|
One of the advantages of being born and raised in an English-speaking country is that one's native language is understood by many people throughout the world. Thus, even without studying a second language, one is able to travel abroad with minor language difficulties. As a result, there is not as much incentive to learn a foreign language as in a country where the native language is understood by only a small portion of the world's inhabitants. The European Union is composed of fifteen states. The latest edition of a directory revealed that, among European Union officials, those from the tiny country of Luxembourg were most fluent in languages other than their native tongue. More than 84 percent of those officials were able to speak two or more languages other than their own. Next in order were the small, neighboring countries of Holland and Belgium, with percentages of 79 and 63, respectively. At the bottom of the list were officials from Ireland, less than a quarter of whom could speak a second language. Just above the Irish were the French and the British with 27 and 28 percent respectively. Actually, learning to speak and understand a foreign language helps us to better understand our own language. -------Japan is one of many countries whose names in English are different than in their national language. The English names of eight countries end with "land" or "lands. How many can you think of? Five of the countries are located in Europe and one each in Africa, Asia and Australasia. The island country of New Zealand lies off the coast of Australia. Thailand is located on the Indochinese peninsula in southeast Asia. Its neighboring countries are Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Swaziland is a landlocked country in southern Africa lying between South Africa and Mozambique. And in the heart of Europe, we find another landlocked country sharing borders with France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Italy. It is called Switzerland. On the coast of the North Sea, we find the Netherlands, between Germany and Belgium. The northern European country of Finland borders on Russia,Norway and Sweden. Iceland is an island in the north Atlantic Ocean. And west of England is an island called Ireland. On June 14, 1937, 59 years ago today, a constitution was passed by the country occupying the major portion of that island officially changing its name from Irish Free State to Eire, spelled E-i-r-e, but in English it is still called Ireland. -------The rooms we rented in Tokyo in 1951 were on the second floor of a Japanese house. The stairway began directly in front of the entrance area, or 'genkan', so we were able to go in and out without disturbing the landlord and his wife, who lived downstairs. On one side of the 'genkan' was a large western-style room which was later rented to an American serviceman and his wife. Between that room and the 'genkan' was a small room that some Americans would euphemistically call a bathroom, but all it contained was a western-style toilet which we preferred to the Japanese-style benjoat the far end of a hallway. (Incidentally, another euphemism in those days was W.C., for "water closet", a term we had never heard before coming to Japan.) On the other side of the 'genkan' was the kitchen used by the landlady, but further along the hallway was another room that intrigued my wife and me. It was a real bathroom with a wooden tub next to the wall, through which firewood could be inserted from outside into the burner to heat the water. Before coming to Japan, we did not know about Japanese bathing customs, but we came to thoroughly enjoy taking a Japanese-style bath and soaking in the very hot water. -------For over 80 years, Americans in various localities have been honoring their fathers on a special day and it is now customary to designate this third Sunday of June "Father's Day". It is a day for children to express appreciation for their fathers and for fathers to acknowledge their responsibilities to their children. One of the traditional responsibilities of fathers is to discipline their children and one of the causes of social disorder among modern young people is the lack of firm discipline in the home. In too many cases, the father is not at home to discharge his disciplinary duty effectively. In the Bible, the common figure used to describe God is "Father", which implies authority, love and discipline. In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 3, we find these words: "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." In our homes and in our lives, we should recognize that loving parents and a loving God will discipline their children for their children's own good. Let us give thanks to God and to our fathers for their love and discipline and let us also show true love to our children. -------A "chauffeur" is a person who drives an automobile for someone else. Spelled c-h-a-u-f-f-e-u-r, the accent may be placed on either the first syllable or the last syllable and it may also be used as a verb. This word is rooted in a French word meaning to heat, for the original chauffeurs were firemen, or stokers of the fire required to heat the steam engines that powered earlier automobiles. Chafe, spelled c-h-a-f-e, is another English word derived from the same French word and may mean to heat by rubbing or to irritate. Chauffeurs should drive carefully and not chafe their passengers which would be the case if they "drove like Jehu". To "drive like Jehu" means to drive fast and recklessly, for that is how a king of Israel drove his chariot, according to II Kings 9:20. -------Less than 30 years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which formally ended the American Revolutionary War, the United States of America found itself at war with its old adversary once again. The completely unnecessary War of 1812 began 184 years ago today, on June 18th when President James Madison officially proclaimed that the country was at war with Great Britain. At that time, Britain was at war with France and had violated U.S. rights on the high seas. The United States were not united in their decision to go to war and suffered defeat in their attempt to invade Canada. Two and a half years later the unfortunate war ended in a draw. It was on June 18, 1815, 181 years ago today, that the war between France and Britain ended with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, near Brussels, Belgium. Since that time, "to meet one's Waterloo" has been used to mean to suffer a crushing defeat. On Sunday afternoon, June 30th at 1:30, we will hold a meeting of "Daily Word" listeners and/or readers at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Center near Shinsakaemachi subway station when those present will tell others about the neighborhood in which they live. You are invited to attend. -------James, the English form of the Hebrew name, Jacob, is a popular name in English-speaking countries. There are three men with this name in the New Testament: a brother of Jesus and two of his disciples. Six kings of Scotland and two kings of England bore this name, but the total number of Scottish and English kings named James is only seven, for King James VI of Scotland became James I of England. This King James, born 430 years ago today, on June 19, 1566, became the king of Scotland when he was one year old and king of England 34 years later. That was a time of political and religious turmoil in Scotland and England, so his early life was influenced by the complicated struggle between the Catholic party of his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, and the Protestants. When he became king of England, a pressing problem was the position of Puritans within the established Church of England. Under his direction a committee of scholars was appointed which eventually produced an outstanding English translation of the Bible, which is often called the King James Version. The beautiful English of this translation has made it a shining ex-ample of classical English literature, but modern students of English may find parts of it difficult to understand. -------An eagle is a large bird of prey. (In this case, "prey" is spelled p-r-e-y and has no religious connotation. A "bird of prey" is a flesh-eating bird that preys on other animals, meaning it hunts, catches and eats them.) A particular kind of eagle found throughout North America, called the American eagle, has become a symbol of the United States. Though commonly called a "bald eagle", it is not really bald. It appears to be so because it has smooth, white feathers on the top of its head. Eagles have great powers of flight, soar high in the sky and have very keen vision. They have been symbols of royal power since ancient times and have appeared on the coins, seals, flags and emblems of many countries. On June 20, 1782, 214 years ago today, the United States Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States which pictures an American eagle with outspread wings. In its mouth it holds a ribbon bearing the Latin words 'E pluribus unum', meaning "One out of many". One talon holds an olive branch and the other thirteen arrows. The respected American statesman, Benjamin Franklin, is said to have regretted that the eagle was chosen as a national symbol because of its alleged cowardice and predatory habits. -------Today is Friday, the sixth day of the week. The English name for this day is derived from Frigg, the name of a Scandinavian goddess. You may not be acquainted with an abbreviation often used by some American employees: TGIF, for "Thank God It's Friday". Such employees are looking forward to what is called the "weekend", the time between Friday evening and Sunday evening, when they do not have to work. When I was a child in the United States, Friday was a day when pious Roman Catholics did not eat meat, commemorating the day of the week on which Jesus was crucified, called Good Friday in the church calendar. A recent news article stated that Friday was the best day of the week for the United States government to report bad news. The reason is that Saturday is a day when many newspaper readers and television viewers pay less attention to the news. "More pressing matters--weekend chores, youth soccer games, travel or sleep--will distract a sizable chunk of the voting public and keep them blissfully ignorant of any federal follies announced on Friday." The number of callers to this "Daily Word" telephone service is also lowest on Saturdays and Sundays, when messages focus on personal experiences and Biblical exposition. -------Since my wife and I arrived in Yokohama in November of 1951, it was not long before we experienced a Japanese-style Christmas celebration. In some ways, conditions in Tokyo forty-five years ago were very different from what they are today, but in other ways they are quite similar. We wee surprised at how early Christmas decorations began to appear in Tokyo stores-before the end of November, even before the beginning of Advent, which is the season preceding Christmas in the Christian church calendar. We wondered at the seeming popularity of this Christian festival in this non-Christian land. We were also impressed with the kind of decorations. There were many evergreen trees with glittering tinsel, bright baubles and colored lights and many pictures of a jolly, white-bearded man in a red suit with a bag on his back, but no replicas of a baby lying in a manger with shepherds kneeling in front of it. Thus we came to recognize some characteristics of Japan that have not changed over the years: the commercialization of religion and religious observances, a superficial acceptance of religious customs and the popular ¥appeal of festivities of any kind. And we were challenged to give a positive witness of our faith. -------In the history of every nation or tradition, there are crucial turning points that determine the future direction of that nation or tradition. Often, these be called a pioneer. According to the Bible, a basic turning point occurred in world history when a man named Abram left his native land to begin an adventure into an unknown land and an uncertain future as recorded in the first verses of Genesis, chapter 12. The divine call that came to this man led both to a physical departure from his homeland and to the beginning of a spiritual journey from a polytheistic faith in many gods to a monotheistic faith in one God. In the Bible, this man, whose name (according to Genesis 17:5) was changed to Abraham, became the father of "many nations". Today, he is recognized as a respected patriarch by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. He is the prime example of a person who is willing to leave past traditions and venture into unknown territory as a pioneer. According to the interpretation of the Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Galatians, chapter 3, verse 7, "the real descendants of Abraham are the people who have faith". Does that include you? -------In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verse 7, Jesus stated that "a worker should be given his pay", and In Romans 13:7, Paul advised his readers to pay their taxes. Pay given for services rendered is a basic principle in any kind of business. But you may be surprised to know that the Latin root of this word meant to appease. Originally, pay was given to make peace, to pacify the recipient. Unfortunately, paying does not always bring peace. The Latin root is 'pax', spelled p-a-x. It is found in the historic term, Pax Romana, which denoted the peace that existed in different parts of the Roman empire. Pax Britannica was used for the peace imposed by British rule in her colonial empire. And some people have spoken of a Pax Americana, but that American-managed peace did not last very long. -------The present Queen of England is Elizabeth II. Her namesake, Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603 and never married, was called the Virgin Queen. The first of the thirteen American colonies was named in her honor. It was in that colony of Virginia, that the first permanent English settlement in America was established in 1607. It was named Jamestown, in honor of the reigning king, James I. Two hundred and eight years ago today, on June 25, 1788, the commonwealth of Virginia officially ratified the U.S. Constitution, becoming the tenth state to do so. Of the 41 men who have served as president of the United States, eight were born in Virginia, so it has been called the "Mother of Presidents". Some listeners to this telephone message may be interested to know that on this coming Sunday morning, I will preach in Japanese at the worship service of the Gokiso Kyokai on Gokiso-dori, west of the Gokiso subway station beginning at 10:15. Following our afternoon meeting of "Daily Word" fans at the City Geijutsu Sozo Senta- at 1:30, I will preach a similar sermon in English at the Nagoya Union Church, which meets at Kinjo Kyokai in Daikancho beginning at 4:00 o'clock. You are invited to all three of these meetings. -------The city of Toyota is located in the neighborhood of Nagoya. In the neighborhood of Toyota, there are many factories related to the automobile industry with a comparatively large number of workers from foreign countries. As you may imagine, problems related to language and social customs frequently occur. Recently, one evening, the police were called to extricate a Brazilian worker from the tiny automated teller room of a neighborhood bank. This man found himself imprisoned in that dark cubicle when the shutter closed. A taped voice had announced that it was closing time, but the man did not understand it. His younger brother who was waiting outside informed a passerby who called the police who contacted the security company who rescued him. This is an example of problems that may accompany internationalization. On Sunday afternoon at 1:30, a meeting of listeners to/readers of these "Daily Word" messages will be held at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Senta- near the Shinsakaemachi subway station. Each one present will have an opportunity to give a short talk on the neighborhood in which he or she lives. My wife and I would be happy to meet you there. -------Not only non-Christians are confused because of the variety of different churches, denominations or sects related to Christianity. This is a problem for Christians as well. There are many reasons why so many different organizations developed over the past two thousand years in many different countries with their varied cultures and traditions. While it is difficult to make general characterizations of their different traditions, it may be said that, generally speaking, Presbyterians are concerned with doing things in an orderly fashion, following established procedures while Methodists have a special social concern for the less fortunate, which is reflected in this story of a college professor who, long ago, stopped at a roadside inn to spend the night. The innkeeper said, "Sir, I see you're a clergyman. Are you a Presbyterian or a Methodist?" The professor seemed puzzled to be asked such a question, so the innkeeper explained, "I ask because it's my experience that a Presbyterian minister is exceedingly particular about his own food and bed while a Methodist is always concerned about the feed and care of his horse." "Of course," replied the professor, "well, my man, I'm a Presbyterian, but my horse is a Methodist." -------In the traditional rite performed in Japan when a new emperor assumes his position, called 'sokui', or enthronement, no crown is placed on the emperor's head, but in the United Kingdom, the inaugural ceremony for a new monarch is called a coronation, for at that time, the monarch is crowned. (Incidentally, the Japanese cars, Crown and Corona, are both derived from the same Latin root.) On June 28 1838, 158 years ago today, the coronation of England's longest reigning monarch took place in Westminster Abbey, the historic London church where coronations are always held. The 19-year-old princess had become queen a year earlier upon the death of an uncle, William IV. Queen Victoria reigned for 64 years and her personal character along with the political and social conditions of the time resulted in the coining of the adjective "Victorian" which may mean "moral severity or hypocrisy, middle-class stuffiness, and pompous conservatism" or, when used of architecture or furniture, "highly ornamented". You are invited to attend the meeting of "Daily Word" fans on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Senta-. We will talk about the neighborhoods in which we live. -------During our stay in Tokyo following our arrival in Japan in November of 1951, my wife and I usually attended the worship service of a Japanese church on Sunday mornings, but on Sunday afternoons we regularly attended the worship service of Tokyo Union Church. At that time, a large percentage of the members of that English-speaking congregation were missionaries, including old-timers as well as many greenhorns like ourselves. Many of the younger missionaries were attending the Japanese language school which we had enrolled in. We enjoyed participating in the various church activities which included a Young Couples Club. On Christmas Eve, we joined the other club members to go Christmas carolling. We went to the homes of some missionaries, stood outdoors and sang Christmas carols just as we had often done in our homeland. On New Year's Eve, we attended the Watchnight Service at the GHQ Chapel with many American servicemen and their wives. The next morning, our first New Year's Day in Japan, we enjoyed the sight of many kimono-clad people on the street and around Denenchofu Station and took many pictures of them. The kimono of women and children were especially impressive. We also saw girls in pretty kimono playing battledore and took pictures of them too. -------The main reason for the opposition of the religious authorities to Jesus and his ministry was because of his refusal to follow traditional customs and his different interpretation of the Old Testament law. Teachers of the law in his day insisted upon a very strict observance of every detail of the law, but their emphasis was on external, formal obedience. Jesus stressed the importance of living in accord with the spirit or purpose of the law. In his Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the 5th chapter of Matthew, he taught that he did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He then gave a number of illustrations of how his interpretation of the law different from that of the religious authorities. For example, such commandments as "Do not murder", "Do not commit adultery" and the like should not be considered simply restrictions on external acts. He emphasized the internal motivations for such crimes, such as anger, hatred and lust and indicated that the kind of outward, legal observance of the law practiced by Pharisees and teachers of the law would not qualify them to enter the kingdom of heaven. He asserted that people were more important than rules and willingly flaunted tradition in order to help needy people. -------The word for today is "lady". How would you define a "lady"? In Britain, this word is a title of nobility, the wife of a "lord". In American English, "lady" is a polite term for any woman, but especially a virtuous one with refined habits and gentle manners. This word is derived from a shortened form of two Old English words literally meaning a loaf, or bread, kneader. "Kneader", spelled k-n-e-a-d-e-r, is a person who folds, presses or stretches dough which is made into bread and, in the old days, that was the job of the lady of the house. In history books written by men, the role of ladies has often been overlooked, but an American anthropologist has written "In all societies women have played a much more important role than their menfolk are generally ready to admit." -------A famous parable of Jesus, found in the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, is commonly called the Good Samaritan. A teacher of the Jewish law had tried to trap Jesus with the question about how to gain eternal life. Jesus asked the legal specialist what he thought and then commended him on his correct answer (to love God above all else to and to love your neighbor as yourself) and urged him to obey those basic commandments. Then the man, wanting to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor". The answer implied in Jesus' parable is that any person in need is our neighbor, regardless of where he or she lives. The theme for our meeting last Sunday was "My Neighborhood". Those present gave descriptions of the neighborhoods in which they live. That is the theme for listeners/readers who wish to write an essay for "Daily Word" Echoes. What kind of neighborhood do you live in? Physically, geographically, is it a pleasant, convenient place to live? Do you have much social contact with your neighbors? Has the neighbor-hood changed during the time you have lived there? I will correct essays sent to me and print them in the next issue of the Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463 Japan. -------What do you suppose people do in a ballroom? No, they do not play ball nor play with balls. They dance. "Ball", in this case, is rooted in a Greek word meaning to dance. A recent news article noted that ballroom dancing has become quite popular in Japan. It reported that Japan currently boasts the world's largest population of ballroom dancers with as many as 10 million nationwide. Some 100,000 groups meet informally each week to learn to waltz, tango, rumba and fox trot, which are names of different kinds of ballroom dances. Local "culture schools" and universities have added ballroom dancing to their course offerings and the enrollment in special dance schools has dramatically increased. Most of the dancers are said to be over 60, retirees with time on their hands who are looking for something to do, and some of them profess to have found new meaning in life through dancing. Albeit, the kind of dancing was different, an Old Testament philosopher, in Ecclesiastes 3:4, noted that there was a time for dancing and the last two songs in the Old Testament book of Psalms mention dancing as a means of praising the Lord. Singing and dancing both may be expressions of an inner joy. -------A hawthorn, spelled h-a-w-t-h-o-r-n, is a thorny shrub or tree that produces white flowers in the spring and reddish fruit in the fall. The fruit of hawthorns, called haws, resemble small apples. If an "e" is added to the end of this "hawthorn", it becomes the surname of an American novelist and short story writer, who was born 192 years ago today, on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. Short stories he wrote, printed under the title of 'Twice-Told Tales', became very popular, but Nathaniel Hawthorne is best known for his masterpiece, 'The Scarlet Letter'. The setting of this novel is 17th-century Puritan New England. The heroine had borne a child out of wedlock, which was scandalous in those days in that place. Unfortunately, these days, in many American cities, such a situation is not considered unusual, but Hester Prynne was publicly disgraced and spent a term in prison. Stubbornly refusing to reveal the name of her child's father, she was condemned to wear conspicuously the scarlet letter "A" that branded her an adulteress. The name of the child is related to Jesus' parable in Matthew 13: 45-46, for Hawthorne wrote: "She named the infant 'Pearl', as being of great price--purchased with all she had." -------Today, July 5th, is Independence Day in the Republic of Cape Verde. Where do you suppose that country is located? Cape Verde, meaning "green cape" in Portuguese, is the name of a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from Senegal and is the westernmost part of the African continent. About 480 kilometers further west there is a group of 10 islands and 5 islets that is also called by this name and that Republic of Cape Verde gained its independence from Portugal 21 years ago today in 1975. The entire area of this archipelago is about the same as that of Shiga Prefecture in Japan and its population is around 400,000. When these mountainous islands were discovered in 1456 by a Portuguese navigator, they were uninhabited, but soon afterward, Portuguese colonists began to settle there and imported slaves from Africa. Now about 60% of the population is of mixed black African and European descent and most of the rest are black Africans. The main economic activity is farming, but a prolonged drought has made farming difficult. The national flag of Cape Verde has a red vertical bar and two horizontal stripes, yellow over green. In the red bar, there is a black star flanked by two green cornstalks and a yellow seashell. -------January 1, 1952 was our first New Year's Day in Japan. Among our impressions were the simple decorations and colorful clothes which appeared at that time. On the afternoon of New Year's Day, we had tea with our landlord and his wife along with the Japanese-American mother and son, who were also living in their house. Before the tea time, my wife and I were permitted to dress in the formal kimonos of Mr. and Mrs. Toyoda and to have a picture taken with them. At the tea time, we had a short devotional period. We sang a couple of familiar hymns together, we in English and they in Japanese. I read from the English Bible and various ones prayed in their native languages. The following day, we were invited to the home of the young man who had helped us with our Japanese language study. At his home also, we sat on cushions on the tatami floor, which was still a bit difficult for us. We also ate the special food prepared for us using chopsticks. Describing that experience in a letter written soon afterward, I noted that "we had quite a time--first, getting the food up to our mouths and then getting it down and hoping it would stay down" and added, "we must develop our taste for Japanese food". -------The Chinese character meaning "vessel" or "utensil", which is pronounced 'utsuwa' in Japanese, is composed of four "mouths" around a "dog" at the center. The explanation is that in old China, dog meat was considered a delicacy and this character originally denoted the dish in which the dog meat was served to many people. In the New Testament, "vessel" is sometimes used in a figurative sense for people. In Acts 9:15, the Apostle Paul was called a vessel chosen by God to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles and in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 7, Paul himself wrote that believers have a precious treasure from God in "earthen vessels", meaning their bodies. In the Second Letter to Timothy, chapter 2, verse 20, he noted that in a large house there are some precious vessels made of silver and gold and more common ones made of wood and clay, but that all of them can be used in different ways for specific purposes. In the same way, God can make use of different kinds of people with their different characters and abilities if they permit God to make use of them. Each individual is unique with peculiar gifts that can be used of God for some good purpose if the person humbly offers himself or herself to God. -------An apple, spelled a-p-p-l-e, is a kind of fruit. There are many varieties of apples. This word is derived from Abella, the name of an Italian town. The protuberance in a man's throat is called an Adam's apple. Can you guess why? Who was Adam and what did he have to do with apples? According to the Bible story recorded in the book of Genesis, Adam was the name of the first human being created by God. Adam and his wife, Eve, disobeyed God's command not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. There is no indication of what kind of fruit was involved, but there is a tradition that it was an apple and that a piece of it got stuck in Adam's throat when he ate it. Thus an Adam's apple, may remind us of our disobedience to God's commands. -------Among ancient peoples, communication over a distance was sometimes accomplished by beating on a drum or sending smoke signals. During the past two centuries, telegraph/telephone communication has been transmitted over electric wires. Then "wireless" electrical communication was developed. Originally, "wireless" was used for radio or wireless telegraphy, but nowadays, we often hear a bell ring in a device carried in someone's pocket and see people speaking into a device along the street, in private cars, public transportation vehicles or other public places. Such wireless pocket bells and cellular telephones have become very popular in Japan these days. Many of you listeners or readers have probably had some experiences with them--either using them, being irritated by them, wanting to have them, etc. I would be happy to read an essay on this theme written by any of you who are interested. What do you think of such devices? What are their advantages or disadvantages? Have you made use of them or do you plan to do so in the future? I will correct essays sent to me and print them in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463, Japan. -------During a trial in a Japanese courtroom, a lady sits in front of the judge with a small device on the table in front of her. Whenever the judge, a lawyer or a witness speaks, she continually touches the keys on that device. I presume she is recording verbatim the words of the speakers, for she is a court stenographer. Whenever I see such a stenographer who never glances down at the keys but who looks at the speakers or the audience, I wish I could examine the device she is using and hear an explanation regarding its use for I cannot imagine how she is able to make simultaneous transcriptions of the speeches. Of course, she is using a kind of shorthand, a system of rapid writing in which symbols are used for words or phrases. I presume the device she is using is either a stenotype or a stenograph. A kind of shorthand was used both in ancient Greece and ancient Rome, but English shorthand was developed in the19th century in Great Britain. "Stenography" is rooted in Greek words literally meaning "narrow writing". The Greek word stenos is used in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 13-14, where Jesus teaches that the gate and road that leads to true life is narrow. -------There are two English words pronounced. The one spelled d-u-a-l may mean having a double character. In some Japanese homes, for example, one room may serve a dual purpose: a living room during the day and a bedroom at night. The other word, spelled d-u-e-l, may denote a formal combat between two persons to settle a point of honor. In feudal days, duels were often fought, using swords or pistols, to exact revenge or to defend one's honor. To initiate a duel, the offended party challenged his opponent to a fight, which the opponent accepted in order to "save his face". The most famous duel in American history occurred 192 years ago today, on July 11, 1804, between two important political figures in early United States history. Aaron Burr, the Vice President under Thomas Jefferson, was considered untrustworthy by Alexander Hamilton, the former right-hand man of George Washington. When Hamilton thwarted Burr's desire to become governor of New York, Burr challenged him to a duel which he felt he could not refuse despite his opposition to that custom. Hamilton did not plan to shoot his adversary, but Burr's one shot mortally wounded him and he died the next day. Now, Hamilton is considered a hero and Burr a scoundrel. -------Various kinds of oranges are available in Japan. In fact, this citrus fruit, which is native to China, is the most important fresh fruit in international commerce. "Orange" also denotes the characteristic color of that fruit. But "orange" has another symbolic meaning that calls forth deep nationalistic emotions in some people and today is a public holiday called Orange Day, or Orangeman's Day, in a certain troubled area of the world. Can you guess where it is? It is the northern part of the island associated with the color green. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because of its bright green vegetation, but in Northern Ireland, which is a part of that United Kingdom which includes England, Scotland and Wales, orange is the favorite color of conservative Protestants who are violently opposed to unification with their Roman Catholic neighbor to the south. It was 306 years ago today, July 12, 1690, that the Protestant King William III, of the House of Orange, defeated the Roman Catholic King James II in a decisive battle at the Boyne River. It is this victory that Protestants in Northern Ireland, especially the "Orangemen" who are members of Orange Lodges, celebrate today. -------In January of 1952, my wife and I began our formal study at the Naganuma School of the Japanese Language in Tokyo. Our classes were held in rooms rented from the Misaki-cho Church in Chiyoda Ward near Suidobashi Station on the Chuo Line. It was the wise policy of that school to put couples in different classes, probably to avoid mutual embarrassment and possible disharmonious relationships in the home. In that school, the theory was that a foreign language should be learned in the same way that children learn their native tongue, so even in beginners classes, teachers spoke only in Japanese. Teachers pointed to objects and gestured while speaking. Vocabulary and sentence structure were learned by the repetition of such phrases as 'kore wa hon desu, sore wa enpitsu desu', and so on. Grammatical explanations came later and textbooks were to be read only after the words and phrases had been first introduced in class. Thus from the first day at school, we began speaking simple Japanese sentences. In my beginners class there were two French-Canadian men, one Swedish lady, one second-generation Norwegian girl, one man from the U.S. state of Mississippi, one from Texas and two from northern states, so there was a variety of accents which we gave to the Japanese language. -------There are many Japanese expressions related to the hand, or 'te', including 'te o kiru, mawasu, hirogeru, tsukusu, yaku, kasu, utsu' and 'someru'. The English translations of these terms do not all use the word "hand". But on the other hand, in English we have the expression "openhanded" which is the opposite of "tightfisted". These two terms are used in a translation of Deuteronomy 15:7-8, where the literal Japanese translation is 'te o hiraku' and 'te o tozasu'. In that passage, we are instructed not to be tightfisted, or stingy, toward a person in need but to be openhanded or generous, and lend him what he needs. In every society, there are both rich and poor and a basic criterion of the ethical character of the society is the attitude of those who are rich toward those who are poor. A characteristic of the Old Testament law is its repeated commandments to care for orphans, widows and foreigners, the weaker classes in a society. In the New Testament, a basic commandment is to show love to others: fellow believers, neighbors and even enemies. Christians should be characterized by their open hands rather than their tight fists, for "it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) and "God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7). -------"Guy", spelled g-u-y, is an informal term for a boy or man. Often, it is preceded by an adjective to make it either complimentary or insulting. For example, to call someone a "nice guy", a "handsome guy" or a "smart guy" is a compliment but to call someone a "wise guy" or a "tough guy" is not. This word is derived from the name of an Englishman, Guy Fawkes, who, in 1605, was involved in a plot to kill the king and members of Parliament by blowing up the House of Parliament. Fawkes was arrested and hanged, but to commemorate that Gunpowder Plot, effigies of Fawkes, called "guys", were displayed and burned on Guy Fawkes Day. Thus, this word came to denote an odd-looking fellow, but now, in American English, it has become an informal term for any boy or man. -------Nowadays, many people spend much time in front of a computer, not only at the office but even at home. Computers may be used for many different purposes: for writing messages, keeping records, composing music or playing games. There are countless computer games that children, young people or adults become absorbed in at the expense of a healthy social life. As a result, I presume that traditional Japanese board games such as 'go' and 'shogi' are no longer as popular as before. When I was a child, I sometimes played checkers with my father and chess with my brother. I also played checkers with my children at times when they were young, but I have not played such games for many years. What about you? Do you ever play 'go' or 'shogi' these days? Did you play them in years gone by? What do you think of these games and their place in Japanese life in the past, the present and the future? If you wish to write a short essay, giving your thoughts or memories regarding these games and send it to me, I will correct it and include it in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463, Japan. -------Japanese is a difficult language to learn and its pronunciation is not as consistent as many Japanese think. In fact, even some dictionaries are not agreed on the correct pronunciation of some words. For example, when the character which may be pronounced 'osameru', meaning to complete or pursue something, is followed by the character pronounced 'waza' or 'gyo', meaning work or occupation, or by the character pronounced 'iku, yuku, okonau, kogyo', etc., meaning to go or to do, the combined term may be pronounced either 'shugyo' or 'shu-gyo' depending on which dictionary one uses. Also, the character meaning earth or dirt, pronounced 'tsuchi', when followed by the one meaning vessel, pronounced 'utsuwa', the combined term is pronounced 'doki', but when combined with the character meaning turning point, the resulting surname is pronounced 'toki'. So, it may not be surprising that, 128 years ago today, on July 17, 1868, when the name of the Japanese capital was changed from Edo to its present name, meaning "East capital", it was pronounced Tokei. By the way, what is correct pronunciation of the name of the country of which Tokyo is the capital. Is it Nihon or Nippon? -------"Vanity", spelled v-a-n-i-t-y, may denote the small handbag in which a woman carries her cosmetics or the low table with a mirror before which she sits when she applies cosmetics to her face. But the basic meaning of "vanity" is the condition of being vain, meaning empty or worthless. "Vanity" is used to describe those who have an excessive pride in their appearance or accomplishments. "Vanity fair" denotes a place of empty, idle amusement or frivolity. That was the name of a never-ending fair where all sort of pleasures were available as described in John Bunyan's allegorical tale of the life of a Christian, 'Pilgrim's Progress'. 'Vanity Fair' is also the name of a famous novel by William Thackeray, which presents a satirical view of upper-middle-class London life and manners at the beginning of the 19th century. This great novelist and brilliant satirist was born 185 years ago today, on July 18, 1811. William Thackeray is well-known for his novels and other writings, but for me, what is most memorable about him is his middle name: Makepeace. A dictionary that lists this word in a hyphenated form defines it as "a peacemaker", which is what a disciple of Jesus ought to be. -------Wimbledon is the name of a residential community in Greater London. In 1875, the All-England Croquet Club set aside one of its lawns for tennis and two years later, on July 19, 1877, 119 years ago today, Spencer Gore won the first Wimbledon Championship match to be played there. There has been an intense interest in the women's championship tennis matches at Wimbledon in Japan this year because, for the first time, a Japanese athlete advanced to the semi-final match. That event made front-page news in Japanese newspapers. Since the surname of Kimiko Date is spelled the same as English words meaning a small, sweet fruit and a particular time in terms of the day, month and year, she might be advised to insert an "h" between the "a" and the "t" to encourage a more accurate pronunciation among English-speaking readers. I was surprised to find that her surname, which looks like it should be pronounced 'itatsu', is also used as a common noun. English translations include "foppery" and "show". A pattern sentence illustrating the use of this noun in one dictionary is: 'Date niwa Eigo o benkyo shite inai'. The English translation is: "I didn't learn English for nothing" and I hope that is true for the listeners/readers of these messages. -------Our Japanese classes at the language school in Tokyo began in January, 1952. Classes met daily, Monday to Friday from 9 to 12 in the morning. Before the school term began, we had made use of that school's textbooks in our informal private study with a tutor. It was at the very time when our formal study had reached the place in the textbooks where we had studied informally that my wife was relieved of some of her household chores because a maid was introduced to us. Fortunately, there was a small, upstairs room where she could live. This 19-year-old girl who knew no English had been working previously as an assistant nurse in a hospital. From the time she began working for us, we had more opportunity to practice the Japanese we were learning in school. Along with her other chores, she was given the responsibility of preparing our noon meals, which we ate after returning from school after one o'clock with empty stomachs. In this way, we became adept at manipulating chopsticks as well becoming acquainted with various kinds of Japanese food. She also joined us at our western-style morning and evening meals, so we had ample opportunity to speak in Japanese and to gain further practical information regarding Japanese customs. -------The present form of the Chinese character used in Japan to denote a treasure is composed of the character for a gem under a roof. A treasure ('takara') is something very valuable that is kept in a safe place and carefully protected by its owner. In the Japanese translation of Deuteronomy 7:6, the Israelites, whom God delivered from Egyptian bondage, are called his 'takara no tami', people considered to be his treasured possession. In the Bible, both Jews and Christians are called God's chosen people. Unfortunately, this concept has stimulated a superiority complex in the minds of some Jews and Christians who consider themselves better than others, God's favorites. But the following verse in Deuteronomy makes clear that it was not because of any special quality of the people that they were chosen. It was simply God's arbitrary decision. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind the purpose for which God's people are chosen. It is not to rule other peoples but to serve them and to communicate by word and action the character of the Lord who chose them. In the words of I Peter 2:9, we are chosen "to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light." -------American coins have individual names to distinguish them. How many can you name? A one-cent coin is called a penny, a five-cent coin is a nickel, a ten-cent coin is a dime and a twenty-five-cent coin is a quarter. The name of the five-cent coin is derived from one of the metals used to make it for it is made of an alloy of nickel and copper. Nickel is a shiny metal that resembles copper but when German miners discovered the metal and found out that it was not copper, they expressed their disappointment by giving it a German name meaning copper-nickel. Nickel was the name of a mischievous goblin that was said to inhabit German mines and they blamed this demon for deceiving them. Nickel is now used in a variety of ways and is often alloyed with other metals. -------Different English words are used to designate places where people gather to worship or conduct religious ceremonies. In Japan, the terms commonly used to indicate buildings where religious activities are held differ according to the religion. Sacred sites related to Shinto are called "shrines". Buddhists hold ceremonies in "temples". Christians worship in "churches" while Muslims pray in "mosques" Each of these words evoke a different image in our minds. It is interesting that the Chinese character for a Buddhist temple, or 'tera', originally was used for a public office or the imperial court, denoting a place where work was done. I would be interested to read what impression the word 'tera' stimulates in your mind, so that is the suggested theme for essays this week. Do you ever visit a Buddhist temple? If so, on what occasions? What do you consider to be the function of temples in Japan in the present day? How does it differ from former days? If you wish to write a short essay giving your thoughts, memories or evaluations of Japanese 'o-tera' and send it to me, I will correct it and include it in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is" "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463, Japan. -------How do you pronounce the word spelled w-i-n-d? As a verb it is pronounced 'waind' and may mean to turn a stem to coil a spring. It used to be necessary to wind old clocks and watches to keep them going, but nowadays, many such time-measuring devices are powered by batteries. As a noun, this word is pronounced 'wind' and denotes moving air. There are a number of English sayings related to the wind. One of them is: "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good". This saying arose when ships depended upon the wind to blow them along. A wind favorable to a ship traveling east was unfavorable to one traveling west, but since ships were going in different directions on the same body of water on the same day, what one considered an ill wind was welcomed by another. The extended meaning of this saying is that a misfortune to someone will probably bring an advantage to someone else. For example, the typhoon which destroys buildings will bring profit to the contractors that rebuild them. In Greek, the same word, 'pneuma', may be translated "wind", "breath" or "spirit", so translators find it difficult to accurately translate Jesus' words in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 5-8. -------The word "commonwealth" does not denote a place where all wealth is held in common but simply a nation or state governed by the people. This word is commonly associated with states that were formerly a part of the British Empire, but four of the states in the U.S.A. are officially commonwealths. And today is a national holiday, called Commonwealth Day in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. An island located in the West Indies, the name of this former Spanish colony means "rich port" in Spanish. Following the Spanish-American War, in 1898, it was ceded to the United States. Subsequently, governors of this territory were appointed by the President, but 44 years ago today, on July 25, 1952, a new constitution was proclaimed and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico officially came into existence. This was the result of elections which failed to produce a majority in favor of either statehood or complete independence. Under the present constitution, Puerto Ricans elect their own governor and a representative to the U.S. Congress who has the right to speak but not to vote. There is still a movement to make Puerto Rico the 51st state, but commonwealth status seems the choice of the majority at the present time. -------As you know, the opposite of "hard" is "soft". Both of these words have a variety of meanings, including kinds of drinks. An intoxicating drink with a high alcoholic content is called hard, but soft drinks do not contain alcohol. Some soft drinks are called soda or soda water because they contain a sodium compound to make them bubbly or fizzy. And some soft drinks are called colas because they contain an extract from the nuts of a kola tree. Probably the most famous cola is Coca-Cola, which originally contained ingredients from both coca leaves and kola nuts. This drink was first concocted in 1887 by a couple of pharmacists in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Olympics are now being held. They mixed a special syrup with carbonated water to produce this popular beverage. Its trade name of "Coke" is also used for the drug, "cocaine", which is also made from dried coca leaves, but since 1906 no cocaine has been used in Coca-Cola. Along with coffee and tea, kola nuts contain caffeine, so colas may also stimulate the heart and nervous system. Although caffeine may also be addictive, fortunately, it does not have the damaging effects of another addictive stimulant, nicotine, the poisonous drug found in tobacco leaves. -------The house in which we lived while attending language school in Tokyo was located in Denenchofu in Ota Ward. Both our landlord and his wife were members of a Christian Church in Shibuya Ward. We noticed that, although they both attended the same Sunday morning worship service at that church, they did not go to church together. The man always took an earlier train than his wife and on occasions when they went out together, they did not walk side by side. The wife walked a couple of steps behind her husband. This was one of the Japanese customs that my wife and I did not follow. When we attended church or other meetings we always went out and returned together and walked side by side. It was at that church that I began to teach an English Bible Class on Sunday evenings in January of 1952. The church was not far from Yoyogi Station, the station next to Shinjuku on both the Chuo and Yamate lines, so it was quite convenient. Tokyo Union Church, where we attended worship services in English on Sunday afternoons was less than a kilometer from the Harajuku Station which was next to Yoyogi Station on the Yamate Line. Thus, from our language school days in Tokyo, our Sundays were quite busy and they have continued to be so throughout the ensuing years. -------Recently, a meeting was held between the new prime minister of Israel and the president of Egypt. The mere fact that they were willing to meet and talk with one another should be considered a hopeful sign, but the troubled relations between these two peoples have very long roots. Some 3000 years ago, Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and through the wilderness to the Promised Land. The Old Testament book of Deuteronomy is made up of discourses of Moses before his death in which he reviews events during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Chapter 32 contains the Song of Moses, in which heaven and earth are called to listen to the important teaching proclaimed in that poem. The theme of the psalm, expressed in verses 4-6, is the faithfulness and righteousness of God contrasted with the unfaithfulness and unrighteousness of the Israelites. God is called a Rock, whose work is perfect and whose ways are just. The people, however, have acted corruptly, shamefully and foolishly. The message of the poem is that the sufferings of the people are the just result of their sinfulness. This interpretation of history should cause individuals and nations to reflect on their actions today also. -------Combining the Chinese characters for "fish" and "weak" together produces a new character pronounced 'iwashi', which is translated into English as "sardine". I presume sardines are, in fact, weak fish, but because the dried head of an 'iwashi' stuck on a branch of holly was considered effective in scaring away evil spirits there is a well-known Japanese saying about the head of a sardine as an object of faith. Most Americans would relate sardines to the small, preserved fish tightly packed into a can rather than to a living species of fish. In fact, the English word itself is quite ambiguous and may denote a variety of small fishes. It is also unclear whether or not the name for these fish is related to the island in the Mediterranean Sea that is called Sardinia. -------A recent news article noted results of research related to the relationship of bodily hair and intelligence. Male university students in the U.S. had more bodily hair than the male population in general; medical and engineering students in south India had more bodily hair than manual laborers and, in regard to academic ranking among students, "the hairier males got better grades". This upset the common idea that men with hairy chests were more brawny than brainy. Orientals tend to have straight, black hair, Africans kinky black hair, while Caucasians may have naturally wavy hair of different colors. We now see many kinds of hair styles, including long hair on men, short hair on women and shaved heads of priests and nuns. Not only older people dye their hair to make them appear younger. Young women and men also dye their hair various colors. "Hair" is the subject for essays this week. What do you think of modern hair styles and colors, of permanent waves, of the special coiffures of Japanese brides, geisha or sumo wrestlers, of the custom of dyeing grey or white hair? Essays on these and other matters related to hair sent to me will be corrected and included in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama, Nagoya 463 Japan. -------Today, July 31st, is a holiday in the Spanish city of Bilbao, located in the Basque Provinces in the northern part of the country. It is the Feast Day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who was born in that region 505 years ago, in 1491. Loyola spent his early years in the royal court and the army, but during a period of convalescence following a serious wound, reading a couple of religious books transformed his thinking and his life. Determined to become a knight of Christ and to dedicate himself to his new Lord, he planned to live and work among the Muslims in the Holy Land, but the Turkish rulers did not permit him to do so. A systematic series of meditations he wrote over a number of years, called 'Spiritual Exercises', have become a classic of Christian mysticism and is still used by devout Catholics. With a group of like-minded companions, in 1535, he formed the "Company of Jesus", later known as the Jesuits. Over the years, this religious order of the Roman Catholic Church has become well-known for its discipline, scholarship and missionary activity. One of Loyola's compatriots, Francis Xavier, was the first Christian missionary to come to Japan, in 1549. -------Today is August 1st. The English name for this month is taken from the title of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Its traditional Japanese name, 'hazuki', implies it is the month when leaves begin to fall. What is special about today? In our family, it is the birthday of our eldest grandchild, who becomes eleven years old today. In the Republic of Benin, it is a national holiday celebrating the 36th anniversary of its independence which was obtained on August 1,1960. Where is the Republic of Benin located? If you know its location, you are exceptional. Benin has a total area of about half that of the Japanese island of Honshu and a population of about six million inhabitants from different ethnic groups. It has a narrow coastline of about 80 kilometers on the Gulf of Guinea and its neighboring countries are Togo and Nigeria in West Africa. Benin has had a troubled history as a republic, experiencing five army coups during the first decade of its independence and other coups since then. Benin's national flag is green with a single red star in the upper hoist corner. "Happy anniversary" to the citizens of Benin and "Happy birthday" to Leila. -------Japan is a democratic country. In a democracy, the common people are supposedly in control of government by means of their elected representatives. Representatives, however, do not always reflect the will of the people who elected them. Some of them have an agenda of their own which they follow for personal benefit. On some controversial matters considered especially important, plebiscites may be held to determine the will of the majority. A plebiscite is a direct vote by the people to accept or reject a government proposal. This month, 49 years after Allied Occupation authorities introduced a local autonomy law to shift power from the powerful central government, the first local plebiscite in Japanese history will be held. Residents in a town in Niigata Prefecture will vote on whether to allow a nuclear power plant in their town. And next month, Okinawans will vote on whether they support a reduction in the U.S. military presence in their prefecture. Although the results of a plebiscite are not binding, in a genuine democracy they will influence government decisions. Considering the nature of Japanese social and political tradition, such expressions of grassroots' opinion is especially important. -------Five months after our arrival in Japan, we were joyfully anticipating the birth of our first child during the vacation following our first term at language school. Although we knew its birth might be delayed, we had a small suitcase packed and ready to go in case a quick trip to the hospital was required. A couple of weeks after the "due date", we stopped at the hospital for a checkup on our way to see a movie on Queen Elizabeth's coronation. The doctor advised, however, that, since the fetus was healthy and large, labor be induced artificially and my wife was hospitalized on the spot. I returned home for her suitcase and she was given medicine to stimulate childbirth. The next day, during the birth process, the doctor used forceps to pull the head of the fetus and found that the umbilical cord was coiled three times around its neck. Consequently, our baby boy suffocated while being born. Needless to say, it was a sorrowful, shocking experience for us both. After hearing the report of the doctor, I read to my wife these verses from II Corinthians, chapter 1: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." -------In both the Old and New Testament, the Jewish Temple is frequently called the "house of God". Unlike a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple, however, no object of worship was enshrined there. A chest containing the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written was placed in the holiest place in the Temple, but one of those commandments prohibits the making of any physical representation of God, who is spirit, so there was no image or idol in the Jewish Temple. The Temple was the place where God was worshipped by offering sacrifices. In the New Testament, the church is sometimes called the "house of God", but this figurative expression does not point to a material building. The church is a spiritual fellowship of believers and it is in that fellowship that the presence of God is recognized. In I Timothy 3:15, the church is called the "house (or household) of God", "the pillar and foundation of the truth". Ideally, the church is the family of God, in which God's children are all brothers and sisters. And the church is based on and supported by God's truth which it seeks to proclaim or manifest to the world. It is when God's character permeates the church, that it truly becomes the "house of God". -------In business circles, smaller companies sometimes become affiliates of larger ones and in society at large, some people choose to affiliate with certain groups. But this word, "affiliate", which may be used as a noun or a verb, is rooted in a Latin word meaning to adopt as a son. The same Latin word for "son" is a root of the adjective "filial" which means pertaining to a son (or daughter). In Confucian societies in particular, "filial piety" ('oya-koko') is an important virtue. As a legal term, "affiliate" means to determine the paternity of an illegitimate child. In Japan and many other countries, not only one's character and ability but one's affiliation with certain other organizations or movements may influence one's advancement in one's own organization. -------Olympus is the name of a mountain in Greece. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the Greek gods, where Zeus, the chief god, held his court. Far away from this mountain, in a temple of Olympia, a famous statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the world, was enshrined. In 776 B.C., racing contests were held near this temple and every four years for over a thousand years afterward. Discontinued in 392 A.D., after the 293rd Olympiad because of their becoming professionalized, the (modern) Olympics were revived as international sporting events in 1896. Now, 100 years later, the 26th Summer Olympics were recently held in the U.S. city of Atlanta. What are your impressions of these games which were broadcast daily in Japan? Do you think the atmosphere of the Olympics has changed since they were held in Tokyo 32 years ago? Do you think the Games accomplish their intended purpose? Do you have any suggestions about how to improve them? Were you happy with the results? I will correct essays on this theme sent to me and print them in '"Daily Word" Echoes'. Please send all essays to reach me by August 17th. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463 Japan. -------Japanese people are very conscious of seasonal changes. In the traditional Japanese calendar, or almanac, the year is divided into 24 seasons, each with its peculiar character. The four main seasons, of course, are spring, summer, fall and winter. There are seasonal discrepancies between the traditional lunar calendar and the solar calendar now in use, but according to the calendar at hand, today, August the 7th, is the beginning of fall. That may be a reassuring dream as the hot, humid summer days continue. The calendar also notes that today is 'Hana no Hi', or Nose Day. This seems to be an example of relating a word to a date with the same pronunciation, just as the 3rd of March is called 'Mimi no Hi', or Ear Day. In the little date book I carry with me which includes dates of Christian-related events, the 2nd Sunday of May is called 'Hana no Hi', but in this case, the meaning is Flower Day. Many years ago, I advised a young lady who attended an English Bible Class that, if she traveled to America, it would be advisable to insert a silent h between the o and s of her surname to avoid embarrassment or confusion. Her surname was Nose and, being Japanese, her nose was not a prominent feature of her pretty face. -------Today is the 8th day of the 8th month of the 8th year of Heisei in Japan. The number eight seems to be important in Japanese culture. A number of Japanese words and expressions begin with this number and Japan itself was once called 'O-yashima', or "great eight islands". When the character for "eight" is placed before a "hundred", the meaning is not simply "eight hundred", but "very many" or "a great variety". If yesterday was called 'Hana no hi', today may be called 'Haha no Hi', but, of course, Mother's Day comes in May. But there are other kinds of 'ha''s and 'ha-ha''s. In fact, the simple sound 'ha', depending how it is pronounced or in what circumstances, can range in meaning from "yes, sir!" to an expression of surprise or amusement. When repeated, 'ha-ha' may simply be an emphatic ha, but when repeated a third time, the 'ha-ha-ha' becomes a kind of laughter with a different nuance than those expressed by 'hi-hi-hi', 'fu-fu-fu', 'he-he-he' and 'ho-ho-ho'. Laughter has been called a medicine for weary bones. And the Bible also notes, in Ecclesiastes 3:4, that there is "a time to laugh". I will not feel bad if you laugh upon hearing or reading today's message or other "Daily Word" messages, some of which are meant to be amusing. -------In a number of areas of the world today, there is tension, hostility or actual fighting between people who are of different cultural, religious, racial or ethnic backgrounds. In certain African countries, tribal differences are a basis of hostility. In the neighboring countries of Burundi and Rwanda, there are historical reasons for the conflict between the aristocratic, cattle-raising Tutsis and the peasant Hutus they ruled for many years. But there may be another physical reason for their mutual hostility. The Tutsis are very tall, often over 2.1 meters in height while the Hutus are short. Tall people often develop a superiority complex while short people may suffer from feelings of inferiority. In some Olympic events, tall people had an obvious advantage, but the following quotations may serve to lift the spirits of short listeners to/readers of this message. The English author, James Howell, wrote in 1621: "Tall men are like houses of four stories, wherein commonly the uppermost room is worst furnished." Not long after that, another short English writer, Francis Bacon, wrote: "Wise nature did never put her precious jewels into a garret four stories high: and therefore ... exceeding tall men had ever very empty heads." -------The regular school year of the language school we attended in Tokyo began in September, but since my wife and I arrived in November, we began our studies there in January of 1952. It was customary at that school for students to vote to elect one of the students president of the student body. Because the person elected in September had subsequently dropped out of school, another election was held in April and, according to a newsletter I wrote that month, I was elected president. Now, 44 years later, I don't remember that election nor what my responsibilities were, but it was about a month after that election that the language school moved from its temporary quarters in the YMCA in Kanda and the Misaki-ch Church near Suidobashi Station to a new building a short distance away from Shibuya Station. This was much more convenient for us for that station was the end of the line for the trains we boarded at Denenchofu Station. It was also within a month after being elected president that I left on a trip to the Philippines. Following her unhappy experience in the hospital a few weeks earlier, I was happy that my wife had a maid to help her and a sympathetic landlady rather than being left alone during my absence. -------The New Testament contains a letter written to a group of Christians in an ancient town in Asia Minor named Colossae. In one modern English translation of that Letter to the Colossians, the 2nd verse of the 4th chapter is rendered as follows: "Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God." Prayer is a common practice not only in Christianity but in other religions as well. In fact, the impulse to seek assistance from a supernatural power, especially in times of trouble, may be a natural instinct of all human beings. Christian prayer, however, is not centered on selfishly crying out for help. Many people who do so, completely ignore God at all other times. "Once on shore, we pray no more." The Apostle Paul's exhortation implies that prayer should not be a sporadic activity or a practice engaged in when we are drowsy. Genuinely Christian prayer reflects an ongoing relationship with our heavenly Father. Christian prayer, along with many other Christian teachings, is based on a certain faith regarding the character of God and the nature of the world. And an expression of thanksgiving is an essential element in every truly Christian prayer. -------The first Europeans to enter Japan in the 16th century were called nanbanjin, literally meaning "southern barbarians". The color of the skin, hair and eyes of these aliens from the southern European countries of Portugal and Spain were not that different from that of Orientals, whether barbarian or otherwise. But when a different breed of foreigners from northern Europe arrived with different hues of skin, hair and eyes they were given the name of komojin, or "red-haired people". This description would fit my younger son, but his mother's name, Barbara, is very unsuitable when its original meaning is considered. Its Greek root, barbaros, probably originally indicated the incomprehensible languages spoken by non-Greeks, but came to mean a strange, ignorant barbarian. -------Each of the five largest cities in Australia is located in a different state: Sidney is in New South Wales, Melbourne in Victoria, Brisbane in Queensland, Adelaide in South Australia and Perth in Western Australia. The island of Tasmania is the sixth state of the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory is in the north-central area of the continent. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, was named after the consort of Great Britain's King William IV. The Bay of Adelaide was discovered on her birthday, so the city, founded in 1836, was given her name. "Good Queen Adelaide" herself was born 104 years ago today, on August 13, 1792, the daughter of a German duke. Her name is derived from a German word meaning nobility. Other English feminine names such as Ada, Adele and Adeline are derived from it. On this day in 1860, in the American state of Ohio, Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee was born. From her childhood, she was a "dead shot" with a rifle. After she defeated a noted marksman and vaudeville star in a contest, he married her and became her manager and assistant. Annie Oakley became a major attraction of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with her remarkable feats of marksmanship. -------Recent incidents in the United States and elsewhere have made security a major concern for travelers to foreign countries and attenders of large public gatherings. "Security" means freedom from risk or danger. Needless to say, there is no place on earth where we are completely secure for all human security measures are imperfect and so-called "acts of God" such as earthquakes, typhoons and tornadoes may upset normal security arrangements. In America, the government program that provides financial assistance for people faced with unemployment, disabilities or of advanced age is called social security. As part of the New Deal he promised the American people during his election campaign in 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill that brought the social security system into existence 61 years ago today, on August 14, 1935. As a result, many older Americans are now receiving financial assistance from the federal government which is a major reason for the unbalanced federal budget. Decreasing social security benefits in order to balance the budget is a political hot potato in the U. S. these days. The Bible teaches that true security, whether personal or social, is only gained through faith in God. -------Laurel is the name of a tree having large leaves and greenish-yellow flowers. In ancient Greece, the foliage of this tree was woven into wreaths and used to crown victors of sports contests, thus "laurels" may denote fame or honor. From this tree, the feminine name, Laurel, and the masculine name, Lawrence, were derived. A famous British adventurer, soldier and scholar who became known as Lawrence of Arabia was born 108 years ago today, on August 15, 1888. In this case, Lawrence was not a given name, but a surname. While a student at Oxford, Thomas Edward Lawrence went on a walking tour of Syria, joined an archaeological expedition and learned colloquial Arabic. In 1916, he became a leader of Arab forces in their revolt against Turkish domination. As a delegate to the Paris Peace Conference, he sought in vain to gain independence for the Arabs and as a research scholar at Oxford and an adviser to the colonial office, he worked constantly to promote the independence of Arab states. Seeking anonymity by changing his name to Ross and Shaw, he published narratives of his Arabian adventures. Of Lawrence of Arabia, an American news commentator once said, "He had a genius for backing into the limelight." -------My given name is Clark spelled C-l-a-r-k. In England, a person who keeps records in an office is called a clark, but that word is spelled c-l-e-r-k. In Old English, this word denoted a clergyman and that is what I am, but I doubt that my parents knew the original meaning of the word when they named me. A clergyman is a person ordained to conduct religious services. A variety of words are used to designate clergymen in Christian churches. In Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, clergymen are called "priests", which emphasizes their function as mediators between God and people. In the Roman Catholic Church, although priests are not allowed to marry, they are called "Father". Protestant clergymen are commonly called "pastors" because they are "shepherds" of congregations, or flocks, of believers. They are also called "ministers" because they should minister to the needs of people, as Jesus taught in Mark 10:43-45. Ministers who are sent out on a mission to foreign countries to serve there are also called "missionaries". Thus, in my case, I am a clergyman, a minister, a missionary to Japan, the pastor of a Japanese church--and also a father (spelled with a small f). -------Six months after arriving in Japan in 1951, while I was still in language school, our church in America directed me to make a trip to the Philippines to observe the work of our church in that country. The work there began after the end of the war when an American soldier stationed there informed church headquarters of the great need and limited support began to be sent to a Christian lady he had met there. Then, her relative, a Protestant minister, joined our church and established an orphanage with funds sent by our church, but I was the first American representative to visit the work and make first-hand observations. My first meeting with that minister was at the Tacloban Airport. He had received my letter informing him of my arrival the day before and got up a 4:00 a.m. to get to the airport to meet me. At the airport, he was told that a priest named Benjamin Offner was one of the passengers, which confused him because he was expecting a Protestant pastor named Clark rather than a Catholic priest named Benjamin. In fact, the airline had mixed up my first and second names and it was known that I was a clergyman. Since most clergymen in the Philippines are Roman Catholic priests, the airport attendant had taken it for granted that I was one of them. -------The Old Testament prophets used a variety of literary devices to communicate divine truth. The first 5 verses of chapter 6 of the book of Micah are written in the form of a court case in which God brings charges against his chosen people. The case had universal significance for the mountains, hills and "foundations of the earth" were called to be the jury. The question posed by God is "What have I done to you? How have I burdened you?" He was asking Israel, as he asks people throughout the ages, why they have disobeyed his commandments and turned away from him. He then reminds them of the righteous and merciful acts he did on their behalf--to save them from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land. But even as in a present court case in Japan related to a religious organization, there was no response to the question posed. The following 2 verses raise the question of what kind of sacrifice is required or acceptable to God. Does he want sacrifices of animals, of olive oil, of one's firstborn child? The answer, given in verse 8, is "No". What God really requires are not material offerings or religious rituals but ethical acts in daily life: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." -------In ancient days, some people believed that stars influenced human affairs and even today, some people check their horoscope before making important decisions. Some English words describing a person's temperment are related to the planets that were thought to be influential. For example, a joyful person with a sense of humor may be called "jovial", related to the planet Jupiter, or Jove. A "mercurial" person, supposedly influenced by the planet, Mercury, may be eloquent, clever, changeable or fickle. And a gloomy, morose, taciturn person may be called "saturnine" because of the supposed influence of Saturn. But we should remember the words of Cassius in Shakespeare's drama, Julius Caesar: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves . . . ." -------Of the 42 men who have served as presidents of the United States of America, five have had the same surname as a former president. One of them, Grover Cleveland, served at two different times, as both the 22nd and 24th president. I do not think that Lyndon Johnson, the 36th president, was related to Andrew Johnson, the 17th, but the other three men were related to their predecessors with the same surname. Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd president was a distant cousin of Theodore, the 26th. John Quincy Adams, the 6th president was the son of John Adams, the 2nd. And Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president, was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, the 9th president who died a month after his inauguration. Today is the birthday of Benjamin Harrison, who was born in the state of Ohio on August 20, 1833. A lawyer who became a brigadier general in the Civil War, a senator from Indiana afterward and the Republican candidate to oppose Democratic President Cleveland in 1888, he became the third and last person to win an election on the basis of electoral votes even though receiving fewer popular votes, according to the complicated American election system. In the following election, Cleveland defeated him. -------A long, straight, rigid piece of material may be called a bar. We saw bars in some gymnastic events in the Olympics, and the hurdles over which runners jumped had a bar on the top. Prison cells have bars on windows and doors to "bar" prisoners' escape. The railing in a courtroom behind which judges and lawyers sit is also called a "bar" and to be "called to the bar" refers to a person who has become a lawyer. In England, certain lawyers are called "barristers". "Bar" may also denote lawyers collectively or the legal profession. Thus, the American Bar Association, which was founded 118 years ago today, on August 21, 1878, is not an organization related to athletes nor to prisoners but to lawyers. This voluntary association of American lawyers is devoted to improving the administration of justice, seeking uniformity of law throughout the nation and maintaining high standards for the legal profession. Its committees deal with such topics as legal education, professional ethics, the judicial system and legal aid to the poor. In Alfred, Lord Tennyson's famous poem, Crossing the Bar, the "bar" is the boundary between life and death and in it, he wrote: "I hope to see my Pilot face to face / When I have crossed the bar." -------The names of some American communities are related to their geographical location. For example, a city, town or village situated on the edge of a field may be called Edgefield while one next to a mountain may be called Edgemont. There are at least five American communities named Edgewood and another five are called Edgewater. Edgewater, New Jersey is located on the edge of the Hudson River, across from New York City. This small community has become a popular place for Japanese and other Oriental residents of New York since the Hong Kong-based Japanese retailer, Yaohan, began operations there in 1988. Ramen noodles, seaweed, tofu, pickled plums and octopus along with many other traditional Japanese foods are available at the Yaohan mall. Not far away are other supermarkets that specialize in Korean, Indian or Hispanic foods. About 40,000 customers patronize the Edgewater Yaohan every month, some from such distant places as Boston and Washington, D.C. At least ten percent of the customers are non-Asians, which indicates that Japanese foods are gaining popularity among Americans at large. One characteristic of internationalization is to be able to eat and enjoy the foods of other peoples. -------The Chinese characters used in Japanese are fascinating. They often raise questions in my mind. For example, I know that the character for "bird" developed from a simple sketch of a bird, but I wonder why the elimination of one short stroke changes its meaning into a "crow". I don't know the answer, but I am impressed with the many Japanese words or sayings that contain _karasu_ in them. How many can you think of? On the other hand, there are a number of English expressions that also contain the word "crow", including "to eat crow". This informal idiom means to be forced to do something humiliating or extremely distasteful. The expression derives from an incident during an armistice of the Anglo-American War of 1812. An American unwittingly crossed the British lines while hunting and brought down a crow. An unarmed British officer heard the shot and determined to punish the offender. He gained hold of the American's gun by praising his marksmanship and asked to see his weapon. He then told the American he was guilty of trespassing and forced him, at the point of the gun, to take a bite out of the cow. When the officer returned the gun, the American, in his turn, compelled the Englishman to eat the remainder of the crow. -------The purpose of my trip to the Philippines from Japan in 1952 was to visit the orphanage and related evangelistic work of our church on the island of Leyte. The Filipino head of the orphanage met me at the airport outside of Tacloban, the capital and chief city of the province. From that city we were expecting to take a three-hour bus trip to the village where the orphanage is located, but first we went to an American-owned restaurant for lunch. The owner immediately recognized that I was an "outsider" by the suitcase I was carrying and the clothes I was wearing. When he heard that we were taking the bus for that distance, he suggested that I change my clothes, for the long, hot, dusty, bumpy ride on a bus with its hard seats and open windows would end with me looking like a "native". I was surprised when my companion excused himself to go to the bus station down the street to inform the agent to have the bus stop for us at the restaurant on its way out and I realized that bus schedules in the Philippines are much more flexible than those in Japan. Before we left the restaurant, however, we were invited by another American to ride in his private car for he would be passing through that village on the way to his destination. -------One day, according to the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was alone with his disciples, he asked them what others thought about him. "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" he inquired. Following their reply, he asked the more direct question: "Who do 'you' say I am?" The meaningful response of Simon Peter was: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This declaration of Peter may be called the basic confession of the Christian Church. The question of who that person actually was who taught about God, manifested selfless love and died on a cross almost 2000 years ago is a basic question which requires an answer of some kind from all thoughtful people. We must not be content to simply relay what others think about him. We must face the question of what we ourselves believe. It is the conviction of Christians that the man called Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah or Savior, the Son of the living God, who was raised from death following his crucifixion. Actually, the name Jesus is derived from the Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means "the Lord is salvation", and, according to Matthew 1:21-23, he was given that meaningful name for a particular purpose. -------Nice, spelled N-i-c-e, is an important city in southern France. An English noun, pronounced the same but spelled n-i-e-c-e, denotes the daughter of one's sister or brother. The English adjective spelled n-i-c-e, is pronounced 'nais' and may denote something or someone that is pleasing, agreeable or courteous or a statement characterized by great precision and subtle discernment. This word is rooted, however, in a Latin word meaning "ignorant". In the 14th and 15th centuries, to call someone "nice" was not a compliment. Rather, it meant that the person was foolish. The word subsequently went through a series of meaningful changes to "petty" to "fastidious" to "coy" to "shy" to "reserved" and ended up with an "attractive" meaning. I hope you have/had a nice day today. -------Red, yellow and blue are called primary colors. Secondary colors are said to be combinations of these three. Each of these primary colors also have symbolic meanings. Blue can mean gloomy or dismal. A person who feels blue is depressed and even if the weather is fine and the sky is blue, to have a "blue day" is not enjoyable. "Blue laws" are strict, puritanical rules to regulate morality. "Out of the blue", however, means completely unexpected. "Blue collar" is used for workers doing manual labor, but "blue stocking" is used for a scholarly woman and a "blue ribbon" denotes the highest prize in a competition. Yellow is a color associated with cowards, so it is an insult to say that a person is yellow, but "yellow journalism" means journalism that exploits, distorts or exaggerates news to make sensations and attract readers. Red was the color commonly associated with Communists, but to "see red" means to be furious. To be "in the red" means to be in debt but to "roll out the red carpet" denotes a welcome with great hospitality or ceremony. And finally, a "red-blooded" person is strong and virile, while a "blue-blooded" person is of noble or aristocratic lineage. -------One hundred and sixty-eight years ago today, on the 28th day of the 8th month in the year 1828, one of the world's greatest writers was born into a noble family in Russia. Orphaned at nine, his own family life was not a happy one and later, in his most popular novel, Anna Karenina, he wrote the dubious sentence: "All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Personally, I would say that all families, happy or unhappy, are similarly unique. Count Leo Tolstoy was a deep thinker, who did not find satisfaction in a rich and profligate life. Inwardly troubled by the contradictions he recognized in his libertine life style, he experienced a religious conversion when he was 48 years old. From then on, he propagated the Christian ideals of love and pacifism, severely criticizing both the government and the church. In a work entitled 'What Then Must We Do?' he has the following sentence which should stimulate self-reflection in many minds today. "I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means--except by getting off his back." -------My wife and I both like pets. When my wife was a child, she had a pet dog and during my childhood, we had a variety of pets at different times, including dogs, cats, rabbits and goldfish. We also kept chickens, but I doubt that they can be called pets, since we raised them for their eggs and meat. When our own children were young, there were times when we kept a pet dog, a pet cat and goldfish. Our married children also keep pets in their spacious yards. My wife and I no longer keep pets, however, because our schedules do not permit us to care for them as we should. In years gone by, we were frequently saddened when we saw what we considered the cruel treatment of animals in Japan. Things have improved, but we are still concerned about how animals are treated. An American philanthropist who abhorred human cruelty toward animals was born in New York City 185 years ago today, on August 29, 1811. In 1866, Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the ASPCA, which has worked through the years to insure better treatment of animals and to change people's inhumane attitudes toward them. Later, he also helped form the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. -------Recently, AIDS, the HIV virus and how they originally entered Japan have become controversial matters with political ramifications. Certainly, all pertinent facts about this fearsome illness should be obtained and publicized along with advice on how to avoid it. Unfortunately, misinformation has resulted in much confusion. The same may be said in regard to the disease commonly called leprosy. From ancient times, people in various countries were said to have leprosy and the Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 13, contains a description of an infectious skin disease, originally called leprosy. Present-day scholars are uncertain, however, about the exact nature of that disease and how contagious it was. Over the centuries, people with leprosy, called lepers, have been segregated and suffered great discrimination due, to a large degree, to misinformation about that illness. Now, with advances in the treatment of Hansen's Disease and other infectious skin diseases, it is time to end such discrimination, to learn from the sad history of the sufferers and their families and not repeat the calamity, honestly looking at the facts related to this newer disease without covering them up or coloring them for selfish reasons. -------To reach the simple wooden structure that housed the church orphanage I visited in the Philippines in the spring of 1952, we had to walk along a narrow, winding path from the dirt road. Obviously, a messenger had informed them of our arrival, for the children and staff members had gathered together in their best clothes at the entrance, smiling and singing a welcoming chorus as we arrived. The ground floor of the orphanage was literally on the ground. On that dirt floor were four large tables with benches alongside. That was the dining room. Next to it was a storeroom and in the back was the kitchen--half inside and half outdoors under an overhanging roof. The wood or charcoal fire on which the food was cooked was in the outside part. A long iron bar hung from the ceiling suspended on a rope. When it was struck with another shorter iron bar it gave off the clanging sound that signaled mealtime and the children gathered around the tables. The second floor had three large rooms plus a small room, or porch, on one side. Usually, this porch was not enclosed, but prior to my visit, straw mats had been hung around the sides to make it into a guest room especially for me. So that was my room during my visit there. -------"Foundation" has a number of different meanings in English, but in Japanese, its two very restricted meanings are related to women's cosmetics and wearing apparel. In English, the basic meaning is the basis of something and the base of a building in particular. In the Gospel of Luke, on two occasions, Jesus made use of this word to illustrate spiritual truths. At the end of chapter 6, he contrasts the reactions of two different persons to his teachings. The one who heard his words and put them into practice was compared to a man who built a sturdy house laying the foundation on rock to withstand the storms of life. The other one who heard Jesus' words but did not put them into practice was compared to a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. This house was demolished during a storm. He thus emphasized the importance of not only listening to noble moral teachings but of translating them into practical action. In chapter 14, verses 28-30, he spoke of an unwise man who began to build a tower without considering the total cost involved and was only able to complete the foundation. In this way, he urged people to count the whole cost before deciding to become his disciple. -------In the United States, this first Monday of September is a legal holiday in all fifty states. It is called Labor Day, but it is not a day to labor but to rest and was originally designated to honor industrial workers in particular. "Work" and "labor" are synonyms, but the former is more comprehensive and may denote not only activity of the human body or mind, but of a machine as well. The latter is used for human work, whether physical or mental, and may imply a particularly strenuous or fatiguing kind of work. One of the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites by Moses, as written in Exodus, chapter 20, states that people should labor and do all their work in six days. On the 7th day, they are supposed to rest and to make that day holy by worshipping God. -------You probably know of Alcoholics Anonymous, the worldwide organization dedicated to the curing of alcoholics founded in the United States over 60 years ago, but you may not have heard of a similar organization, Gamblers Anonymous, which was founded in Osaka less than two years ago by a 30-year-old American who had become a pachinko addict after winning ¥4000 at a pachinko parlor and began borrowing money to satisfy his addiction. He said that, at first, he thought pachinko was just a game. He played it because it was fun and he wanted to know about Japanese culture, but he found out it was a form of gambling that could lead to serious consequences. Now, the self-support group for gambling addicts he founded holds weekly meetings in a church in Osaka. In Japan, there are many opportunities to gamble: horse racing, mahjong, lotteries, pachinko, etc., but attention has recently been drawn to pachinko addiction following the deaths of children left in closed, hot cars while their mothers were engrossed in the game. America's first president, George Washington once said: "Gambling is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity and the father of mischief". -------In Japanese, the word 'shato' literally means "leaning tower". It is the word used for the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. In French, however, a chateau, spelled c-h-a-t-e-a-u, denotes a royal residence or fortified place of the medieval age. In such a fortress, peasants of the surrounding area took refuge during times of war. The common English word for chateau is "castle". There are many famous chateaux in France and some French wines contain this word in their names. The word is also included in the name of a famous French writer and statesman, the founder of romanticism in French literature, who was born 228 years ago, on September 4, 1768. Francois Rene Vicomte de Chateaubriand wrote both historical works and romantic fiction and served as a minister of foreign affairs and an ambassador to London. But to those who enjoy fancy food, his name evokes a completely different image: a tasty beef steak. Chateaubriand is the name given to a choice steak with a pocket cut out and filled with various seasonings or simply to a double hick tender center cut of beef tenderloin that has been grilled slowly, for the famous writer and statesman was also a gourmet. -------Fifty years ago today, the first postwar textbook of Japanese history for use in public schools was published by the Ministry of Education. Entitled Kuni no Ayumi, Course of the Country, it discarded old, mythological elements that had contaminated textbooks used prior to and during the war and offered a new image of Japan as a democratic nation. Later, the editor, Saburo Ienaga, questioned the legality of the Ministry of Education's policy of officially authorizing textbooks. Now, a Curriculum Council has been appointed by the Ministry of Education to revise government guidelines for teaching. The 25 members of this council will propose the sixth major revision of school guidelines in the postwar era as schools require a slimmer, more flexible curriculum under the five-day week to be implemented by the year 2001. One aim of the committee will be to consider a school education system that fosters the "power to live" rather than academic brilliance. Experts hope a new system will reduce pressure on students and encourage the development of their personalities which will help reduce school violence, bullying and other problems related to the present highly competitive, exam-oriented system. -------Today, September 6th, is a national holiday in a country in the western hemisphere whose name begins with "S-w", ends in "land" and has a prominent "z" in the middle. Can you guess the full name of this country? No, it is not Switzerland. Try again. The only other possibility is a small country, with an area a little less than that of the Japanese prefecture of Akita, located in southern Africa, wedged between South Africa and Mozambique. About 90% of the population of this landlocked, mountainous country are of the Swazi tribe and the country's name is Swaziland. Tribal conflicts which continue to plague the African continent today have long roots and the Swazi moved to this area from Mozambique in the early 19th century to flee the attacks by another tribe. Appealing to Britain for help, the land became a British protectorate and on September 6, 1968, 28 years ago today, it became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. Swaziland has many natural resources, including large mineral deposits, but like most African countries, it lacks the human expertise to make effective use of them and has experienced both the curse and blessing of being associated with European powers with their superiority complexes. -------The day after I arrived at the church orphanage on the Island of Leyte in the Philippines in 1952 was Sunday, which became a memorable day for me. After breakfast, we walked along the winding path to the roadside store where the church services were regularly held. Following Sunday School, I preached at the worship service. The pulpit was a small table and my English sermon was interpreted into the local dialect by a young Bible School student. After the service, eight new believers met again with the pastor as they had been doing for the past few weeks in preparation for their baptism which was scheduled for that day. It is the tradition of our church to baptize by immersion, in which the whole body is immersed in water as a symbol of death and resurrection into a new life, so we all went by bus to the Leyte River. There, following prayer, reading from the Bible and singing on the water's edge, I entered the water with those young people, all dressed in white, and, after hearing their interpreted profession of faith in Christ, baptized them. It was the first time for me to administer baptism and the two carabao cooling themselves nearby with only their heads sticking out of the water did not distract us at all. -------Of the 27 books which comprise the New Testament, 21 of them are called letters. Many of those letters were written to churches or individuals by the great Christian evangelist named Paul. Reading his letters, we can discern certain characteristics of Paul and his interests. Numerous illustrations related to sports imply an interest in athletics. In the last verses of the 9th chapter of his first letter to the church in Corinth, where contests similar to the Olympics were regularly held, he refers to both running and boxing. He compared the Christian life to a race and urged his readers to run in such a way as to win the prize. "Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever", he wrote. Then he continued, "I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified". In the social arena of the present day with its many allurements, it is difficult to keep our eyes focussed on our ultimate goal and to keep ourselves morally disciplined, but with divine help, it can be done and we also can win the prize of eternal life. -------A number of short words now commonly used to denote ordinary vehicles are actually shortened forms of longer words. "Plane", of course, is simply a shortened form of "airplane" and "bus" is a shortened form of "omnibus". "Van" is derived from "caravan" and "cab" comes from "cabriolet", which is a new word for me. According to the dictionary, it is "a two-wheeled, one-horse carriage with two seats and a folding top". "Taxi" is a shortened form of "taxicab", an automobile that carries passengers for a fare, usually calculated by a taximeter. And what do you suppose is the origin of the word "car". No, it does not come from "carriage" but from a Latin word for "chariot", which was a horse drawn, two-wheeled cart, used in ancient times for war, racing or parades. -------To become outstanding in any profession, whether it be drama, music, literature, art or sports, having a natural gift and beginning one's training early in life are beneficial. The atmosphere of childhood surroundings may also be influential. In the world of golf, one of the outstanding names is Arnold Palmer. In a biographical dictionary on my bookshelf, there are 24 persons name Palmer listed, but since the book was published in 1963, the name of this golf champion is not included. Arnold Daniel Palmer was born in the small town of Latrobe in western Pennsylvania 67 years ago today, on September 10, 1929. His father was a golfer and Arnold started golfing when he was five years old. He became the U. S. amateur champion and is reported to have turned professional shortly after winning the money to buy his wife's engagement ring. Winning his first open tournament in Toronto in 1955, he was on his way to becoming golf's first millionaire in 1968. We wish him "Happy birthday" and hope he continues to putt, but not putter, around golf courses for years to come. It was another Palmer, an American clergyman named Ray, who wrote: "A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth". -------The English name, Henry, is rooted in a German word meaning "home ruler". Many European rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, England, France and Spain bore this name. Famous Americans named Henry include Longfellow, a poet, James, a novelist, Mencken, an editor and satirist, and Fonda, an actor. My father was also named Henry, but outside of our family, he is not so famous. Today is the birthday of a man known by the name of O. Henry, but that was not his real name. It was his pseudonym, which literally means "false name". The pseudonym used by some writers is also called a "pen name". O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter, who was born in North Carolina in 1862. While working as a bank teller in Texas, he was accused of embezzlement and spent over three years in prison. It was while serving this prison sentence that he began writing short stories. After his release, he settled in New York City and became a very successful writer, whose short, simple stories are noted for their careful plotting, ironic coincidences and surprise endings. In The Gift of the Magi, he wrote: "Life is made up of sobs, sniffles and smiles, with sniffles predominating. -------One of the major events of the modern Olympic games is the marathon race. This long-distance race of 26 miles, 385 yards, or 42.2 kilometers, is named after a village in Greece where a famous battle was fought 2,486 years ago today, on September 12, 490 B. C. In the Battle of Marathon, Athenians defeated a Persian army and a messenger hurriedly ran from Marathon to Athens to convey the happy news. It is said that, having reached the city and delivered his message, he collapsed and died. Today is also the birthday of an outstanding runner whose name is associated with the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin. This America athlete, who was born on this day in 1913, won three gold medals in those games and the world records he established there lasted for more than 20 years. He is known by the name of Jesse Owens, but, in this case, the name "Jesse" is derived from his initials, J. C., for John Cleveland. Jesse's fame is enhanced by the fact that Adolf Hitler snubbed him because he was an Afro-American and did not fit Hitler's theories of the superiority of the "Aryan" race. Unfortunately, far-fetched theories of the superiority of certain races, tribes or nations continue to foment prejudice, hostility and wars even today. -------As you know, the word "know" is spelled k-n-o-w. For some reason, when a "k" is followed by an "n" in English words, the pronunciation is the same as the "n" by itself. Thus, there are two different words pronounced nait, one beginning with "kn" and the other with "n". When I was a schoolboy, I sometimes wore knickers to school. One definition of this word, spelled k-n-i-c-k-e-r-s, is "a bloomerlike undergarment worn by women or girls", but those were not the kind of knickers I wore. The other definition is "knickerbockers", defined as "short, loose trousers gathered in at or just below the knees". I sometimes see workers in Japan wearing such knickerbockers. When spelled with a capital "K", "Knickerbockers" denote descendants of early Dutch settlers of New York. This designation is derived from a humorous writing by Washington Irving entitled A History of New York under the pseudonym of Diedrich Knickerbocker. Illustrations in this book showed Dutchmen wearing such trousers which came to be called knickerbockers. One hundred fifty-one years ago today, on September 13, 1845, the first baseball club was formed in New York City and it was called the Knickerbockers Club. -------During my visit to the Philippine island of Leyte in 1952, I was impressed with many differences in life style compared to Japan. The yearlong hot weather is not conducive to energetic activity nor punctuality. People did not move so quickly as in Japan, nor did the buses. The main road between the two major cities on the island was unpaved and practically the only motor vehicles using it were trucks and buses. Buses had no time schedule and no designated bus stops. The five-hour trip between the two cities usually included a stop for a meal at some town along the way. Before leaving the one city, the bus driver drove around looking for passengers and when he had found enough, he began the trip. Seldom did I wait less than an hour along the road for a bus. Buses stopped at any place a person desired to board or disembark. One time, a man hailed the bus from the second floor window of his roadside home and the driver waited for him to get dressed before he boarded. On occasion, the bus stopped for the driver or a passenger to carry on a conversation with an acquaintance spied along the road. Passengers carried many kinds of belongings with them, including live chickens held by their legs, and large, squealing pigs with feet tied together were put in the luggage rack underneath the bus. -------The name of Solomon is well known, not only by people who are well acquainted with the Bible. In general, the name of this ancient king of Israel, the son of King David, evokes two different images: a wise man and a rich man. "As wise as Solomon" is a common English idiom denoting good judgment rather than great learning or knowledge. The wealth or splendor of Solomon is also often noted. The secret behind King Solomon's wisdom and wealth is recorded in a story found in the Old Testament book of I Kings, chapter 3. There, the young man who had just become king had a dream in which God told him to ask for whatever he wanted and God would give it to him. Recognizing his great responsibility and his inability to fulfill it satisfactorily, he replied: "give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong." God praised the young king for not making a selfish request for long life or riches and promised to give him not only the discerning mind he requested, but riches and honor as well. Consider how different the world would be today if more rulers or government representatives began their tenures with the attitude of this young monarch 3000 years ago. -------Americans who hear the word "circus", spelled c-i-r-c-u-s, will envision an entertaining show that includes skillful acrobats, trained animals and foolish clowns. In years gone by, circus performers traveled from place to place and put on their shows in many different locations. But in England, the word "circus" has a different meaning. Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of London, is not an entertaining spectacle. It is a circular open space where many streets come together. "Circus" is derived from a Greek word meaning circle. In ancient Rome, a circular arena with tiers of seats around it for people to watch the games or races held there was called a circus and in American circuses, performances usually took place in one or more rings, often under a large tent, or big top. -------It was 209 years ago today, on September 17, 1787, that the Constitution of the United States of America was signed in the city of Philadelphia. In commemoration of that historic event, a number of states over the years have observed this day as Constitution Day, but now it is called Citizenship Day. Some communities hold programs which stress both the rights and obligations that the Constitution bestows upon the nation's citizens. In some states, this week is called Constitution Week. All citizens should be encouraged to thoughtfully read the Constitution of their country. In Japan, there will be a couple of weeks next month that stress reading: Newspaper Week and Reading Week. At the meeting of "Daily Word" fans on Sunday afternoon, September 29th at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sozo Center near the Shinsaekemachi subway station, "Favorite Reading Material" will be the theme. Those present will be given an opportunity to tell us who is their favorite author and explain why they like him or her, or what is their favorite book, magazine or newspaper and explain why they enjoy it. You are invited to attend and take part in the discussion and enjoy some refreshments prepared by my wife for this 64th meeting. -------Just as human beings come in all sizes and shapes, so do countries. How were the size and shape of these nation-states and their boundaries determined? In the case of island nations like Japan, boundaries are clear, although whether or not to include certain islands continues to be a matter of controversy. National boundaries of countries on a continent are often determined by geography, but boundaries of straight lines are usually the result of decisions made by colonial powers. The unique shape of the country celebrating its Independence Day today is very long and very narrow. Can you guess its location and its name? On one side is a mountain range and on the other side is the Pacific Ocean. It is the South American country of Chile, spelled C-h-i-l-e, and its first declaration of independence from Spain was issued 186 years ago today, on September 18, 1810, although complete independence was not achieved until seven years later after bitter warfare. There is a hot seasoning which is also called chili; the final vowel of this word may be either i or e. And nowadays, nights in Japan are getting a little chilly, meaning a bit cool, but this word is spelled c-h-i-l-l-y. -------Raising tobacco is an important industry in the southern United States, so President Clinton's recent proposals relating to tobacco advertising directed at young people stimulated negative reactions on the part of tobacco growers and tobacco companies. The word "tobacco" is derived from a West Indian word which denoted the pipe or tube in which natives of the Caribbean islands smoked tobacco leaves. Spaniards mistakenly thought the word signified the leaves and, as a result, in both Spanish and English, tobacco has become the name of a particular plant and of products made from its leaves. The addictive substance in tobacco is called nicotine. This word is derived from the name of the French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot, who obtained seeds of the strange plant that had been brought to Portugal from America and first planted such seeds in France. When tobacco was introduced into England, the reaction of King James in the 17th century was similar to what some critics say today. He called smoking "a custom loathesome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the ear, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black smoking fumes thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless." -------Have you ever heard of "Little Red Riding Hood"? This is the name of a famous nursery story about a little girl who visited her sick grandmother and met a wicked wolf along the way. Now the Little Red Riding Hood service in Japan provides escorts for children whose parents are too busy to pick them up from after-school classes, athletic practice and other programs. In Japan, these days, even many elementary school children are enrolled in a variety of extra-curricular activities: swimming, piano, ballet, abacus, etc. According to a recent survey, 82 percent of 6-year-olds living in metropolitan Tokyo take after-school classes to supplement their studies along with lessons in music and sports. Many mothers also work outside the home and so-called nuclear families have no grandparents to pick up the children and take them home. A former policeman who was alarmed at the number of children he saw roaming the streets after dark came up with the idea of providing this service and founded the new company. Staff members also offer counseling to children who often do not tell their problems to teachers or parents. "Family Values" are matters of increasing concern on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. ------- |