[Apr. 2000]  Holy Week  (Timely Words 0100)

Because Christmas, the holiday, or holy day, when the birth of Jesus is celebrated, has become commercialized and popular even among non-Christians, many people think it is the main Christian festival. But that is not so. It is not known when Jesus was born and there is no record of his birthday being celebrated until a couple of centuries after his death. The main Christian festival is Easter, which commemorates Jesus' resurrection from the dead. That extraordinary event began to be celebrated from the beginning of the Christian Church as believers met together on the first day of the week to joyfully mark that meaningful miracle. This year, Easter falls on April 23rd and this week before Easter, called Holy Week, began with Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. On that final visit to the Jewish capital, he rode on a donkey, a symbol of humility and peace, while people greeted him waving branches from palm trees and shouting "Blessed is the King of Israel" (John 12:12-15). The Thursday of Holy Week is the day when Jesus ate his Last Supper with his disciples after which he gave them bread and wine, symbolizing his body and blood which would soon be offered up on their behalf and told them to use those elements to remember him and his death (Luke 22:19-20). Christian churches today continue to follow Jesus' instruction in a ceremony called Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist. On Thursday evening, my wife and I will be two of the distributors of the bread and grape juice to worshippers at the church in this community.

[Apr. 2000]  Good Friday  (Timely Words 0101)

In Hebrew thought, a new day begins at sunset. This viewpoint is reflected in the Creation account in Genesis, chapter 1, where we find the repeated expression "there was evening and there was morning . . .." According to that thinking, Friday begins at sunset on Thursday. In the church calendar, the Friday of Holy Week is called "Good Friday". It is the day Christians commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. The accounts of Jesus' passion and crucifixion are found in all four Gospels. Following his arrest in an olive grove where he had been praying, he was deserted by his disciples, summarily tried by both religious and political authorities, mocked, spat upon, beaten with fists, flogged with a whip and crowned with thorns before he was nailed to a cross and left to die. All of this took place on Friday (between sunset on Thursday and sunset on Friday) and the day Christians commemorate such physical and mental suffering, strange as it may seem, is called "Good Friday". Christians see in the suffering and death of Jesus, who was sinless, the extent of God's love for us sinners and his provision for our salvation. So, to us, that was truly a "good" Friday. In I Corinthians 1:18, Paul calls the "message of the cross" foolishness to some, but "the power of God" to others and continues his explanation in the following verses. That cross has become the symbol of God's love and of the Christian Church throughout the world.

[Apr. 2000]  Easter  (Timely Words 0102)

In the Christian Church calendar, the forty weekdays before Easter are called Lent and the forty days after Easter are known as Eastertide. This year, Easter falls on April 23rd, which is the latest date for Easter during the entire 20th century. It also fell on April 23rd in 1905 and 1916. The name of this Christian festival is derived from the name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, whose symbol was the hare and whose festival was held at this time of year in Europe before the advent of Christianity. Spring is the time of new life in nature and Easter is a celebration of Jesus' new life following his resurrection. From ancient days, eggs have been used to symbolize new life and hard-boiled, brightly-colored Easter eggs are often prepared and eaten at this time of year. And since rabbits are well-known for their fertility, Easter bunnies are often associated with Easter eggs. For Christians, Easter is the highlight of the year. According to two of the Gospel accounts, when Jesus' friends visited his tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week to pay their respects, they looked inside the tomb and saw no body and nobody. Then they were informed that he had risen and, later, Jesus himself appeared and spoke and ate with his disciples. Christians consider Christ's resurrection to be a basic element in our faith, signifying the power of God and the final victory of life over death, of good over evil, of right over wrong and the assurance that our sins have been forgiven. Hallelujah = "Praise the Lord!"

[Apr. 2000]  Church Design  (Timely Words 0103)

There are many different kinds of church buildings. The meeting places used by the less formal Protestant churches are often not much different than meeting places used by secular groups, but for more formal churches, a traditional church building design is preferred and there are certain special words used to designate its particular parts. The room at the church entrance, which may be called a "vestibule" or "lobby" in other buildings, is the "narthex". From the narthex, one enters the "nave". In the nave are the "pews", the special benches on which the congregation sits. The central aisle of the nave leads from the narthex to the "chancel", the area around the altar at the front of the church. It is in the chancel that the ministers and the choir sit. On one side of the chancel is a "lectern", the reading desk with a slanted top from which the Scripture is read and prayers are offered by the "liturgist" who leads in worship following prescribed rituals called the "liturgy". On the other side is the "pulpit", the raised platform from which the preacher preaches the sermon. The church at Penney Retirement Community, which was erected in 1927, is a traditional Gothic type church building with a high, pointed ceiling, pretty stained glass windows and a beautiful pipe organ. While such a building provides a worshipful atmosphere, Jesus made clear in his talk with the woman of Samaria in chapter 4 of the Gospel of John that the place of worship is not so important. What is important is the spirit of the worshipper.

[Apr. 2000]  Unique Worship Service  (Timely Words 0104)

The retirement community where my wife and I live was founded to provide homes for retired "ministers, missionaries, and YMCA workers". Now, there are many residents who do not fit that original classification, but it continues to be a Christian community with a preponderance of retired ministers, missionaries and church-related workers. Most of the residents here are members of the church which is at the center of this community. At that church, a different minister from among the residents preaches at the worship service every Sunday morning. Thus, we are able to hear sermons by ministers from a variety of denominational and theological backgrounds. To open-minded listeners, this may be a very broadening experience. Recently, I was asked to be the preacher and I asked my wife to be not only the liturgist but a collaborator as well. Standing on opposite sides of the chancel, at the lectern and the pulpit, we both participated alternately in the pastoral prayer. I read the Old Testament lesson and my wife read the New Testament lesson. My sermon included many passages from the Bible, but all of those passages were read by my wife. Such a form of worship was unique, so the next day we held a sermon "feedback" session to give people an opportunity to express their opinion about the form of this unique worship service as well as the content of the sermon. We were very happy that the reaction was favorable.

[Apr. 2000]  Golden Week  (Timely Words 0105)

Gold is a precious metal that has been highly prized from ancient times. Some things that are considered especially valuable or important are said to be "golden". A period of peace, prosperity, and happiness may be called a "golden age" and the "golden rule" is the teaching of Jesus found in Matthew 7:12 that we should do for others as we want them to do for us. In Japan, the week beginning April 29th is known as "golden week". This term was first used by movie theater owners because of the increase in business during that week in which there are three legal holidays plus another day off for workers. April 29th was the birthday of Emperor Hirohito. Since his death twelve years ago, he has become known as Emperor Showa and the name of the holiday has been changed to "Green Day". On that day, respect for the greenery in nature, which the Emperor enjoyed, is emphasized. May 1st is May Day. In Japan and most advanced, industrialized nations other than the United States and Canada, it is a day dedicated to the interests of the laborer. May 3rd is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1947 when Japan's new, postwar Constitution came into effect. May 5th is Children's Day, a day to show respect for the personalities of children and to wish them happiness. And now, in recent years, May 4th has been declared a general, undesignated holiday to make the week yet more attractive to all—an extraordinary "golden week", indeed.

[May 2000]  Silver Seat/Town  (Timely Words 0106)

The first, second and third place winners in Olympic contests are awarded medals made of gold, silver and bronze. Traditionally, silver is considered next to gold in value. In one of my dictionaries, a "silver age" is defined as "a period of history secondary in achievement to that of a golden age." An eloquent speaker who is fluent and persuasive may be said to be "silver-tongued", but there is also the well-known saying that "speech is silver, silence is golden". In Japan, "silver" has become a associated with elderly people, or senior citizens, maybe because that is the color our hair tends to become as we grow older. In many public vehicles in Japan, there are "silver seats", which are ostensibly reserved for senior citizens, who are to be given priority in sitting there. In these "Timely Words" messages, I frequently make reference to the Penney Retirement Community in which my wife and I have been living since we returned to the United States a little over a year ago. A Japanese reader asked if it could be called a "silver town" and, although that was the first time I had seen that expression, I think it could be. It is a very fine Christian retirement community and might be deserving of a "gold medal." Those who would like to have further information about it may go to the web page at the following address: http://www.penneyretirementcommunity.org/.

[May 2000]  Wallet: Lost and Found  (Timely Words 0107)

Recently, our daughter who lives and works in Thailand visited us. While she was here, we took her to the city of St. Augustine, about 30 miles to the east. The first European settlers of this oldest city in the U.S.A. were Spaniards who were followed by English colonists. There are many places of historic interest in that city which we enjoyed visiting. In the evening, after leaving the city, we stopped to eat at a restaurant on our way home, but when I tried to pay for the meal, I found that I did not have my wallet. Trying to think of where I last used it and could have left it, I decided it must have been at an ice cream shop. We immediately drove back to the city and went there, but it was already closed. I stopped at the police station to report the loss and was told I should immediately cancel all the credit cards it contained. Also, I was now without a drivers' license and planned to drive to Chicago a couple of days later. Phone calls to the ice cream shop that night and the next morning were unanswered. Finally, in the afternoon, there was an answer. Yes, the wallet had been discovered and was awaiting my arrival. With a feeling of relief and gratefulness, I drove to the shop. The manager, a man from Jordan who had been only five years in this country, would not receive any gift to express my gratitude. Needless to say, I was very thankful to this honest Muslim and to the one righteous and merciful God of all people.

[May 2000]  Trips to/in the U.S.  (Timely Words 0108)

The main purpose of our daughter's recent trip to this country from Thailand was business, which was transacted in the northwestern state of Washington. Since she was in the country, she decided to visit us in the southeastern state of Florida. En route from Thailand to the U.S., she stopped in Japan to see her brother and the distance from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Nagoya, Japan is about the same as that from Seattle, Washington to Penney Farms, Florida. She was with us over Good Friday and Easter. Then, we went together by car to my hometown, north of Chicago, in the midwestern state of Illinois. On the way, we stopped to see relatives, friends and former missionaries to Japan in the states of North Carolina, West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois. We also stopped at the college she had attended and spent some hours there, visiting people and places that she knew. In my hometown of Zion, we attended services and met with the Missions Committee of the church in which I was raised and which sent us to Japan as missionaries almost fifty years ago. We also looked through a variety of possessions we had stored there over the years—including some glassware we had received as wedding gifts and had never used. We brought most of these belongings back to our Florida home, but our daughter departed from Chicago on her return trip. We spent three nights on the way to Illinois, but only one night on the return trip since we had to be back for the Annual Symposium Banquet at which I was the speaker and my wife also had a part. We are thankful for God's protection and guidance during these trips.

[May 2000]  Symposium Banquet  (Timely Words 0109)

The English word "symposium" is derived from Greek words meaning "with" and "drink". In ancient Greece, a "symposium" was a drinking party, which included music and intellectual stimulation. In English, it denotes a meeting on a particular topic followed by discussion. At the Penney Retirement Community, a symposium is held twice a month at which one of the residents reads a scholarly paper he or she has prepared, after which questions or comments are made by the listeners and once a year, a Symposium Banquet is held. At the recent banquet, food, drink and music were provided and there were many objects from Japan on display. Also, at the place of every diner there was a paper crane folded from Japanese "origami" paper. Following the dinner, my wife gave a talk, explaining the significance of cranes, as symbols of good health, long life and prosperity in Japanese thought. She also introduced her husband who was the speaker at the banquet. His speech was about the new religions of Japan, which was the theme of his doctoral dissertation. He emphasized that Christian churches should consider why new religions are so popular and what might be learned from their methods and activities. People with inquiring minds can learn something from all kinds of events. We were happy that the talks we had been preparing for a long time seem to have been well received. We pray that they will bear good fruit and make all who listened more effective Christian workers.

[May 2000]  Strange English  (Timely Words 0110)

Among the various clubs or special interest groups that meet regularly on the campus of this Penney Retirement Community is one called Penney Writers for those residents who like to write. The leader of this group recently gave me an interesting poem called "English Oddities". It began like this: "Let's face it / English is a stupid language. / There is no egg in the eggplant / No ham in the hamburger / And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple. / English muffins were not invented in England / French fries were not invented in France." Checking my reference books, I found the following information: "Hamburger" is derived from "Hamburg steak" which was brought to America from the city of Hamburg, in Germany. "Pineapple" denotes the fruit, or "apple", in the shape of a pine cone. "French fries" are made from potatoes that have been "frenched", or "cut into thin strips before cooking". I presume that an eggplant is so named because the fruit resembles an egg in shape, but I don't know how an "English muffin" ("a flat round of yeast dough that has been baked on a griddle and is usually split and toasted before serving") got that name. If any reader can inform me of the reason, I would be happy to receive that information. The aforementioned poem ends like this: "When the stars are out they are visible / But when the lights are out they are invisible / And why is it that when I wind up my watch / It starts / But when I wind up this poem / It ends". To truly understand a language, including the language of the Bible, more than a literal understanding of words is required.

[May 2000]  Holland/Tulips  (Timely Words 0111)

During this month of May, we are enjoying the "mayflowers" that are in bloom around our house. "Mayflower", of course, was also the name of the ship on which the Pilgrims came to America from England and Holland in 1620. Holland is now associated with tulips in the minds of many people even as Japan is associated with cherry blossoms. Tulips did not originate in the Netherlands, however. In fact the word is derived from the Turkish word for "turban", which is the headdress common in Turkey, consisting of a cap with a scarf wound around it. It was in the middle of the sixteenth century that the Austrian ambassador to the Turkish Empire brought back tulip bulbs for his garden in Vienna. From there, tulips eventually spread through Western Europe and became especially popular in Holland. (This name for the Kingdom of the Netherlands may have originally meant either "wood land" or "hollow land".) Tulips grow from bulbs, which are underground buds that send down roots and may produce beautiful flowers or nutritious vegetables. As we look at the beauty of the natural world about us, the question arises of "why" the world is so beautiful. Is there some reasonable purpose for beauty other than bringing enjoyment to the hearts of human beings? In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 28 and following, Jesus told his disciples to look at the beauty of the flowers around them and to perceive through them the loving care of a loving heavenly Father.

[May 2000]  Cataracts  (Timely Words 0112)

Another strange English word is "cataract". This word is rooted in Greek words literally meaning "to break, dash or strike, down". In English, its primary meaning is a very large waterfall. The highest cataract in Japan is the 131-meter-high Nachi Waterfall in Wakayama prefecture, which is about one-fifth as high as the Yosemite Falls in the U.S. state of California. A secondary meaning of "cataract" is a heavy downpour. But a third meaning, denoting a problem with the eye which hinders perfect vision, is most commonly used among residents of this retirement community. The interesting term for this condition in Japanese is "hakunaisho", which literally means "white inner hindrance". Recently, my wife joined the increasing number of residents who have undergone the simple operation to remove a cataract. This operation was to restore more perfect vision in her right eye. The morning I drove her to the surgical center where the operation was performed, there were over a dozen others present who seemingly were to have the same kind of surgery. The following morning, we saw them again in the waiting room of that ophthalmologist for a follow-up examination. My wife's surgery seems to have been successful and she is scheduled to have surgery on her left eye done later. In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus explained why he often spoke in parables. He noted that many people having eyes do not truly see, but of his disciples, he said: "blessed are your eyes because they see." In order to perceive spiritual truth, we need to have the eyes of faith.

[May 2000]  Mandarin Thai Palace  (Timely Words 0113)

English is a complicated language, not only for foreign students but for native speakers as well. In one of my dictionaries, I find five very different meanings for "mandarin". It may denote the orange fruit which we also call a "tangerine" (or a "mikan", in Japanese). It may also denote the color of that fruit. But the primary meaning is a high public official in imperial China and, when capitalized, it denotes a main dialect of the Chinese language. It is also the name of a community located a few miles away from Penney Retirement Community. Recently, we joined a group of other residents to go by our own cars to a restaurant in Mandarin which specializes in Thai food called Thai Palace. It was the day following my wife's cataract operation and we needed to stop at the doctor's office along the way, so we told the others we would meet them at the Thai Palace. We got mixed up regarding the directions to the restaurant, however, and got on the wrong road. When we finally got back on the right boulevard, which was undergoing repair, it was difficult to see the house or building numbers to identify the address or to confirm if we were going in the right direction. After a couple of U-turns and the kind assistance of a lady who told us to "follow me" along a roundabout way, we arrived just as the group was leaving and we were able to enjoy the Thai food all by ourselves. We were reminded that in our "journey through life" also, it is well to get clear directions to the desired destination, follow them carefully and, if possible, to have a trustworthy leader to follow.

[May 2000]  Batteries  (Timely Words 0114)

Some words have a number of different definitions. In most cases, the definitions have some similarity in meaning. The word, "battery", however, seems to be an exception, for the various definitions given for this word seem quite unrelated. As a legal term, it denotes the unlawful beating of another person. As a military term, it signifies a set of guns or an artillery unit. In baseball, the pitcher and catcher on a team is the "battery" and in an orchestra, it is the percussion section. A "battery" is also a device for generating electric current by chemical reaction. This kind of battery is needed to start the engine of a car. Recently, our car wouldn't start because the battery was dead. In such a case, the battery can be jump-started, or charged, by connecting it by a booster cable to the battery of another car whose engine is running. Our car was in our garage, however, and although a neighbor kindly brought his car next to the garage, our car could not be rolled out because the automatic shift was in the parking mode and could not be changed without electric power. Although one booster cable was not long enough to connect the two batteries, by attaching two cables together we were able to connect them. In this way, the car got started and I was very thankful for the friendly and helpful spirit evident in this community. Sometimes, our "spiritual batteries" become dead. At such times, how can we recharge them? According to Acts 1:8, we receive power when God's Holy Spirit comes upon us.

[May 2000]  Charge/Short  (Timely Words 0115)

In Japanese, there are many words having the same pronunciation with very different meanings. When the Chinese characters used in those words are seen, however, the particular meanings are easily recognized. In English, on the other hand, the particular meanings of words with a variety of meanings which are spelled and pronounced the same must be discerned in the special context in which they are used. Take the words "charge" and "short", for example. There are over a dozen meanings of "charge" when used as a verb and still more when used as a noun. When a car battery does not start, it needs to be "charged", or energized. That was what our car battery required, and after it was charged, we had no trouble with it on our trip to Chicago. After our return, however, again it did not start and had to be jump-started. There are over a dozen different definitions of "short" when used as an adjective and still others when used as an adverb, a verb or a noun. As a noun, it may mean a "malfunction caused by a short circuit". Because our car radio had been functioning strangely—sometimes changing speakers from those in the front seats to those in the back, making strange noises and sometimes not functioning at all, we thought there may be a "short" in it which drained the battery of energy even when the ignition and the electricity was off. Recently, I had the radio examined and repaired and we have had no trouble since. Whether there is a problem in a machine, in our bodies or in our minds, if we can discover the cause and eliminate or repair it, our lives will be brightened.

[May 2000]  Scrapbook  (Timely Words 0116)

A "scrap" is a small piece of something, a fragment. In its plural form it denotes things that have been, or will be, discarded. A "scrapbook", on the other hand, is an album with blank pages on which pictures, newspaper clippings or other mementos may be pasted which will bring back memories or provide information to the viewer. Since returning from our recent trip to my hometown when we brought back boxes and boxes of materials that had been stored there for many years, I have been busy sorting through old clippings from English language Japanese newspapers that I had clipped during our early years in Japan. Most of them are related to Japanese customs, festivals or cultural characteristics. I have been clipping them further to fit them into a scrapbook which I also found in our belongings. The clippings are yellow with age, dating back to 1953-1955. Many of them were taken from the newspaper which was then called the "Nippon Times". This newspaper is now called the "Japan Times" and that was its name before the war, but during the nationalistic fervor of wartime Japan when all things "Western", including the English language, were despised, the respected newspaper was forced to change its name from the "westernized" pronunciation to the more accurate traditional pronunciation of the country's name. Many memories are stimulated as I work at this task and my wife cautions me about keeping so many "scraps", but this scrapbook may also be informative to others after we have passed on.

[May 2000]  Memorial Day  (Timely Words 0117)

In the United States of America, there are no "national holidays" because the holidays for the individual states are determined by the states themselves rather than by the federal government. However, the federal government does determine the holidays for the District of Columbia and for federal employees. There are ten such holidays in the year and most states also have state holidays on those days. The American Civil War, which lasted for four years, ended in 1865 and from that year on, memorial observances for the dead were held in various communities on various days, but in 1868, May 30th was designated the day to "decorate" the graves of Union soldiers "who died in defense of their country" with flowers. That day, which later became a federal holiday called "Memorial Day" or "Decoration Day", is now observed on the 4th Monday of May, when many Americans visit cemeteries or attend services to remember those who have died. In Japan, "memorial weeks" are held twice a year, centered on the spring and fall equinox. Memory is a wonderful ability and all of us have both happy and sad memories and it is up to us to decide which kind of memories we will emphasize. The Bible repeatedly urges its readers to remember the acts of God in human history and in our lives in the past, to learn from them and to be thankful. In Psalm 77:11-12, it is written: "I will remember your great deeds, Lord; I will recall the wonders you did in the past. I will think about all that you have done; I will meditate on all your mighty acts."

[June 2000]  Billy and Beverly  (Timely Words 0118)

In both Japan and America, names are usually recognized as either male or female. Some names, however, may be used for either boys or girls, men or women. In the case of the male name "Francis", if the "i" is changed to an "e", it becomes a woman's name, but the pronunciation remains the same. Names which may be used for either boys or girls include Meredith, Leslie, Robin, Kyle, Lee and Beverly. Billy (or Billie) may also be used as a nickname for either sex. Recently, my wife and I attended a special "Senior Celebration" sponsored by the Billy Graham Crusade Committee in Jacksonville, where a Billy Graham Crusade is being planned for November. In this case, a "crusade", rooted in the Latin word for "cross", denotes an evangelistic meeting at which the "good news" symbolized in the cross of Christ is proclaimed and listeners are invited to become his disciples. At this celebration, we enjoyed hearing solos sung by 91-year-old George Beverly Shea, who has been a featured singer at Billy Graham Crusades since they began in 1947. In fact, Billy Graham was the young pastor of a church near my wife's hometown in a Chicago suburb in the 1940's and we used to listen to a radio broadcast from that church called "Songs in the Night" in which Mr. Graham gave the message and Mr. Shea was the soloist. We were happy to hear the forceful voice of this elderly man singing songs we had heard him sing 55 years ago. It brought back cherished memories and we joined him in praising God for God's faithfulness over the years.

[June 2000]  News of Japan  (Timely Words 0119)

In contrast with Japan where, in almost any area of the country, any of the three major daily newspapers could be delivered to one's door every morning, in our small community in northern Florida, only one daily newspaper is available for home delivery. In contrast with the major Japanese newspapers, this newspaper has comparatively little foreign news. Consequently, my wife and I are immediately attracted to any article relating to Japan. Of course, we read with interest about the problem caused by the prime minister's ill-advised statement that "Japan is a divine nation centering on the emperor". Although the Japanese term he used ("kami no kuni") is the same term used in the Japanese New Testament for "kingdom of God", in this case, "divine nation" was the preferred translation that would cause less misunderstanding among foreigners. We also read of the unusual hailstorm that occurred in a couple of prefectures during which over 100 people suffered minor injuries from "hailstones bigger than golf balls". The article brought to mind a "Timely Words" message last fall about the various meanings of "hail" and "hale". I hope that those who were injured by the hail are now, once again, hale. In that article, the "prefectures" were also called "states", so I checked my dictionary to find the difference between these two words. I found that a "prefecture" is the district of a "prefect", the title of a high, administrative official, but I do not recall hearing that term being used for any official in Japan.

[June 2000]  I/Aye/Eye/Ai  (Timely Words 0120)

There are three words in English which consist of only one letter. They are the vowels A, I and O. Certainly, one of the most commonly used words in the English language is the personal pronoun "I". And there are a couple of other words with the same pronunciation. One of them, spelled a-y-e, may have been derived from this word. It denotes an affirmative vote. Thus, in a formal voting session, if "the ayes have it", then the motion is passed. Another homonym, spelled e-y-e, denotes the organ of vision. In Japan, it is customary for people to point to their eyes when they want to emphasize the pronoun "I", while many Americans will point to their heart. Our eyes may be the most important of our five senses and we must try to keep them in good condition. Both my wife and I wear corrective lenses called "glasses". Recently, we went to an eye doctor to have our eyes checked and I recalled the different terms used for specialists related to eyes. An "optometrist" is one who examines and treats visual defects by means of corrective lenses. An "ophthalmologist" is a physician specializing in the treatment of diseases of the eye. And an "oculist" may denote either an ophthalmologist or an optometrist. In Japanese, there is a word with the same pronunciation, which is spelled a-i in English letters. It is a very important word in the New Testament for it means "love". In the Greek language in which the New Testament was written, there are different words which may be translated "love". The deepest and highest form of love, called "agape", is the selfless love of God which was manifested in the life and death of Jesus Christ, the Savior (I John 3:16).

[June 2000]  You/Ewe/Yew/U/Yuu  (Timely Words 0121)

Not only are there a number of words pronounced "I" in English, there are also a number of words pronounced "U". The most common one, of course, is the opposite of "I" and is spelled y-o-u. In modern English, this word is used regardless of the social position of the one being addressed, but in Japanese, there are a number of different words used for both "I" and "you" depending on the position of those involved and the level of humility or respect to be expressed. A second word with the same pronunciation denotes a female sheep and is spelled e-w-e. A male sheep is a "ram", which Japanese speakers of English must be careful not to confuse with a baby sheep, a "lamb". A less familiar homonym, spelled y-e-w, signifies a kind of evergreen tree having flat, dark-green needles. I am not acquainted with this kind of tree, so if I saw you with a ewe standing under a yew, I would not be able to identify the yew. "U" is the twenty-first letter of the English alphabet and the symbol for the element uranium, which is used in the production of nuclear energy. There are a number of Chinese characters used in Japanese which may be pronounced "y-u-u" with such meanings as "bravery", "the very best" and "evening". It is interesting that in the creation story found in the first chapter of Genesis, following each day's work there is the repeated saying "there was evening, and there was morning—the (first, second, third, etc.) day" for, in Hebrew thought, the day begins in the evening.

[June 2000]  Unexpected Good Results  (Timely Words 0122)

Sometimes while playing tennis, I aim to hit the ball in a certain way to a certain place in order to make a point, but due to my lack of expertness, the ball does not follow my intentions. At times, however, I get the point anyway because the ball was out of reach of my opponent. In daily life also, events occur which, even though they do not follow our expectations, result in unanticipated happy endings. Here is an example. Talking with a neighbor here, I offered to take his granddaughter to the airport where she was to begin her trip back to Japan. She wanted to be at the airport, over an hour's drive from here, by 5:30 in the morning, so I promised to be ready to take her at 4:30 a.m. Later, I realized I would need more gasoline to get to the airport and that gas stations would not yet be open at that early hour. So what was I to do? Then I remembered that another neighbor had given me the keys to his car and had asked me to meet him and his wife at the airport later in the month. So I got that neighbor's car out of his garage and parked it next to the other neighbor's house to be used early in the morning. I had never driven that car before and did not know about the alarm system it contained. At 4:30 in the morning when I entered the car, somehow I set off that alarm system, which caused a big noise for a few minutes and, I am sure, upset the sleeping neighborhood. But we got to the airport safely and on time. Upon returning home, I realized anew that our lives are in God's hands. I gave thanks to God and played a couple of hours of tennis where some unexpected points were also gained.

[June 2000]  Dogs  (Timely Words 0123)

In the retirement community where my wife and I live, there are about 80 apartments in the quadrangle in the center of the community and over 190 separate residences in the surrounding area. Last year, community rules were changed to give residents living in the separate residences permission to own domestic pets, so now we may see some people taking their dogs for a walk. All of the dogs I have seen here are well-bred, well-mannered and well-groomed. A newspaper article reminded me of them. It reported on a prestigious dog show that was held in New York in which 2,600 dogs of 156 breeds and varieties took part in the competition to win prizes in a number of different categories. The article stated that it was very entertaining to watch not only the tricks performed by the dogs, but those performed by the humans also who tried to make their dogs look and do their best. Hair dryers, clippers, combs, curlers, pins and even doggy hairnets were used to keep the dogs looking attractive. They also consoled, cajoled and bribed their dogs with treats and toys to impel them to do their best when they appeared before the judges. The informal expression "put on the dog" means to act in an ostentatious way or to behave in a conceited manner. At a dog show, many dogs "put on the dog", but Jesus did not have such a high opinion of dogs. He taught that things that were holy should not be given to dogs (Matthew 8:6).

[June 2000]  Sunshine Band  (Timely Words 0124)

There is a big difference between "sunshine" and "moonshine"—not only in regard to their literal meanings but in regard to their figurative meanings as well. "Sunshine" literally denotes the light of direct rays from the sun; figuratively, it denotes happiness or cheerfulness. The literal meaning of "moonshine" is the light reflected from the surface of the moon, but in informal or slang speech, it means foolish talk or illegally distilled whiskey. In the Penney Retirement Community there is a musical group called the Sunshine Band. It is composed of 14 residents of the community, 5 of whom are over 80 years old. The conductor, who is one of the oldest members, is also the pianist, so she conducts the band while she plays the piano. Other instruments in the band are: trumpets, trombones, French horns, drums and other percussion instruments along with a clarinet, a tuba and a harmonica. Some of the band members had not played their instruments for a long time before their retirement but they began playing them again after joining this community. All those who attend their concerts are deeply impressed with the ability of the musicians despite their advanced age. The name of the band is appropriate for they do bring sunshine into the lives of those who hear them play. And we are reminded of the words of Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 5:14 and 16: "You are the light of the world." "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

[June 2000]  National Flags  (Timely Words 0125)

The word "flag" is usually used as a noun, but it may also be used as a verb. As a transitive verb, it may mean to signal to stop. A policeman may flag a driver who has violated a traffic law. As an intransitive verb, it may mean to decline in strength. The spirit of a driver who has been flagged by a policeman may flag as he tries to make an excuse for his violation. As a noun, "flag" denotes a piece of cloth of a distinctive size, color and design used as a symbol. Every nation has a national flag. The design of the Japanese flag is a red ball, representing the sun, on a white background. It reminds the viewer that Japan is the "Land of the Rising Sun". In the American flag, there are 13 stripes, alternating red and white, and a blue section in the upper, pole-side corner on which are 50 white stars. This flag reminds us of the original 13 colonies that gained independence from Great Britain and then developed into a country with 50 states at the present time. It was almost a year after its adoption of the Declaration of Independence that the Continental Congress determined the design of the national flag, on June 14, 1777. Since then, whenever a new state was added to the union, another star was added to the flag and patriotic observances are held annually on June 14th, which is called Flag Day. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 11, verse 10, it is prophesied that the "Root of Jesse", which Christians interpret as meaning the Messiah, Jesus, will become a kind of banner, or flag, that will attract all nations to him.

[June 2000]  Sense/Scents/Cents  (Timely Words 0126)

In Japanese, there are many words with the same pronunciation even though the meaning is very different. When the word is written, however, the meaning becomes clear if the Chinese character is recognized and understood. In English also, there are words with identical pronunciations but with entirely different meanings. They are called "homonyms". In this message, we will consider three homonyms which are all spelled differently, so they may be called "homophones". "Sense" may denote the ability to understand and "common sense" means practical intelligence. "Scents" is the plural of "scent" which means a smell or odor. If we take the first "s" off of that word, the remaining word is the plural of a coin used in some forty different countries, including the United States of America. In this country, "cents" are also called "pennies" and they consist of 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper. More than two-thirds of all coins produced by the U. S. Mint are pennies and there are now more than 130 billion of them in circulation. The penny was the first U.S. coin to feature a historic figure; President Lincoln has been on the penny since 1909. When questioned about paying taxes to the Roman emperor, Jesus asked his questioners to show him a coin (a "penny" in the classical King James Version) and to tell him whose image appeared on it. The reply was "Caesar's". Then Jesus told them to "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" (Mark 12:17). According to the creation story in Genesis, chapter 1, human beings were made in the "image of God".

[June 2000]  Summer Solstice  (Timely Words 0127)

When my wife and I first arrived in Japan, 49 years ago, we were surprised to find that many Japanese people seemed to think that Japan was unique in having four definite seasons of the year. They did not realize that in North America also we had spring, summer, autumn and winter. As a result of living in Japan, however, I developed a deeper appreciation of seasonal changes because they are emphasized in Japanese tradition. The last time I officiated at the Holy Communion service at an assisted living unit in this community was the week of the vernal equinox, in March. At that time, I noted the Japanese celebration of "higan", when departed ancestors are remembered because the sun sets directly in the west, the direction of the Buddhist paradise. "Equinox" comes from Latin words meaning "equal night" for on that day, day and night are of equal length. This month, I again officiated at the communion service and this time it was the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. "Solstice" is derived from Latin words meaning "sun stand (still)". It is the natural division between spring and summer, when the sun appears to stand still. From that day on, days get shorter until the winter solstice. In my meditation at that service, I focused on God's changeless faithfulness despite the seasonal changes in the weather. The last verse of the 8th chapter of Genesis, at the conclusion of the story of Noah and the Flood, implies the orderliness of the universe and the faithfulness of God: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

[June 2000]  Bilirubin/Bile/Liver  (Timely Words 0128)

Recently, following a blood test, I was told that my bilirubin was high. I was not surprised because it is always high and a medical specialist in Japan had informed me that it is natural for some people to have high bilirubin. This medical term, which is not found in many dictionaries, is derived from Latin words meaning "bile red". Bile is a liquid produced by the liver and bilirubin, which is related to bile, has a reddish color. Because it is bitter, "bile" may also signify "ill temper" and "bilious" may denote "a peevish disposition". From ancient times, the liver was recognized as an important organ in the body, the seat of deep emotions. Thus in the Old Testament book of Lamentations, chapter 2, verse 11, a very sad person wrote that "my liver is poured upon the earth". In Japanese, a number of expressions related to the liver are used to describe human characteristics. A daring, bold or adventurous person is said to have a "fat/big liver", while a person with a "small liver" is timid, fainthearted or cowardly. In English, we may call such a person "white-livered" or "lily-livered". Amazement or astonishment may be said to "crush one's liver", but the liver of a person who is composed is said to be "seated" and a frightening experience will "cool one's liver". Finally, I recall the saying that "The kind of life one leads depends on the liver", but in this sentence "liver" may have two different meanings.

[June 2000]  Batter/Battery/Battle  (Timely Words 0129)

A reader of a previous "Timely Words" article regarding the various meanings of "battery" asked about a certain area of New York City which is called "the Battery". While doing a bit of research to answer his question, I was surprised to find that in one of my dictionaries while there are ten different meanings given for the one word "battery", there are four different words spelled b-a-t-t-e-r. One kind of "batter" is the mixture of flour, milk and eggs used in cooking. Another kind of "batter" is the player at bat in baseball. But the verb "batter" means to beat heavily. This is the reason for calling a fortification equipped with heavy guns a "battery". And the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City was once the site of defensive artillery so it is called the Battery. It would to repel an invasion of foreign forces or engage them in a battle. There are a number of localities in the United States of America that include the word "battle" in them, such as Battle Creek, Battle Mountain and Battleground, all of which have historical associations. Some people expect a final battle between the forces of good and evil to occur at the end of time in a place called Armageddon. The one Biblical reference to this place is found in Revelation, chapter 16, verse 16, and its meaning is unclear so, like many other passages in that book of visions, signs and symbols, interpretations are varied. What do you think about it? I would be happy to read your reaction to this or any other "Timely Words" message.

[July 2000]  Team/Teamwork  (Timely Words 0130)

Many words enter a language from a foreign language, but often, the meaning of the word in the new language is not identical to its original meaning. There are many examples of this among the many English words that have been transliterated into Japanese. (Note: there is a difference between "translating" and "transliterating" words.) In some cases, the transliterated word conveys only one of a number of possible meanings. One example is the word "team", which when transliterated into Japanese is pronounced "chi-mu". In English dictionaries, the primary meaning of this word is related to animals. A team of oxen pull a wagon or a team of horses perform together. A secondary meaning of a group of people on the same side of a sports contest or a group working together for a common purpose is the meaning of the Japanese term. Teamwork is very important in Japan. Comparing the natural settings and the histories of the development of the United States of America and Japan, it is easy to understand why independence and individualism are emphasized in the former and community, teamwork and team spirit are emphasized in the latter. As is often the case, we need not emphasize one side to the exclusion of the other. In a wholesome society, both concepts are important. In I Corinthians, chapter 12, the Church is referred to as the "Body of Christ" with many different members. Each member has his or her individual, particular function, but all should work together as a team for the good of the body as a whole.

[July 2000]  Independence Day  (Timely Words 0131)

There are a number of words in English that begin with the prefix "in". In some words, this prefix reflects the common meaning of the preposition "in". "Inbreathe", "inhale", "indwell", "income" and "inhabit" are examples of such words. In other words, however, this prefix has the meaning of "not". "Inaudible", "inarticulate", "indecent", "incurable" and "independence" are examples of such words. The meaning of these words is the opposite of the same words without the prefix. Thus, "independence" is the opposite of "dependence". These words are often used to indicate differences in the emphases in American and Japanese thinking. It is commonly recognized that Japanese children who have experienced the more independent atmosphere of American schools have found it difficult to fit into the more conformist atmosphere found in Japanese schools. In the United States of America, the 4th of July is a legal holiday called Independence Day, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on that day in 1776. The comparable, patriotic Japanese holiday, "National Foundation Day" on February 11th, commemorates the enthronement of Japan's first emperor, which according to Japanese mythology, occurred on that day in 660 B.C. The very different historical backgrounds and settings of these two holidays illustrate some of the dissimilarities between these two friendly nations.

[July 2000]  Immigrants  (Timely Words 0132)

One of the contrasts between the nations of Japan and the United States of America is related to their areas. The area of the United States is almost 25 times that of Japan and four of its states have an area larger than that of Japan. The United States also has many more natural resources and another contrast is related to the ethnic character of its citizens. One of the mottoes of the U.S.A. is the Latin phrase, e luribus unum, meaning "out of many, one". From its beginning as a nation, it has been characterized by a variety of ethnic backgrounds while Japan has had a more unified base. Immigrants have had a great effect on American history. Even today, about ten percent of the population was foreign-born. The word "migrate", derived from Latin, simply means to move from one country or region and settle in another while "emigrate" means to leave one country or region to settle in another and "immigrate" means to enter and settle in a country or region in which one is not native. Almost ten percent of the present U.S. population was foreign-born. Today's immigrants come mainly from Latin America (51 percent) and Asia (27 percent), a great change from a couple of decades ago when most immigrants came from Europe and Canada. Although some immigrants quickly adapt and do well, many do not. In households headed by immigrants, the poverty rate among children under 18 is almost twice as high as among households headed by native-born Americans. There are both advantages and disadvantages in having a variegated population.

[July 2000]  Watch  (Timely Words 0133)

As a verb, the word "watch" means to observe carefully, but as a noun it may denote a small, portable timepiece. Such a watch worn on the wrist is called a wrist watch. Before I left Japan, I was given a very fine Japanese-made wrist watch which has kept very accurate time ever since—until quite recently, when it seemed to be slowing down a little bit. While waiting for my wife who was shopping in a mall, I took it to a jeweler there and asked him to check the battery. He looked at it and said he did not think that the battery was the problem. He explained that it needed to be repaired for the second hand sometimes did not move uniformly. He further informed me that the Japanese watch could not be repaired in this country because it was not the kind of watch sold here and suggested I consider purchasing a new watch. After hearing his explanation, I recalled the advice I had read and heard in regard to medical treatment—that we should get a second opinion from another doctor before agreeing to undergo surgery, so I took the watch to another shop in the same mall. This man took out the battery, checked it and told me that a new battery was needed. I asked him to put in a new one and paid him for it. The watch has been working fine since then. As a result of this experience, I was reminded that we should "watch" whose advice we follow in regard to important decisions in life.

[July 2000]  Water Birds  (Timely Words 0134)

Many different kinds of birds may be seen on the grounds of this retirement community which we call the "campus". Most of them are small, colorful birds which fly in the trees. Many of them may be called songbirds because of the melodious sounds they make. But there are also larger birds on the campus that are often seen near or in the pond next to the nursing home. These birds do not fly in the trees nor do they sing. Rather, they wade or swim in the water and may be called water birds, or aquatic birds. ("Aqua" is the Latin word for "water" and an "aquarium" is a tank or bowl filled with water in which fish are kept.) There are two kinds of water birds frequently seen here. They are ducks and geese. ("Geese" is the plural form of "goose", but the plural of "moose" is not "meese"; it is "moose".) Although it is now common to use the words "duck" and "goose" for both male and female birds, literally, they denote the female bird in particular. The proper terms for the male are "drake" and "gander" respectively. Recently, while pushing a 92-year-old lady in her wheelchair around the pond, we saw a number of ducks and one goose. The two groups of ducks seemed to be under the dominant influence of their respective leaders. While we were watching them, a lady came from one of the assisted living units with morsels of bread which she threw to them and some turtles also came out of the pond to enjoy the food.

[July 2000]  Stephen's Swan Song  (Timely Words 0135)

In my hometown in the northeastern state of Illinois, there is a large pond in which graceful swans may be seen along with the more common ducks and geese. Swans, with their long, curved necks, are beautiful to watch as they glide over the water. Some swans are mute; others make a loud whoop or trumpet cry, but swans do not sing. There is an old fable, however, that swans sing a beautiful song just before they die and so the last act or creative work of a person before his death may be called his "swan song". Last Sunday, I preached a sermon entitled "Stephen's Swan Song". It was based on the story of the first Christian martyr found in the 7th chapter of the New Testament book of Acts. The word "martyr", derived from the Greek word for "witness", denotes a person who chooses to suffer and die rather than give up his faith. In keeping with the sssssalient title, I used words beginning with "s" for each of the sermon points. I noted that "Stephen's Swan Song", which is a good example for all Christian witnesses, included his speaking (honestly) [2-53], seeing (God's presence beyond the present crisis) [54-56], suffering (like Christ, praying for his enemies) [57-60a], sleeping (dying peacefully) [60b] and sowing (the "seeds" sown by his attitude influenced Saul, who became the Apostle Paul) [58b; 8:1; 22:19-20]. In one sense, we are all "singing our swan songs" even now, sowing seeds that will bear some kind of fruit following our deaths. Stephen, following the example of Christ, left us another good example to follow.

[July 2000]  Food, Feeders and Feedbacks  (Timely Words 0136)

In this retirement community, meals are served in the Dining Room three times a day. According to our contract, we are charged for the cost of three noon meals whether we eat there or not. One of the purposes of this stipulation is to encourage residents to eat together in the Dining Room. Since we came here, it has become our custom to eat our noon meal there every day and we enjoy both the tasty, healthy food that is served and the friendly fellowship around the tables. The kind of food people or animals eat is related to the areas in which they live as well as to their individual preferences. We have recently erected a bird feeder on a pole outside of the window by the table where we eat our breakfast and supper. In it, we have put bird food—including sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, wheat and millet. Although our food is different, we enjoy watching the small, colorful birds come and eat while we also are eating. Along with our physical food, human beings require spiritual food to live a healthy life. Ideally, such food is offered in preachers' sermons at church worship services. It is my custom, after I preach, to schedule a "sermon feedback" session at a convenient time to provide an opportunity for listeners to voice their reactions: comments, questions, criticism or approval. By talking together, we arrive at a better understanding of one another and receive even more spiritual food as a result.

[July 2000]  Photographs/Snapshots  (Timely Words 0137)

A "photograph" is a picture taken by a camera by a photographer. Pictures taken on such formal occasions as weddings, graduations and other special celebrations are usually taken by a professional photographer, using a special camera on a tripod. When printed, such photographs are often displayed for many people to see. A "snapshot" is a less formal photograph, usually taken by an amateur photographer using a small, hand-held camera. Snapshots are usually displayed in photo albums. Since my wife and I are both over seventy and have been married for over fifty years, we have numerous photo albums full of snapshots. We also have many snapshots which have not yet been put into albums. In the boxes we recently brought back from my hometown we found many more photographs and snapshots which need to be organized. We had thought that during our retirement we would have time to quietly examine such pictures, enjoy the memories they stimulate and put them into albums. Since we have become very busy with a variety of activities in this retirement community, we are still anticipating that enjoyable experience, but it has not come yet. Since it is not possible to take a picture of a spirit, we do not have a picture of God and the Old Testament forbids people making any physical representation of God, but Christians believe that the character of God was fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

[July 2000]  Accordions  (Timely Words 0138)

As a noun, the English word "accord", rooted in the Latin word for "heart", means "agreement" or "harmony". As a verb, it means to "bring into harmony". Harmony is an important aim of the musician who plays an "accordion", which is a portable musical instrument with a small keyboard and metal reeds that sound when air is forced past them by the bellows the player activates by pulling and pushing the instrument as he or she plays. The first accordions were made in Berlin in 1822. Thirty years later, in Paris, a keyboard was added, thus producing a piano accordion. Fifty years ago, the accordion was a popular musical instrument in the United States and now it seems to be making a comeback among fans of such popular forms of music as pop, rock and jazz. Over 200 members of the AAA which met this month in Washington, D. C., roamed the city with accordions strapped across their chests. In this case, AAA denotes the American Accordionists' Association and its members include preteen and teenage musicians. An accordionist has been complimented for being able to successfully play both ends against the middle. There is no mention of accordions in the Bible, but one of the important, characteristic features of the Early Church as recorded in the first chapters of the book of Acts (in the classical King James Version) was that the believers were all of "one accord" in their prayers and daily activities, an ideal that is lacking in many churches today.

[July 2000]  Japanese/American Characteristics  (Timely Words 0139)

Recently, a Japanese reader requested that I make some critical comments on Japanese society or the Japanese way of thinking from an American perspective. In response, I will note that many middle-aged Americans consider Japanese to be shifty, cunning or untrustworthy. Such people often point to the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese military forces even as the two countries were engaged in official discussions about how to avoid war as the most obvious example of such character traits. Others think that Japanese people are somewhat aloof and difficult to understand. Of course, there were special circumstances related to the events that preceded the attack on Pearl Harbor, but from the perspective of one who has lived many years in Japan, I think that a difference in cultural influences are important elements in why many Americans view Japanese in this manner. Although exceptions may be found for all generalizations, most Japanese, in comparison to most Americans, are reluctant to express their personal opinions, to speak directly or to reveal their inner thoughts in public. Such an attitude is a reflection of Japanese culture and education even as the opposite American tendency to clearly express what one is thinking reflects American tradition. The Japanese emphasis on conformity and community encourages teamwork and harmony while the American stress on individuality and independence fosters originality and ingenuity. Truly remarkable progress can be made if these dissimilar characteristics are combined.

[July 2000]  Summer Arts Workshop  (Timely Words 0140)

Generally speaking, the summer season in this retirement community is very quiet as some residents go on trips or spend time in cooler places, but the second week of July was an exception. Usually, there are very few young people seen on our campus, but that week was unusual. It was the week of the Summer Arts Workshop in which about 60 students from 24 different elementary and junior high schools in the surrounding area attended classes here taught by residents. No tuition was charged and instructors received no remuneration, but the breadth of ability and extensive experience of the residents may be imagined from the kinds of courses offered. They included creative writing, drama, music theory, choral ensemble, exploring health careers, science/ecology/nature, sign language, art, crafts, weaving, stained glass, woodwork, chess, shuffleboard, tennis and golf. The students, ranging in age from 10 to 14, chose which subjects they wanted to take and most of those classes met every day. All students, however, were required to take a class called "International Experience" which was taught by people who had lived and worked for many years in the countries they introduced. Each student had only one 50-minute class period to learn about India, China, Japan, Africa and Latin America on a different day of the week. At the end of each class, guides were provided to guide the students to their next classes in a different location during the ten-minute break as the room was being prepared for the next class on a different country. This is the second year that such a workshop was provided as a service to the surrounding community.

[July 2000]  Teaching About Japan  (Timely Words 0141)

All of those involved in the teaching of the "International Experience" classes at the Summer Arts Workshop were faced with the same problem of how to effectively and understandably introduce a country to junior high school students in one 50-minute class period in classes which varied in size from 8 to 15. A large world map was hung on a wall in the room in which we met and a world globe was also displayed. A slide projector, an overhead projector and a cassette tape player were available for us to use. My wife and I were responsible for the Japan presentation and we had a helper who had also served in Japan for a number of years. We wore our summer Japanese garb, called "yukata". My wife had "zori" on her feet and I had "geta" on mine. Tape-recorded Japanese music was played as the students entered the room. We began the class by bowing, teaching them simple greetings in Japanese and explaining about our wearing apparel. We showed slides of the countryside, a small city and a large city. We explained about the size, population and topography of the country, living conditions, common customs, religions, the use of chopsticks and the difficult Japanese language. I had written the name of each student, in "katakana" script, on the section of their workbook related to Japan. Finally, my wife and her helper taught them a couple of items made with "origami" folding paper before giving each of them a piece of "senbei", a ricecracker with a bit of seaweed in it, and saying "sayonara". We Hope their minds were stimulated to think further about Japan.

[July 2000]  Chinese Characters  (Timely Words 0142)

Chinese Characters

Rooted in a Greek word meaning "to inscribe", the English word "character" has a number of different meanings. It may denote a distinguishing feature or attribute of a person or a people. Thus, we may say that the Chinese have a certain character. It may also signify a person portrayed in a drama or a story, so we may speak of the Chinese character in a television program. But "character" may also denote a symbol used in a writing system. In the classes we taught about Japan, I explained that Chinese characters are also used in Japanese. Of the more than 30,000 different Chinese ideograms, or characters, 1850 have been designated for common use in Japanese, 996 of which are taught in the compulsory education system through junior high school. Students were interested to see how the Chinese characters developed from simple drawings of such things as the sun, a mountain, a river, a tree, a mouth or a woman and how the meanings expanded when three of the same characters were made into a single character. For example, when three "suns" are put together, the meaning is bright or clear; when three "trees" are put together, the meaning is a forest and three "mouths" denote something of high quality about which many people would speak. But of special interest was the meaning of the character made up of three "women". It may mean noisy or boisterous. Can you imagine why?

[July 2000]  Thunder  (Timely Words 0143)

In northeastern Florida where we live, the summer was very dry until we began having a number of downpours accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thunder occurs when the air is suddenly disturbed by an electrical discharge. Many children and even some adults become fearful when they hear thunder. In the Old Testament, thunder is sometimes called "God's voice" (Job 37:2-5), which is also implied in the Japanese word for "thunder": "kaminari". A person who speaks or yells very loudly may be said to "thunder", but the phrase to "steal one's thunder" means to do or say something that another person had planned to do or say. In politics, one politician may make a proposal before another one who had been planning to propose such a thing for a long time. In such a case, the one politician "stole the thunder" of the other one. But following a political speech, a musical concert or a drama, it is gratifying if the audience responds with "thunders of applause". There is a saying that "A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder" and although there is no mention of thunder in the story in the Gospel of Matthew (8:25-27) of the "furious squall" that arose while Jesus and his disciples were in a boat on the lake, it does note that Jesus was peacefully sleeping. But we can only guess why Jesus gave the nickname "Boanerges" to two of his disciples (Mark 3:17). The translation given for this Aramaic term is "Sons of Thunder".

[Aug. 2000]  Hot Dogs  (Timely Words 0144)

Summer days in this Florida town are very hot. Household pets also are affected by the heat. So I might say that a dog playing in the sunshine is a "hot dog". But the normal meaning of this term is "a sandwich made of a hot frankfurter or wiener, usually in a soft roll, often served with mustard, catsup, etc." Hot dogs are often eaten at picnics and other informal occasions such as sports events. A "frankfurter" is defined as "a smoked sausage, usually enclosed in a membranous casing and made in cylindrical links a few inches long; wiener." Obviously, this word is derived from the German city of Frankfurt, where that type of meat was first made, just as "hamburgers" came from Hamburg and "wieners" are related to Vienna. A recent news article reported the results of an annual Hot Dog Eating Contest that has been held for 85 years on the Fourth of July in Coney Island, New York. Can you imagine the size and nationality of the winner? He was a 5 foot 6 inch (168 centimeter) tall, 32-year-old Japanese man who weighed 100 pounds (45 kilograms). He obviously was not a sumo wrestler, but he ate a record 25 hot dogs during the 12-minute contest. It was also surprising that the second and third place winners were also Japanese, who devoured 24 and 22 hot dogs at that time. Those numbers also indicate their respective ages and the third place winner was the only female contestant in the contest. According to I Corinthians 10:31, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

[Aug. 2000]  Strokes  (Timely Words 0145)

There are approximately 450 residents in this retirement community between the ages of 65 and 102. At a recent party for those residents in their nineties, there were 54 honorees. Thus, it is not unusual to hear of a resident who is suffering from some serious illness, including a stroke. In this case, "stroke" is an informal term denoting an apoplexy, the rupture or blocking of a blood vessel in the brain which results in a loss of muscular control. People who suffer serious strokes are hospitalized. The word "stroke", however, has a number of different meanings. A light, caressing movement of one's hand may be called a "stroke" and the "stroke" of a loved one on the shoulder or back of a hospitalized patient may be an aid to that person's recovery. An exceptional idea a person has may be called a "stroke of genius", but it takes practice for someone who plays tennis or golf to improve his or her "stroke", or way of striking the ball. The striking of a bell may also be called a "stroke"; in a well known fairy-tale, Cinderella had to return home by "the stroke of midnight". Another kind of "stroke" is the mark made by a pen, pencil or brush. In traditional Chinese and Japanese writing, the complicated Chinese characters are written with a brush and it is important not only to know how many "strokes" there are in the character but to remember in what order the "strokes" must be made. Finally, an event having a powerful immediate effect for good or ill may be called a "stroke" and Francis Bacon wrote: "I do not believe that any man fears to be dead, but only the stroke of death." What do you think?

[Aug. 2000]  Nurseries  (Timely Words 0146)

As a verb, "nurse", derived from a Latin word meaning "nourish" or "feed", signifies the special care given to sick, injured or aged people or to the suckling of an infant child. As a noun, it denotes a person who gives such care or suckling. A "nursery" is a place set aside for infants or small children. It may be a child's bedroom or a place for children to remain under adult supervision while the parents are temporarily absent. It may also denote a "nursery school", which is a school for children who are not old enough to enter kindergarten. My wife is well acquainted with this kind of nursery, for she taught preschool classes at Nagoya International School in Japan for over twenty years. Nowadays, however, she is interested in a different kind of "nursery", "a place where plants are grown for sale, transplanting, or experimentation", as she continues to seek to make the yard around our house more beautiful. A number of times in recent months, we have stopped at a nursery along a highway about 16 kilometers away to look over the small bushes and flowers on sale there. After consulting with one or more attendants, she decides what kind of plants she desires. These are purchased, put into the trunk of our car and carried back home to be artistically arranged beside our house. It may be that her years of experience in the nursery school in Japan helped prepare her for making wise decisions in this different kind of nursery in this country. In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 7, the Apostle Paul compares his attitude toward the new believers there to that of "a nurse taking care of her children."

[Aug. 2000]  Tent/Tabernacle  (Timely Words 0147)

Recently, I assisted other men here to erect a tent in which used furniture, left by residents who have departed, was placed to be sold to interested buyers. A tent is a simple shelter made by stretching canvas over a supporting framework of poles with ropes and pegs. The framework for that particular tent consisted of metal pipes, ten of which were used as pillars to hold it erect. The day after it was erected, a sale took place to which the surrounding community was invited. According to the Old Testament, the oldest place of worship of the Israelites was a tent they were able to take with them during their wanderings in the wilderness. Because that tent symbolized the dwelling place of God, they had the sense of God being with them wherever they went for the tent was always carried with them. In the classical (Authorized, King James) version of the Bible, that tent was called a "tabernacle". It became the place of worship until the Jewish Temple was built in Jerusalem by King Solomon. There are six different Hebrew words that are translated "tabernacle" in the King James Version; three of them are also translated "tent" in other passages, but all tents are not tabernacles. In the New Testament book of II Corinthians, chapter 5, our physical bodies are called "tabernacles" because they are considered merely temporary abodes of our spirits until we reach our eternal dwelling place in heaven.

[Aug. 2000]  Tentmakers  (Timely Words 0148)

The "tabernacle" of the Old Testament was also known as the "Tent of Meeting" for it was there that Moses met and talked with God. It was also called a "sanctuary" for it was considered a sacred place where human beings could come into contact with God. In the 26th chapter of the Old Testament book of Exodus, detailed instructions regarding how to construct that tent, or tabernacle, were given to Moses. It included directions about the kinds of curtains to be used—their size, number, color and patterns, the number of loops and clasps, etc. and in the 36th chapter of that book, it tells how skilled workmen constructed that special tent. In the New Testament, there is no mention of any "tent", but there is one reference to "tentmakers". In Acts 18:1-3, it is noted that the Apostle Paul was a tentmaker. It was the custom in Jewish families for all the boys to be taught a craft which would be useful when they became adults. For a while, Paul worked with a couple of other tentmakers who had recently been forced to leave Rome because they were Jews. Because he was able to support himself as a tentmaker, Paul refused to receive financial help from the churches he served so that he would not be a burden to them. He also provided them with a good example to work hard. He makes this clear in his letters to church of the Thessalonians (I Thessalonians 2:8; II Thessalonians 3:7-10). Children and students today also need good examples from parents and teachers. Even today, church workers who voluntarily serve others while supporting themselves are sometimes called "tentmakers".

[Aug. 2000]  Midsummer Postal Card  (Timely Words 0149)

Some words are used a bit differently in British English and American English. It is chiefly in British English that the word "post" is used to mean "mail" or "a system for transporting and delivering the mail", but in American English also a number of terms related to mail include the word "post". The local office where mail is received, sorted and delivered and where postage stamps and other postal matter is sold is called a "post office". Various official notices are often "posted" in a post office, but that is another meaning of the word "post". The small post office in the town of Penney Farms, Florida, which is managed by a "postmistress", is only a couple of minutes away from our house so it is very convenient. Since there is no home delivery of mail in this community, we have a post office box and must go to the post office to pick up our mail. Recently, a "postal card" from Japan was in our post office box. A "postal card" is a card with a printed stamp on it issued by a government for sending messages at a rate lower than that for letters. It may also be called a "post card", but this term is also used for a picture card on which a separate stamp must be affixed. On the special midsummer postal card I received, there was a lottery number. Such special postal cards are printed by the Japanese government for both the New Year and midsummer seasons. Following the lottery drawing on September 3rd, I may be eligible to receive a prize when I visit Japan this fall. According to Acts 1:26, the apostle to take the place of Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was chosen by casting lots.

[Aug. 2000]  Health  (Timely Words 0150)

The World Health Organization recently published a report on the health care provided by 191 countries around the world. According to that report, France provides the best health care for its citizens. Japan is 10th on the list and the United States of America is number 37. The U.S.A. spends more per person on health care ($3724 per year) than any other country, but the overall quality of its care is not as good as that of France, which spends $2100, or Japan, which spends $1750. The report further indicated that Japan is the healthiest nation in the world. Compared with other nations, not only do Japanese live longer, they remain healthier longer. Having lived in Japan for many years myself, I can suggest a few reasons for their good health. Traditionally, their diet does not include meat from land animals; they eat fruit, vegetables, seaweed and soy products and drink green tea. An active, industrious people, they also get much exercise. But times are changing and so is their diet and life style, which does not bode well for the future. True health, of course, involves the whole person, including the mind as well as the body. How to determine one's overall health is difficult, but from my perspective, a healthy faith is a basic requirement. For most Japanese, religious faith is related to family or community tradition rather than to personal conviction, so it has been one of my aims to point Japanese men and women to a personal faith in the loving God revealed in the Biblical writings through whom I have found true health.

[Aug. 2000]  Origami  (Timely Words 0151)

On the day my wife led our monthly program on "Japanese Insights" at the nursing home, she wore her summer kimono to the meeting. Her kimono included an "obi", which a dictionary defines as "a wide sash fastened in the back with a large flat bow, worn by women in Japan as part of the traditional dress." The "large flat bow" in the "obi" she wore, however, was simply attached by her husband rather than being meticulously folded by herself. After explaining about her kimono, she introduced the subject of "origami", which means "folded paper" in Japanese. In Japan, children are taught how to make many different things by folding small squares of colored paper in many different ways. My wife displayed a number of different figures she had folded, including fish, a whale, a sailboat, a swan, a number of cranes, a couple of different kinds of flowers, a helmet, a cup and the head of a raccoon. She then distributed a square piece of colored paper to each one present and taught them how to make a tulip. Of course, all in attendance were elderly people who had various disabilities. A number of them were in wheelchairs and some had difficulty following her instructions about how to fold the paper, but finally they all succeeded in making a figure that resembled a tulip. They seemed quite interested in this activity and were happy to be able to make this flower to take back to their rooms. This "origami" flower should last longer than a real flower, but in the Bible, the temporary beauty of flowers, or of people, is contrasted with the word of the Lord which stands forever (I Peter 1:24-25).

[Aug. 2000]  Hijack  (Timely Words 0152)

It is very upsetting to read in the newspaper about an airplane or other vehicle with many passengers aboard getting hijacked. Nowadays, "hijack" denotes the forcible seizure of a moving vehicle but the original meaning was to stop and rob a vehicle of its goods. It was often used of robbers of trucks carrying illegal liquor during the Prohibition period of American history. Although the origin of this word is uncertain, one suggested explanation is that after a robber stopped a truck on a lonely road, he pointed a gun at the driver and yelled "High, Jack", meaning "Lift your hands up high, fellow", for the name "Jack" is sometimes used to mean any man. A recent news article told of a minor crisis that resulted when the co-pilot of an airplane, named Jack, was greeted by someone as the airplane was about to take off from an airport in suburban Detroit, in the state of Michigan. An open microphone caught the greeting, "Hi, Jack!" which startled tower officials at the Oakland International Airport, in the state of California. They alerted federal authorities and the plane was told to return to the airport, where the pilot's identification was checked. It was found that his name was Jack and that there was no problem so the plane took off again a few minutes later. The airplane was delayed for a short time, but the incident brought to mind an old proverb: "Better to be sure (or safe) than sorry." And we were reminded of how a simple greeting can be misunderstood.

[Aug. 2000]  Social  (Timely Words 0153)

The word "social" is usually used as an adjective denoting relationships between human beings. The statement that "man is a social animal" is at least two thousand years old. Human beings naturally live in a "society" with others and have a natural need to be "sociable". "Socialism" is a social system in which the means of production and distribution are owned by society (the community) rather than by individuals. When "social" is used as a noun, it denotes an informal gathering of people. During the summer at this retirement community, socials are held regularly at the community meeting place. At that time, card tables are set up at which four people may sit while eating the refreshments which have been prepared. Each social is sponsored, or planned, by a particular Sunday School Class. At the recent one sponsored by the class my wife and I attend, my wife had been asked to make simple "origami" table decorations. The sailboats and two kinds of fish she made were displayed in a dish of small seashells in the center of each of the twenty tables. At that social, a men's quartet sang a few songs accompanied by another man at the piano. All five of the men were residents of the community, which means they were senior citizens. One was completely bald. Two were partially bald with a rim of white hair. The remaining two had much hair. That of one was completely white and that of the other was white and gray. At a social, we try to be sociable, which is an expression of the heart rather than the intellect.

[Aug. 2000]  Submarine/Marine/Mariner  (Timely Words 0154)

Many recent news reports on radio and television, in newspapers and magazines have focused on the disaster of a Russian submarine that ended its voyage on the bottom of the sea with 118 sailors on board. Derived from the Latin word for "sea", "marine" denotes something or someone related to the sea and "sub" is a prefix denoting something below or beneath. Thus a "submarine" is a ship that can operate beneath the surface of the sea. The Marine Corps is a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces composed of troops able to operate on either the surface of the sea or on land. Although in the United States today the Marines are generally highly respected, the phrase "Tell it to the Marines" is used when a statement is so far from common sense that it is unbelievable. "Marinate" is a verb meaning soak in a liquid and a "mariner" is an older term for a person who navigates a ship on the sea, a seaman or a sailor. In the classical (Authorized) version of the Bible, the sailors on the ship on which the prophet Jonah tried to run away from the Lord and his command are called "mariners" (Jonah 1:5). A well-known literary work by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is entitled "The Ancient Mariner" and in it, we find the following meaningful words "He prayeth well, who loveth well / Both man and bird and beast. / He prayeth best, who loveth best / All things both great and small; / For the dear God who loveth us, / He made and loveth all."

[Aug. 2000]  Campaign/Champagne/Champaign  (Timely Words 0155)

A political campaign is now being waged in the United States. It is basically between candidates of the two major political parties, but there will be other political parties on the ballots in many states also. Thinking about this campaign, I was again impressed with the irregularity of the spelling and pronunciation of English words. At the victory celebrations of many campaigns, champagne will be drunk. "Champagne" is a sparkling white wine produced in a region of France that is spelled the same but pronounced differently. Another word with the same pronunciation as the drink but spelled c-h-a-m-p-a-i-g-n, means "level and open country" and it is from that meaning that a city in the state of Illinois, where the University of Illinois is located, got its name. The "c" in "campaign" is pronounced the same as a "k", but sometimes "c" is pronounced like an "s". The "ch" of "champagne" is pronounced the same as "sh", but in the case of "church" it has a different pronunciation. Also, the last syllable of these two words is pronounced the same but spelled differently—and still different than two other words with the same pronunciation: "pain" and "pane". Truly, English is a difficult language to learn. Former President Woodrow Wilson once said, "Prosperity is necessarily the first theme of a political campaign" and a 1955 article in a New York newspaper stated: "No government could survive without champagne. Champagne in the throat of our diplomatic people is like oil in the wheels of an engine." Prosperity is fine, but too much champagne, like too much oil, can be troublesome.

00/09/01  Bird-Feeder and Birdbath  (Timely Words 0156)

Along the north side of our house there are a row of bushes close to the house. The bushes near the window by our dining table are trimmed so they do not grow above the lower part of the window. Thuswe have a nice view of the grassy lawn and a couple of tall trees nearby. The bird-feeder we recently put in our yard hangs from a pole that was set into the ground next to the bushes. On the pole below the feeder there is a hemispherical guard to keep squirrels from climbing up and eating there. The feeder is made of plastic andhas a red roof and four transparent sides, at the bottom of each there is a small ledge. When the roof is taken off and birdseed is poured in, a little bit comes out into each of the four ledges on which the birds can stand and eat. We enjoy watching the various kinds of birds fly from the trees or bushes to these ledges. Some birds join other birds when eating, but there are others that seem to chase rivals away when they come to eat and we think they are exhibiting some selfish human characteristics. A short distance away, we have also placed a birdbath. Twenty-five centimeters off the ground, it has a short rim around the edge, a rock in the center anda couple of centimeters of water in it. Located just outside the window where my desk is situated and where I am now typing this message, I am able to watch some birds taking a bath during this hotsummer season. Jesus taught that since God is aware of all that happens even to a couple of sparrows, he certainly knows our needs as well (Matthew 10:29-31).

00/09/03  Cardinals  (Timely Words 0157)

While sitting at our table eating breakfast or supper, we enjoy looking through the window and watching different kinds of birds come and eat at the bird-feeder nearby. Among them are a couple of cardinals. Both male and female cardinals have a reddish bill and a crest, but males also have bright red feathers. In fact, the word "cardinal" may denote a dark red color, but the English word is derived from a Latin word meaning "hinge" and its primary meaning is "of foremost importance, pivotal." A cardinal truth of Christianity is that the almighty God is like a loving father. A "cardinal number" is an ordinary number used in counting, such as 1, 5 or 28, but an "ordinal number" indicates the position of the number in a series, such as 1st, 5th or 28th. There is still another meaning of "cardinal". In the Roman Catholic church, a "cardinal" is a member of an elite group of men ranking in authority just below the pope and it is the "College of Cardinals" that chooses the pope. As a humorous example of the kind of confused conversation that may take place between people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, an interesting article from a Japanese newspaper 42 years ago when the Cardinals were meeting in Rome at the same time the professional baseball team from St. Louis was playing in Japan told of the conversation between an American and a Japanese who did not realize that they were talking about the activities and international influence of these very different kinds of "Cardinals".

00/09/06  High School Class Reunion  (Timely Words 0158)

A "union" is an alliance of persons, parties or political entities for mutual interest or benefit. Marriage is one kind of "union" and a federation of states, such as the United States of America, is another kind of "union". A "reunion", however, is not only a "reuniting" of such entities; it may also denote a gathering of the members of a group that have been separated. It is customary for the classes of elementary schools, high schools or colleges to hold periodic "reunions" in certain special anniversary years. I graduated from high school in 1945. Since I resided in Japan, I was unable to attend the 25th and 40th reunions of that class. I made a visit to my hometown a couple of months prior to the 40th reunion, however, and a class member who was on the preparatory committee for that gathering secretly made a videotape of me giving a prayer before the meal to be served at that reunion which surprised those in attendance when they saw it. My wife and I returned from Japan to attend the 50th anniversary of that class five years ago and recently we drove over 1,500 kilometers to attend the 55th year reunion in my hometown. Along the way, we drove in five different states and visited with friends and relatives. There were a little over one hundred students in the Class of '45 and about 35 of them plus their spouses attended the reunion, which included a picnic lunch. I enjoyed meeting and talking with old friends, some of whom I had not met for about fifty years.

00/09/08  Labor Day  (Timely Words 0159)

The word "labor" is an example of words that are generally spelled differently in British and American English. In British English, it is spelled l-a-b-o-u-r, but its pronunciation and meaning remain the same. Its primary meaning is "physical or mental exertion" but it may also denote "the physical efforts of childbirth". A special holiday called "Labor Day" to recognize the contribution of workingmen and women in society has been observed in the United States since 1882 when a parade of 10,000 workers was held in New York City. In the United States and Canada Labor Day is observed on the first Monday of September although many other countries observe it on May 1st. It was to attend a class reunion that my wife and I returned to my hometown over the Labor Day weekend. While there, we also attended the talent and beauty contest to select the Festival Queen, the Annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast, the two-hour long Festival Parade and the Fireworks Display in the evening. As usual, we stayed at the home of my sister, whose husband (my boyhood friend) has served as mayor of the town. During the weekend festivities, a half-scale replica ofthe Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D. C. was on display in the Veterans' Memorial Park. According to the classical translation of Matthew 11:28, Jesus invited all who "labour and are heavy-laden" to come to him and promised to give them "rest". Christians believe that that invitation and promise remain valid today.

00/09/10  Brass Quintet  (Timely Words 0160)

Among the residents of the Penney Retirement Community are many talented musicians who can play a variety of musical instruments. Some of them are members of the Sunshine Band which plays on various occasions. Not only do we enjoy listening to the music produced by resident musicians, however. Periodically outside groups are invited to perform for the community. Recently, a brass quintet from the Jacksonville Navy Band put on a program here. Wearing their white navy uniforms, they sat on chairs on the platform. The term "brass quintet" indicates how many musicians were in the group and the kind of instruments they played. The regular instruments played by the five men were: two trumpets, a trombone, a French horn and a tuba. But at times, the trumpeters put down their trumpets and picked up another brass instrument I had not seen before. It was similar to a trumpet or a cornet but had a slightly different shape. After the concert, I asked one of the trumpeters what that instrument was called and his answer was: "a flugelhorn". From my unprofessional perspective, a flugelhorn resembles a cornet, which is shorter than a trumpet. Like a cornet or trumpet, a flugelhorn also has three valves, but it has a special shape. A bugle, which has no valves, is the common brass instrument used in the army or navy. In the Old Testament, a ram's horn was used both in battle as a military signal (Joshua 6:1-20) and in worship to make music to the Lord (Psalm 98:4-6; 150:3).

00/09/13  Mason-Dixon Line  (Timely Words 0161)

Comparing maps of the United States of America and Japan, we find the U.S.A. is divided into 51 governmental units and Japan into 47. In the U.S.A., there are 50 states (a few of which [Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia] are officially designated "commonwealths") and the District of Columbia, the capital. In Japan, 43 of the prefectures are called "ken", 2 metropolitan units are called "fu", while the capital is a "to" and the large northern island is a "doh". Looking at the boundaries between the units, we find an interesting contrast. None of the boundaries in Japan include a straight line. Natural boundaries, such as rivers or mountain ranges, form the borders, while many American states have straight line boundaries. One of them is the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Because of disagreement on the border of these two territories before they became states, an English court appointed two astronomers, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, to survey the area and determine the boundary. The boundary they designated at 39° 43' 26" north latitude became known as the Mason-Dixon Line, and this, in turn, became known as the dividing line between the slave states and the free states prior to the Civil War. Even today, it may be used to distinguish the South from the North. Ideally, all human beings are of the same human family, but divisive lines are sometimes drawn between people of different nationalities, ethnic groups or religions that may reflect or cause hostility between them.

00/09/16  Trip Report  (Timely Words 0162)

On the recent trip we took from our retirement community in the northern part of the southeastern state of Florida to my hometown in the northeastern corner of the midwestern state of Illinois, we drove in nine different states, seven of which lie south of the Mason-Dixon Line and are thus known as southern states; six of them were members of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. According to the car's odometer, we traveled for 2,755 miles, or 4,435 kilometers. We chose to go by a somewhat circular route rather than a more direct, linear one because we desired to make a number of stops along the way. Thus, we were able to visit a couple who, for about three years, had lived across the street from us in Nagoya forty years ago when the husband was working for the United States Air Corps. We spent a night in their house in Alabama. The next night, we stayed in the southern Illinois home of a nephew who had arranged for me to return to the U.S. from Japan to officiate at his wedding four years ago. We also stopped at the homes of my older brother and eldest sister. In my hometown, we stayed at the home of a younger sister where my youngest sister stopped in to see us. On our return trip, we spent a night in the home of an older sister in North Carolina, so we were able to meet all of my siblings on this trip. At the church we attended church with my older sister and her husband on the morning of our return, we unexpectedly met a couple who are friends of two couples we know well at this retirement community.

00/09/17  Counts and Counters  (Timely Words 0163)

"Counts" and "counters" are also words that have interesting homonyms. In some European countries, a "count" is a nobleman whose rank corresponds to an "earl" in England. It would be unusual to see such a "count" standing behind a "counter" in a store for, in this case, a "counter" is a flat surface on which business is transacted, food is served or money is counted. As a verb, "count" means to number or to take account of and a "counter" is an electronic device that automatically counts. The term "count on" means to rely or depend on. Soon after I began this "Timely Words" homepage, I tried to get a "counter" attached so I would know the number of "hits" it received each day. Both because of my own ignorance regarding things related to computers and because of the kind of computer I use I had trouble accomplishing this aim. During a recent visit of our son, who knows computers well, I "counted on" him to help me but he is not well acquainted with my kind of computer. This resulted in various problems and changes that may have caused some difficulties for readers, but I think the aim was finally attained. I am very grateful for the time and energy he expended and apologize for any inconveniences experienced by readers. If you find these messages helpful, I encourage you to inform others of the homepage address and, along with me, watch the number on the counter continue to increase.

00/09/19  Tennis in Retirement  (Timely Words 0164)

It is important for people the age of my wife and me to get regular exercise to keep our bodies in good condition. While in Japan, I used to ride my bicycle regularly to meetings or on various errands as well as play tennis once a week. My wife got her exercise while teaching pre-school children all day long. Since retiring, my wife tries to go for a walk through a wooded area for about half an hour early in the morning and I try to play tennis for a couple of hours twice a week. Most of the players are older than I; a number of them are in their eighties and a couple are almost ninety. At times, after a player makes a particularly skillful shot, I may jokingly say to him or her, "Why don't you act your age?" There are only two tennis courts available, so when there are more than eight players, we must take turns to play. Needless to say, the main purpose of our playing is not to win games nor break records but to get some good exercise and enjoy ourselves. We often talk to one another while playing and, most of the time, are not so particular about minor details. We may let obviously mistaken calls stand without argumentation about whether the ball dropped behind the line, in front of the line or on the line. In fact, the eyesight of some players is not so good and to some of them we must speak very loudly, or yell, in order to be heard. In his letter to his younger helper, Timothy, the Apostle Paul noted that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things" (I Timothy 4:8).

00/09/22  Mist/Fog/Haze/Smog  (Timely Words 0165)

Although an 9-hole golf course is located in a central are of the campus of this retirement community, the tennis courts are situated on the edge of the campus. A street runs along one side of the courts and the Penney Farms Town Hall with a garage for the fire engine is located on another side. On the other two sides there is a wooded area with very tall trees. While playing tennis, we may see various kinds of birds flying in the sky and at times our attention is diverted from the game to observe some natural spectacle. One foggy morning, I raised the question of what was the difference between "fog" and "mist" or "haze". The question was not answered on the tennis court, but I did some research after returning home. And I found out that "mist" is a mass of fine droplets of water in the atmosphere near the earth's surface. "Fog" is a more dense concentration of water vapor, similar to a cloud but close to the ground. "Fog" obstructs visibility more than "mist". "Haze" may include smoke or dust along with the water vapor. When the smoke of an industrial area is added to this condition, the result is "smog". This artificial word is derived from combining "smoke" with "fog" to denote the unnatural and unhealthy atmosphere created by inconsiderate industrialization. As we grow older, our minds may become a bit misty, foggy or hazy, but by keeping our eyes directed toward the eternal source of light, we will be able to find our way through the confusion.

00/09/28  Doorman/Chairman/Usher  (Timely Words 0166)

Many hotels, restaurants, apartment houses or meeting places employ a man to be in charge of the entrance, or door, of the building. He is called the "doorman". A "chairman", however, is not an employee who takes care of chairs. Rather, he is the one who sits on the most highly respected chair in the room and presides over the meeting. In some meeting places, including theaters, concert halls and churches, there are "ushers" who meet people at the door and usher them to a seat. Some nouns ending in "-er" denote a person who performs the action indicated by the verb to which the "-er" is added. For example, a "greeter" at the door of a church greets people as they enter. A "singer" may sing in the choir or in the congregation before the "preacher" preaches the sermon. In the case of "usher", however, there is no verb to which the "-er" has been added. This word is derived from a Latin word meaning entrance. At both the regular Sunday morning worship services and the irregular commemorative concerts held in the church at the center of this Penney Retirement Community, there are men and women who are designated "ushers" and who wear tags with the word "usher" on them. Such ushers are not employees, however. They are church members who have been asked to serve as ushers for a month at a time. Ushers' duties include greeting people as they enter the church and handing them the order of service which will be followed on that day. My wife and I have also taken our turns to serve as ushers.

00/09/29  Dictionaries/Words  (Timely Words 0167)

One of the memorable sayings of one of my favorite university professors was: "The next best thing to knowing the answer is to know where to find the answer". Those regular readers of these "Timely Words" compositions are aware of my interest in words and their development, including the origin of words, their meanings, pronunciations and usage. For that reason, I often make use of one or more dictionaries, which are a couple of the most important books on my book shelf. The word "diction", rooted in a Latin word meaning "to say", denotes the "choice and use of words in speech or writing". In one of my dictionaries, the definition of "dictionary" is: "A reference book containing an explanatory alphabetical list of words . . . with information given for each word, including meaning, pronunciation, etymology and often usage guidance." Since living languages continue to change, new editions of dictionaries continue to be published. In the new edition of the "Random House Webster's New College Dictionary", there are hundreds of new words included among its 207,000 entries. Changes in the meaning and usage of words are also relevant factors underlying new translations of the Bible that continue to be published. Christians believe that an understanding of Biblical truth is essential to an understanding of life, its purpose and end and how to live a truly meaningful and happy life. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is called the "Word" because he so fully and faithfully revealed the character of God.

00/10/01  Computer Frustration  (Timely Words 0168)

Many people, including me, who make use of convenient devices which are powered by electricity are unable to explain how they function. I do not understand how electric lights work, how we can hear the voice of someone faraway through a telephone or how we an hear and see events in a distant land through television. Nor do I understand how a computer works and how the messages I compose get on the internet and can be read by people around the world. Since I do not understand how a computer works, I become frustrated when it does not work the way I expect it to. Since the recent visit of my son who knows much about computers, a counter was added to this webpage, but that required a change in the way the messages are uploaded. The new method is more complicated than before, but when the computer works as expected there is no problem. It is my custom to add a new message to this homepage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights between 11:00 and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time in the United States. Recently, the computer did not function as usual and I do not know why. I was completely frustrated and baffled when I saw the homepage full of strange and meaningless symbols. I do not know how it got that way and was not immediately able to rectify the situation. I apologize for any inconvenience it caused readers and hope it will not happen again. If, in the future, there is a delay in uploading messages or some other problem, please be patient. At such a time, I also need to remember the words found in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes 7:8: "patience is better than pride."

00/10/05  Homecoming/Welcome  (Timely Words 0169)

The obvious meaning of the word "homecoming" is a coming or returning to one's home. Nowadays, however, the word is often used by schools for a special celebration attended by graduates. Such homecomings are often held in the fall along with a football game against one of the school's major opponents. At such a time, alumni enjoy meeting and talking with acquaintances they knew during their student days. At such homecomings, all former students are welcomed. Because many of the residents of our retirement community take trips during the summer and some of them have another place to stay for a couple of months, an annual "homecoming" is held here the first part of October to welcome back those who have traveled and to signal the beginning of the regular activity schedule which had been abbreviated during the summer. At that recent homecoming, the Sunshine Band, made up of residents, played a number of pieces and a welcome was given to the returnees. There was a time of singing and a clown skit (in which my wife took part) before the inspirational talk and a final prayer. To "welcome" means to receive with pleasure, but the expression "you're welcome" is the common response to a "thank you". It is natural for us to welcome family members or former friends at a homecoming, but the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews (13:2) encouraged his readers to "welcome strangers" also.

00/10/06  Debate/Dialogue  (Timely Words 0170)

There are various English words that may be used to denote the talking of two or more persons in an effort to reach agreement, ascertain truth or convince. "Discussion" is a general term that signifies an exchange of opinions that does not imply any disagreement. "Argument" emphasizes the presentation of reasons in support of a position opposed by others. "Dispute" implies a wide difference of opinions and sharp argument. And "debate" denotes a formal, public setting for an argument. Anyone who reads American newspapers, watches American television or is aware of current events in the United States of America knows that the first of three debates between the two major candidates for president was recently held in Boston. It was viewed by many people who will be voting for president next month. In this debate, disputes and arguments were more evident than discussions, but viewers were focusing on the character, intelligence and experience reflected in the way the subjects were treated as well as upon the content of the statements made. Twenty years ago in Japan, I began a monthly meeting for clergymen and laymen of various religions or of no religion to meet and discuss a variety of subjects from their particular perspectives or beliefs. This was called religious "dialogue" and the group continues to meet under the leadership of a Buddhist priest. Such sharing of ideas, when carried on in a wholesome atmosphere, is very important to gain mutual understanding.

00/10/08  Holy Days and Holidays  (Timely Words 0171)

The calendars used in most countries these days divide the year into twelve months and the months into about four weeks of seven days each. According to the story of creation found in the first chapter of Genesis, the first book in the Bible, God created the world in six days. The second chapter begins with the statement that God rested on the seventh day, blessed it and made it holy. Consequently, in Jewish tradition, the seventh day of the week is a day of rest, a Sabbath. Observing the Sabbath as a holy day on which no work is done became one of the Ten Commandments given to the Jews through Moses (Exodus 20:8-11) and observant Jews today continue to rest and worship on the seventh day of the week. According to the four Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament, Jesus was crucified and buried and then rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Thereafter, Jesus' disciples, who were Jews, began to celebrate the first day of the week as a holy day of rest and worship in commemoration of his resurrection. This custom also continues among Christians today among whom this day is called the "Lord's Day". In Islam, Friday is the weekly day of prayer. In many countries, however, the first day of the week has become simply a "holiday" rather than a "holy day". A "holiday" is a day free from work which one may spend at leisure or recreation. Considering the original meaning of "recreation" (from "recreate"), however, genuine "recreation" is also related to such "holy" acts as prayer and worship.

00/10/11  Blinking  (Timely Words 0172)

I recently read an interesting statement that informed me that if I averaged 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour on a car trip for 10 hours, I would have driven about 42 miles (67 kilometers) with my eyes closed. If you ask, "How can that be?" the answer is that the normal blinking of my eyes will add up to that amount. To "blink" means to close and open the eyes rapidly. It is natural for people with healthy eyes to blink them regularly. A recent news article noted a study made by a respected psychologist that compared the number of blinks by American presidential candidates during their televised debates since the Nixon-Kennedy debate in 1960. His conclusion was that the candidate who blinked more than his opponent was the loser. In their first public debate, Republican Party candidate George W. Bush blinked 82 times per minute while Albert Gore, the Democratic Party candidate, blinked only 48 times. Whether or not his theory is correct will not be known until after the election on November 7th. There are a couple of common expressions that include the word "blink". To "blink at" means to pretend not to see, to disregard or ignore, but if something is "on the blink", it is out of order, not working properly. Thus, I am unhappy when my computer goes on the blink, but if readers blink at my mistakes, I am happy. I am also happy that, according to Psalm 33:18, "the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him" and he does not blink.

00/10/13  Saint Augustine  (Timely Words 0173)

In the English calendar, the eighth month of the year is "August". In this case, the accent is on the first syllable, but when the word is used as an adjective, the accent is on the last syllable. The Latin root of this word means "to increase". As an adjective, "august", is used for something dignified and majestic, inspiring awe or reverence. The month was given this name to honor the first Roman emperor, Augustus, but the word is also found in the name of an early Christian theologian. St. Augustine, born in 354, rebelled against the Christian faith of his mother as a youth, but later became a monk whose writings have been very influential in Christian thought ever since. Saint Augustine is also the name of the oldest city in the United States which was founded in 1565. It is located in the state of Florida, about 60 kilometers east of our retirement community. Since there are many historic sites, unique shops and other places of interest, we sometimes take visitors there. A few days ago, my wife's brother and his wife from California stopped in to visit, so we took them to Saint Augustine. We had lunch in a restaurant situated above the river. On the ledge between our table and the window was an opening through which pieces of bread could be thrown both to birds that gathered outside the window and to fish that gathered below and we enjoyed doing so. It was St. Augustine who wrote in his Confessions "Thou hast created us for Thyself and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee."

00/10/15  Amen  (Timely Words 0174)

The Bible has been translated into many different languages, but a few words in the Bible are never translated. Rather, they are transliterated, which means that they are simply transferred to the other language and keep their original pronunciation. The most common such word is "amen". This word is often found at the end of a prayer or hymn. In some churches, it is customary for some listeners to say "Amen" during the sermon of a preacher when something is said to which the listener wishes to express special approval. This was originally a Hebrew word meaning "so be it" or "may it be so". When spoken at the conclusion of a prayer or hymn, it is a solemn affirmation of what has been said or sung. In Japanese churches, it is common for the whole congregation to join together in saying "Amen" at the close of a spoken prayer. In most hymnbooks, an "Amen" is found at the end of most hymns, but in some churches the "Amen" is omitted. As times and customs change, new hymns are continuing to be written and new hymnals are printed that include both new and old hymns. In the church in this retirement community, a new hymnal was introduced this month. It contains many new hymns and hymn tunes, but one characteristic feature is that there is no "Amen" at the end of hymns. Consequently, a retired music director gave a special lecture entitled "Why Do We Sing Amen at the End of Hymns?" If we sing from our hearts, there is no need to add an extra "Amen" at the end.

00/10/18  Days of the Week  (Timely Words 0175)

In modern English, the term "weekday" denotes any day of the week other than the special day of Sunday. Although Christians consider Sunday the first day of the week, the term "weekend" seems to relegate Sunday to the opposite end for a "weekend", which begins on Friday evening, lasts until Sunday evening. It is interesting that the names of the days of the week, in both the so-called romance languages of French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian and in Japanese, have the same roots. The week begins with the day of the sun (or "Lord", in the romance languages), followed by the day of the moon and the five other celestial bodies, now called planets, that were thought to revolve around the earth. The names of these planets—Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, were also the names of ancient Roman deities. (In the romance languages, however, the name for Saturday is related to the Sabbath rather than to Saturn.) In Japanese terminology, these planets, called "stars", are identified by the symbols for fire, water, wood, metal and earth respectively and the characters for those elements, along with those for the sun and the moon, are included in the names of the days of the week. The English names of 4 days of the week are derived from the names of deities in Norse mythology which were identified with the corresponding Roman deities: Tiw's day, Woden's day, Thor's day and Frigg's day. Saturn's day is related to the name of the Roman deity. Whatever you call today, I hope it is a good day for you.

00/10/21  Eggs  (Timely Words 0176)

Eggs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They may be round or oval, large or small, white or colored, depending on the bird, fish, reptile or insect that produced them. And there are a variety of English expressions related to eggs. In fact, as a slang term, "egg" may be used to denote a person. A kind and friendly person may be called a "good egg", an untrustworthy fellow may be called a "bad egg" or a "rotten egg". The expression "lay an egg" is used of a theatrical performer who failed to win the interest or favor of an audience or of a comedian whose joke failed to elicit laughter. This expression was first used in sports contests and is related to the resemblance between the shape of an egg and the figure zero, which indicates the lack of a score. To "put all one's eggs in one basket", meaning to risk all one has on a single venture or method is not considered wise. To "egg on" is to encourage or incite someone to action, but to "have egg on one's face" means to be embarrassed. And finally, "egghead" is a derogatory term for an intellectual person who may not be actively involved in the nitty-gritty, or practical details of daily life. In the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus taught his disciples about prayer, he said that even as a father will not give a scorpion, which is round like an egg when it is at rest, to the son who asks for an egg, so our heavenly Father will not give something harmful to those who request his assistance.

00/10/22  Teeth  (Timely Words 0177)

Since my wife and I have recently visited a dentist, we have been thinking about those hard, bonelike structures in the mouth used for biting or chewing called teeth. Normal adult human beings have 32 teeth, 8 on each side of the upper and lower jaws. In each set of 8 teeth, different kinds of teeth are identified by four different words in English. In each group, the two teeth in the front of the mouth are called "incisors", from a Latin word meaning "cut". These teeth are used for cutting. The teeth next to the incisors are called "canine teeth". "Canine" is related to dogs and these teeth are thought to resemble dog's teeth. Next to the canine teeth, there are two "bicuspids", from a Latin word meaning "two points" for these teeth have two-pointed crowns. Then, there are three "molars". "Molar" is rooted in a Latin word for "mill" and these are the teeth used for grinding. The third molars, which usually do not appear in the back of the jaws until a person reaches the age of 17, are called "wisdom teeth". The expression to "cut one's wisdom teeth" means to arrive at the age of discretion. Also, for some reason, the canine teeth in the upper jaw may also be called "eyeteeth" and to "cut one's eyeteeth" means to become experienced in some area while still young. The Old Testament law recognized the principle of justice and revenge in the expression "eye for eye, and tooth for tooth", but Jesus taught a higher principle of love, even for those who are evil, based on the character of God (Matthew 5:38-48).

00/10/26  Flight/Fright  (Timely Words 0178)

The headlines of a recent newspaper article caught my attention. The main headline was: "Fear of Flying" followed by the subhead: "Flight fright is a problem even for seasoned travelers". It noted the fear of flying, or aviophobia (which is not found in my dictionary), that many people have—including some who fly frequently. It stated that "nearly 25 percent of people who do fly experience some degree of apprehension". There are two reasons why I was attracted to that article. First, my wife and I have done considerable traveling on airplanes and we are planning to make another flight to Japan next month. During our 47 years in Japan, we made many trips by air between the United States and Japan. On two occasions, we flew from Japan to the United States by way of Europe. Fortunately, both of us enjoy flying and do not experience any fear. Rather, we recognize that our lives are in the hands of God, whether we are riding in an airship or on a ship at sea, in a train or a car, or whether we are walking along the street or sitting on a chair in our home. The second reason the headline attracted my attention was because I thought that most Japanese speakers of English would find it difficult to distinguish the words "flight" and "fright"—even as they find it difficult to distinguish "play" and "pray". Some people spend too much time playing and not enough time praying and there are also those who pray while they play. For the Christian, prayer is communion with God and we are instructed to "pray on all occasions" (Ephesians 6:18), "continually" (I Thessalonians 5:17).

00/10/27  Crusade  (Timely Words 0179)

There are a number of English words that are rooted in the Latin word feature of a problem, "crucial", which means of supreme importance, and "crucible", which may denote a certain kind of container or a severe test or trial. To "crucify" means to put to death by nailing or binding to a cross. Because Christians see the "crucifixion" of Jesus as the crucial demonstration of the sacrificial love of God for all people, the cross has become the primary symbol seen in Christian churches and the crux of Christian doctrine. "Crusade" is derived from a Latin verb meaning to mark with a cross. The military expeditions promoted by popes or emperors in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims were called "Crusades" because the aggressors marked their garb with a cross or carried a cross in their hands. Nowadays, "crusade" is also used to denote a vigorous, concerted action for some cause or against some abuse. The enthusiastic effort of an evangelist or an evangelistic organization to proclaim the Christian message to unbelievers with the hope that they will become Christians is also called a "crusade". The most famous evangelist in the world today is 81-year-old Billy Graham who has held crusades around the world. He is scheduled to hold a crusade at the Alltel Stadium in the city of Jacksonville, Florida from November 2-5.

00/10/29  Marquette/Market  (Timely Words 0180)

Recently, we received a letter from a relative in Marquette, Michigan. She enclosed a couple of snapshots that were taken when she and her husband visited us here in Florida. We enjoyed seeing them and recalling their visit. The city of Marquette, located on the Upper Peninsula of the state, was named after Jacques Marquette, a French missionary and explorer who sought to establish a mission among Native Americans. Although the spelling is different, the pronunciation of this city's name is similar to that of the word "market", but the accent is on the last syllable. Originally, a "market" was a place where goods were offered for sale, but the word is also used to denote the business of buying or selling. The Penney Retirement Community, where my wife and I have been living since leaving Japan last year, has a Vice President of Marketing who seeks to inform people of the many attractive features of this community. Recently, at a meeting of the residents, this Vice President of Marketing showed us a newly-produced videotape that explains and portrays the character of our community. He also told about the website on the Internet which interested people can view to obtain information. In case you are interested, the address is: www.penneyretirementcommunity.org. Although even close friends will not recognize her, my wife is in the picture of the clowns found on the "Amenities and Activities" page and this "Timely Words" webpage is noted on the "Links" page.

00/11/01  Flour/Flower  (Timely Words 0181)

Looking at the beautiful sight outside of my window, I decided to compose a message about flowers. Then, as I considered the homonyms "flour" and "flower", I realized again how strange and irregular the spelling and pronunciation of English words may be. (A "homonym" is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word, but the meaning is completely different and the spelling may be different also.) "Flour" is a soft, fine, powdery substance obtained by grinding and sifting grain. A "flower" is the blossom of a plant, having brightly colored petals. If the first letters of these homonyms are taken away, however, the pronunciations of the remaining words are quite different. As a comparative adjective, "lower" signifies a place below and its pronunciation is "low", followed by an "-er". "Lour", on the other hand, means to scowl. It may also be spelled l-o-w-e-r, but it is pronounced like "our". Between our house and the expansive green lawn around it, there is a narrow strip of land in which a variety of flowers are growing, including reddish begonias, orange, yellow, red and white zinnias, yellow and orange marigolds, pink azaleas and red roses. There is also a small, Japanese-style stone lantern which another resident here made and gave to us. Looking at the flowers, I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 6:28-30 regarding God's care for beautiful flowers which should relieve our anxiety about how our needs will be provided.

00/11/03  Pancakes  (Timely Words 0182)

Since entering Penney Retirement Community, it has become our custom to eat a simple breakfast and supper at home but to eat the main meal of the day, our dinner, in the dining hall. There, we enjoy eating and talking with other residents. All residents have name tags which may be pinned on shirts, dresses or blouses so we may know the names of those who sit at our table even if we have never met them before. Infrequently, we drop into the dining hall for supper and, still less often, for breakfast. Recently when we ate breakfast there, we had pancakes, which we never eat at home. Afterward, I thought about the transliteration of "pancake" into Japanese: "panke-ki". (In Japanese, vowels always have the same pronunciation; "a"s are pronounced like the "a" in "father", "e"s like the "e" in "pet" and "i"s like the "i" in "pit".) In Japanese, the words "pan" and "ke-ki" are both used separately. "Pan", the Japanese word for "bread", comes from the Portuguese pronunciation of that food which was introduced into Japan by a Portuguese missionary, and "Ke-ki", or "cake", may have been introduced by an American. A "pancake", of course, is a thin cake that is cooked in a pan. Speaking of bread and cake, it is reported that when a French monarch was informed that the people could not afford bread, the monarch replied, "Let them eat cake". This remark reflects the great gap between royalty and commoners, between rich and poor, a gap which, unfortunately, still exists in many countries today.

00/11/05  Popcorn  (Timely Words 0183)

In some families, the familiar term for the father is "Daddy" or "Dad". In others, he may be called "Papa" or "Pop". "Pop" may also denote a nonalcoholic, carbonated beverage, sometimes called "soda pop". In baseball, a short high fly ball may be called a "pop fly". A painting that depicts objects of everyday life may be called "pop art" and a concert of light classical music may be called a "pop concert". In these cases, "pop" is short for "popular". As a verb, "pop" means to make a short, sharp, explosive sound like that when a gun is fired. A "popgun" is a toy gun that makes a popping noise when it shoots a cork out of its barrel. "Popcorn" is a variety of corn, having hard kernels that burst to form white, irregularly shaped puffs when heated or "popped". Popcorn is a common snack that is often sold at sports contests. A recent news article noted that a physicist at a university in Pennsylvania has found a way to at least triple the size of popcorn. Popcorn pops, or bursts, as a result of a bit of water in the kernel expanding when it is heated. The physicist made the bigger puffs by lowering the air pressure around the kernels before popping them. He did this by putting them in a vacuum chamber and pumping air out. My wife and I sometimes eat popcorn as the main dish of our Sunday evening supper and we would enjoy eating the larger puffs but we do not have a vacuum chamber handy.

00/11/08  Armistice/Centennial  (Timely Words 0184)

On November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m., an armistice between the Allies and the Central Powers ended the fighting of World War I. An "armistice" is a temporary cessation of fighting until a peace treaty is signed and the main peace treaty at the end of that war was signed in a palace in the French city of Versailles over seven months later. In the United States, November 11th became a legal holiday called Armistice Day to commemorate the end of that war and to honor the fighting men whose lives were sacrificed to bring about the victory. Since 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans' Day to honor not only soldiers who died in battle but all who fought in subsequent wars as well. In our family, we have another reason to celebrate November 11th, for it was on that day in 1957 that our younger son was born. And this year, my wife and I will participate in yet another celebration on that day. The seminary from which I graduated in 1951, the year my wife and I went to Japan to begin our missionary activity there, is holding a centennial celebration on that weekend. The Bible Teachers' College founded by Wilbert Webster White in 1900 eventually became the Biblical Seminary in New York and now is called New York Theological Seminary. My wife and I will stop in New York to take part in that celebration on our way to Japan, where I will be speaking in churches and other gatherings, visiting with friends and spending time with our son and his family during the Christmas and New Year holidays. During that time, I hope to continue to add messages to this homepage as usual.

00/11/11  Election Day in a Democracy  (Timely Words 0185)

The word "democracy" is derived from Latin words literally meaning "people power". Ideally, in a democracy, the ruling power is the people who entrust their power to elected representatives. Consequently, it is important for citizens in a democracy to vote to elect government officials who represent their views. The United States of America is an important democracy in the world which should be an example to other democratic nations. After its beginning in 1775, the date reserved for elections varied from state to state, but in 1845, the U.S. Congress established the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to be the day for selecting presidential and vice presidential electors every four years. Now, that is the day when Senators, Representatives and other government officials are also elected throughout the country. In the town of Penney Farms, Florida, the polling place is the Town Hall, which is next to the tennis court where I play tennis on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so on November 7th, after playing tennis, I went next door to cast my ballot. There, people were lined up in front of a desk where officials checked Voter Identification Cards before giving them a ballot. Since this small town does not have automatic voting machines, voters then went to one of the small voting places to mark their ballot. These voting places have short vertical dividers to keep one from seeing how the voter in the next place voted. Since I do not yet feel qualified to make wise decisions related to local politics, I only cast my ballot for president, vice president and senator.

00/11/12  Meaning of Names  (Timely Words 0186)

In Japan, names are usually written in the ideograms, or characters, used in both Chinese and Japanese. Since each of the individual characters has a special meaning, parents usually carefully consider the meaning of the characters they choose for the names of their children. In fact, the character of the children themselves may be influenced by the characters used in their names. In the United States, many parents do not know the meaning or origin of the names they give to their children. I was reminded again of the meaning of names when a special couple, who had arranged for me to return from Japan to officiate at their wedding almost four years ago, visited us along with their one-year-old daughter. He is my nephew and his name is Todd, his wife's name is Amy and their daughter is Chloe. Checking my reference book, I informed them that, considering the meaning of their names, he is a "fox-hunter", his wife is "beloved" and the name of their daughter, which is also found in the New Testament book of I Corinthians 1:11, means "a young green shoot". I am sure that my wife's parents did not know the meaning of her name: Barbara. Meaning "foreign" or "strange" and related to "barbarian", it is very inappropriate. And my parents were unaware of the meaning of the name they gave to me, which has a more auspicious meaning. Clark is related to "cleric" and may signify a "clergyman" or a "scholar", both of which I have aimed to be.

00/11/15  New York  (Timely Words 0187)

My first trip to New York was in 1948, when I hitchhiked there from my hometown north of Chicago to begin my seminary studies at the Biblical Seminary in New York. At that time, all the seminary facilities, including the office, chapel, library, classrooms, dormitories, laundry, kitchen, dining hall and rooftop volley ball court were all in the same 13 story building in which I occupied a room on the sixth floor. In the summer following my first year in seminary, I got married and brought my bride back to New York with me. There, we rented a small basement apartment in an old house, until my graduation two years later, following which we went to Japan. In 1963 and 1970, we stopped in New York when we returned from Japan with our three children by way of Europe, but our most recent visit occurred this month when we attended the centennial celebration of that seminary. Since our flight from Jacksonville to New York left at 6:30 a.m. and we are expected to be at the gate an hour before the departure time and because it usually takes about an hour to drive from our house to the airport, we spent the night before our flight in a motel close to the airport. In New York, while walking from our lodging house to the present location of the seminary, we noticed that many changes had taken place but that much also remained the same as in years gone by. We met only a few people that we had known before and they also had changed—as we have. We were again reminded of the changeless love and guidance of God despite the changes of human beings and the world in which we live.

00/11/16  New York Lodging and Traffic  (Timely Words 0188)

New York City is one of the largest cities in the world. In it are countless lodging places with a wide range of accomodations and prices. Instead of a high-priced, high-class hotel which would have been more comfortable, we decided to stay at Menno House, a simple lodging house maintained by the Mennonite Church and named in honor of the 16th century pacifist leader, Menno Simons, during our short stay there. In our second-floor room, there was one double bed, a small desk, a couple of chairs and a closet, but we had to share a bathroom on the first floor with other guests. There was also a common room on the first floor with a large television set which we could join others in watching, but actually, we spent very little time at that lodging place. It was located near Second Avenue on 19th Street. New York Theological Seminary is located at Fifth Avenue and 29th Street, so it was about a 20-minute walk between these two places. Taking a taxi to the Friday evening "Gala Celebration" at a famous hotel on 53rd Street, we were surprised at the traffic along the avenue and the long time it took to reach that hotel. There is a traffic light at every intersection and our taxi seemed to hit a red light at most of them. New York is a very modern city, but to go from one place to another by car can be a time-consuming process. In some cases, it would be faster to walk, and we noticed that most pedestrians do not strictly obey the traffic signals. At such times, some of us may excuse ourselves by saying that we keep the spirit of the law even if we do not obey it literally outwardly.

00/11/18  Empire State Building  (Timely Words 0189)

An "emperor" is the ruler of an "empire". The Babylonian Empire, the Roman Empire and was also a Japanese Empire at one time, and although the English term for the symbolic ruler of Japan is still "emperor", that empire no longer exists. In the United States of America, each state has an informal, descriptive name besides its official name. My home state of Illinois is the Prairie State. The state of Florida, where I now live, is the Sunshine State and the state of New York is the Empire State. One of the most famous buildings in that state is the Empire State Building. For many years, it was the tallest building in the world. Following our marriage, my wife used to pass by it on her way to work every day for a couple of years, but she never took the time to enter it and go up to the top. Many years later, when we returned to the United States from Japan by way of Europe with our three children, she finally did so. On our recent visit to New York, after attending meetings near that building, we again stood in a long line for a long time to buy tickets, rode elevators to the 86th floor Observation Deck and enjoyed looking at the city from that great height. On Sunday afternoon, we took a tour around the city which began in front of that building. We sat on the upper, open deck of a special tour bus. Just as the city looks much different from far above than from street level, so human history, and our lives also, must look different from God's viewpoint than from ours.

00/11/21  Worship in New York  (Timely Words 0190)

There are many different forms of Christian worship depending upon the customs of particular churches. Some are very formal and ritualistic. Others are informal and follow no set pattern. There is also a great variety in the type of music and musical instruments used. On the Sunday my wife and I were in New York City, we decided to participate in the peculiar form of Quaker worship and meditation at the Society of Friends' Meeting House near our lodging place. In the meeting room, rows of pews on all four sides faced the center, but there was no chancel or pulpit. Those in attendance sat in various places around the room. This service begins in silence until someone is moved by the "inner light" to address the congregation or to pray. On the day we attended, there was no such movement and we all sat in silence for the full hour. We then visited a more traditional church which was filled with worshippers in pews facing the chancel on which four robed ministers were seated. A white-robed choir was on the second-floor balcony in the rear. Singing by both the choir and the congregation was accompanied by the pipe organ. Following prayer and a scripture reading by the ministers, one minister preached a sermon from the pulpit. In the evening, we returned to the Friends' Meeting House for a Mennonite service, in which worshippers sat on only three sides, sang hymns without instrumental accompaniment, following which a lady pastor, in an ordinary dress, delivered a short message from behind a simple music stand. We found inspiration in all three forms of worship.

00/11/24  On to Japan  (Timely Words 0191)

Our trip to Japan was in response to a request of two churches we had planted there years ago to speak at special meetings this fall. We also decided to spend Christmas and the first days of the New Year with our son and his family, who live in Japan, and to visit areas we had not visited before using a Japan Rail Pass, which can only be purchased overseas. The churches are located in the cities of Kariya and Takahama in the Nagoya area. Since the centennial celebration of the seminary from which I graduated 49 years ago was being held in New York City just one week before the first meeting at the Japanese church, we decided to stop there on the way to Japan. The plane trip from Jacksonville, Florida to New York's LaGuardia Airport took about two hours. Our plane from New York was scheduled to leave at 8:30 in the morning from the J. F. Kennedy Airport, so we called for a car to come to pick us up at 6:15. We arrived at the airport earlier than expected so I spent some time there composing a "Timely Words" message on my laptop computer while waiting. From New York, we left on time, but we arrived in Portland, Oregon 45 minutes ahead of schedule, following a six-hour flight, so I continued to work on my computer in that airport also. The flight from Portland to Nagoya was also shorter than scheduled. It took only ten-and-a-half hours, all of which were sunny even though the date changed along the way. We were met at the Nagoya Airport by our son, his Japanese wife and their three children.

00/11/25  Living Quarters/Preaching in Japan  (Timely Words 0192)

The problem of where we would stay while in Japan was solved in an unusual way that we attribute to the providence of God. Our son is in the process of building a new house by himself. It is a large two-story house that he has been working on in his spare time for over a year. We had hoped that it would be finished before our visit and we could stay in it, but that hope was not realized. The apartment in which he and his family are living while the new house is under construction is not large enough to accommodate two more residents so our son contacted the owner of the apartment directly below his which was not being used, and the owner has kindly permitted us to stay in it during our two month visit. This arrangement by which we may go from our living quarters to that of our son, his wife and our grandchildren by simply going up an outdoor staircase has proved very satisfactory and we are thankful. On the next Saturday and Sunday mornings after our arrival, I preached sermons (in Japanese) in the church I had planted in the city of Takahama, after which we ate meals with people who attended. On Sunday afternoon, I preached (in English) at the Union Church in Nagoya, after which we ate a meal with people who attended there. We were able to borrow a car for use in going to and from the churches on these two days, but we had to return it after the afternoon service. So we both were very tired after returning to our apartment by subway, bus and walking. On coming Sundays, I will preach in the church I had planted in the city of Kariya and again at the Union Church in Nagoya.

00/11/27  Racially Mixed Marriages  (Timely Words 0193)

A recent article in an American newsmagazine discussed the subject of "racially mixed" marriages. According to a 1998 census survey, there were more than 1.3 million racially mixed marriages in the United States. The article began with the story of a Taiwanese-American who married a Japanese-Canadian although this did not fit into that category for these two people were of the same race. Therefore, theirs was an "interethnic" marriage. Such interethnic marriages are also increasing. About one in six Asian-Americans is married to an Asian of a different ethnic background. The offspring of such interethnic marriages are not as distinctive as those of racially mixed unions but they may also feel a it confused because of the different cultural traditions of their parents. I have a personal interest in this topic because I have three grandchildren who have an American father and a Japanese mother. In Japan, such children are sometimes called "half", which is not considered a compliment. I have told my grandchildren, however, that they are not "half" but "double". Certainly, children of racially mixed or interethnic marriages have a number of advantages in that they are not only able to be conversant in the native languages of both of their parents but may understand and experience the relevance of two different cultures. From the Biblical perspective, all people are a part of the same human family and children of the same heavenly Father (Acts 17:24-28, Ephesians 3:14-15).

00/12/01  Changes  (Timely Words 0194)

As I noted at the beginning of my sermons in Japanese, one year and eight months have passed since I left Japan and during that time, I have spoken almost no Japanese. At my age, I sometimes have trouble finding the proper word to express my thoughts—even in English, so my Japanese is probably more difficult to understand now than it was before. By a somewhat shocking experience, it was deeply impressed on my mind that I was in a foreign country as I drove the car away from the garage of our friends who had lent it to us for the weekend. I drove down the street to a stop sign and crossed that street when I noticed a car coming toward me on the same side of the street. It was then that I realized that I must drive on the left side of the road in Japan, where the right side is the wrong side and the left side is the right side. From the day of our arrival to the end of the week, the weather was fine, but on Monday morning, it began to rain. It was on that day that I had planned to play tennis with some friends, but due to the rain, my plans changed. In the afternoon, while my wife went to the international school where she had taught for 22 years, I went to the train station downtown to check on the details of using the Japan Rail Pass we had purchased in the United States before leaving. I was surprised to see how much the station area had changed since our departure and the erection of a new, large department store. Change is a fact of life and progress is necessarily accompanied by change.

00/12/03  Traveling in Japan  (Timely Words 0195)

During the years we lived in Japan, my wife and I were usually busy both at home and in our work. Even though we may have desired to do so, we had neither the time nor money to make extended trips to distant places simply for our enjoyment. While thinking about our resent visit, however, when I would be speaking at churches and other groups as well as visiting with our son and family in the Nagoya area, we decided to do some traveling before joining in the Christmas and New Years festivities. Thus, before leaving the United States, we purchased an Exchange Order for a Japan Rail Pass, which is available only outside Japan. With such a pass, one is able to freely board any train of the Japan Railways Group throughout the country. Passes are available for periods of 7, 14 or 21 days to travelers from foreign countries who are visiting Japan on a "temporary visitor" status. Japanese citizens and other "permanent residents" of Japan are not able to obtain them. Although we had been given "permanent resident" status during our years of service there, we did not obtain a re-entry permit when we left last year, so we were able to gain the "temporary visitor" status which made us eligible to obtain such a pass. Since we had no commitments during the last week of November, we decided to use that week to travel to the southern island of Kyushu. We received our 7-day Rail Pass at Nagoya Station and planned our trip while looking at train schedules and travel guides. As we continue our journey through life, we regularly consult the reliable guide we find in the Bible and urge others to do the same.

00/12/05  Angel Tree  (Timely Words 0196)

The word "angel" is rooted in a Greek word meaning "messenger". In the Bible, the Greek word is usually used to denote a spiritual being, a messenger of God. Sometimes, the angel is immediately recognized as a heavenly creature. At other times, angels appear in human form. And the word is used for human messengers also. In modern English, a kind, considerate, helpful person may be called an "angel". In this sense, there are many angels at work in the world today. Some of them seek to be of help to prisoners who are serving sentences in a prison. Prison Fellowship is an organized movement to provide help to prisoners. Every year as the Christmas season approaches, Prison Fellowship sponsors a program, called "Angel Tree", to provide Christmas presents to the children of men and women who are unable to celebrate with their families because they are in prison. Prisoners who wish to participate in the program provide the names and ages of their children along with the name, address and telephone number of the person responsible for them. Volunteers then contact that person and ask what kind of gift would be appropriate for each child. I contacted those on my list before leaving for Japan. The gift suggestions are then written on a tag that is hung on a Christmas tree in a church or meeting place where people are invited to take off a tag and purchase the suggested gift which is then delivered to the child by other volunteers. On the tag, along with the name of the child are the words: "This gift is sent to you to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 2:8-14".

00/12/07  Visitations  (Timely Words 0197)

The main purpose of our travels in Japan was to visit places we had not been to before, including the island of Kyushu and the Japan Sea side of Honshu, but we also wanted to see some people. I had been given a couple of recently published books by a resident of our retirement community, a former medical missionary to India, on how to perform "Gentle Surgery" (the book's title) with a minimum of tissue damage and blood loss. He thought it would be especially helpful to a couple of organizations in Japan that focus on the medical and welfare needs of other Asian countries, so I made presentations to those organizations in the Nagoya area and in Kobe. Also, we wanted to stop and see the son of our neighbor at Penney Retirement Community, a well-known artist in Japan whom we had met at PRC. He lives in an old, traditional Japanese house near Lake Biwa in the city of Otsu and we enjoyed meeting him, his wife and youngest daughter again. We also wanted to meet and talk with the university professor who has played an important part in making my messages available to a wider group of readers. When the "Daily Word" messages were put on the Internet by NTT, he regularly put them on the English Forum of the Nifty-Serve computer network and now has established a new webpage to enable people to view previous "Timely Words" messages. We enjoyed our time with him at his home in Shiga Prefecture and hereby inform interested readers of the address to view previous messages: http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~syobo/index2.html.

00/12/09  Church Meetings/Meeting Friends  (Timely Words 0198)

Articles had appeared in two different Japanese newspapers regarding the special meetings at which I was scheduled to preach in the cities of Takahama and Kariya at churches planted during our ministry many years ago so there were many old friends and acquaintances in attendance. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them—both at the meetings and the fellowship periods that followed, even though it was difficult to immediately recall the names of some of them. A newspaper reporter who attended the first meeting in Takahama wrote an article about that meeting. One lady in attendance had made a special trip from Tokyo, over 360 kilometers away. She continues to serve as a parole counselor to whom girls on parole must report periodically. She had been a regular listener to the "Daily Word" telephone messages and was deeply impressed by them. As a result of the encouragement she received through those messages and personal correspondence, she had been baptized and continues to attend a church near her home. At the meeting in Kariya, a lady from Yokohama was present. She had been a secretary at the Nagoya International School during its first few years with whom we had kept in contact over the following 37 years. We also enjoyed visiting the international school with which we have been involved from its beginning, where my wife taught for 22 years, where our granddaughters continue to attend and our son now serves on the Board of Directors.

00/12/12  Visit to Hiroshima  (Timely Words 0199)

On the Monday following the special meetings at the Takahama and Kariya churches, my wife and I left on a 7-day trip on Japan Railways. Of course, I carried my laptop computer with us so I could continue to compose and send "Timely Words" messages during this trip to places of interest that we had not been able to visit before. The first such place was Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bomb attack at the end of the Pacific War in 1945. Following our arrival at Hiroshima Station, we were surprised to find that streetcars were still in use in that city. We boarded one to go to our lodging place where we left our luggage and walked to the Peace Memorial Park, where we saw the twisted and charred A-Bomb Dome, the Memorial Cenotaph, the Peace Flame, which continues to burn until all atomic weapons are banished, and the Statue for the A-Bomb Children. In the Peace Memorial Museum, we viewed countless reminders of the atomic bombing and the suffering it caused and continues to cause. The next morning we walked up to the top of Hiroshima Castle. I was surprised to find that the fish symbols on the roof resembled those on the roof of Nagoya Castle, one of which was represented on the tie clasp I was wearing. After viewing the tragic scenes resulting from the dropping of that first atomic bomb, I wondered if there were museums at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii or Nanjing in China to remind visitors of the unhappy incidents related to Japanese military forces that occurred there.