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Now, fifty years after the end of the Pacific War, how much do Japanese young people know about the war years and in what way do they get this information? Kiyofumi Kobima is a 76-yearold veteran who was appointed leader of a platoon engaged in land fighting in the Philippines. Wandering through the jungle with his men for two months following the victory of American forces, deaths resulted not only from enemy attacks but from disease, malnutrition and suicide as well. Finally, he and four others decided to disobey the doctrine that had been hammered into their heads that "soldiers of the Emperor should choose death over surrender" and surreptitiously surrendered on April 13,1945. After the war, Kojima founded a veterans organization to oppose war, 'Fusen Heishi no Kai', and gives lectures to various groups, speaking about his experiences and pushing his antiwar message. Last month, one of Japan's most popular comic magazines, which sells over four million copies a week, featured his story in two issues. It is Kojima's hope that young readers will be stimulated to think about the relationship between the individual and the state and to think independently instead of blindly following mistaken ideas and false ideologies. -------
Today, March 6th, is the 190th anniversary of the birth of one of England's most sensitive poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who was born on this day in 1806. Though not a strong child, she was precocious and a voracious reader of philosophy, history and literature. At the age of eight, she was reading the poetry of Homer--in the original Greek! When she was fifteen, she injured her spine while saddling a horse and spent several years as a semi-invalid. Out of her experiences, she wrote poetry that had a wide appeal. Her poetry so impressed another poet, Robert Browning, that he fell in love with her. Because of the opposition of her tyrannical father, they were secretly married and moved to Italy, where, for 15 years, they lived happily and continued to write poetry. Not only the well-known romantic poems of Mrs. Browning were inspired by her own experience. Her sensitivity for the pain of others and the insights that may be gained through trials is evident in this quotation from her poetic novel, 'Aurora Leigh'. A patent is "a grant made by a government to an inventor, assuring him the sole right to make, use and sell his invention for a certain period of time". One hundred twenty years ago today, the United States government issued a patent to Alexander Graham Bell. At that time, Bell was not an American citizen. He was a Scotsman who had migrated to Canada and then began teaching in the United States. He was involved in teaching deaf people and training other teachers of the deaf. At the same time, he was conducting experiments with electricity, trying to transmit signals over a wire. His experiments were financed by two men whose deaf daughters were his pupils, one of whom later became his wife. On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell applied for and received a patent for a telephone, but within a few hours, another man, Elisha Gray, filed for a patent for the telephone he had invented and a legal battle between these two telephone systems began. But Bell himself made following statement: "Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the co-operation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel credit is due to others rather than myself." -------Drivers of cars in metropolitan areas are often frustrated by traffic jams which slow them down. In some downtown areas during the rush hour, taxicab passengers may actually get out and walk the last few blocks to their destination. Express delivery services find it difficult to make express deliveries by car or truck so a 'rinkyubin' (rapid bicycle delivery service) is now operating in downtown Tokyo to deliver documents, floppy discs and other items that can be easily transported by bicycle. Begun eight years ago by 44year-old Kenichi Nosaka, it is staffed by seven bicyclists and called Nosaka Seven. The average age of these delivery personnel is 22; they make their deliveries in all kinds of weather and customers are not charged if delivery is not made within the hour. Their main customers are foreign security and airline companies which use such services in their home countries. A bicyclist with a bag strapped over his shoulder can take shortcuts by going down one-way streets, slip between cars waiting at traffic lights and ride on pedestrian sidewalks also, so a bicycle is often faster than a motorbike. As life gets more complicated, sometimes progress is made by reverting to a simpler lifestyle. -------It was during the Korean War that my wife and I came to Japan in the fall of 1951. At that time, many U.S. troops were fighting in Korea and many fighter planes engaged in that war took off from bases in Japan where their crews were stationed. I don't know how many crew members were on the large freighter that brought us here, but it carried twelve passengers, eight of whom were wives of U.S. servicemen on their way to join their husbands stationed in Japan. One mother was accompanied by her young son. One other passenger was the daughter of missionaries who was returning to Japan to see her parents. Thus, I was the only adult male among the group of passengers. The freighter was scheduled to go on to Korea after stopping in Japan. I do not know all of the various kinds of supplies it was carrying to the armed forces there, but we were informed that it was loaded with coffins for those who lost their lives in the war. Needless to say, that was not an encouraging word to the servicemen's wives on board. Passengers had their own staterooms and there also was a common parlor where we could gather to talk, read or play games. Looking at my records, I find that during the course of our two weeks at sea, we wrote 28 letters. -------One meaning of "fast" is rapid or swift. Another meaning is firmly fixed or secure. But a different word spelled and pronounced the same means to abstain from food as a religious discipline. In the Christian Church calendar, this 40-day period preceding Easter is called Lent and, in some church traditions, it is a time of fasting as believers reflect on their sins and meditate on the sufferings Jesus endured on their behalf. In regard to fasting, we should recall Jesus' words in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, verses 18-20, in reply to the question of why his disciples did not fast. There, he indicated that fasting should not be simply a traditional custom that is followed without thinking of its meaning. Jesus implied that as long as he was with his disciples, it was a happy time, like a wedding feast, but his disciples would fast when they were sad, following his death. At that time, their fasting would not be a meaningless ritual but a genuine expression of their inner feelings. For Christians, religious customs or ceremonies should not be simply following ancient traditions. They should be the honest expressions of our inner feelings or faith. Of how many religious rituals in Japan today would this be true? -------The word for today is "clue". There are two different ways to of spell this little word and both of them a re correct: c-l-u-e or c-l-e-w. A clue is something that guides or directs in the solution of a problem or mystery. The famous fictitious detective, Sherlock Holmes, is often depicted with a large magnifying glass searching for clues in order to solve a crime. Even a tiny piece of thread may provide the decisive clue to identify the guilty party. In fact, the word "clue" comes from an Old English word for a ball of thread. According to an ancient Greek legend, Theseus was only able to find his way out of the Labyrinth because of the ball of thread given to him by his lover. Incidentally, the expression, "I don't have a clue", means "I have no idea (what you are talking about)." -------This third month of the year was called Yayoi in the traditional Japanese calendar for it is the month that plant life begins to grow more and more ('iyo-iyo haeru'). In English, this month is called March, derived from the name of one of the most important Roman gods: Mars. In the old Roman calendar, this month when spring begins and new life appears in nature was the first month of the year. March is one of the seven months that has 31 days and this year, the 31st day of the month falls on a Sunday. It is our custom to hold a meeting of listeners to/readers of these telephone messages on the fifth Sunday of a month. Since March 31st is the fifth Sunday, we plan to hold our 62nd such meeting at the Nagoya Geijutsu Sozo Center on that afternoon. beginning at 1:30. Forty-nine years ago, on March 31,1947, in Japan, the new education law was promulgated which established the present education system and this will be theme for discussion at that meeting. What do you think of the present system of education in Japan. What are its strong points and weaknesses? How does it differ from the prewar system? Do you have any suggestions about how to improve it? My wife and I will be looking forward to hearing your ideas. -------If a "log" is a part the trunk of a felled tree and a "logger" Is a person who cuts down trees, what do you suppose a "loggerhead" is? There are various meanings of his word. Used informally, it may denote a stupid person who may also be called a "blockhead". Another meaning is a long-handled tool with a ball or bulb at the end, used, when heated, to melt tar. But a third meaning is a turtle with a large head. A recent news article noted that a loggerhead turtle was found in a fisherman's net in southern Japan, in an area where loggerhead turtles are known to nest. This particular turtle had been caught, tagged and released over a year earlier in Lower California, which means it had traveled 11,000 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean. Biologists have a theory that loggerheads born in Japan, migrate to Lower California, where they feed on shrimp, and then return to their birthplace years later to nest. As a verb, "log" may mean to travel a certain distance, so if this theory is true, it means these loggerheads log over 22,000 kilometers during their lifetimes. They must have violated the exclusion policy during the Tokugawa Era and were internationalists before the word became popular in Japan. -------Many people in Japan these days are becoming more and more concerned about their diets and are trying to eat food that is good for their health. Among other things, they are concerned about cholesterol. Reports that it helps reduce cholesterol has spurred the popularity of olive oil in this land and there are now more than a dozen varieties of olive oil products for household use on the Japanese market. It is estimated that household consumption of olive oil is now over ten times what it was six years ago. 0live oil was a very important product of Palestine even in Bible days. It was not only used as a food. It was used as the fuel for lamps. As a medicine, it was applied to wounds and rubbed on the body following a bath. As a symbol of God's blessing, priests prophets and kings were anointed with this oil as well as honored guests. And it was an important element in sacrifices offered to God. East of Jerusalem is a mountain with many olive trees called the Mount of 0lives. It was here in a garden called Gethsemane, meaning "an oil press", that Jesus prayed before his death. If you join the crowd purchasing olive oil products, I encourage you to recall the long and venerable history of this versatile fruit. -------According to a recent newspaper article, the 'Guinness Book of World Records' will no longer include records that are life-threatening, destructive of the environment or morally questionable. For example, it will not carry the record of the man who smoked 800 cigarettes at one time, ate 29 hard-boiled eggs in four minutes and leapt into a lake from a 41-meter cliff. The new policy is to discourage dangerous and dubious activities aimed solely at gaining entry into this world-famous, best-selling book. I have a copy of on my bookshelf and have made use of it in preparing these messages, but I first became interested in it when my son, who was a student in the engineering department of an American university at the time, informed us that he was going to be listed in that book for having memorized the value of pi, 'enshuritsu' in Japanese, to 1550 places. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up, his name did not appear in the 1974 edition. He did receive a letter from the publisher but by the following year, his record had been surpassed. Regarding records, I recall the saying posted in the dining hall of a summer camp I attended in my youth: "When the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game." -------When my wife and I first came to Japan in the fall of 1951, we had been married for over two years, so we would not consider the trip our honeymoon. Nevertheless, we were on the ocean for over two weeks sailing from Oakland, California to Yokohama with very little to do. Most of our time was spent reading, writing letters, playing games, eating and talking with each other or the other passengers in the lounge. Due to a typhoon in the area, the freighter had to change its course to go around it, which added an extra day or two to the-voyage. Even so, it was a bumpy ride up and down huge waves which often washed over the deck of the ship. There were only one or two days of the entire trip when we saw the sun, for usually the sky was overcast. Very seldom did we venture to go out onto the deck for that was dangerous. Of the twelve passengers, my wife was the only one who did not become seasick -- and she was pregnant at the time! Passengers ate in the dining hall with the ship's officers and it was there that one of the unforgettable events of our trip occurred, but since my time is up, that story must be postponed until next Saturday's message. -------Comic books are now very popular in Japan -- and not only among young people. One reason for their popularity is because they communicate through pictures that are easy to understand. Yet some comics or newspaper cartoons may also carry a deep message and cause people to think. Jesus often used word pictures with deep meaning to teach or illustrate spiritual truth. These short stories are called parables and a number of them are called found in the 13th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew. One pair of parables tell of persons who found something so valuable that they were willing to sell al their possessions in order to obtain it. In the one case, treasure hidden in a field was discovered accidentally. In the other case, an unusually fine pearl was found by a merchant after his long search. In both cases the joy of the finder was overwhelming and he willingly gave up everything he had to possess the priceless thing. These parables indicate that people find the Kingdom of heaven, salvation or true satisfaction in life in different ways. It may be stumbled upon by chance or the result of a search, but in either case, it is recognized as of supreme value and becomes the most important element in life. -------There are four completely different words spelled p-u-n-c-h and pronounced 'punch'. One kind of punch is a tool for making holes in such materials as paper and leather. Another kind of punch is a sharp blow with the fist. Boxers punch each other in the boxing ring. A third kind of punch is a sweetened beverage of fruit juices, sometimes with an alcoholic base. This word is derived from the Hindustani word for "five" for there were originally five ingredients in it: alcohol, water, sugar spice and fruit juice. Finally, when Punch is spelled with a capital P, it denotes the quarrelsome, hook-hosed husband of Judy in the comic puppet show 'Punch and Judy'. It is from this show that the phrase "pleased as Punch" was coined to mean greatly delighted or highly pleased. -------Next week in a remote village in northeastern Japan, a simple ceremony will be held in which a box will be handed to a 83-year-old lady by a representative of the Japanese government. In the box are the cremated remains of her husband who died on the Pacific island of new Guinea over 452 years ago. Shozo Oikawa, the father of four children, was a 33-year-old private in the Japanese Army at that time. His remains were among those of more than 200,000 Japanese soldiers killed in New Guinea that were never returned to Japan. Somehow a New Guinea resident got the box of Oikawa's remains and sold it as a souvenir to an American soldier. After that solder's death a few years ago, his widow found the box with Japanese writing on it. With the help of various individuals, including a forensic anthropologist, a businessman who had contacts in Japan and a consulate official, the remains were identified and a news story in a Japanese newspaper brought the responses from both army colleagues and relatives of Oikawa. Among so many sad and discouraging news reports these day, this story reminds us that compassionate hearts and international cooperation may still bring about gratifying results. -------The islands of Japan are filled with mountain ranges which create a beautiful landscape. A number of these mountains are volcanoes which periodically erupt, spewing forth smoke, gas, fire, rocks or lava. Needless to say, such eruptions cause fear in the hearts of people living in nearby areas. Earlier this month, news bulletins announcing the eruption of a volcano, Koma-ga-take, may have frightened more people than necessary because there are mountains in seven different prefectures that bear this name. The name literally means "horse peak", but 'koma' may have other meanings beside "horse" or "cold". It is the word used for a one of the pieces used in playing chess or 'shogi'--in other words, a "chessman". But it is also used for the thin, upright piece of wood in some stringed instruments that support the strings above the sound board and is called a "bridge" in English. Fortunately, the eruption of the Horse Peak in Hokkaido only gave vent to steam, causing no damage to the surrounding area. On March 31 at 1:30 at Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Center near Shinsakae, we will hold a meeting of listeners to/readers of these messages and talk about the Japanese education system. You are invited to attend. -------One month ago, a new coin went in circulation in Canada. It was a peculiar $2 coin composed of two separate parts. The center was made of an aluminum-bronze alloy which was surrounded by a circle of nickel. This coin has been an object of special interest and attention since the day it was issued. On that day, when a coin was accidentally dropped, the two parts separated and the center rolled away. Since then, others have been trying to pop out the centers just for fun and a jeweler began selling broken coins as earrings. This is not an encouraging omen for a country that is still discussing the pros and cons fo sepratism. When I read that the coin had been nicknamed "two bits", I began to wonder why a quarter, worth 25 cents, a quarter of a dollar, in the United States, is informally called "two bits" and found that the reason is as follows. In British slang, s mall coin may be called a "bit". A couple of centuries ago in the southwestern United States, Mexican currency was used along with the local money. A Mexican coin, called a real, was a "bit" worth about 12 1/2 American cents so when the United States began producing quarters worth 25 cents, they were called "two bits". -------Some people envy royal families and the luxurious lives they lead, but being born or marrying in to royal or imperial household is not necessarily advantageous. In fact, it may be that members of such households should be pitied rather than envied. The prying eyes of the media searching for misdeeds or scandals to whet the appetite of the general public and thus benefit the commercial interests involved can be very upsetting. Widely-publicized marital and moral problems which have been plaguing Britain's royal family over the past number of years have raised questions about the place of royalty in the modern world. In this regard, both the traditional culture of Japan and the cloistered life of the imperial household have provided an Oriental contrast to the situation in England. Now, a recent news article noted that the 6-year-old boy Communist China has recognized as the heir to spiritual leadership in Tibet is living apart from his parents, studying the Tibetan language, arithmetic and Buddhist scriptures five or six hours a day in some undisclosed location. He is not the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama recognized by the Tibetan leadership, however, so the future of this little Living Buddha is unclear. In the New Testament book of I Peter 3:17, we are told to respect all people, including the Emperor. -------Having experienced our first earthquake in San Francisco while waiting to board the freighter that would carry us to Japan, my wife and I got another foretaste of Japanese life while on the ocean when a typhoon forced the ship to change its course. Although we missed the center of the storm, the ship rocked and rolled for many days as it rode the waves. While eating in the dining room we often had to hold on to the dishes to keep them from sliding off the table onto the floor and, at times, we had to hang on to the table ourselves to keep from doing the same. In fact, during one mealtime, when there was a sudden jerk, my wife failed to grab the table soon enough and her chair tumbled backwards with her in it. A few moments later, she picked herself up from the opposite side of the room after having executed a very athletic backward somersault. At the time, she did not feel any ill effects, but six months later when she gave birth to our first child in Tokyo, the umbilical cord was wrapped three times around his neck, causing him to suffocate during the birth process. Later, we wondered whether that somersault may have contributed to that very unhappy happening. -------The first book of the Bible is called Genesis, meaning "birth" or "origin". This book includes stories of the beginning of the world, of the human family and of the divine purpose in history. The Bible teaches that even as the world, human beings and history had a beginning, they also have an end. A common Biblical term for this termination is the "Day of the Lord". There is both a negative and a positive aspect to this future, final "day". It will be a day of judgment upon the forces of evil and those who live in accord with the divine purpose. both aspects are explicitly noted in the final words of the Old Testament, included in the book of Malachi, which means "my messenger". According to that passage, proud and evil people will be burned up like straw and completely exterminated. But those who are aligned with the divine purpose will find healing and joyful freedom. The Old Testament concludes with a promise that another prophet will appear before that time, a promise which finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. While we recognize the figurative character of these descriptions of the Day of the Lord, they should cause us to reflect on the moral character of our daily lives. -------Do you know the name of the longest river in the Western Hemisphere, the second longest in the world, which flows through Brazil? It is the 6,300 kilometer Amazon. This river was named by a Spanish explorer who claimed to have seen female warriors on its banks. In Greek mythology, amazons wee a race of fierce female warriors of Scythia who often fought against the Greeks. In Greek, this word means "without a breast" for the amazons wee said to have burnt off their right breasts so that they would not be hindered when drawing a bow during battle. when used as a common noun, without a capital letter, the word signifies a strong masculine woman, which would fit the picture of Jezebel, King Ahab's wife, in the Old Testament book of I Kings 18-21. -------The presidential retreat known as Camp David is located northwest of the American capital of Washington, D.C., in the state of Maryland, in Catoctin Mountain Park. This retreat was given its name by President Dwight David Eisenhower. David was also the name of his grandson. It was to Camp David, that President Jimmy Carter invited Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt to come and talk back in 1978. During almost two weeks of meetings and outings, President Carter influenced these two enemies to agree to sign a peace treaty to bring an end to thirty years of war between their two nations. That document, also known as the Camp David Accord, was signed at the White House 17 years ago today, on March 26, 1979, but genuine peace between the state of Israel and its Arab residents and neighbors has still not been attained. Next Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Center near the Shinsakaemachi subway station, a meeting of listeners to and/ or readers of these "Daily Word" messages will be held. The theme is: the Japanese system of education. If you can attend, my wife and I will be happy to see you there. -------On a recent Sunday, a number of streets in downtown Nagoya were closed to traffic for a few hours. The reason was to make way for the Nagoya International Women's Marathon in which 175 women participated. The 1l)inner was 27-year-old Izumi Maki who ran the 42.195 kilometer course in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 37 seconds. A columnist writing in a Japanese newspaper two days later noted his surprise at Ms. Maki's "changing gears" after she had run for 30 kilometers. The "gear change" was from a 'hita-hita' to a 'pyonpyon' gear. I had to check a dictionary to find the English equivalent to these onomatopoetic terms, but evidently her final spurt was made in a more romping gait. The column also attracted my attention to another characteristic of the Japanese language when it stated that Ms. Maki was the 'torakku joo', "queen of the track", for I realized that the same transliteration is made for a racing course and a large vehicle used for hauling goods. In English, we make a clear distinction between a "track queen" and a "truck queen". In the 3rd chapter of his Letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul describes how he runs the race of life to gain the prize of God's blessing. -------When this "Daily Word" telephone service was begun in 1980, its purpose was to provide an opportunity for students of English to hear a short informative, interesting, meaningful message by a native English speaker at anytime of day or night. A year later, in response to the request of listeners, typewritten copies of the messages were mailed out to those who requested them, so the messages could be read as well as heard. Now, there seem to be more readers than listeners. In 1988, the daily messages were introduced into NTT's CAPTAIN system and can be read on its terminals throughout Japan. Since 1990, they have been included in the English Forum of the NIFTY-Serve computer network. And as of this month, they are also available worldwide on the Internet, on the home page of NAMOS (Nagoya Joho Center's Multi Online Service). For those who wish to read them on this NAMOS Plaza, the Internet address is: http://www.namos.co.jp/. My wife and I will be meeting with listeners to/ readers of these messages at the meeting this coming Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Center north of Shinsakaemachi subway station. We wi11 talk about Japan's educational system and you are invited to attend. -------A new kind of pollution is beginning to cause problems in Japan these days. It is not the kind of pollution resulting from discarded garbage or noxious gases. It is a kind of noise pollution caused by the users of cellular telephones. As of the end of last December, there were 8.6 million cellular phone units, including mobile phones, being used in Japan. Such phones may be very convenient for the users, especially in emergency situations, but they are becoming a nuisance to nonusers. As a result, regular announcements are given on shinkansen bullet trains asking passengers not to use cellular phones in the carriages but in the passageways. Railway police have sometimes been called to settle quarrels between cellular phone users and irritated fellow passengers. In some hotel restaurants and lounges signs are being posted asking guests to refrain from using cellular phones so that others could enjoy their meals or conversations in a relaxed atmosphere. While new inventions may give rise to new problems, the principle noted in the New Testament book of Philippians, chapter 2, verse 4, should be applied to all situations: Don't think only of your own interests, but consider the interests of others. -------Early in the morning on Monday, November l2, 1951, my wife and I entered the Port of Yokohama on the cargo ship that had safely carried us over the stormy Pacific Ocean. Before the ship was able to approach the pier, however, we had to wait until the sun came up and a government official boarded the ship, checked its documents and gave the required permission to dock. As soon as the gangplank was lowered, many agile Japanese men hustled aboard the ship wearing the short, black smocks we later learned were called 'happi'. These men scurried here and there picking up boxes, suitcases, trunks and other items and carried them to the pier. As they did so, we heard them saying to one another: 'haba-haba, haba-haba'. We found out later that this expression had been introduced to Japan by American servicemen. During my final year in seminary in New York City, there was a student who had just come from Japan and we became friends. He had informed us that the common Japanese greeting in the morning had the same pronunciation as the American state of Ohio. That was the only Japanese word we knew when we arrived in this land and since we arrived in the morning, we were able to make use of it immediately. -------The first four books of the New Testament are called Gospels. The word "Gospel" comes from Old English words meaning "good story" or "good news". In the Gospels, we find stories of the birth, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. These stories communicate the breadth and depth of God's love for us human beings and the way for us to enjoy an abundant life, or salvation, now and forever, and that is "good news" indeed. All four of the Gospels give special emphasis to the final, climactic week of Jesus' life, which began with his entry into Jerusalem as a large crowd of people welcomed him as their king. In Christian churches, that event is commemorated today, the Sunday before Easter, which is called Palm Sunday, because people waved branches from palm trees to greet him. It was only five days later, however, that another(?) crowd called for his crucifixion because he had implied that he was divine. Today, as Christians again acknowledge him as the King of their lives, we are reminded of human fickleness, of how quickly moods or attitudes of people can change from commendation to condemnation if one does not conform to their expections or follow their traditions. -------Today is the first day of the fourth month. In the traditional Japanese calendar, it is called 'uzuki', the month of a flower called u-no-hana. In English, it is called April, probably derived from a Latin word meaning "open" for it is the month when trees, flowers and the earth itself open to new life. In certain Western countries, today is called April Fool's Day, a day when practical jokes are played on others to fool them or to make fools of them. In France, such "fools" are called "fish" and in Scotland they are called "cuckoos". Not only the word used for a "fool" but also its definition depends on the time, place and occasion. The Jewish psalmist who penned the 14th Psalm many centuries ago characterized a fool as one who said in his heart, "there is no God". -------Today, April 2nd, is the birthday of the Danish poet and novelist, Hans Christian Andersen, who was born into the family of a poor shoemaker 191 years ago in 1805. He is best known for his fairy and folk tales and every two years, in his honor, Hans Chritian Andersen Prizes are presented on thus day to a children's book author and an illustrator by the International Board on Books for Young People. His stories have been translated into many foreign languages and it is also on this day that an award is presented by the Association for Library Services to Children to an American publisher of an outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country. Finally today is also the day that I suggest a theme for those listeners to or readers of these "Daily Word" messages who wish to write a short essay in English. Today's theme is: the Japanese education system. What do you think about it? What are its strengths and weaknesses and how has it changed since the end of the war? Those essays sent to me will be corrected and published in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes which is to be published on June 30th. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463. -------Six years ago this month, a new elementary school opened in the city of Toyota, outside of Nagoya. As part of the celebration, its 276 new pupils each sent aloft a balloon with a message and a couple of sunflower seeds, the city flower, attached. Five of those balloons stayed together and landed in the garden of a lady in the city of Tokorozawa, a suburb of Tokyo, on the other side of a mountain range about 250 kilometers away. She planted the seeds and recently sent seeds from her sunflowers along with the five pupils' messages to the school before their graduation last month. She urged the graduates to keep alive the hopes and dreams they had when they released the balloons as first-graders. On the same day this story appeared in a Japanese newspaper, an English newspaper reported that an 11-year-old girl in Southern England had recently received a letter from a man in Western Australia who informed her that he had retrieved the bottle she had thrown into the ocean with her message in it three years ago. It had traveled 16,000 kilometers, half-way around the world. These stories may serve to remind us that a little word or deed of kindness may also have a long-lasting, far-reaching effect. -------Recently at a Bible Class in the church I pastor in the city of Takahama, we were talking about vegetables we eat that consist simply of roots of certain plants--carrots and radishes, for example. Then someone mentioned gobo. Although I knew what 'gobo' was, I had to check a dictionary to find out the English term for this plant. And even when I found the word "burdock", it was an unfamiliar term for me. I wonder if you can write the Chinese characters for 'gobo'? For some reason, the first character means "cow" and the second character signifies that plant even without the "cow" beside it. Anyway, the long, thin root of this burdock plant is basically fiber and I recently read the results of a study that indicated that "getting a lot of fiber in your diet, especially from cereals and grains, appears to help reduce the risk of heart attacks." Researchers found that those who consumed the highest amount of fiber had a 35 percent lower risk of heart attack compared with those who ate the least. Previous studies indicated that the soluble fiber found in most fruits and vegetables reduces cholesterol in the blood but it is the more insoluble fiber of cereals and grains that seem to lower the risk of heart attack. -------"Uniform" literally denotes one form or shape. Traditionally, Japan has been a country of many uniforms which were/are required of some students, company employees and government workers. Not only in regard to dress, but in regard to thinking and acting as well, uniformity has been considered an ideal in Japanese life. This has helped industrial development but hindered individual creativity. In recent years, there has been much discussion about whether students should be required to wear uniforms, but recently a city in Osaka Prefecture whose name literally means "feather-dragging-field", has been in the news for a different reason. The Education Committee of the Habikino City Assembly approved plans to spend about W10 million to provide uniforms to 600 teachers at 20 public elementary and junior high schools in the city. The committee thought the dress of some teachers was too casual and that uniforms would increase their sense of responsibility. Needless to say, the teachers unions is protesting. I am reminded of Jesus' advice to be concerned first of all with internal purity or beauty; then the external form will be improved (Matthew 23:25-28). -------When my wife and I arrived in Yokohama in 1951, we were the first missionaries of our church to come to this country so we are considered pioneer missionaries of that church. But what were we to do when we disembarked with no knowledge of the Japanese language or Japanese customs? We had expected to be met by a former student at the seminary I attended in New York City who had arrived in Japan the previous year and was living in Tokyo. I had written to him, telling him the name of the freighter on which we had booked passage and he promised to meet us at the dock. When we disembarked, however, he was not there. As American missionaries arriving during the American occupation, we had no problems related to immigration or customs formalities, but we were unsure what to do when we had completed them. Of course, I had the address and telephone number of my friend, so I asked to use a regular telephone on the desk of an immigration office worker. I called my friend and his wife informed me that he was on his way to meet us, so we were relieved. While making the call, the telephone cord happened to bump the abacus the clerk was using, which brought a frown to his face. That was my first experience with a Japanese 'soroban'. -------Today is Easter Sunday, the day that Christians joyfully celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although the resurrection stories related in the four Gospels differ in various details, they are united in their proclamation of the amazing, "unbelievable" story that a man who was crucified and buried in a tomb was later found to be alive. Not surprisingly, according to the Gospel narratives, when Jesus' disciples first heard that their Lord had risen from death, they did not believe such "nonsense" [Luke 24:11]. The 20th chapter of the Gospel of John states that one disciple brashly declared he would not believe unless he could identify the wounds Jesus had received on the cross, but later, when Jesus appeared to him he was convinced and made his confession: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus responded: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." It is difficult to explain how the "unbelievable" Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ has spread around the world and is accepted by educated people today apart from the recognition that something has happened in the lives of those who believe it. In some sense, they also have met this resurrected Lord. -------Different words for a beefsteak indicate the part of the steer from which it is cut. One choice cut is "sirloin". There is an apocryphal story that this word was coined by King Henry VIII who knighted that succulent piece of meat and dubbed it "Sir Loin". Actually, however, the world evolved from a French word meaning "over loin". A loin is that part of an animal between the ribs and the pelvis and a "tenderloin" is the tenderest part of the loin of a steer. Beef is so expensive in Japan, I rarely enjoy a beefsteak, whether rare or well-done, so I do not know well the differences between cuts of beef, but other cuts are known as porterhouse, round, rump and chuck. Recent news stories indicate that cuts of beef from Britain are not very popular these days. -------In Japan, a new school year has begun. These days in the morning, we may see groups of young children walking together to school. The elementary school children all have a bag strapped to their backs in which are items needed in school. In Japanese, these bags are called 'randoseru' and, in recent years, a number of varieties have become available. Minor differences in size, shape, color, material and brand names may be noticed by keen observers. Throughout my school days and those of my children, such convenient school bags whether strapped to back, hung from shoulders or carried in hands, were never used. The world 'randoseru' comes from a Dutch word meaning "back bag". The English word for this bag is "knapsack", which begins with a k and is derived from German. Mountain climbers may call their back bags "rucksacks". You may have some thoughts or memories relating to knapsacks. If you would like to write a short English essay on this subject and send it to me, I will correct it and print it along with other essays in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463, Japan and I would be happy to hear from you. -------In recent weeks, there has been a growing international concern about a strange disease affecting cattle in the United Kingdom called "mad cow disease". The basic meaning of "mad" is insane, but when used informally, it may denote anger or excessive enthusiasm, so if we say that a person is "mad", we must consider the context to understand the precise implication. Last month a madman in a small Scottish town shocked the world. He was mad about guns, mad at society and his madness ended in tragedy when he killed 16 children and their teacher, wounded 12 others and then killed himself. Now there is concern that eating the meat of cows having "mad cow disease" may cause a fatal illness in human beings. So is the wholesale slaughtering of British cows required? On April 10, 1866,130 years ago today, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded, 42 years after the Royal SPAC was founded in England. One of its aims is to guide farmers in caring for livestock. Certainly, human beings must be valued above animals, but cruelty, whether to animals or people should be avoided. Human beings should be humane toward all living creatures. -------In Japanese history, women have been recognized rulers, but in modern Japan, the empress is simply the wife of the emperor and cannot be the "symbol of the State" in her own right. This is different from the British monarchy in which a woman is presently the queen and her husband is only a prince. In English history, there have been some notable queens, but a unique event occurred 307 years ago today, on April 11, 1689, when a man and his wife were crowned as joint sovereigns. It was a time of both political and religious turmoil in that country. As a result, a Protestant Dutch prince who had married the Protestant daughter of a Roman Catholic king of England, was invited to England and was crowned, along with his wife, by Parliament. The accession to the throne of William III and Mary II was the climax of the "Glorious Revolution" in which the Bill of Rights which recognized certain inviolable civil and political rights of Englishmen was proclaimed. This same Bill prohibited any Roman Catholic from becoming a sovereign of England. The second oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, founded in 1693, is named after this royal couple, the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia. -------Japan is a very old country. It was approximately 1200 years ago that the old Japanese capital of Kyoto was established, but some other countries have still longer histories. This year in Jerusalem, for example, celebrations are being held to mark the 3000th anniversary of King David's designation of that city as the capital of the Jewish kingdom. One of the celebratory events took place recently in the stone gardens of the Tower of David Museum in the Old City of Jerusalem, where a replica of a famous statue of David was unveiled. It was donated by the Italian city of Florence, where the original is displayed. The 1-meter statue by Verrocchio, a 15th century sculptor, depicts the Jewish king as a youth, holding a sword in his right hand and the head of Goliath, the giant he had just killed, laying at his feet. (The interesting story of the young shepherd's victory over his huge Philistine opponent is found in the Old Testament book of I Samuel, chapter 17.) The city of Florence had previously offered to donate a replica of Michelangelo's statue of David, but that offer was refused because it was feared the completely nude figure would offend Orthodox Jews and Arabs. In fact, some people would consider that Bible story itself as offensive. -------An American friend from my seminary days met us at the Customs Office of the Port of Yokohama shortly after our arrival there in November of 1951. We went by Toyoko, Yamate and Chuo line trains to the Koenji Station in Tokyo's Suginami Ward. The house he and his family were renting was about a ten-minute walk from there in an area then called Mabashi. Before arriving at Koenji Station, we had stopped to mail the 28 letters we had written aboard the ship, send a cablegram informing our church office of our safe arrival and cash a dollar check. I was amazed to receive 89 ¥1000 bills plus some bills of smaller denominations in return for my $250 check. At that time, there were large-sized ¥100 bills, smaller Y10 bills, still smaller ¥1 bills and tiny bills for 50 or 10 sen. I had never seen such a huge amount of money before, but I received it with gratitude. Of course, it did not all fit into my small billfold. From Koenji Station, we walked along a narrow street lined with many small shops that did not seem to have much to sell but were very colorful. A room had been set aside for us in the home of my friend where we were able to stay until we found an apartment for ourselves. -------Today, in our church in Takahama, a visiting preacher will deliver the sermon at the special commemorative service on the 12th anniversary of the dedication of that church building. We are still looking for a Japanese pastor for the congregation there and would be happy to consider any suggestions you might have. In the 8th chapter of the Old Testament book of I Kings, the dedication of the beautiful temple that King Solomon built is recorded and includes the king's dedication prayer. Both the Jewish Temple and Christian churches are sometimes called the "House of God", but as Solomon implied in his prayer, the God who created the world cannot be housed in an edifice constructed by human beings. Church building are places where believers gather together to worship, pray, listen to God's Word and dedicate themselves to God's service. In the New Testament, the Greek word, 'ekklesia', which is translated "church" does not signify a building. Rather, it denotes people, the special community "called out" by God to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, the church is called "the body of Christ". Christ is the head and his Body should carry on his ministry in the world today, following his direction. -------Some books have an introductory section called a "preface" or "foreword" at the beginning. These words have roots in different languages but have the same basic meaning. The older word, "preface", is rooted in a Latin word literally meaning "to say before". "Foreword" was coined in the 19th century, when some people tried to replace words of Latin origin with Anglo-Saxon equivalents. Both terms denote a short essay to prepare the reader for what follows, but if a distinction is made between the two words, a preface is usually written by the author of the following work while a foreword may be written by someone else. The introductory section of the Gospel of John, however, "In the beginning was the Word [=logos]") is usually called a "prologue". -------On the six Tuesdays following a meeting of "Daily Word" fans, it is my custom to suggest a theme for listeners or readers to write a short essay on in English. Essays sent to me are corrected and printed in the next issue of "Daily Word' Echoes which should be available at our next meeting on June 30th. Today's theme, the third in the present series, is related to a man who was born 129 years ago today, on April 15, 1867, in the American state of Indiana, the son of a clergyman. His name was Wilbur Wright. Do you know how he became famous? He and his younger brother, Orville, were aviation pioneers and on December 17, 1903, they made the first successful flight of a motor-powered airplane. Wilbur was the pilot of the biplane that traveled 260 meters in 59 seconds. The theme for today is: Airplanes. What do you think of airplanes. Have you made trips by air, either domestically or overseas? If you have not, would you like to do so? If you have, what impressions do you have of airplanes and what memories do you have of experiences while travelling in them? How have airplanes changed the world and human history, for better or for worse? This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463. -------Today, April 17th is the anniversary of two very dissimilar events with interesting names related to a couple of very different animals. It was on this day in 1961 that about 1500 Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of their homeland with the aim of fomenting an insurrection against the Communist regime of Fidel Castro. This Bay of Pigs invasion was a disastrous failure and a great embarrassment for President Kennedy and the United States, which had trained and aided the invaders. The other event is called the Diet of Worms. What image does that term evoke in your mind? In this case, "diet" is not the word related to food and "Worms" is not related to the long, slender, creeping animal. This "diet" was a deliberative assembly held in the historic German town of Worms. On April 17, 1521, Martin Luther, a university professor, was called before this Diet of Worms and asked to retract his teachings which had been condemned by the pope. He refused to do so and was formally declared an outlaw. As a result, the Protestant Reformation, sparked by Luther's questioning the pope's dogmatic authority and certain church doctrines and practices, spread rapidly throughout Europe. -------Trains in Tokyo are very crowded during rush hours and in a recent survey, commuters in the Tokyo area were asked what they say when they have to push to get off a crowded train. More than a quarter of them answered that they say nothing, but silently try to get out without saying 'sumimasen', "Excuse me", or 'oroshite-kudasai', "Please let me off". The survey also indicated that many people preferred shopping at a supermarket where they do not have to speak than at a vegetable or fish stand. I'm sure you have heard the proverb, "Speech is silver, silence is golden". Even as gold is more precious than silver, there are times when it is better to be silent than to speak. The philosopher who wrote the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes stated that there was "a time to keep silent and a time to speak" [3:7], but to accurately distinguish these different times may require superior wisdom. During his trial before the Roman governor, Jesus' refusal to reply to the charges against him is said to have amazed Pilate, the governor [Mark 15:5]. If our lives clearly show the absurdity of personal attacks against us, no verbal statement is required, for "Actions speak louder than words". -------On April 19, 1775, 221 years ago today, in the Massachusetts town of Lexington, a brief skirmish took place between British soldiers and American militiamen. Following that encounter, in which eight Americans were killed, the British soldiers proceeded to the town of Concord, where a more protracted battle took place. By the end of that day when the British soldiers returned to Boston, they had suffered 273 casualties to the Americans 93 and the American Revolution against British rule had begun. In commemoration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19th was designated Patriots' Day, a state holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Now, the holiday is observed on the third Monday of April and one of the best-known events in that celebration is the Boston Marathon, which begins in the town of Hopkinton and ends in downtown Boston, 26 miles away. The winner of that race in 1951, 45 years ago today, was the first Japanese runner to participate since the end of the war, 19-year-old Shigeki Tanaka, who completed the course in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 45 seconds. Battles and races of various kinds are common in our lives also. Before he died, the Apostle Paul wrote, in 11 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, l have finished the race, l have kept the faith." -------A few days after our arrival in Japan in 1951, my wife and I took a sightseeing trip around Tokyo. We were impressed with many contrasts in dress, architecture and customs between E the old, traditional society and the new, modern nation that was emerging. Scars of wartime bombings were still visible, but obviously new systems and new ideas were in the process of development. Our sightseeing tour included a number of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. At the latter, we saw many young children dressed in traditional, colorful clothes for it was the day called 'shichi-go-san'. In a newsletter I wrote to our home church at the time, I described how the Shinto priest waved "a stick with paper runners" over the head of each child "to shoo away the evil spirits". I also mentioned seeing a similar stick on the top of a house under construction, evidently to protect that building from evil spirits also. At the first Japanese church service we attended, an American happened to be the preacher so we were able to understand his English message, which was interpreted into Japanese. We were surprised, however, that my wife and I were unable to sit together, for the men and women sat on opposite sides of the central aisle. -------Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 21 are called letters. Thirteen of these letters begin with the same word in Greek, the name of the writer: Paul. Most of Paul's letters were written to churches, but there are four letters to individuals, including two to an associate named Timothy. In his two letters to Timothy, the older evangelist included various words of advice to this younger pastor. In chapter 4, verse 12 of his First Letter to Timothy, we read: "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example to the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity." It may be a characteristic of all societies to show respect for the aged, but this is particularly true in the Orient. It is an admirable tradition, but we must recognize that the old can also learn from the young. In fact, this is how progress is achieved. The most effective way of teaching moral principles to others, however, is by providing a good example. This is true not only for young or old pastors but for parents and teachers as well. Those about us are influenced by our example, whether it be good or bad, and these words of Paul should cause us to reflect on the examples we provide others in our daily lives. -------In modern Japanese, "companion" is sometimes used to denote a female guide for foreign guests at an exhibit or special event, but in English, the word simply means a person who associates or travels with another. Many English words begin with the prefix c-o-m or c-o-n, from the Latin word for "together" or "with" but what do you presume is the meaning of "pan", the second syllable in this word? It has the same meaning as 'pan' in Japanese [bread] for, originally, a companion was a person with whom one breaks bread, a fellow diner. According to a modern translation of Genesis 2:18, God created a woman to be a "suitable companion" for a man. In a happy marriage, spouses complement each other, whether that word is spelled with an e or an i in the middle. -------Today is the birthday of a man who has been called "the greatest playwright who ever lived", "a creative genius unique in all literature" and "a dramatist of note who lived by writing things to quote." Can you imagine who the man is? He was born in an English town on the Avon River, called Stratford-upon-Avon and his name is William Shakespeare. Actually, his date of birth has not been documented, but records show that he was baptized on April 26, 1564 and since it was customary to have the baptism three days after birth, April 23rd is the accepted date of his birth. For those of you who like to write English essays, I am suggesting this man and his writings as the subject for this week. What do you think of William Shakespeare? When did you first become acquainted with him? Have you read many of his dramas or poems? Can you understand them? Which ones impressed you most deeply? Why do you think Shakespearean literature is so highly regarded? I will be happy to read your ideas or memories related to this man and will correct essays sent to me for inclusion in the next issue of '"Daily Word" Echoes'. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya, 463 Japan. -------The islands of Japan are filled with mountains. Sometimes, a hiker may get lost and spend some hours or even a few days wandering in the mountains, but the recent experience of a 33-year-old outdoorsman in the United States is difficult for a Japanese to imagine, for this man got lost in a swamp. A swamp is a lowland region saturated with water, an area of wet, spongy land, a marsh. The huge Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia covers some 1550 square kilometers. It is about 60 kilometers long and an average 20 kilometers wide. It was on a 21-square-kilometer piece of land in that swamp called Billy's Island that Mike Goodell got lost and spent 41 days wandering through the thick foliage trying to find his way back to his canoe. Search parties using sophisticated equipment failed to find him and by the time he returned to his canoe he had lost 22 kilograms. He had survived on meals of bugs, leaves and berries washed down with swamp water. Goodell said it was "just perseverance" that brought a happy ending to his ordeal. We all need to persevere in attaining our goals. Jesus gave this promise to his disciples, in Mark 13:13: "He who endures to the end will be saved". -------During a troubled decade in British history when the country was without a monarch, it was ruled by a virtual dictator who declined an offer to become king and assumed the title of Lord Protector. This occurred in the year 1653. The gentleman's name was Oliver Cromwell and he was born 397 years ago today, on April 25, 1599. At that time, it was thought that monarchs ruled by divine right, but some parliamentarians disputed that idea, asserting that sovereignty rested with Parliament. During the English Civil War in which these two concepts were in conflict, Cromwell exhibited superior military ability and a genius for organizing and inspiring the parliamentary armies. After the war, he was chosen to become Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. Opinions regarding Oliver Cromwell are widely varied. His military skill and force of character are recognized, but the situation at the time resulted in acts of cruelty and intolerance which did not reflect his true nature. He left his puritanical mark on British history, but the Protectorate he began quickly came to an end under his son and successor. His dying words were said to be: "It is not my design to drink or to sleep, it is my design to make what haste I can to be gone." -------Victor Morales, a Hispanic-American, grew up in a poor family. In high school, he became class president and was also voted the "best dancer" by his classmates. He is now a civics teacher in a Texas high school and serves on the town council of a small Texas town. Morales has urged his students to get involved in politics and now has followed his own advice. Virtually unknown in the political world outside of his home area, he entered the race to become the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate from Texas. With no official endorsement, he spent his own money and drove around the state in his family pickup truck. He was considered simply an "average Joe", not a savvy politician. In the primary election in March, he received the support of 80 percent of the Hispanic voters. Two weeks ago, he won the runoff election against a congressman who had the support of the state's Democratic Party leadership and labor unions and who spent ten times as much in his more sophisticated campaign. In the national election in November, his opponent will be Senator Phil Gramm, who failed in his campaign to become the Republican nominee for president. In some places in the U.S., grass roots democracy is still alive. -------During our first weeks in Japan 45 years ago, my wife and I were introduced to various facets of Japanese life. Before we began our formal language study, we began to learn certain Japanese customs and became acquainted with some Japanese food. Of course, in many cases we learned simply by following the example of others. We took off our shoes before entering a house and bowed when meeting people. Gradually, we learned how to manipulate the two slender sticks which were set before us along with a bowl of rice. Before coming to Japan, I had rarely eaten rice and was not particularly fond of it. I had never eaten just plain rice as part of a meal, but at times, my mother had made a sweet-flavored rice pudding which was served as a dessert. Also in the United States, I seldom drank tea and if I did, it was so-called black tea, but I was not fond of it either. I came to Japan, however, to live for a long time and to communicate a message and realized that, insofar as I was conscientiously and constitutionally able, I should follow the customs of the Japanese people, as the proverb says, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". So it was not long before I was not only eating Japanese rice and drinking Japanese tea but enjoying them as well. -------In the past many months, there have been numerous reports of criminal acts of individuals who brazenly killed innocent people, falsified documents or told outright lies for temporary selfish advantage even though many others were adversely affected. When I read such stories, I wonder whether such people ever pause to listen to the voice of their conscience. All people have a conscience, which may be ignored, stifled or modified, but its admonition should be considered before any drastic action is taken. In the latter part of the 7th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul openly describes the conflict he had experienced within his own mind or heart. At times, he knew what was the right thing to do but he actually did the very opposite. He wrote that it was because of the sin that lived in him and called out in despair, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Then he gave the answer to his own question: God would deliver him "through Jesus Christ our Lord". It is encouraging to common Christians today to know that a man they consider a kind of model had the same inner struggle that they experience and that the answer to the problem remains the same. -------Until eight years ago, this 29th day of April was a holiday to celebrate the late Emperor's birthday. Emperor Showa was interested in marine biology and for that reason this continuing holiday in his memory is called Green Day. "Green" is also used to indicate a concern for the environment. This Green Day has become the beginning of Golden Week. This special week with three holidays in it was first called "golden" over forty years ago by movie theater owners because of the increased profits they made during that week. This year, Golden Week is nine days long because April 28th fell on a Sunday and the May 5th holiday is observed on the following day, Monday, May 6th. Whether we are interested in green or gold, we should remember the Golden Rule, found in Matthew 7:12. -------
In Shakespeare's famous drama, Romeo and Juliet are lovers, but they belong to two feuding families. In her famous speech, Juliet says: Anyone who is aware of what is happening in the world recognizes that times are changing. This is not a new observation. Five hundred years before Christ, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated that "Nothing is permanent but change". He illustrated his thesis with the observation that "You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in." Every year, the 'Guinness Book of World Records' must publish a new edition for new records are continually being established. This year, a new "tallest building in the world" was completed and in the Olympic Games, new records will be made. Language, the meanings of words and how they are used also change, so new, revised dictionaries are necessary. A recent newspaper article noted how, in present usage, the word "peruse" is being used to imply something exactly opposite to its traditional meaning. The standard definition of this word is to read thoroughly, to examine carefully, but it is now used to mean a hasty, summary reading. Some readers of these messages peruse them in the traditional sense, while others peruse them in the fast-changing modern sense, but, in either case, I hope they are interesting, informative and stimulating. -------Today, May the 2nd, is the birthday of a famous lady named Catherine. There are many different ways to spell this name and other names derived from it. It is related to a Greek word meaning pure or unsullied. There are saints and other highly-respected religious women of the Roman Catholic Church and queens of France and England who bore this name, including three of the six wives of Henry VIII The lady born 267 years ago today, in 1729, began her life as a German princess named Sophie, but was chosen to be the wife of a future czar of Russia. Changing her name and her religion, she quickly adapted herself to her surroundings and soon became more popular than her husband. Six months after her husband became czar, he was deposed and murdered and Catherine succeeded him. Known as Catherine the Great, she ruled the country for 34 years, from 1762-1796. During her heavy-handed reign, both the frontiers of the empire and the miseries of the peasants increased greatly. She was an intellectual who read many French writings and left the following quotation, which is translated from French. "I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that's his." -------Forty-nine years ago today, the present Constitution of Japan became effective. On this holiday commemorating that event, today's message consists of quotations from the English translation of the Preamble and Article 9 of that Constitution. "We, the Japanese people, desire peace for all time and are deeply conscious of the high ideals controlling human relationship and we have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world. We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society striving for the preservation of peace, and the banishment of tyranny and slavery, oppression and intolerance for all time from the earth. We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want." "Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized." -------After our arrival in Japan in November 1951, the two most urgent matters facing my wife and me were finding a place to live and beginning our language study. The friend with whom we stayed temporarily attended the Naganuma School which met in the Tokyo YMCA. We had expected to enroll in that school too but were told that the class for the term beginning in January was already filled. Although we preferred to reside in Tokyo and attend school there, we faced the possibility of going to Kyoto to enroll in a language school there. It was to gain information about that school that provided me with the frustrating experience of making long-distance telephone calls from Tokyo to Kyoto. At that time, telephone service in Japan was quite different than now. It took a long time to complete a call and even then the connection was not always satisfactory. I must say, however, that telephone calls were very cheap along with transportation costs and many other services. I was amazed on my first visit to a barber shop, where I was given a shave, a haircut and a shampoo, all for ¥100. It was the first time I had gotten shaved and had my hair shampooed in a barber shop for in the United States these additional services required an additional charge. -------On this fifth day of the fifth month, a holiday called Kodomo no Hi, or Children's Day, in Japan, let us consider an incident recorded in each of the first three Gospels in the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verse 13, some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and bless them, but Jesus' disciples scolded the people. Evidently, the disciples thought that Jesus was too busy or too important to be bothered with such a trivial matter. It may be that the people and the children were from poor families without cultural refinement but Jesus' attitude was quite the opposite of the disciples. He told them to let the children come to him and gave the surprising teaching that "the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these" and that "whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them." This incident portrays Jesus as kind and considerate, willing to take time for those considered by some people to be unimportant. It also teaches that our acceptance of divine truth should be similar to the simple, innocent, unsophisticated faith of a little child. -------What does the word "atlas", spelled a-t-l-a-s, bring to your mind? My English dictionary contains eight different definitions of this word. Originally, it was a proper noun, the name of a Titan in Greek mythology. When Titans were defeated by Olympians, Atlas was condemned by Zeus to hold the sky on his shoulders for all eternity, so any person who carries a great burden may be called an Atlas. In 1595, Gerhardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer, published a collection of maps with the figure of Atlas holding up the heavens on the front page. Since that time, "atlas" came to mean a book of maps and now is used for volumes of other kinds of charts, tables or illustrations. President Eisenhower called the U.S. economy of his day "an Atlas, supporting the rest of the world." -------A number of islands in East Asia are the subject of disputes between neighboring nations, including Japan and Russia, Japan and Korea, the Philippines and China and others. The legal status of the Ryukyu Islands is no longer in dispute, but the status of American military bases located in Okinawa Prefecture has become a matter of dispute between various government bodies. The problem is also viewed differently by the residents of Okinawa and those living in other prefectures. It was over a hundred years ago that the Ryukyu Islands were officially incorporated into Japan, but they have been generally neglected by the central government. The site of bloody battles of the Pacific War, military bases have continued to occupy a large portion of the land after the end of the war. What do you think about the Okinawa problem? Have you been to Okinawa? If you have, what were your impressions? What should be done about the bases there? Are they still needed? Should they be closed or moved to other areas? Essays on this subject sent to me will be corrected and included in the next issue of '"Daily Word" Echoes'. Please send essays to reach me by May 18. This is : "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya, Japan 463. -------In the card game called poker, the marker which is placed before the player who is to deal the next hand is called a "buck", so the informal phrase, "pass the buck", means to shift one's responsibility to another person. It is often used for politicians, bureaucrats and others who try to blame others for their mistakes. The man who suddenly became president of the United States when Franklin Roosevelt died in 1945 was an ardent poker player. When he was born in the state of Missouri, 112 years ago today, he was given simply an initial instead of a middle name. In this way, his parents avoided the difficult decision of which of his grandfathers' names to choose for his middle name for both grandfathers' names began with an S. Harry S. Truman was known for his integrity, courage, decisiveness, warmth and fairness and on his desk he displayed a sign that became famous: "The buck stops here". It made clear that he was in control and that he accepted the responsibility or blame for decisions made by his government. In this respect, he provided a good example, not only for politicians and others in positions of authority. All of us should take responsibility for our words or actions. In his honor, today is a holiday in the state of Missouri. -------When the Chinese character meaning "fish" is combined with another character meaning "delicious" or "tasty", the result is a different character meaning "sushi". This uniquely Japanese dish of vinegared rice with "tasty fish" and vegetables has traditionally been prepared by specially-trained chefs. Consequently, it has been an expensive delicacy, but modernization and mechanization are also affecting Japanese culinary arts. Sushi is now being prepared by machines. Because this new kind of sushi is prepared by robots and is usually sold on the basement floor of large department stores, it has been called "robot sushi" or "B-1 sushi". In Tokyo department stores, a wide variety of the neatly wrapped morsels are available at prices ranging from ¥50 to ¥150 each. One department store spokesman said his store provides as many as 20,000 pieces of 30 different kinds of sushi a day, about 80 percent of which are priced at ¥50. Needless to say, this machine-made sushi is very popular among housewives. While the robot sushi is cheaper, more sanitary and prepared more efficiently, something is also lost in the process, so whether or not to call this "progress" depends on the definition one gives to that word. -------A recent news article told of a pedestrian in Liverpool England who was attacked with an iron pole by an angry motorist because the 31-year-old man did not say "Thank you" when the driver slowed down to let him cross the street. Reading the article, I was reminded of an incident I experienced in downtown Nagoya some years ago while riding my bicycle. Cars were lined up close behind one another waiting for a traffic light to change and I squeezed between two of them while crossing the street. I noticed that my rearview mirror touched the back end of the pickup truck on my right as I wended my way through. I found that I was on the wrong street, however, so I returned to that place and found an angry driver of the passenger car that was behind the pickup truck. He said that the pedal of my bicycle had made a scratch on the front bumper of his car as I passed by. I was completely unaware of that, having been distracted by the mirror ticking the pickup truck, but I responded that if my pedal had, in fact, scratched his bumper, I was sorry and asked if he wanted money to have it repaired. He said no money was required. He was just angry that my bicycle had touched his car and I had not stopped to apologize. -------Although we were informed that the new class beginning in January 1952 at the Japanese language school in Tokyo was already filled, my wife and I preferred to stay in Tokyo for our language training, so we began our search for suitable living quarters there. The logical place to begin was in the classified advertisements section of a newspaper. The friend with whom we were temporarily living subscribed to the only English-language newspaper published at that time. Before the war, it had been called 'The Japan Times', but the nationalistic, wartime government had forced this reputable newspaper to change its name to the more chauvinistic 'The Nippon Times'. That was its name when we arrived in Japan, or Nippon, and perused its pages to find a real estate agent. We visited that real estate office and were told of a number of possibilities. Looking them over, we indicated our order of preference. For various reasons, our first two choices could not be visited at that particular time so we were taken to our third choice, located in Denenchofu, in Ota Ward, a short walk from Denenchofu Station on the Toyoko Line, which links Tokyo and Yokohama. I will continue this story in next Saturday's message. -------For the past 88 years, this second Sunday of May has been celebrated as Mother's Day in churches and communities in the United States and is now observed in many other countries of the world. A German novelist, Jean Paul Richter, wrote: "No joy in nature is so sublimely affecting as the joy of a mother at the good fortune of her child." All mothers wish, hope and pray for the good fortune of their children, but some so-called 'kyoiku mama' in Japan may push their children too hard to succeed in their studies. According to a story related in the 20th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, a mother came to Jesus one day with her two sons, who were his disciples. She requested that they be given the highest places in the kingdom she expected him to establish. Jesus replied that he could not grant her request. He taught that such places are not gained through using one's connections. True greatness, he indicated, is gained through suffering and humble service. He said, "If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest." In this regard, Jesus himself is our example. His concluding statement was: "the Son of man ... did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people" (26, 28). -------There are over ten entries in my dictionary of terms beginning with "Japanese", most of which are related to plants. Over twenty entries begin with "French", but only one is related to a plant. The term, "French leave", is especially interesting. It denotes an abrupt, unannounced departure. In France, it was common for guests to leave a party without bidding a formal farewell to the host/hostess, but the British considered such behavior impolite and coined this term not only for such discourteous guests but for soldiers/sailors who left their post without permission, which, in America, is called AWOL, or awol, meaning "absent without leave". Another explanation relates the term to French soldiers in foreign countries who took items from stores and left without paying. -------Every country in the world has its own particular national flag. The 'hi-no-maru', "circle of the sun", flag of Japan is one of the simplest designs. That of the United States of America is much more complicated with a more complex symbolism. All national flags have identical designs on both the obverse and reverse sides -- except for one, and that is the South American country which is celebrating its Flag Day today. Tomorrow is also a holiday in that country, called Independence Observance Day, commemorating the departure of the last of the Spanish royal governors 115 years ago in 1881. It was in the news recently when its president attempted to appoint a rebellious army general as defense minister but the people protested. It is the smaller of the two countries in South America that are landlocked, which means entirely surrounded by land. Its name begins with a P and contains more than four letters. Given these hints, you should have guessed its name. It is Paraguay, whose flag has horizontal red, white and blue stripes, but on one side the national ensign is on the middle, white stripe while on the other side there is a lion and the inscription, 'Paz y Justica', "Peace and Justice". -------A recent news article told of a "trendy" language that was being studied in some high schools in the midwestern state of Kansas, at the very center of the 48 contiguous states on the United States mainland. The name of this state and that of its three largest cities are all derived from the language of the Native Americans who lived there before the coming of foreigners from Europe with their strange languages. The largest city in Kansas is not the capital of Topeka, but Wichita, whose population of over 300,000 is over twice that of Kansas City, the second-largest city. The word "trend" denotes a direction of movement and "trendy" is an informal word for the latest fad or fashion. Trendy clothes are popular among fashionable people. In some Wichita high schools, Japanese, considered a "trendy" language, is being offered to students. Spanish and French are still the most popular foreign language electives at schools nationwide, but there is an increased interest in Asia in general and Japan in particular. The Japanese language teachers, who come from Japan, teach about the culture as well as the language of their homeland. Hopefully, their efforts will result in a further internationalization of the U.S.A. -------Recently, the Odakyu Electric Railway polled 138 of its passengers in the Tokyo area. The 73 men and 65 women were company workers and vocational school students. Almost ninety percent of them confessed to having cheated on their fares. A common method of cheating is to pay the fare for only a short distance at the points where a train is boarded and left. This is called 'kiseru-nori'. Do you know what language 'kiseru', denoting a tobacco pipe, comes from? It is the Cambodian word for the long, straight pipe with a mouthpiece at one end and a bowl to hold the tobacco at the other. We may say that those passengers who cheat on their fares are "cunning". 'Kanningu', in Japanese, is used for students who cheat during an examination, but while the English word may mean shrewd or crafty, it may also mean simply clever or skillful. In the classical, King James Version of the Old Testament, the beautiful embroidery of fabrics and carving of metals for the Israelite sanctuary were said to be cunning work done by cunning workmen [Exodus 25-31, 35-40]. And a prayer in the 127th Psalm contains these words: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning." -------Today is a national holiday, called Constitution Day, in two nations whose names begin with N. One of them is the Kingdom of Norway. I'm sure you know where that country is located and how to spell its name. The other is the Republic of Nauru, spelled N-a-u-r-u. I wonder if you know where it is located. Do you think it is in the eastern or western hemisphere? on a continent or an island? It is one of the world's smallest independent states, with an area of about 20 square kilometers and a population of about 10,000. It gained its independence in 1968, and 28 years ago today its constitution was approved, establishing it as a republic with a parliamentary system of government. Nauru is an atoll, which is a ring-shaped coral island that encloses a lagoon. It is located just south of the equator, northeast of Australia and southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. It was occupied by Japanese troops throughout World War II. Now, both Australia and New Zealand are dependent on the phosphates which are its greatest natural resource. When it was first discovered by the British in 1798, it was called Pleasant Island and I hope you have, or have had, a pleasant day today. -------As noted in last Saturday's message, the real estate agent we contacted in Tokyo in 1951 was only able to arrange for us to see one apartment on the day we went to his office. It was actually our third choice among the various possibilities he informed us of, but it turned out to be an ideal place as far as we were concerned. It was an upstairs apartment a few minutes' walk from Denenchofu Station, from which many trains to Shibuya were available throughout the day. The middle-aged landlord and his wife lived on the first floor of a large, typical Japanese house. They were a friendly Christian couple who proved very helpful in our adjusting to life in Japan. The husband was on the faculty in the science department of a university and the wife was the younger sister of the wife of Tetsu Katayama, Japan's second postwar prime minister, a Christian Socialist, who held office for ten months in 1947-48. Although this couple could not speak English, a couple of rooms on the first floor of their home were rented by a lady and her adult son who were also Christians and who had spent many years in the United States. This couple were willing and able to serve as interpreters whenever needed and we perceived the providence of God in our finding such a suitable apartment. -------Many Americans do not think of the meaning of the names they give their children. In fact, I did not know that my name, Clark, denoted a clergyman until after I became one. Both Jews and Japanese, however, give children meaningful names which may include the situation, feelings or hopes of the parents at the time of the child's birth. One of the respected ancestors of the Jewish people, the son of Abraham, was named Isaac, which means "laughter". There are different reasons for laughing and different kinds of laughter. According to the story in Genesis, chapter 21, when Isaac was born, his mother said, "God has brought me joy and laughter. Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me". It is normal to rejoice when a child is born, but Abraham and Sarah had special reasons for their happiness at the birth of their one and only son in their old age. He was the special son that God had promised and, according previous narratives, Abraham had laughed questioningly when he first heard God's promise that he would have a son [17:17] and Sarah laughed incredulously when she heard the news [18:21], but they both laughed for joy when the promised son was born. In the New Testament, Isaac is considered a type of the promised Savior. -------As you know, a barber, spelled b-a-r-b-e-r, is a person who cuts hair and shaves or trims beards. This word is rooted in a Latin word meaning "beard". Have you ever wondered why the common sign for a barber shop is a pole with red and white spiraling stripes? In the old days, barbers also engaged in a simple form of surgery known as bloodletting, or phlebotomy, to treat such ailments as high blood pressure or anemia. After cutting a vein and letting some blood flow out, the barber draped the blood-soaked bandages on a white pole to dry, giving the pole the red and white stripes that became the barber shop symbol. You may be surprised to know that the term "a barber's razor" is found in the King James Version of the Bible, in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 5, verse 1. -------The American Revolution, which brought independence to the former British colonies, was supported by France and was an influential factor in the subsequent French Revolution. After France became a republic, a French historian proposed that a statue be built to commemorate the alliance of France with the American colonies during their War of Independence. Funds were raised by the Franco-American Union, which was established in 1875, and a French sculptor, F.A. Bartholdi, designed the statue in the form of a woman with an uplifted arm holding a torch. Originally known as 'Liberty Enlightening the World', the 46-meter-high statue was constructed of copper sheets and weighed 225 tons. One hundred twelve years ago today, on May 21, 1884, the statue was completed. The entire cost of $250,000 was contributed by the French, but the statue had to be shipped to New York and reassembled. The 45-meter-high concrete and granite pedestal upon which it was erected was constructed with funds contributed by Americans. Originally meant to symbolize the lasting friendship between France and the United States, this 'Statue of Liberty' has become a symbol of liberty and hope to people of all nations. -------When the ancient Greek poet, Homer, wrote in his epic poem, the 'Iliad', "the tongue of man is a twisty thing", he was alluding to the tongue's ability to speak a variety of words. But the English term, "tongue-twister", denotes a phrase or sentence that is difficult to pronounce rapidly because of a succession of similar sounds. A couple of common tongue-twisters are: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" and "She sells seashells by the seashore". But I find the following one more difficult because I have to smile as I repeat it: "Sinful Caesar sipped his snifter, seized his knees and sneezed". You may be able to say such sentences slowly one time, but if you try to repeat them two or three times rapidly, you will understand why they are called "tongue-twisters". In the 3rd chapter of the New Testament Letter of James, the need to control our "twisty" tongues is emphasized. There the tongue is compared to the small rudder that guides a large ship or a tiny flame that can start a huge forest fire. Human beings who are able to domesticate wild animals are unable to control their own tongues. The ancient Greek philosopher, Zeno, wrote: "Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue". -------One of our five senses is the sense of taste. The organ that senses taste is the tongue which contains numerous clusters of cells called taste buds. Taste buds distinguish substances that are sweet, sour, salty or bitter. People who have a great fondness for sweet-tasting things are said to have a sweet tooth and they enjoy eating candy. Historians report that candy made its first appearance in Egypt about 3000 years ago. That candy was made from honey, since sugar was not yet available. The cultivation of sugar cane, which along with sugar beets is now the main source of sugar, began in Persia during the Middle Ages. Before candy was produced, Persians with a sweet tooth would simply cut a piece of the sugar cane and chew it, but now there are many kinds of confections made with sugar. People who crave sweets do not necessarily make "sweet talk" which means "flattery". The ancient poet who wrote the 119th Psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible, considered God's words tasty, for he wrote, in verse 103: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth." But in a vision recorded in the book of Revelation, chapter 10, words sweet in the mouth became bitter in the stomach. -------Today's message is about the game played on a large outdoor course called golf. The object of the game is to hit a small ball, using a variety of clubs, into a series of holes with as few strokes as possible. In America, when I was young, I considered golf an old man's game and an American journalist once described "middle age" as the age when "you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush up to the net". Although on Monday mornings when I play tennis, I do not rush up to the net as quickly as I used to, it is not my youthfulness that keeps me from playing golf but my lack of interest and finances, for it seems to me that, in Japan, golf is a slow-moving, rich man's game. It may be good for businessmen or politicians to get out-of-doors and to get a bit of exercise by walking around the golf course and swinging a club to hit a ball. They may also make some business or political deals while golfing, but it is an expensive sport here where land is so costly and people are so many. The game may have originated in Holland where a similar game, called 'kolf', was played on ice. Golf became popular in Scotland but, in 1457, it was banned as a threat to archery practice which was considered vital to national defense. -------The second-floor apartment we rented in Denenchofu, Tokyo in 1951 consisted, basically, of three rooms: a large 'tatami' room with a 'toko-no-ma', at one end and 'shoji' and glass windows along the side and two smaller western-style rooms. At the top of the stairway was a small open space outside of these rooms with a small sink. Beside the sink, we set up the simple three-burner kerosene stove and the small electric refrigerator that had been shipped from the States. That space served as our unheated kitchen which got quite cold in the winter. In the smaller of the two western-style rooms, we placed the collapsible three-quarter-sized bed which also came from America. It almost filled the entire room, but beside it we placed a wooden crate on end to serve as a small cabinet. The other western-style room served as our living/dining room. In that room, we placed our American kerosene stove to heat those two rooms. It required a chimney, so a small window pane was replaced with a metal plate through which the chimney passed to the outside. The door from the kitchen to the dining room was a western-style door, but the doors to the bedroom and the 'tatami' room were Japanese-style sliding doors. -------The English word "church" is rooted in a Greek word meaning "belonging to the Lord". But the Greek word translated "church" in the New Testament, literally means "called out". It was used for an assembly of citizens summoned for some special purpose. Thus, the church is composed of people who have been called out for a special purpose by the Lord and belong to him. In the church calendar, this fiftieth day after Easter is called Pentecost, from a Greek word meaning "fiftieth day". It may be called the birthday of the church for it was on that Jewish festival day, that Jesus' disciples were gathered together and had the strange experience described in the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts: "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit ...." From that time on, the Spirit-filled disciples began preaching the Good News of God's love and salvation, revealed in Jesus Christ, which has spread around the world. Today is celebrated as the day of the Holy Spirit's descent and the birth or empowerment of the church. -------This last Monday of May is a holiday in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In the former, it is called Spring Bank Holiday and is a day of sports and picnics. In the latter, it is called Memorial Day and was established to honor military men who died in battle, first in the Civil War, then in later wars. Now it is a time to remember all the departed. Many Americans visit cemeteries on this day and decorate the graves of loved ones with flowers, so it has also been known as Decoration Day. It is interesting that the Greek word, 'kosmos', which may mean the orderly universe, may also signify a decoration or ornament and is used in that sense in the New Testament book of I Peter, chapter 3, verse 3, in relation to the outward adornment of women. -------Today, May 28th, is the 189th anniversary of the birth of Louis Agassiz, spelled A-g-a-s-s-i-z. Born in Switzerland, he became a famous professor of zoology and geology at Harvard. In my seminary days, his insistence upon thorough, accurate observation of subject matter was considered a fitting model for a serious student of the Bible. One of his students wrote of his initial experiences when he went to Harvard to study science under Agassiz. The famous scientist assigned him to a small table with a tin pan on it, placed a small fish in it and told him to study it. "Find out what you can. When I think you have done the work, I will question you", he said. After an hour, the student thought he was ready to report, but Agassiz did not question him until a week later. During that time, he had discovered much more about the fish than he had thought possible, but Agassiz was not satisfied with his report and he spent another week, ten hours a day examining that fish. As a result, the student astonished himself with all that he had discovered and felt a new power of accomplishment. If we study the Bible, or any other subject matter with that kind of intensity, we shall certainly gain new insight and discover new truths. -------The United States of America is presently composed of fifty states. The names of 28 of those states are derived from native words. Eleven state names are English, six come from Spanish, three from French, one from Dutch and the name of one, Washington, comes from American history. The name of the midwestern state of Wisconsin, which became the 30th state 148 years ago today, on May 29,1848, is derived from a Native American word, but the meaning is unclear. There is a great variety in the size of the states, ranging from the 1.5 million-square-kilometer state of Alaska to the 2,700-square-kilometer Rhode Island. In regard to area, the state of Wisconsin is exactly in the middle, the 25th largest state with an area of about 140,600 square kilometers. A 690-kilometer-long river, also called Wisconsin, wends its way through the state from north to south, finally flowing into the Mississippi. Wisconsin leads the nation in milk and cheese production and in the number of milk cows. Milk is an important part of the diet of human beings and the "milk of human kindness", meaning the natural feelings of sympathy and compassion should be secreted by men and women alike. -------There are four completely different English words pronounced 'roud', and they all have a different spelling. How many can you spell correctly? Two of them are the past tenses of verbs and the third is a noun. "Rode", spelled r-o-d-e, is the past tense of "ride". I ride my bicycle to the post office every day to pick up mail from my post office box, and I rode it there yesterday. "Rowed", spelled r-o-w-e-d, is the past tense of "row". I seldom get into a rowboat these days, but when I was young, I often rowed a boat while at summer camp in Wisconsin. "Road", spelled r-o-a-d, is a common noun meaning an open way for the passage of vehicles, people or animals. The road in front of our house is seldom used be cause it leads to a dead end. Some people who like to roam may walk on it, going into the nearby woods. There is an English proverb that "All roads lead to Rome", but this road is not one of them. The proverb evidently dates to the time when Rome was the center of the Western world and means that people may use different methods or take different ways but they will end up at the same place. Needless say, this is not always so, whether we are speaking of science or religion. -------The Congress of the United States of America is made up of two houses. In the upper house, called the Senate, there are two senators from each of the fifty states. In the lower house, the House of Representatives, the 435 representatives are apportioned to each state according to population. According to the original Constitution, representatives were elected directly by the qualified voters in each state, but senators were chosen by the state legislatures. For over a hundred years, this was the system followed, but the increased power of business corporations and corrupt state legislatures resulted in senators representing financial interests rather than the general public. A movement began to change the Constitution to have senators elected directly by the people. Senate approval was required, however, to effect such an amendment and senators resisted that effort. Finally, the voice of the people could no longer be ignored and 83 years ago today, on May 31, 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was declared ratified by the secretary of state. Since that time, a more truly democratic process has been followed with senators being elected directly by voters and government of the people, by the people and for the people was enhanced. -------The slightly enlarged flat surface in the middle of a flight of stairs, called a "landing" in English, has the interesting name of 'odoriba', "dance place", in Japanese. The stairway to the second floor in the Japanese house in Denenchofu, Tokyo into which we moved in November 1951 had a landing from which the stairway branched left and right. The wider stairway to the left led to the small space we used as a kitchen and the three rooms we rented. A narrower stairway to the right led to a small 'tatami' room in which a maid could live. From the windows of our western-style dining/living room and bedroom, we were able to get a distant glimpse of Mount Fuji on a clear day. We seldom used the large 'tatami' room, but I suppose the Japanese landlord and his wife were surprised at the use we made of the 'toko-no-ma' at the far end of the room. Since there was no storage space nor closet in our rooms, we placed a large trunk on one side of the alcove and had a bamboo pole hung from the ceiling and a curtain hung in front of the other side. Thus we used this artistic spot as a kind of storage space and clothes closet. If we had had a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture, we would probably not have done so. -------The New Testament begins with four books called Gospels, which contain stories of the Gospel, or "good news" revealed in the life and teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. The fourth Gospel contains long discourses of Jesus not found in the other three Gospels. In the discourses recorded in chapters 14-16, following his last supper with his disciples, Jesus made repeated reference to the Holy Spirit who would be sent from heaven after his own departure. The Greek word used for that Spirit of God is 'parakletos', literally meaning "one called along side". Different words have been used to translate this term, including, Comforter, Counselor, Helper and Advocate, implying the different reasons why someone may be called along side. Each one of these translations is suitable and emphasize a particular aspect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world today. God's Spirit provides comfort to the sorrowing, guidance to the confused, help for the needy and support for the delinquent. Christians believe that, even as God once entered human history in the person of Jesus, the Christ, the Spirit of God continues to be with, "along side" of believers today as they face the problems of daily life. -------The word "pock", spelled p-o-c-k, is a small, eruption of the skin filled with pus. After some eruptive skin diseases, pitlike scars may be left on the skin which are called pockmarks. The plural of pock is pocks, which may also be spelled p-o-x. I'm not sure if chickens are ever afflicted with a skin disease, but the childhood disease called 'mizuboso' in Japanese is called "chicken pox" in English. A different, more serious skin disease is "smallpox", but the Japanese term, 'tennen-to', seems to imply it is a "natural" disease. An infectious disease of cattle is called "cowpox" and the virus from cowpox is used to make a vaccination against smallpox. The English phrase, "a pox on" something or someone is used as a kind of curse or an expression of disgust. -------Avon, spelled A-v-o-n, is the Celtic name for "river" and there are several rivers in England bearing that name Avon is also the name of a cosmetics company in the United States. Its products are sold by sales representatives who make personal calls at the homes of customers and prospective customers to sell and deliver the cosmetics. Recently a birthday party was held in the Civic Center of Bismark, the capital of the American state of North Dakota in honor of Avon's oldest salesperson. How old do you think she is? The Avon division manager presented Rosie Gries with 100 red roses and a large jar of lemon drops in honor of her 100th birthday. Ms. Gries made her first Avon sale -- a ten-cent tube of hand cream -- in 1938. For the past 58 years she has been an Avon saleslady and continues to make regular visits to about 25 customers in Sheridan County in central North Dakota. Now she hires a driver to make her calls in that sparsely-populated area and no longer sees or hears as well as she used to, but she continues her work at the ripe old age of 100. The writer of the the 92nd Psalm asserted that righteous people, blessed of God, still bear fruit in their old age. -------"Phobia", spelled p-h-o-b-i-a, is derived from the Greek word for "fear". It is defined as a persistent, abnormal or illogical fear of a specific thing or situation. One reference book has a list of over 180 words ending in "phobia". Many of them are technical, medical terms that are not found in general dictionaries, but they specify all kinds of things that people can be afraid of. There are many opposites in the list. For example, a person with claustrophobia is afraid of enclosed spaces while a person with agoraphobia is afraid of open spaces. A person having pyrophobia is afraid of fire while one suffering from hydrophobia is afraid of water. Others are afraid of heights, of dogs, of darkness or of thunder. In the Bible, there are a number of stories in which an angel suddenly appears and, often, the first word spoken by the angel is "Fear not!" Jesus taught that, normally, fear is an indication of a lack of faith (Mark 4:40; 5:36). In some societies today, there is increasing evidence of xenophobia, which is a fear of strangers or foreigners, but in the Greek New Testament, we find the term 'philoxenos', literally meaning "love of strangers" and it is this hospitable attitude that is recommended (in Hebrews 13:2 and Romans 12:13). -------A "gremlin" is an imaginary, small, mischievous creature whose meddling antics are humorously blamed for malfunctions of machines. I would like to blame a gremlin for the typographical errors that sometimes creep into these messages, but I know who the real culprit is. It is the composer of the messages who is not as alert as he should be. It may be because he is getting older. I am particularly embarrassed by an error I found in the message of May 16th, which ended with a quotation from the Bible. When a member of my Nagoya Bible Class asked me the meaning of that verse, I suggested that he consult a Japanese Bible to find out, for I hope that readers and listeners sometimes look up the Bible passages noted. When I returned home and looked to see how the verse was translated into Japanese, I could not find it in the127th Psalm and found it in Psalm 137, verse 5, instead. I am very sorry for that mistake. But I also noticed that the term "her cunning" in the King James translation was written in italics. In that King James, or Authorized, Version of the Bible, italics are not used for emphasis but to indicate words which are not found in the Hebrew or Greek manuscripts but which have been added in English to make a proper sentence. -------The word "addle", spelled a-d-d-l-e, is rooted in an Old English word meaning mire or liquid filth and thus may denote something rotten, putrid or worthless. Nowadays, as an adjective, however, it may also mean mixed-up or confused. A mixed-up, muddled person may be said to be addle-brained. But I wonder which of the possible definitions is most suitable for the term "Addled Parliament", which is used to describe the particular English parliamentary session that ended 382 years ago today, on June 7, 1614? That parliament had been in session since April 5th of that year, but the entire period was spent quarreling with the King, James I, regarding the taxes the king levied on imports and did not pass a single bill. Today also, problems related to taxes continue to addle parliaments in various countries. One of the great English writers, who wrote under the pen name of George Eliot, used this word in a passage in her political novel, 'Felix Holt', which bears repetition. "Speech is often barren; but silence does not necessarily brood over a full nest. Your still fowl, blinking at you without remark, may all the while be sitting on one addled egg; and when it takes to cackling will have nothing to announce but one addled delusion." -------When my wife and I arrived in Tokyo in November of 1951, we were informed that the class for beginners at the Japanese language school we had hoped to enter in January was already full and we would not be able to enroll there, so we made inquiries regarding a language school in Kyoto. We decided to find living quarters in Tokyo, however, in the hope that we could carry on our studies there. Fortunately, a couple of weeks later, we were informed that additional space, students and teachers had been found to begin more beginners' classes, so we were accepted into that school. During the first two months of our new life in Japan, we were getting settled, unpacking trunks and crates of clothes, household goods and appliances and trying to adjust to Japanese life. We received the beginners' textbooks from the language school and began looking at them on our own before formal schooling began. A young man, a recent high school graduate, who was introduced to us by a friend, came for a short time daily for three weeks to help us with our pronunciation. He also taught us basic words or phrases which we could use in shopping, buying train tickets and asking directions as well as the normal greetings. -------A "mystery" is "something that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding". To the keen observer and deep thinker, life has a mysterious quality. Throughout the ages, common people as well as those scholars known as philosophers or scientists have tried to understand the world in which we live and the meaning of life. None of their explanations can be called completely satisfactory. All of them require constant revision as human history continues its course and new discoveries are made. Ultimately, all philosophies include some kind of faith that underlies or overshadows observable facts. At the heart of the Biblical viewpoint is the faith that the universe is the creation of a loving God who continues to oversee its operation and has a good purpose in all events, even those that are not understood by fallible human beings. A key element in the Christian faith is that found in the 8th chapter of Romans, verse 28: "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This faith is a source of comfort for those in trying circumstances for they are assured that even failures, suffering and sorrow can somehow be used for good. -------What do you suppose is the primary meaning of "volume", spelled v-o-l-u-m-e? There are three quite different meanings. It may denote an amount of space measured in three dimensions. For example, a certain box may have a volume of10 cubic centimeters. It may denote the loudness of sound, so there is a dial on radio and television sets to adjust the volume. But the word itself is rooted in a Latin word meaning "roll" and originally signified a roll of papyrus, from which the word "paper" was derived. Papyrus is a plant from which writing material was made. Sheets of papyrus were rolled on a stick, becoming a scroll. Thus, the primary meaning of "volume" is a book. It was a scroll from which Jesus read in the synagogue in the story related in Luke, chapter 4. -------One kind of bat is a wooden stick or club. This kind of bat is used in baseball in which each player gets a chance to hit a ball with a bat. "Right off the bat" is an informal expression meaning immediately, without hesitation. Another kind of bat is a creature that flies but is not a bird. It is a flying mammal. While flying, bats make use of their highly sensitive ears rather than their eyes, using the principles of sonar and radar. Because their legs are light and slender and unable to support heir heavy bodies in an upright position for a long time while at rest, they normally hang upside down. For this reason, they are able to take advantage of roosting places that other animals do not use, such as the ceilings of caves. Since they do not rely on their vision, most bats do their flying at night. If a person is said to be "batty" or to have "bats in the belfry" it means he or she is eccentric or crazy. A "belfry" is a tower with bells in it which are rung at certain times. This month of June has five Sundays this year. As is our custom, we will hold a meeting of "Daily Word" fans on June 30th. The theme for the meeting is: "My neighborhood". Those present will share stories about the kind of neighborhoods in which they live. -------
We sometimes hear the saying that "ignorance is bliss" which implies that one is happier if one does not know something. Similarly, a Japanese proverb states that "the uninformed are like Buddha" ('shinranu wa hotoke') . I don't know the background of the Japanese saying, but the English saying is often used with a different meaning than what was originally intended by Thomas Gray in his 'Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College', in which he notes the carefree lives of the young students |