a decision in a dispute. In modern sports, official decision-makers in baseball, cricket and tennis are called "umpires", but in football, basketball, hockey and boxing, they are called "referees". -------Today is a special day in the Netherlands, commemorating the lifting of the siege of Leiden 421 years ago on October 3, 1574. The city of Leiden is an historic textile center and site of the oldest university in the country. It played a prominent role in the revolt against Spanish rule in the 16th century. A 4-month siege of the city by the Spaniards ended when the surrounding land was flooded by cutting the dikes which permitted Dutch boats to bring in relief supplies. It is also reported that a tempest, which would be called a kamikaze in Japanese, carried the Spanish fleet out into the ocean. This Leiden Day is also observed by the Holland Society of New York. It has become our custom to hold a meeting of "Daily Word" fans on the 5th Sunday of the month. On October 29th, we plan to hold the 60th such meeting at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae--a couple of days before the day commemorating the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Among various kinds of reformations are the political and economic reformations now under way in Japan. "Reformation" will be the theme of our meeting and we will be interested to hear your thoughts on this subject. -------A tiny tourist town in the southeastern corner of the U. S. state of Idaho bears the interesting name of Lava Hot Springs. Unlike names of many American towns and cities, it is easy to guess why it was given such a name. Lava, the molten rock that issues from a volcano, is often found in an area where there are hot springs, or 'onsen'. In this rural town, there is an establishment called the Ligertown Game Farm. (The word liger, spelled l-i-g-e-r, is an unconventional word denoting the hybrid offspring of a lion and a tiger.) Within its wire-enclosed compound are kept about 50 lions, tigers and ligers. Two weeks ago, the owner of the land adjacent to Ligertown saw a lion stalking his farm animals. He shot it and called the police. It was learned that 16 African lions had escaped from the farm and parents were advised not to send their children to school the next morning. Sheriff's deputies, Fish and Game officers and State Police troopers hunted down the fugitive lions and killed them all. While living, a lion is a majestic, ferocious beast, more highly prized than a dog, but as an Old Testament philosopher wrote in Ecclesiastes 9:4, "a living dog is better than a dead lion." -------I'm sure you know what 'shakkuri' means, but you may not know the Chinese character for this word which consists of a mouth or 'kuchi' on the left side with the difficult character for year or 'toshi' on the right. Do you know the English word for 'shakkuri'? We say hiccup, spelled h-i-c-c-u-p. A variant spelling is h-i-c-c-o-u-g-h, but the pronunciation is the same. One day a woman entered a beauty salon and asked one of the hair stylists, "Do you know how to stop hiccups? " "Sit down," the hair stylist answered, "I'll be right back and show you." She then went to the shampoo bowl, soaked a towel in cold water, came back and smacked the lady in the face with it. The astonished woman jumped out of the chair screaming, "Why did you do that?" The stylist replied with a smile, "You don't have the hiccups now, do you?" "No, I don't," was her reply, "but I didn't have them when I came in here, either. My mother is sitting outside in the car and is very upset because she has a stubborn case of hiccups. Would you care to go out there and smack HER face with a wet towel?" This humorous tale teaches us to be sure we understand the true situation before we take drastic action. -------A recent newspaper article related the experience of Rob Campbell, who was identified as a British bouncer. The common meaning of "bounce" is to rebound, which is what a rubber ball does when it is dropped on a hard surface, but another meaning is to expel someone by force. A "bouncer" is a person employed to expel disorderly persons from a public place. Pubs, bars, taverns and other places where alcoholic beverages are available often employ bouncers. The article said that this 29-year-old bouncer had purchased a lottery ticket, stuffed it in his jeans' pocket and forgot about it. Just before putting the jeans in the washing machine, he discovered the crumpled ticket and handed it to his girlfriend. She checked the numbers and found out that he had hit the jackpot. He became an instant millionaire when he received the 1.4-million-pound prize, about ¥217 million. After reading this article, I wondered what I would do with a couple hundred million yen if I suddenly received it. What would you do with such a windfall? How we used it would reflect our basic priorities and our personal character. Material wealth can be either a bane or a blessing, depending on how it is used. -------All of the 50 states in the United States of America have a nickname beside their official name. New York's nickname is the Empire State. The 102-story tall Empire State Building is the tallest building in the state and, for many years, was also the tallest building in the world. People who visit New York City as tourists or sightseers usually make it a point to view the surrounding area from its famous observatory. I did so during my first year at seminary before I was married. When I brought my bride to New York City, naturally I expected to take her there sometime, too. In fact, she passed directly in front of that building daily on the bus ride to her office. Because we lived in the city and could visit the building anytime, however, we felt no urgency about doing so. As a result, I am embarrassed to say that during our two year stay in the city, we never got around to visiting that famous place. Twelve years later, on a return trip to the U. S. by way of Europe, we landed in New York City with our three children. After spending the night in a dormitory room of my old seminary, we went to the Empire State Building the next day as a family and my wife finally was able to go inside and take an elevator to the top. -------A problem being discussed in Japan these days is related to the proper role of government in regard to religion. This difficult problem, which is troubling many nations of the world today, has had a peculiar history in this country, where, in the past, religion has been rigidly controlled by government. Japanese Christians, along with sincere believers of other religions, are sometimes faced with the dilemma of how to combine obligations of a responsible citizen and a conscientious believer when they are confronted with conflicting demands. In the first 7 verses of the 13th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul presents one side of this issue. There he teaches that all human authorities are finally under God's superintendence and should be obeyed. In both nature and human society, orderliness is preferable to chaos, so state authorities should be obeyed. But this emphasis must be balanced by Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 6 that no one can serve two different masters and that we should be concerned first of all about the Kingdom of God. We also must recall the courageous statement of the apostles to the Jewish authorities in Acts 5:29, that "We must obey God, not men." -------These days, the word "stereo", spelled s-t-e-r-e-o, is used for a particular kind of sound-reproduction system. It is the abbreviation of stereophonic sound and comes from a Greek word meaning "solid" which is used in II Timothy 2:19, in reference to the sure, solid or firm foundation that God has laid. In English, stereo may mean "three-dimensional". A stereograph is a picture designed to give a three-dimensional effect when viewed through a stereoscope. A stereophonic sound-reproduction system is a system that uses two or more separate channels to give a more natural distribution of sound. A stereotype is a metal printing plate that is repeatedly used, but it may also denote a fixed, conventional expression or opinion which is oversimplified and should be avoided. -------Thirty-one years ago today, on October 10, 1964, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics was held. Two years later, this 10th day of October was designated a national holiday called Physical Education Day or Sports Day. In Taiwan, this "Double Tenth Day" is a holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic of Sun YatSen on October 10, 1911, which marked the end of China's imperial dynasty. In South Africa also, today is a national holiday commemorating the birth of Paul Kruger, a pioneer, soldier, farmer and statesman, who was born on this day in 1825. As a child, he accompanied his family in the Great Trek north from the Cape Colony and eventually became a leader of the Dutch-speaking republic which was established beyond the Vaal River. When Great Britain annexed the Transvaal, he at first cooperated with the British, but later opposed their policies and served as president of the independent Boer republic from 1883 to 1898 and sided with the Boers in the Boer War. Today, one of the world's largest wildlife sanctuaries, the Kruger National Park, is named in his honor along with a South African gold coin called the Krugerrand. -------The following announcements are for the benefit of new listeners to these telephone messages. For those listeners who want to read the messages as well as listen to them, every Thursday, I mail printed copies of the messages for the following week to those who send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope plus ¥30 in stamps for each week of messages desired. Japanese translations of the previous week's messages are also available for an extra ¥30 per copy. Listeners living in the Nagoya area may also be interested to know that I teach a Bible Class on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings of the month at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan across from the Watchman (Uocchiman) Building at Sakae. From 6:30 to 7:30 I teach in Japanese and from 7:30 to 8:30, the same Bible passage is reviewed in English. Those interested are invited to attend either or both of these sessions. I also transmit a daily, Bible-related telephone message from my church in the city of Takahama (telephone number: 0566-52-2732) and a book containing these messages was published last year by the Kirisuto Shinbunsha under the title: Kokoro no Sanpomichi. This is "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Many Scottish or Irish surnames begin with the prefix M-a-c, M-c or simply M'. They are all pronounced the same and mean "son of". Thus, the surname "MacArthur" was originally given to a son of Arthur just as "MacDonald" was the son of Donald. A world-famous hamburger chain store now bears this name, but do you know whether it begins with an "M-a-c" or an "M-c"? Today is the 129th anniversary of the birth of the famous British statesman, Ramsay MacDonald, who was born in Scotland, the illegitimate son of a servant, on October 12, 1866. As a young man, he went to London, joined the newly formed Independent Labour Party and became its leader in the House of Commons. Because of his pacifist position and his opposition to Britain's participation in the World War, he lost his seat in Parliament. After his reelection, he became the first prime minister of a Labour government in 1924. Five years later, he was again elected prime minister, but in both cases, his minority government could not enact strong socialist measures. When he headed a coalition government which included the Conservatives, his influence was lessened further, similar to that of Japan's socialist leader of a coalition government today. -------What do you associate with the name "Westminster"? Your answer may depend on whether you are interested in geography, religion or politics. As a matter of fact, there are cities in five different American states with this name, but most people would think first of a borough of London located on the Thames River. Members of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches will think of the Westminster Confession, the most important creedal statement of English-speaking Calvinism which was formulated by theologians at the Westminster Assembly whose sessions lasted from 1643-1649. The Westminster Cathedral is the most important Roman Catholic church in England. A cathedral is a church which contains the cathedral or official throne of a bishop, but an abbey is a church connected to a monastery and the famous Westminster Abbey was originally connected to a Benedictine monastery. The present Gothic structure bearing that name and related to the Church of England is the place where English monarchs are crowned and where many famous people are buried. The enormous structure, also in Gothic design, called the Westminster Palace is the seat of the British government and is also known as the Houses of Parliament. -------Since I got married following the first year of a three year seminary course, it was expected that my wife would be the breadwinner for the first two years of our married life. So it was that her salary paid the rent and put food on our table while we lived in New York City. During the one summer we were there, however, when I had no classes to attend, I tried to add to our financial stability by working as a salesman. I joined the sales force of a company that produced an 8-volume set of books called The Book of Life. The main section of these books contained the classical, King James Version of the Bible accompanied by famous works of art, photographs, poems and other supplementary materials. After attending an introductory session for new salesmen where I was taught certain selling techniques, I tried to put them into practice. Personally, I was convinced of the value of the set and purchased one for my own home. First, I visited pastors or Sunday School superintendents and explained to them the outstanding, worthwhile aspects of the set and then asked for introductions to people in their churches who might be interested or where they thought such a set would be helpful. I will continue this story in next Saturday's message. -------Early this year, following the disastrous earthquake in the Kobe area, both money and daily necessities were contributed by people in Japan and other countries. Giving practical help to those in need is a humanitarian act that is encouraged by all true religions. In order to relieve the suffering of others, it is not unusual for poor people to be more generous, comparatively speaking, than the rich. In the 8th chapter of his Second Letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul urged his readers, whom he considered "rich", to contribute to the needs of the poor people in Judea. He noted the example of the churches in Macedonia who "were extremely generous in their giving even though they are very poor" [2] and explained further that "First they gave themselves to the Lord" [5]. He then reminded his readers of "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" who made himself poor that they might become rich [9]. Voluntary gifts to help suffering people is based on some kind of faith. For Christians, the basic example to follow in regard to attitudes and actions toward others--whether neighbors, friends, enemies or anyone suffering is the example of Jesus Christ who manifested God's love by sacrificing himself for others. -------This third Monday of October is a state holiday in what is geographically the largest of the fifty states in the U.S.A. Do you know which one it is? The holiday commemorates the official transfer of this land to the United States 128 years ago, on October 18, 1867, from Russia. Until it was purchased for seven million dollars, it was called Russian America, but after the transfer, it became known as Alaska, from an Eskimo word meaning "mainland" or "great land". Like Hawaii, Alaska is separated from the mainland of the United States, but it is separated by land rather than by water. Its area is equal to one-fifth of the continental U.S. and it entered the Union as the 49th state in 1959 seven months before Hawaii became the 50th state. -------The Japanese police box, or 'koban'-system, is well-known around the world for its community orientation. Now, it has added to its fame by stationing police officers who are literate in sign-language in dozens of locations near busy terminals. A recent article reported that there are presently 48 officers in 40 'koban' in 14 prefectures who can communicate with deaf people using sign-language and more are undergoing training. Until now, communication with the deaf was limited to writing, which seems too businesslike. Speaking with their hands is more informal and puts deaf people at ease. Most of the sign-language communication is related to giving directions, but reporting of crimes or damages is also made easier. On Sunday afternoon, October 29th, at 1:30, we will hold a meeting of listeners to or readers of this "Daily Word" telephone service at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae. That is Reformation Sunday and the theme for the meeting is "Reformation". Political reformation, bureaucratic reformation, educational reformation, economic reformation and religious reformation are all now under consideration and we would be interested in hearing your views on any of them if you are able to attend. -------In 1493, on his second trip across the Atlantic Ocean Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Puerto Rico and a group of islands to the east, which form the boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. He named one part of these Leeward Islands the Virgin Islands. These islands are now divided between the United Kingdom and the United States. Those belonging to the latter, nine main islands and about 75 smaller ones, were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million. Between the months of August and October, these islands are often hit by hurricanes. In the fall of 1726, when the islands were still under Danish rule, a Hurricane Thanksgiving Service was conducted in a Lutheran Church on the island of St. Thomas to thank God the island had been spared destruction from hurricanes. Since then, celebrating the end of the hurricane season has become an annual tradition. Hurricane Thanksgiving Day is now a public holiday throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. On this day, residents go to church to give thanks to God. Some people often complain about the weather, but how many of us fail to give thanks when the weather is fine? -------When you hear the word "tea", what comes to your mind? The answer may depend on your national or cultural background. In England, "tea" is used to mean an afternoon refreshment, usually consisting of sandwiches and cakes served with tea. In America, it may denote a social gathering at which tea is taken. In those countries, the tea on hand would be the kind of black tea associated with India. To produce this kind of beverage, the tea leaves are fermented after being dried, but the green tea common to China and Japan is made with unfermented leaves. Are you acquainted with the following English expressions related to tea? A person's "cup of tea" means that which a person likes, is interested in or can do well. I may say that composing these daily messages is my cup of tea. On the other hand, "another cup of tea" signifies something entirely different than what was previously mentioned. It means the same as a "different kettle of fish". I may say that, for me, composing haiku is another cup of tea. Finally, I might state that I would not give up my faith for "all the tea in China", which means I would refuse to do that no matter how great the reward or compensation. -------An archipelago is a large group of islands. Japan is an archipelago having four main islands and many smaller islands surrounding them. The Ryukyu archipelago, part of the so-called Southwest Islands ('nansei shoto') was incorporated into the Japanese empire in 1879. Over the years, this group of islands seem to have been neglected by the national government, but now Okinawa and the U.S. military bases located there are again attracting national attention. In the north, Russia continues to occupy a few islands off the coast of Hokkaido, so where to draw the boundary line around Japan is a problem. How many and which islands are to be included in this archipelago? Countries on a continent are faced with a different set of problems about where to draw boundary lines but wars and tensions regarding national boundaries in Europe, the Mideast and Africa continue today. The eastern boundary between the United States and Canada is formed by rivers and lakes, but the western boundary was determined by an agreement signed between Britain and the U.S. 177 years ago today, on October 20, 1818. The boundary was fixed at the 49th parallel, or 'isen', and there it has remained until now. A famous poem by Robert Frost ends with these words: "Good fences make good neighbors." -------As noted in last Saturday's message, during the one summer vacation I remained in New York City while attending schools there, I became a salesman for a company that published a beautiful 8-volume set of Bible books that would be a valuable addition to the library of any Christian home. I was a kind of book peddler, but I did not visit homes indiscriminately. I went to the homes of families suggested by pastors or Sunday School teachers to whom I had explained the unique character and value of that set of books. Consequently, I was not usually turned away at the door, but invited in to make my presentation of how beneficial the books would be in their home. Because the set was expensive, most parents took time to think before making a decision. Of course, I tried to guide their thinking in the right direction and did succeed in selling a number of sets of books, but the experience made me realize that I did not have the natural gift of a salesman. I found it difficult to press people into a decision. I simply presented the case which seemed persuasive to me and let them decide for themselves. And that is the way I still preach and teach--giving my witness and letting the listener freely decide how to respond. -------A miracle is an event that appears unexplainable as a natural phenomenon. As human understanding advances, however, events which were considered miraculous in the past may be given natural explanations later. Also, some events of ancient times have been embellished over the years. In the Bible, two crucial events are surrounded by miraculous stories: the salvation of the Israelites from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, related in the Old Testament book of Exodus, and the salvation provided through Jesus, the Christ, narrated in the New Testament Gospels. In both cases, it is emphasized that, finally, human salvation depends upon the action of God. In the story related in Exodus, chapter 14, the Israelites were in a desperate situation after escaping from Egypt. In front of them was the Red Sea and behind them were the advancing Egyptian troops. At that time, according to verses 13-14, Moses gave them the assuring words: "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today." "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still." However the subsequent events are explained, the story teaches that, finally, human salvation depends upon the intervention of God. -------A minute is literally one-sixtieth of an hour and a second is one-sixtieth of a minute, but generally speaking the phrases "wait a minute" and "wait a second" have the same meaning. Likewise, although an "instant" seems a tad shorter than a "moment", to tell someone to "wait an instant" or "wait a moment" also have the same implication. Actually, the word "moment" comes from the Latin word, momentum, which does not denote time, but motion, as does its English transliteration. But "moment" may also have the meaning of "outstanding significance or value, importance". Thus, it is possible that by listening to or reading one of these "Daily Word" messages for a moment, you may learn something of great moment. In fact, I hope that, sometimes, that does happen. -------Today, October 24th, is known as United Nations Day and in a few countries, it is celebrated as a national holiday. Fifty years ago today, in 1945, the United Nations officially came into existence when the required number of states had ratified the Charter which had been drafted in San Francisco earlier that year. The term "United Nations" was first used officially on January 1, 1942 when 26 nations united in the war against Germany, Italy and Japan pledged to continue their joint war effort and not to make peace separately. Now, there are various proposals to reform the United Nations organization in various ways, including the membership of the Security Council. Reformation--in relation to politics, economics, education or religion will be the theme of our "Daily Word" meeting on Sunday afternoon, which is celebrated as Reformation Sunday in some Protestant churches. The time is 1:30 and the place is the Nagoya City Kyoikukan near Sakae. You are invited to attend and enjoy the time of fellowship in English. My wife and I will be happy to meet you there. Following that meeting, I will preach in English at the Nagoya Union Church worship service to which you are also invited. -------According to the classical (King James) translation of the Bible, in the Song of Solomon, chapter 2, verse 12, signs of the coming of spring include the appearance of flowers, the singing of birds and "the voice of the turtle". I have never heard a turtle's voice, have you? In the same translation of Jeremiah 8:7, turtles are associated with storks, cranes and swallows. The reason is that in the days of King James, "turtle" was the name of a bird, which is now called a turtledove. In modern English, a turtle is a reptile with toothless jaws and a hard shell into which its head, legs and tail can be withdrawn. Turtles can live on land or in the water. A turtle that lives on land may also be called a tortoise. In 1960, Malcolm Edwards, who lives near London, England, received a tortoise as a present on his 8th birthday. He named it Chester and his father painted an identifying mark on its shell with white paint. Chester escaped from his pen, however, and was never seen again--until a couple of weeks ago when he was discovered in a grassy area near a local church, about 150 meters away from Malcolm's home. Now, 35 years later, Chester after being polished and fed, has returned home. -------Various words may be used to describe something or someone that is beautiful. "Pretty" implies a dainty, delicate or graceful quality with a connotation of femininity. "Handsome", spelled h-a-n-d-s-o-m-e, implies attractiveness by reason of pleasing proportions, symmetry or elegance with a connotation of masculinity. A lady may be pretty, but a gentleman is handsome. Another word pronounced 'haensam' is spelled h-a-n-s-o-m. It denotes a two-wheeled covered carriage for two passengers pulled by one horse with the driver's seat above and behind the cab. It is also called a hansom cab and was very popular in London before the introduction of taxicabs early in the 20th century. It was named after James Aloysius Hansom, the inventor of an earlier model of the cab in 1834. Hansom was an architect who designed the Birmingham town hall the previous year and today, October 26th, is the 192nd anniversary of his birth in 1803. You are invited to attend the meeting of "Daily Word" fans on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Kyoikukan at Sakae. The theme for the meeting is "Reformation". What do you think about political, economic, educational or religious reformation and why it is needed? -------In an orchestra, there are both string and wind instruments -- violins and trumpets. Newspaper articles on these two instruments appeared on two successive days a couple of weeks ago. The first one reported that "the clear, ringing notes of a trumpet soaring over the orchestra could be damaging the eyes of the musicians who labor to produce them." An ophthalmologist indicated that pressure in the eye increases when musicians strain to force air through their horns and such pressure may result in glaucoma and ultimately blindness. The second article reported on the tests scientists had conducted on the brains of musicians. Parts of the brain receive signals from the fingers and brains of people who play violins form complex circuits as a result of their finger movements. More dexterity is required for the left hand than for the right, but research showed that violinists who began playing before the age of 12 showed a remarkable development in brain circuitry compared with those who started playing later. So to become a violin virtuoso, it is recommended that one begin playing before becoming a teen-ager. In the 150th Psalm, both string and wind instruments are included in the admonition to "Praise the Lord". -------Two of the five boroughs of New York City are located on Long Island: Brooklyn and Queens. My first year in seminary, I worked in a church in Brooklyn and my second and third year, I served a church in Queens. While selling books during the one summer I was in the city, I also went to these two boroughs, but only on one occasion did we visit the famous Coney Island amusement center in south Brooklyn. It was that summer, when my cousin and her husband stopped in for a visit. They had gotten married a year before us and he was enrolled in Princeton Seminary in New Jersey, about 75 kilometers away. Together, we went to Coney Island and enjoyed walking around, looking through the shops and going on some rides. It was there that my wife had an experience she has never forgotten. For the first time in her life, she rode on a roller coaster and, for her, it was a frightful experience. A roller coaster is a small elevated railway with open passenger cars. The sharp curves and sudden, long, steep descents are supposed to thrill the passengers, but sitting in the front seat of the train and feeling pulled out of her seat by gravity as the train plummeted downward was terrifying and she vowed never to go on a roller coaster again and that is a vow I'm sure she has kept. -------A theist is a person who believes there is a divine being separate from the material world. An atheist is one who believes that there is no such being. Both theism and atheism are based on faith. Each individual may choose which faith is most reasonable or most satisfactorily explains the obvious orderliness and purposefulness of the universe and human life to him or her. The faith of some ancient poets is expressed in the Old Testament Psalms. In the 8th Psalm, the poet writes of the greatness of God which is seen in all the world. Evidently, he experienced a feeling of awe as he looked up at the sky on a clear night and observed the moon and the stars, which he believed were created and placed there by God. In contrast with such grandeur, he recognized how insignificant human beings were but also recognized them as the crown of God's creation and the special focus of God's attention. Japanese writers also express feelings of awe as they reflect on the beauty and power of natural phenomena, which are often identifed with 'kami' rather than viewed as the creation of God. When you look up at the sky on a clear night, what is your feeling? What kind of faith do you consider most satisfactory? -------I'm not sure I can explain the difference among the Japanese expressions pika-pika, kira-kira, chira-chira and chika-chika but it seems that all of them may be used to translate the English word "twinkle" when used of the tiny, flickering light of stars. A famous children's poem begins with the words, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!" We may also say that a person's eyes twinkle and the expression "the twinkling of an eye" means a very short time, an instant. This expression comes from the New Testament book of I Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 52, where it is written that in the future resurrection, our bodies will be changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" to enable us to enter the eternal, spiritual abode of the risen Christ. -------On October 31, 1517, 478 years ago today, a German priest posted 95 theses, written in Latin, on the door of his church in a German town. His purpose was to stimulate debate on the practice of selling indulgences, which he considered wrong. An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Church doctrine, is the remission of punishment for sins that have been ritually forgiven. These theses of Martin Luther, who was also a university professor of Bible, were quickly translated into German and circulated over a wide area. They provided the spark that ignited the movement known as the Protestant Reformation and today is called Reformation Day. A healthy religious faith encourages reformation in many areas of life--including inner thoughts and outward actions. Recently, as the limitations of political, economic, educational as well as religious traditions in Japan have become evident, reformations are now being considered. What are your thoughts on these attempts at reform and why they are needed. If you write a short English essay on this theme and send it to me, I will correct it and print it in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is; "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------According to a 1994 reference book, there are 184 members of the United Nations Organization. In that list of member countries, there are six that have the word "and" in their official name. Other than Bosnia and Hercegovina in eastern Europe whose nationhood is still in doubt, the coupled names identify major islands of island nations. Four of these nations are in the West Indies, the archipelago between North and South America that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. In one of those nations, Antigua and Barbuda, today is the national day, celebrating the 14th anniversary of their independence from Great Britain which was granted on November 1, 1981. Antigua was discovered by Columbus in 1493 and named after the Church of Santa Maria la Antigua in Seville, Spain. This island is about half the size of Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture and Barbuda is a little more than half the size of Antigua. The combined population of these two islands is about 100,000. The major products of the islands are cotton, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers and mangoes and the major industry is tourism, which accounts for 60% of their economic activity. -------The word "rogue", spelled r-o-g-u-e, originally denoted a wandering beggar or tramp, a vagabond. Now commonly used to denote a rascal or scoundrel, it may also be used frivolously for a fun-loving, mischievous person. A "rogues' gallery" is a collection of photographs of criminals kept on file by police and used for making identifications. It was on November 2, 1871, 124 years ago today, that all prisoners in Great Britain were photographed and the rogues' gallery was established. In American post offices or other public places, we may see photographs of people wanted by the police, but I was surprised recently to see a picture of myself prominently displayed in a popular bookstore along with the store's recommendation of my book of Japanese telephone messages, 'Kokoro no Sanpomichi', which was placed beneath the sign. When I located the manager to thank him for the special display, I informed him of the two books that have been published containing these English "Daily Word" telephone messages -- one for university students and the other for high school students (by Hokuseido and Biseisha, respectively), so those books have been added to the display along with cards advertising this telephone service. -------Braille, or 'tenji' in Japanese, is a system of writing and printing for the blind, in which varied arrangements of raised dots representing letters and numerals can be identified by touch. This word is derived from the name of Louis Braille, the Frenchman who devised the system. Braille may be used to write in any language, but Yuji Teranishi, who lives in Tenpaku Ku in Nagoya produces Japan's only English language Braille periodical. "The Japan Braille News", a monthly publication, which includes English translations of Japanese literature and news related to Japan, is mailed to some 600 subscribers in 49 countries. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this publication, an international conference to exchange information for the blind in Asian countries will be held at the Nagoya International Center on November 18 and 19. Further information regarding the conference may be obtained by calling Mr. Teranishi at 052-802-5211. Incidentally, through the volunteer efforts of a couple of listeners to these "Daily Word" messages, both voice tapes and Braille copies of the messages are available at the English Library for the Blind at St. Michael's International School in Chuo Ku, Kobe. -------In Japan, it is customary for children to return to their family homes at the 'obon' and New Year seasons. In my American tradition, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas are the traditional times for family reunions. Following our June wedding, my wife and I went to New York City at the end of the summer and began our new life there. I was busy at school; she was busy at her office and both of us participated in church activities and responsibilities on weekends. During our two years there, we returned to our homes in the Chicago area on two occasions. The first time was during the Christmas-New Year vacation. It was at that time that I boarded an airplane for the first time. (My wife had flown with her parents from Chicago to the Washington D.C. area for her brother's wedding a couple of years earlier.) For that initial airplane trip for me, I ordered our reduced fare tickets on a small airline whose advertisements we had heard on the radio. The airline was called "The Flying Irishman" and, even though we were a bit dubious about its service, the tickets were cheap and that was a decisive factor at that time. Eagerly anticipating this first trip home as man and wife, we were disappointed at the two hour wait at the airport, but we did arrive safely and joyfully split the holidays between our two families. -------Literally, the word "reform" means to form again but it is commonly used to denote an improvement made by correcting or abolishing defects and introducing changes to make things better. Commercial enterprises continually seek to improve their products to meet changing conditions. The traditional ways of thinking and activities of religious groups also should be open to reformation. One branch of modern Judaism is called Reform Judaism and Christian churches that follow the teachings of John Calvin are commonly designated "Reformed". When spelled with a capital R, "Reformation" denotes the 16th century movement that sought to stimulate reformation in the Roman Catholic Church but resulted in the formation of Protestant churches instead. The Old Testament book of II Kings, chapters 22 and 23, contain the story of a reformation that occurred in Jewish life and worship in the 7th century B.C. under King Josiah. The discovery of an old book of the Law while the temple was being repaired stimulated many reforms by the conscientious king. Sincere religious and political leaders should always be sensitive to new discoveries or social changes and adapt or reform their messages and methods accordingly. -------Today, we will consider the word "naught" and its relationship to "naughty". First, "naught" may be spelled either n-a-u-g-h-t or n-o-u-g-h-t. Second, it means "nothing" and may be used to denote a cipher or zero, as does the word "aught", spelled a-u-g-h-t. Originally, "naughty" meant something worth naught, which is to say, worthless or "good for nothing". Nowadays, "naughty" denotes disobedient or mischievous, indecent or improper behavior. It is often used in relation to children, but may refer to certain adults as well. According to the King James Version of Proverbs 6:12, "A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth", but Today's English Version gives the following translation: "Worthless, wicked people go around telling lies." -------Following a meeting of the listeners to or readers of these telephone messages, usually held on the afternoon of the fifth Sunday of a month, it has become my custom to suggest a theme in Tuesday messages on which listeners or readers are invited to write a short English essay. I correct those essays sent to me and print them in "Daily Word" Echoes, a periodical which is available at the next meeting. By keeping a copy of the original manuscript and comparing it with the printed essay, writers may note the corrections made. The themes are meant to stimulate people to think (as are the regular messages) as well as to write. Though you may consider today's theme a bit frivolous, it is also meant to make you think. The question is: why is a piece of green plastic with jagged edges placed in trays of sushi? Is it necessary? Does it serve a useful purpose or is it simply another example of an old Japanese custom that has lost its original, natural significance and is maintained in a fabricated form just to keep a tradition? Should the practice be continued or abolished? What do you think and why? This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Today is the anniversary of the official admission of the 41st state to the U. S. A., which occurred 106 years ago on November 8, 1889. With an area approximately the same as Japan, this state is the 4th largest in the Union, following Alaska, Texas and California, but in regard to population, it ranks 44th. The many mountains in the western part of the state are the reason for its name, Montana which means "mountainous" in Spanish. After its recognition as a state, controversy arose about which city should become the capital. In the first vote, no city received a majority, but two years later voters chose Helena, which is now the fifth largest city in the state with a population of less than 25,000. Montana is rich in natural resources with an abundant supply of granite peaks, green forests and blue lakes above ground and large mineral deposits of copper, silver, gold and zinc underneath. Thus, it is not surprising that its nickname is "Treasure State" and its motto "Oro y plata", the Spanish term for "Gold and silver". Such minerals are indeed treasures, but we are reminded in Proverbs 22:1 that "A good name is more to be desired than great riches; esteem is better than silver or gold." -------When three identical Chinese characters are combined into a single character, they produce interesting results. For example, when three characters for tree are put together, they become a forest; three mouths result either in goods or elegance. Three women together may mean noisy and three suns denote brightness. When this character for bright is preceded by the character for water, the resulting word, 'suisho' means crystal. A certain kind of high-quality, clear, colorless glass is called crystal and an explanation that is very easy to understand may be said to be "as clear as crystal". "Clear as crystal" was the description given the river of the water of life in Revelation, chapter 22, verse 1, and not far from my hometown in northern Illinois is a lake called Crystal Lake because of its clear water, but I doubt that it is now as clear as it was when I was a child. This 9th day of November is called Crystal Night by some people, but not because of a clear sky and bright shining stars. Rather, it was the night of riots in Germany in 1938 when Nazi storm troopers raided Jewish homes and synagogues. The name came from the shattering of glass in Jewish homes and stores. -------The most popular girl's name in the United States used to be Mary, but it is no longer so. In 1994, it was not even found among the top ten names given to girls born in there. Emily was most popular, followed by Ashley, Samantha and Sara(h). What about Japan? At one time, Hanako was the Japanese counterpart to Mary, but it also is no longer popular. In fact, in contrast to 1932 when the ten most popular names given to girls born that year all had the suffix "ko", the only name ending in "ko" in the top ten in 1994 was Momoko, which ranked ninth, followed by Hiroko, in 71st place. A researcher in sociology at Tokyo University of Technology has recently published a book titled, "Girls with 'Ko' in their Names are Brainy." His study indicated that girls with "ko" in their names accounted for a higher proportion of successful applicants for private high schools in Sendai which are considered most difficult to enter. Personally, I doubt that girls with "ko" in their names are smarter than those without, but because of Japanese respect for tradition, I doubt that such names will completely disappear. As in Japanese, Jewish names also have meaning. The meaning of Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, is "Yahweh is salvation". -------The first time my wife and I returned to our parents' homes in the midwest from New York City was during the Christmas holidays in the winter one year. The second and last time we returned for a visit was during the Easter vacation in the spring of my final year in seminary. The reason for our visit at that time, however, was not simply to celebrate Easter. It was to attend and take part in my elder brother's wedding. My brother had attended the University of Illinois and received a degree in mechanical engineering. Following his stint in the army during the Second World War, he returned to that school, obtained a graduate degree and taught there in the Faculty of Engineering until his retirement last year. He became engaged to a girl who was born and raised in that university town, who attended the university and belonged to the same Christian group on campus that he did. His fiancee came out to New York and attended the same seminary I did for the fall term before their spring wedding so my wife and I became well acquainted with her also. My brother had been the best man at my wedding and he asked me to serve as the best man at his. Needless to say, I was happy to do comply with his request. -------A person who reads a newspaper and looks at the news on television cannot escape the feeling that we live in a dangerous world. There are natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons and famine caused by drought, manmade calamities such as wars, murders and robberies and accidents caused by a combination of human and technological failures involving airplane, train or automobiles. A person who concentrates on such events will be fearful and emotionally upset. Many of the ancient poems included in the Old Testament book of Psalms encourage us to look above the fearful and cruel circumstances surrounding us and find inner peace through faith in God. The 46th Psalm begins with the words: "God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the ocean depths; even if the seas roar and rage, and the hills are shaken by the violence." The reader is encouraged to "be still" and focus his or her attention on God. The faith of the writer is also expressed in the final words of the psalm: "The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." A healthy faith brings peace in the midst of a troubled world. -------In Japanese, one kind of toku is translated "virtue". I am a bit surprised to find that there may be both a beautiful, or bi, toku, which is also translated "virtue" and a bad, or aku, toku, which is translated "vice". Although the English word, virtue, is now used for both men and women, it was originally used only for men for it is rooted in the Latin word for "man" and previously denoted manliness, courage or bravery. The word "virile" from the same root, continues to signify masculine energy or vigor. Nowadays, when "virtue" or "virtuous" is used of a woman, it primarily denotes her purity or chastity. In Proverbs 12:4, we read that "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband" but in II Peter1:5, all believers are advised to "add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." -------The original purpose of this "Daily Word" telephone service was to give listeners an opportunity to hear a short, meaningful message by a native speaker of English at any time of day or night. Now, printed copies of the messages are mailed each week to those who request them and the messages may also be read on NIFTY-Serve computer network's English Forum and on NTT's CAPTAIN System. Those who read them on the latter see an advertisement of the sponsor of the messages on that system, Meitetsu Media, at the bottom of the screen. Credit cards are the main business of Meitetsu Media. Its card may be used internationally for it combines the Japanese Million Card with either a Visa or Master Card. A special feature of Media cards is the discount given to card bearers at Meitetsu-related enterprises and many other Japanese businesses. The suggested theme for an essay this week is: credit cards. What do you think of credit cards? Do you have any? Do you use one often? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using such cards? I will correct essays sent to me and print them in "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------The most popular beverage in Oriental countries is tea, produced from the leaves of a bush. In fact, it is said that, throughout the world, tea is used by more people and in greater quantity than any other beverage except water. Tea is also known to be good for the health. In many Western countries, however, milk is the more common drink. Milk is said to be an almost complete food, containing fats, proteins, salts and sugar as well as vitamins and minerals. Milk from cows is the most common, but milk produced by goats, sheep, camels, buffaloes, reindeer, llamas and yaks is also consumed by people in various parts of the world. The composition of milk varies with the species, breed, feed and condition of the animal. Goat's milk has more butterfat than cow's milk and reindeer's milk has almost six times as much butterfat as cow's milk. The fatty content of milk, called cream, tends to rise to the surface but these days, cream is often completely removed or made uniform throughout the milk resulting in skim milk or homogenized milk. In I Peter 2:2, readers are urged to be like new-born babies always thirsting for the spiritual milk which will make them spiritually mature. -------When you hear the word 'hart', you will probably think first of an organ in human and animal bodies that pumps blood. That word is spelled h-e-a-r-t. But there is another word with the same pronunciation, spelled h-a-r-t. This word, meaning a male deer, is found in the first verse of the 42nd Psalm in the classical English translation of the Bible in which the desire of a hart for cool water is compared to the thirst of a human being for God. Needless to say, a hart also has a heart. Because the heart is such an important organ, any abnormality of the heart, called heart disease is taken very seriously. The expression "heart failure" or "heart attack" denotes the inability of the heart to pump blood at an adequate rate, resulting in shortness and wheezing of breath, congestion in the tissues and an enlarged and tender liver. The condition called "heartburn", however, is not related to the heart at all. That burning sensation in the chest is caused by problems in the stomach or esophagus. Other expressions related to the word "heart", such as heartache, heartsick, heartbreak, heartless, heartthrob and sweetheart, which have an emotional rather than a physical implication will be considered in tomorrow's message. -------In English, the word "heart" is used not only for the most important physical organ in the body. It also denotes the vital center of human emotions and sensitivities. Thus to say that a person has a "big heart" means that he or she has much sympathy or compassion. A heartless person, on the other hand, is one who lacks such qualities. The person with a "heartache" is not suffering from any physical ailment. Rather, she or he is experiencing some emotional anguish or sorrow. Likewise, a "heartsick" person is suffering from great disappointment or despondency. Such a person may also be said to be "heart stricken". Similarly, the person with a "broken heart" is one who is grieving as the result of great disappointment. It may be that the grief was caused by the action of one's "heartthrob", which may mean a "sweet heart", a person who is dearly loved. "Heart" may also signify the most important part of a problem and I have given lectures to Japanese audiences entitled 'Kokusaika no Ha-to', in which I stress that the heart, or essential core, of genuine internationalization is the heart, or inner attitude, of the individual and many of us need to open our hearts wider to bring about true internationalization. -------Writing a thesis and having it approved by a committee is one of the requirements for graduation from seminary. Ordinarily, the thesis is written during the student's third and final year. As noted previously, while enrolled in the seminary, I was also attending evening classes at the graduate school of a university. My plan was to receive a Master of Arts degree from the university the same year I obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the seminary. To be awarded the M.A. degree in philosophy, however, also required submission of a thesis. Consequently, it would be necessary for me to submit two theses to two different institutions about the same time. At first I thought of writing on two different aspects of the same general theme. Because I planned to go to Japan as a missionary, I wanted to write on a topic that would increase my understanding of Japanese thought, so I considered writing on Japanese Zen, from a theological perspective for the seminary thesis and emphasizing the philosophical aspect for the university. In fact, I received permission from professors at both schools to proceed with this plan, but later, I decided it would be difficult and abandoned the idea. I will tell you what I did do in next Saturday's message. -------Traditionally, Protestant worship services include a short prayer called an invocation near the beginning of the service and conclude with a short prayer called a benediction. The word, "benediction", is rooted in Latin words meaning "well" and "to say" and denotes a "blessing". This prayer for divine blessing is usually pronounced by an ordained minister at the conclusion of the worship service. A traditional form of the benediction is found in the final words of the New Testament book of II Corinthians. There, in chapter 13, verse 13, it is written: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." In this statement, we find mention of each of the three persons of the Trinity along with a characteristic quality of each. The love of God, the Father, concretely manifested in the grace of Jesus Christ, the Son, continues to be experienced through the communion or fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As worshippers hear this invocation of divine love, grace and fellowship at the conclusion of their worship every Sunday, they should not only hear it with their ears, but humbly receive it into their hearts and manifest it in their lives during the week ahead. -------Can you distinguish the difference between the words "ambulant" and "ambulance"? Both of them are rooted in the same Latin word meaning "to walk". The first, spelled a-m-b-u-l-a-n-t, means moving or walking about. The second, ending with the letters c-e instead of t, denotes a vehicle specially equipped to transport the sick or wounded. It entered English through French. During the Crimea War in 1854, the French army devised a way to quickly attend to the needs of wounded soldiers using a litter that contained medical supplies that could be administered at once on the battlefield before the soldier was moved. It was called a mobile, or walking, hospital, hôpital ambulant. In English, the first word was dropped and the second word was anglicized. -------As I mentioned in last Tuesday's message, the sponsor of this "Daily Word" message on the NTT CAPTAIN System is Meitetsu Media. The main business of this company is related to the Media credit cards which enable their owners to receive discounts at stores and hotels in many cities. A secondary business of Meitetsu Media is their "bridal service", called Debut. I am not sure whether or not this kind of matchmaking business is peculiar to Japan, but, personally, I have never heard of such a business in the United States. I am sure there are social and cultural factors, rooted in Japanese tradition, which gave rise to such businesses in this country. Matchmaking businesses is the theme suggested for an essay this week. What do you think of them? Are they really necessary? Why or why not? Have you or your relatives had personal experience in making use of their services? I will correct those essays sent to me, and print them in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. Incidentally, I would be happy to receive any comments, suggestions or criticisms listeners or readers have regarding this service. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. -------Most of the world is upset with France these days for her continuing explosions of nuclear devices in the South Pacific. Why does she insist on carrying out these tests? One reason is national pride. France has insisted on having her own nuclear arsenal since the days of her respected general and autocratic president, Charles de Gaulle, who was born 105 years ago today, on November 22,1890. President de Gaulle clearly stated his contention that "No country without an atom bomb could properly consider itself independent." During the Second World War, de Gaulle organized Free French forces in opposition to German control of his homeland and returned to become president. He had both ups and downs as the chief executive and once remarked that "I respect only those who resist me, but I cannot tolerate them." And he probably was speaking from personal experience when he gave the following pronouncement. "The perfection preached in the Gospels never yet built an empire. Every man of action has a strong dose of egotism, pride, hardness and cunning." In one sense, Charles de Gaulle may be considered the personification of France and a typical French politician. -------Until the end of the Pacific War, this 23rd day of the 11th month in Japan was called 'Niinamesai', literally meaning "New Taste Festival". On this day, a ritual was performed by the emperor in which newly-harvested rice was offered to the 'kami' of heaven and earth and also tasted by the emperor himself. In l948 this harvest festival was established as a national holiday called 'Kinro Kansha no hi', Labor-Thanksgiving Day, to encourage respect for labor and to give thanks for the harvest. This is an example of how some traditional Japanese celebrations/customs have been changed in some ways to better fit the modern age. This year, the traditional American Thanksgiving Day, now celebrated yearly on the 4th Thursday of November, coincides with this Japanese holiday. From the days of the earliest settlements of Europeans in North America, thanksgiving days were regularly held, but it was not until the Civil War in 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln formally set apart the last Thursday of November as "a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens". The 92nd Psalm begin with the words, "It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord". Today and everyday, let us be thankful. -------Any student of Western philosophy will recognize the name of the famous Dutch philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, who was born in Amsterdam 363 years ago today, on November 24, 1632. He belonged to the community of Jews who had fled the harassment of the Spanish Inquisition. By trade, he was a skillful lens grinder, but he was an independent thinker and devoted much of his time developing a rationalistic philosophy. Spinoza rejected the traditional Jewish monotheistic understanding of God as the creator of the natural world. Rather, he proposed a pantheistic explanation of the universe, in which God is identified with nature. As a result, he was excommunicated from the Jewish community and began using the Latinized form of his Hebrew name. Baruch, the name of the scribe of the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, means "blessed", but Spinoza chose to be called Benedict, instead. Spinoza coined such expressions as "Nature abhors a vacuum" and "Man is a social animal". Although I disagree with some of his basic positions, I appreciate the attitude he expressed in the following quotation: "I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them." -------From 1948 to 1951, I was enrolled in two different educational institutions in New York City, both of which required submission of a thesis to obtain a degree. In order to avoid the burden of writing two theses the same year, I decided to follow the guidelines and time schedule for receiving approval of a thesis topic and making progress reports for my seminary thesis during my second year at seminary but to delay the formal submission of the completed thesis until my third year. This would enable me to concentrate on the university graduate school thesis the following year. It so happened that two men who had served as missionaries for many years in Japan were teaching at another seminary in the city at that time, so I conferred with each of them regarding an appropriate subject for my research. One of the men was August Karl Reischauer, the father of Edwin, who became a professor at Harvard and an American ambassador to Japan. The elder Professor Reischauer had taught at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo and had written a book on Japanese Buddhism. He had also translated a catechism of the Buddhist Diode Shin Sect into English. It was he who suggested the topic for my thesis, which I titled: "A Comparison of 'Salvation' in the Amid Sects of Japanese Buddhism and Christianity." ------- |