02/04/07  World Vision  (Timely Words 0400)

Recently, a representative of World Vision spoke at a meeting of residents of Penney Retirement Community. This Christian relief organization began about fifty years ago after a young American minister observed the financial, physical and spiritual needs of children in China and wanted to help them. Now, World Vision is working to alleviate unsanitary conditions and to provide practical assistance to needy children in about a hundred countries around the world, considered "the poorest of the poor." This humanitarian organization is involved in over a thousand projects related to economic development, education, health care and emergency relief. To support such activities, last year World Vision received over 500 million dollars. One of its distinctive ways of raising and distributing funds is through its sponsorship system. People in prosperous countries are informed of the names of children in poor countries who they agree to sponsor by giving $26 a month. Such support helps to transform a child's life by providing nourishing food, proper health and medical care, clothing and an education, all supervised by dedicated staff members in the area. Correspondence with such children is also encouraged so that supporters are aware of the actual situation and progress made by the children they support. Over the years that my wife and I have been involved in this movement, we have supported a boy in the Philippines and in Indonesia and a girl in India and in Lesotho. We are reminded of the story Jesus told in Matthew 25:31-46. Further information may be obtained at the website address: www.worldvision.org.

02/04/11  Income Taxes  (Timely Words 0401)

In the United States of America, the fifteenth day of April is the deadline for filing federal income tax returns. During the Civil War, the incomes of citizens were first taxed as an emergency measure, but when Congress passed a bill to impose a tax on annual incomes exceeding $4000, the Supreme Court found such a tax unconstitutional for, according to the Constitution, it was only the individual states that had the right to impose direct taxes on its citizens. In 1913, however, an amendment to the Constitution which gave Congress the right to impose such taxes, was ratified. According to a humorous poem written by Howard Dietz, "In seventeen hundred and seventy-six,/ A group of American mavericks/ Renounced the yoke of tyranny—/The tax on stamps, the tax on tea./ Our fathers felt that they were fit/ To tax ourselves and you'll admit/ We have been very good at it." Nowadays, agitated Americans spend a great amount of time assembling documents, viewing figures and reading detailed instructions in preparation for filing their income tax returns before the deadline. Many attempt to untangle their fiscal affairs by themselves while others seek the help of accountants or lawyers, but problems related to paying taxes are not new. In the first century A.D., the Jewish residents of Palestine questioned whether they should pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, Caesar. When Jesus was asked this question, he called attention to the image of Caesar on the coins they used and gave his meaningful answer: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" (Luke 20:25).

02/04/12  Tacks and Taxis  (Timely Words 0402)

While composing the previous message related to tax and taxes, my attention was directed to a couple of other words with similar pronunciations and related meanings. "Tacks", pronounced the same as "tax," is the plural of "tack", which is a short, light nail with a flat head. "Tack" may also be used as a verb, which has very different meanings depending upon whether it is used by a seamstress or the navigator of a sailboat. When a seamstress "tacks", she fastens a seam with a loose stitch, but a navigator "tacks" when he changes the course of the boat in relation to the wind. In either case, "tacks" may denote the action of the one doing the "tacking." A "taxi" is an automobile in which passengers are carried for a fare. It is the shortened form of "taxicab" and this word was coined because the car, or "cab," contained a "taximeter". A "taximeter", a combination of "tax" and "meter," is a meter that measures both the distance traveled and the waiting time to determine the fare to be paid by the passengers. According to one reference book, taximeters were installed on French horse-drawn cabs long before motor-cabs appeared on the road. In Britain, the word "taxi" became common with the introduction of motor-cabs and was associated with them. Because a taxi, or taxicab, is a car that can be hired at a fixed charge to carry passengers, a dancer at a dance hall or cabaret who may be hired at a fixed charge as a dancing partner may be called a "taxi dancer." And "taxi" also may be used as a verb. An airplane moving slowly on the ground before takeoff or after landing is said to "taxi".

02/04/14  Rain/Rein/Reign  (Timely Words 0403)

English pronunciation is very irregular. The first letter of the alphabet is "a", but its pronunciation varies depending on the word in which it is used. The word spelled a-y may be pronounced the same as the letter by itself; the pronunciation of the vowel remains the same if an "r" is added to form a new word denoting a thin beam of light, a "ray". But if an "n" is added to the letters "r-a", the pronunciation of the vowel changes. There are three different one-syllable words, beginning with "r" and ending with "n", in which the vowel sound is the same as the letter "a". They are spelled r-a-i-n, r-e-i-n and r-e-i-g-n. The last word, "reign," denotes the exercise of sovereign power; the middle word, "rein," may mean to control or hold back, and the first word, "rain," denotes the drops of water that fall to the ground from the sky. Clouds contain huge numbers of tiny droplets of moisture. Rain occurs when these droplets are enlarged and fall. Rain is very important for both plant and animal life on the earth. As I look out the window and see green grass, colorful flowers, green leaves on bushes and trees, one of which is full of bright-red berries, I am thankful for the rain that fell last night. And I remember the words found in Isaiah, chapter 55, verses 6-11, about the rain which comes down from heaven "watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater." I am thankful for the reign of the Ruler of the world, "whose ways are higher than our ways," but who can rein the forces of evil and bless us with rain, which in Ezekiel 34:26 is called "showers of blessing."

02/04/16  Barbershop  (Timely Words 0404)

Where does a man go to get his hair cut? Some men tell, ask or permit their wives to cut their hair, but I presume that most men go to a shop that has a pole with spiral stripes of red and white standing or hanging in front of it. This barber pole is usually found in front of a barbershop where a barber cuts or trims the hair of customers. Nowadays, barbers spend most of their time cutting the hair on the top of men's heads, but the word "barber" is derived from a Latin word for "beard" for in the old days, it was primarily the hair on customers' chins that was trimmed. Originally, barbers also practiced dentistry and surgery and the barber pole is a reminder of the blood-stained bandages that barbers draped around a pole to dry. In Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, barbershops were places where men sang songs and so the word "barbershop" may denote the close harmony of male voices in sentimental songs. There are now many barbershop quartets consisting of four men who sing harmoniously without musical accompaniment. There are some larger groups of barbershop singers that have concerts in public halls. Recently, my wife and I joined other residents of this retirement community and attended such a concert in an historic theater in Jacksonville, Florida. About fifty men ranging in age from young to old put on a remarkable performance with great enthusiasm and striking humor. According to the 6th chapter of the Old Testament book of Numbers, one of the characteristics of a holy person, a Nazarite, was that his hair would be permitted to grow long and no razor was to be used on his head.

02/04/19  Salt  (Timely Words 0405)

On the tables in restaurants, cafes and other eating places, there is usually a small container with many small holes in the top. In the container are countless tiny, white crystals which some diners sprinkle on their food. Salt is one of the main seasonings in the West. Salt is also used as a preservative. So when Jesus told his disciples that they were "the salt of the earth", in Matthew 5:13, it may be that he implied that they were to serve both to counter corruption and to add a new zest to society. Salt has been used symbolically in a variety of ways in different cultures and continues to be used in a number of English expressions today. In both German and Norwegian traditions, spilling salt is considered bad luck. In Japanese tradition, scattering salt is considered an act of purification. At Japanese funerals, those in attendance are often given small packets of salt to sprinkle over their shoulders when they return home to purify themselves after being in an atmosphere related to death. The English expression "to be worth one's salt" means to be efficient and capable; "to salt away" means to store or preserve for future use and "an old salt" is a term used for a sailor who has had much experience on the ocean. If we say that the report or explanation of someone must be taken "with a grain of salt", the meaning is that the person's words should not be accepted as factual or completely true just as they were spoken or written. Rather, they should be examined carefully to discern what is true. According to Colossians 4:6, our conversation should be "full of grace, seasoned with salt," or appetizing.

02/05/03  Frustration  (Timely Words 0406)

This past week has been the most frustrating week in my life and I presume regular readers of "Timely Words" have also been frustrated. I repeatedly called AOL to find out why I could not view my homepage. After following the automated instructions, pressing the proper numbers on my push-button telephone and being informed that all service representatives were serving other callers and that I should call later—or that I could wait for "approximately 5 minutes" (which was greatly mistaken), I was sometimes able to speak to a living person. After replying to that person's questions, I was able to ask why I could not access my homepage. I also sent e-mail messages to AOL. Finally, the response was that there was a problem with the system and it was uncertain when service would be restored. Even after a message from Japan indicated the homepage was again accessible there, I could not view it. I am sorry that many readers have also been frustrated and I hope the problem has now been solved. The word "frustrate" is derived from a Latin word meaning "disappoint" and I found the following quotation of Stanley Rudin that appeared in "The New York Times" on August 22, 1963. Thankfully, it is not always true. "Frustrate a Frenchman, he will drink himself to death; an Irishman, he will die of angry hypertension; a Dane, he will shoot himself; an American, he will get drunk, shoot you, then establish a million dollar aid program for your relatives. Then he will die of an ulcer." Recalling the words of Romans 8:28, this American is asking God to bring about some good result despite the frustrations.

02/05/05  A Memorial Service  (Timely Words 0407)

The reason for the recent trip my wife and I took to the West Coast was to attend the memorial service for the wife of her brother, who had succumbed to cancer a few days earlier. As we attended the impressive service, I was reminded of the comment made by a Japanese lady while I was conducting research on what is called "ancestor worship" in Japan. I had contacted the Japanese relatives of passengers killed when an airplane crashed into a mountain in New Zealand who were permitted to perform traditional Buddhist rituals during the memorial service in a Christian Church in Auckland to ask their impressions of the difference between Buddhist and Christian memorial observances for the dead. She noted her amazement at the bright, joyful atmosphere in the church in contrast to the dark, gloomy atmosphere of Buddhist observances. At the memorial service in Walnut Creek, California, a solo was sung by a granddaughter, a duet by two daughters-in-law and choruses by the congregation. On screens in the front of the sanctuary, pictures of the deceased on various occasions were projected and meaningful, happy reminiscences were given by her two sons and her husband. The sadness of her departure was overwhelmed by the joyful faith that she is now enjoying fullness of life in the presence of her Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:20-23, that "to die is gain" and he desired "to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" than to remain on this earth. The exemplary, memorable and exuberant faith of Shirley Stevens was gratefully recognized by all who attended.

02/05/08  May  (Timely Words 0408)

This fifth month of the year is called May. In the North Temperate Zone in which the European Union, the United States of America, China and Japan are all located, it is springtime, a time of merriment and hope. There is a saying in the United States that "April showers bring Mayflowers." "Mayflower" is a common noun denoting pretty flowers that bloom in May, but as a proper noun, it was the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims from England to New England during a two-month voyage in the year 1620. According to an English ballad, "There are twelve months in all the year, As I hear many men say, But the merriest month in all the year Is the merry month of May." Edwin Way Teale, an American editor, writer and naturalist, has written: "The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May." The first day of this merry month of May, called May Day, is one of the oldest festival times in the West, dating back to the spring festivities of both the Romans and the Celts, rejoicing in the arrival of spring and the rebirth of nature. In England, on May Day, it is customary for people to dance around a decorated "maypole." In this Penney Retirement Community, May Day this year was a special day filled with various activities, including a parade, square dancing, dancing around a maypole and a general meeting at which the community band played, men's and women's choruses sang and community leaders spoke. It was the climax of a year of special events commemorating the 75th anniversary of PRC. May this month of May be a merry, hopeful and meaningful month for you.

02/05/11  Twins  (Timely Words 0409)

"Twins" denote two children born at the same time from the same mother, but two identical or similar animals or things may also be called "twins." The two similar towers of the World Trade Center in New York City which were destroyed in the widely publicized terrorist attack were called "Twin Towers." One of the constellations seen in the sky at night is called Gemini, from the Latin word for "twins". In it are the two stars named Castor and Pollux, who were the twin sons of Jupiter and Leda in classical mythology. Recently, my wife and I visited a couple who are also residents in this retirement community. We found out that the 77-year-old wife has a twin sister and that, from childhood, these two sisters resembled each other both physically and mentally. In school, their favorite subjects and their grades were the same. When their mother took them separately to the store, they were both attracted to the same objects and, after getting married and moving to another state, for the first three years, the birthday cards they chose to send to each other were identical. In a cute poem by H. S. Leigh, entitled "The Twins", we find these words: "In form and feature, face and limb / I grew so like my brother / That folks got taking me for him / And each for one another." "For one of us was born a twin / And not a soul knew which." In the latter half of the 25th chapter of the Old Testament book of Genesis, there is the story of a woman who gave birth to twin boys who were very different from each other and whose jostling began in their mother's womb.

02/05/12  Mother's Day  (Timely Words 0410)

The first sounds made by a newborn infant include a repetitive "ma-ma". This is probably the origin of the word "mama" or "mamma", which may mean either "mother" or the mammary gland that secretes milk found in all female mammals. This raises the question of what sounds are made by Japanese infants when they look at their mothers, called "haha" in Japanese—but I don't think the infant smiles when making its first sounds. The Chinese ideogram for "haha", also used in Japanese, originally portrayed a woman with visible breasts, or mamma. For over ninety years, the second Sunday in May has been celebrated as Mother's Day in the United States of America and now this special day is recognized around the world. The apostrophe in this term could be put either before or after the "s", but when put before the "s", the emphasis is on each individual mother rather than on all mothers together. On May 9, 1907, Anna Jarvis invited friends to her home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the second anniversary of her mother's death. There, she told of her plan to make her mother's dream of a nationwide day in honor of mothers, living and deceased, a reality. As a result of her efforts, within a few years Mother's Day services were held throughout the country and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, responding to a joint resolution of Congress, issued a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May the day to honor mothers. Although in the Bible, God is usually portrayed as a father, we also find these words in Isaiah 66:13: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you."

02/05/15  "The Star-Spangled Banner"  (Timely Words 0411)

On March 3, 1931, the Congress of the United States of America designated a poem written 117 years earlier and set to a tune used as the anthem of amateur musicians' clubs in England as the nation's national anthem. The poem, written by a lawyer, Francis Scott Key, during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States, is called "The Star-Spangled Banner." A cloth with words or a symbol on it tied to a staff may be called a "banner." "Spangle" denotes a small, sparkling object but when used as a verb means "to sparkle." Mr. Key was on his way to a British ship to try to secure the release of an American citizen held by the British at the time of the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, near Baltimore. For 25 hours, the bombardment continued. More than 1500 shells were fired, each weighing as much as 100 kilograms, but the attack was unsuccessful. That night, September 13, 1814, Mr. Key wrote the poem that began with the question, "Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?" included mention of the flag's "broad stripes and bright stars," and ended with another question: "Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?" The flag that Mr. Key saw that night had 15 stars and 15 stripes for it was four years later that Congress determined that the national flag would have 13 stripes to symbolize the original 13 states with an extra star added for each additional state. Now, there are 50 stars in that "star-spangled banner" which continues to wave over this land.

02/05/17  "Kimigayo"/"Hinomaru"  (Timely Words 0412)

The Japanese national anthem is called "Kimigayo", which are the first words of that song. Although it had been sung at school ceremonies on national holidays for over a hundred years previously, it was not officially designated the national anthem until 1999. The tune for the ancient poem was chosen from ancient court music in 1880. My personal translation of the poem is as follows: "May your era (reign) last for thousands of generations, until a small pebble becomes a great rock covered with moss." In modern Japanese, "kimi" ("you") may be used for a close companion or a subordinate, but during the militaristic period it was associated with the Emperor, which, in the minds of many, makes this poem unsuitable as a national anthem in modern Japan. The national flag of Japan, consisting of a red disc in the center of a white field, is called "hinomaru", literally meaning "round sun". In 1854, this flag was approved for use on Japanese ships to distinguish them from foreign ships. It then was generally used as the national flag but was not officially designated such until August 1999, at the same time that "Kimigayo" was officially made the national anthem. Because of its association with the militarists during the war, some Japanese advocate changing the national flag as well as the national anthem. The national anthems of both the U.S.A. and Japan are dated, reflect the feeling of a certain period of the nation's history and are not the most suitable songs for these countries today, but it is difficult to change ingrained customs that generate a firm nationalistic feeling.

02/05/19  Pentecost/Whitsunday  (Timely Words 0413)

There are a number of English words beginning with the prefix "penta" or "pent" derived from a Greek word for "five." A "pentagon" is a plane figure having five side and five angles. When spelled with a capital P, it denotes the building in Arlington, Virginia, in the shape of a pentagon in which the offices of the United States Military Establishment are located. The first five books of the Bible, in which the Jewish Law is found, are called the Pentateuch. In the Jewish calendar, an agricultural festival, called the Feast of Weeks because it was held seven weeks after the Feast of Passover, was also called "Pentecost", from the Greek word for "fifty". On that fiftieth day after the consecration of the harvest season, the first fruits of the harvest were offered to God. According to the 2nd chapter of the New Testament book of "The Acts of the Apostles," it was on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and filled the followers of Jesus who were gathered together in Jerusalem. Consequently, Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Christian Church. After being empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus' apostles became his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" as Jesus foretold in Acts 1:8. This fiftieth day after Easter has always been an important festival in the Christian Church. It always falls on Sunday and it was customary for new believers in England to be baptized on that day, wearing white garments. From this custom, another name for this day was coined. It is called Whitsunday, for "White Sunday".

02/05/22  Highways  (Timely Words 0414)

Recently, while driving on a highway, I wondered why certain roads were called "highways". In the United States of America, there are local, state, national and interstate highways. Obviously, not all "highways" run on elevated strips of land, but "high" does not always mean the opposite of "low." It may also denote something or someone lofty in rank and considered superior as seen in such terms as "highborn," "high court," "high school" and "high priest." Highways are normally of better quality than regular roads. Local governments are responsible for the maintenance of local highways; state governments maintain state highways and the national government is responsible for national and interstate highways. There are no stop signs nor traffic lights at intersections on interstate highways. Thus once a car enters an interstate highway, there is usually no need to stop until one exits the highway. One interstate highway runs for almost 4700 kilometers from the east coast to the west coast, from Boston to Seattle and the Pan American Highway extends for some 26,000 kilometers from northwest Alaska to Chile. While some of the present highways follow trails first formed by people traveling on foot or on horseback, others were determined by factors related to motor vehicles. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, there is a reference to a "highway" to be prepared in the desert or the wilderness for the coming of God (40:3-5) and in the New Testament, this is said to have been fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus, the Christ (Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:1-4; Luke 3:1-6).

02/05/25  Cane/Cain  (Timely Words 0415)

About ten percent of the 470 residents in this retirement community have passed their 90th birthday. Some of them use a cane when they walk. The slender, hollow stems of certain plants are called "canes" and the tropical grass called "sugar cane" is the main source of sugar. Probably, the first canes used by people as an aid in walking came from canes such as bamboo or rattan. The stick used to beat another may also be called a "cane", so when used as a verb, "cane" means to "beat with a cane." But the slang expression "raise Cain," uses a different word which is spelled with a capital C. This expression is rooted in the Biblical story about the first human family, found in the 4th chapter of Genesis. There it is written that Cain was the name of the first son of Adam and Eve. Cain became jealous of his younger brother, Abel, who found favor in the eyes of God while Cain did not. As a result, Cain became angry and killed his brother, becoming the first murderer. The expression to "raise Cain" means "to create a great commotion, to cause much trouble." Part of Cain's judgment was that he would become "a restless wanderer on the earth." According to a poem, entitled "The Rebel Scot," by the English cavalier poet, John Cleveland, "Had Cain been Scot, God would have changed his doom, Nor forced him to wander, but confined him home." Today's message was stimulated by the question of a newcomer on campus: "Did you know a missionary in Japan whose surname was 'Cain'?" in fact, I did and I had just returned from taking a 90-year-old neighbor to the airport who was flying to Japan and used a cane.

02/05/26  Memorial Day  (Timely Words 0416)

It is customary in all cultures to remember relatives, friends or respected elders after their deaths in some way. In Japanese, it is interesting that the day of one's death is called "meinichi," which literally means "life day" and that day of the month or of the year is regularly observed in some way as that person's "death day." In Japan, three times a year all those who have died are remembered: the week centered around the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, when the sun sets directly in the west, the direction of "paradise" in Japanese Buddhist thought, and during the "Bon Festival" in the middle of July when departed spirits are said to return home. At those times, it is customary for people to visit graveyards. In the United States of America, it was following the Civil War, in the middle of the 19th century, that a special day was designated to visit the graves of soldiers killed in battle during that war. The first national Memorial Day in the U.S.A., was observed on May 30, 1868. Because decorations were placed on the graves on that day, it was also called Decoration Day. Originally, it was a day to honor those who had died during the Civil War, but later those who died serving their country during the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnamese Wars were also honored. Now, it is a day to honor the memory of all deceased persons, civilian as well as military, and the holiday has been changed from May 30th to the last Monday of May. As we remember those who have passed away, we should consider what kind of memories others will have of us after our demise.

02/05/29  Middle East Muddle  (Timely Words 0417)

In news reports these days, we often read or hear about the situation in the "Mideast," the area on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, published in 1960, however, that area is designated the "Near East" and "Middle East" denotes countries further east, but not as far as the "Far East" which includes China and Japan. In that dictionary, the term "Middle West," or "Midwest" denotes "that part of the United States between the Rocky Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains." Obviously, when we use such terms as "middle," "near" and "far," their meaning depends on the standpoint of the speaker, or writer, and it is from the European viewpoint that the terms "Near East," "Middle East" and "Far East" were determined. At the present time, it is not only the demarcations of the "Near" or "Middle East," that are indefinite, but the national boundaries of the countries of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Israel as well as the unofficial state of Palestine, are also unclear. To justify certain opinions or positions, relevant (or irrelevant) portions of the Bible are often quoted, but the Bible has been used over the centuries to support or justify many contrary positions and the diligent researcher can find Biblical support for any opinion—depending on his particular interpretation. Hopefully, national and world leaders will finally recognize the need to rationally and peacefully discuss the problems facing the area and find a way to solve this Middle East Muddle. "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding" (Proverbs 3:13).

02/05/31  Whose Land?  (Timely Words 0418)

The problem in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians, between Jews and Arabs, is not completely different from what has occurred in many other places in the world where earlier residents of certain areas were forcibly pushed out by immigrants from elsewhere. Land on the North American continent was forcibly seized by European immigrants from across the ocean as Native Americans were killed or forced to settle on reservations determined by the intruders with their superior weapons. And the ancestors of the present Japanese people pushed out the Ainu, the earlier inhabitants of the islands, who now live primarily on the northern islands. The British Isles also were inhabited by Celts and Picts before being overrun by the Anglo-Saxons from the continent. Even today, there is some confusion regarding the usage of the words "English" and "British". England is one of the three countries on the island of Great Britain, along with Wales and Scotland. Thus, "British" includes the Welsh and the Scots as well as the English. In fact, the "British Isles" include Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands as well as Great Britain and the official name of the nation that now governs the British Isles is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It would be very difficult to determine the original inhabitants of any place in the world who could claim to be the rightful owners of that land. In one sense, all people might be included in the expression found in the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 13-14: "strangers . . . on the earth . . . seeking a homeland."

02/06/02  Light  (Timely Words 0419)

Japanese speakers of English find it difficult to distinguish between "r" and "l" sounds, so words such as "light" and "right", "rite" or "write" are often confused. In fact, there are two different English words spelled l-i-g-h-t and pronounced the same. As the opposite of "heavy", "light" denotes something of relatively little weight, but as the opposite of "dark", "light" is much more difficult to define. In the Chinese ideogram for "light" is the character for "fire", an ancient source of light. Along the sidewalks that link the homes of residents and meeting places on the spacious grounds of this Penney Retirement Community are a number of tall lampposts that provide light for those walking along the sidewalks after dark. A few weeks ago, the lamppost near our residence was knocked over by a pickup truck while backing up after making a delivery. Recently, the lamppost was repaired and is once again "enlightening" the neighborhood. Now, however, the light which is brighter than before, brightens up my bedroom at night and provided the inspiration for this message. How different dark areas become if there are sources of light available that enable us to see our surroundings more clearly and to find our way along dark paths. This is also true in regard to the dark areas of our lives, when we are confused, saddened or depressed and desire light along the way. An ancient poet called God's Word "a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" in Psalm 119:105 and in John 8:12, Jesus made this amazing claim: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

02/06/05  June  (Timely Words 0420)

This sixth month of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar, is called June. This English name is derived from the Latin name, which may be related to "juniors", a month dedicated to young people. But it may also be related to Juno, the wife of the chief Roman god, Jupiter. Juno, considered the "queen of heaven," was said to be the "protector of women" and the "guardian of marriages" and over the centuries, June has been a favorite month for marriages. My wife and I were both born in the month of December and we were both married in the month of June. Along with April and May, June is also used as a girl's name. In this retirement community of approximately 470 residents, we try to remember one another's name. Looking in the directory, I find that there are 4 ladies whose names are June. However, there are 4 others named Jane, 3 named Joan and 6 more whose names are Jean. Thus, it is not always easy to remember which name goes with which face. We have been reminded that this is the beginning of the hurricane season on the Atlantic Ocean. In Japan, although the "rainy season," lasting about a month, usually begins the middle of June, the traditional name of this month in the lunar calendar literally means "no water month." Depending on the Chinese character used, the rain that falls during the rainy season in Japan is called either "plum rain" or "mildew rain." Among Anglo-Saxons, this month was called "dry month" or "joy time." Whether the month is rainy or dry, windy or calm and engenders either plum blossoms or mildew, I pray that it will be a joyful time for you.

02/06/08  Concert on the Green  (Timely Words 0421)

Green is one of the three primary colors, along with red and blue. Because it is the color of grass and the leaves of plants, the word is found in many compound words or expressions. A "greenhouse" is a glass-enclosed structure used for cultivating plants that require controlled temperature and humidity; a "greengrocer" is a retailer of fresh fruits and vegetables and a "greenhorn" is an inexperienced or immature person. "Green" may also denote the closely mowed grass on a golf course. There is a golf course on the campus of Penney Retirement Community, but there is a larger, more exquisite one, called Magnolia Point, in a neighboring town. On this spacious golf course, surrounded by magnolia trees, a concert is held every spring called "Concert on the Green," which we recently attended. In the afternoon, people gathered on the golf course and sat at picnic tables, on folding chairs or on the ground and enjoyed eating or talking while listening to various musical groups, both instrumental and vocal. A special area of folding chairs was reserved for residents of this retirement community. At small tents around the golf course, art work was on display and food and drinks were sold. Before the main concert began at 8 o'clock, four skydivers jumped from an airplane that flew overhead and drifted under colorful parachutes to a landing point on the golf course. Then the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, sitting under a large tent, began its concert of both classical and modern music. As the performance drew to a close, fireworks were set off in a nearby location, bringing an end to a very enjoyable evening.

02/06/09  Celibacy  (Timely Words 0422)

In some religious traditions, ascetic practices are encouraged and considered beneficial. Such practices include the rejection of bodily pleasures through sustained self-denial with the aim of strengthening one's spiritual life and gaining enlightenment or salvation. Asceticism is the rule for those monks who live together in monasteries. Monks and monasteries are found in certain traditions of both Buddhism and Christianity and one of the ascetic requirements in those "brotherhoods" is celibacy—remaining unmarried and refraining from sexual intercourse. In the Roman Catholic Church, since the 7th century, celibacy has been a requirement for priests, whether they live in a monastery or serve as pastors of churches. There is no such requirement for pastors of Protestant churches, where it is emphasized that salvation is based solely on the grace of God and not dependent on any meritorious works of human beings. At the present time, in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America, there is a controversy regarding whether or not the requirement for priests to be celibate should be continued. Although not having family responsibilities permits priests to concentrate more fully on their religious activities, there is an increasing feeling that celibacy may stimulate unhealthy behavior. This is the result of the numerous accusations of priests engaging in sexual acts with young people in their churches which have been concealed by church leaders. In Matthew 19:10-12, Jesus gives various reasons why men do not marry, one of which is for a spiritual purpose.

02/06/12  Balls and Ball Games  (Timely Words 0423)

One kind of "ball" is a formal gathering for social dancing. As a slang term, "ball" may signify a very enjoyable time or experience. Some people have a "ball" watching ball games. The round, movable object used in many sports is called a "ball." There are a variety of sizes and kinds of such balls. Some are solid, others are hollow. Some are small and others are large. A ping-pong ball is hollow and is hit with a paddle on a ping-pong table. It is smaller than a golf ball, which is solid and hit with a club on a golf course. A billiard ball is a little larger and hit with a cue on a pool table. A tennis ball is hollow and hit with a racket on a tennis court. It is a bit smaller than a baseball, which is hit with a bat on a baseball diamond. Although a softball is larger and softer than a baseball, it is not "soft." Inflated balls are used in volleyball, football and basketball. Most balls are spherical, but those used in English rugby and American football are oval. Outside of the United States of America, the term "football" denotes what Americans call "soccer." At the present time, the attention of sports lovers around the world is focused on Japan and South Korea where the 2002 World Cup games are being held. Written records suggest that a kind of football was played in China in 300 B.C. Whatever the kind of sport involved, the words the Apostle Paul wrote to a young man in the 1st century remain relevant: "if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules" (II Timothy 2:5).

02/06/14  Flag Day  (Timely Words 0424)

A "flag" is a piece of cloth of a distinctive size, shape and design, used as a symbol or emblem. Countries have national flags which its citizens are expected to respect. In the United States of America, it is common for citizens to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance" which begins: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands." The most common color in national flags is red and the second most common color is white. Only one country has a flag of only one color; the flag of Libya is all green. Twenty-eight countries have flags with only two colors. Thirteen of them are red and white, including Japan. Twenty-four flags combine the colors of red, white and blue, including that of the United States of America. It was on June 14, 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted the following resolution: "That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union [the upper rectangle next to the staff] be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." Consequently, June 14 has been designated Flag Day in the U.S.A. The flag with 13 stripes and 13 stars was used until 1795, when two more states were admitted to the Union. At that time, two more stripes and two more stars were added, but later Congress determined that the flag should have only 13 stripes, symbolizing the 13 original states and that a new star is to be added when a new state is admitted. Thus the present flag on this Flag Day contains 13 stripes and 50 stars.

02/06/16  Crosses/Swastikas  (Timely Words 0425)

A cross is the basic Christian symbol, reminding believers of Jesus' death on a cross which demonstrated the extent of God's love for sinful human beings. There are many different shapes and sizes of this symbol. The most common one, called a Latin cross, has the vertical arm a little longer than the horizontal arm. In a Greek cross, both arms are the same length, resembling a plus sign. St. Andrew's cross is in the shape of an X, while a Tau cross has the shape of a T. A Greek cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction is called a "swastika." On some Japanese maps, Latin crosses represent Christian churches while swastikas identify Buddhist temples. This may be surprising to Westerners because the swastika was the despised symbol of Nazi Germany. In the Nazi swastika, however, the arms of the cross are bent in a clockwise direction while those representing Buddhist temples are bent in the opposite direction. In fact, this kind of swastika is an ancient symbol that is found among Greeks and Persians, Indians and Native Americans. The Sanskrit word has the meaning of "well-being, success, good luck." For the Aryans of India, it represented the motion of the sun across the sky, a symbol of goodness and regenerative power. Greeks and Persians considered it a symbol of prosperity and happiness and for Native Americans, it was a sign of peace. So it is that symbols can be imbued with different meanings and the Greek cross, the Latin cross and the swastika will inspire different feelings depending on the viewer.

02/06/19  Hobo Social  (Timely Words 0426)

During the hot summer months, a number of residents of this retirement community leave to take trips to cooler areas up north or elsewhere. Some of them visit relatives; others return to their home areas or go on excursions. Consequently during the summer season, some activities in the community are canceled but those of us who remain become busier as we continue the volunteer work of those who go away. There is one additional activity that is scheduled during the summer, however. It is a monthly summer social in the meeting hall. A "social" is an informal gathering of people for recreation or amusement. The June gathering was called a "Hobo Social." Those who attended were urged to dress like hobos and prizes were awarded to those considered special. A "hobo" is similar to a "vagrant" or a "tramp," who travels from place to place on foot doing odd jobs or begging for a living, but this word is especially used for migratory laborers who follow seasonal jobs such as crop picking or who work on construction jobs. It is different than a "bum," who does not work but seeks to live by begging. The origin of the word "hobo" is uncertain. It may be derived from "hoe boy," a migratory farm worker, or from a greeting "Ho! Beau!" used between the workers themselves, or from the call "Ho, boy" used by railroad mail handlers in the Northwestern United States in the 1880s as they tossed mailbags from trains. In the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, verses 19-31, Jesus told a story about a beggar and a rich man whose respective situations were reversed following their deaths.

02/06/21  Sushi  (Timely Words 0427)

In my American English dictionary, the definition of "sushi" is: "A Japanese dish consisting of thin slices of fresh raw fish or seaweed wrapped around a cake of cooked rice." In my Japanese-English dictionary, however, following the three different ways of writing that Japanese word, the definition is: "boiled rice and other food flavored with vinegar." There are many different kinds of the uniquely Japanese dish known as "sushi", but in American thought, raw fish is always included in it and most Americans cannot imagine eating raw fish and enjoying it. In our later years in Japan, it was the custom of my wife and me to eat at a nearby restaurant with our son, his Japanese wife and their children on Friday evenings. Usually, we let the children decide on the restaurant, which alternated between one specializing in Japanese flat noodles (kishimen), Chinese food, Italian pizza or sushi. In the center of the sushi shop, chefs made various kinds of sushi which they placed on small dishes on a conveyer belt that circulated around the diners seated at the counter or at tables who took off a dish they desired as it passed by. When a diner called out for a certain kind of sushi, a chef would make it and place it on the conveyor. When diners finished eating, a waitress counted the dishes they had taken and informed them of the charge. Recently, my wife and I visited a Japanese restaurant in a nearby town and enjoyed eating sushi. The problem of whether or not to eat certain foods and the attitudes of those who eat and those who refuse to do so is considered in chapter 14 of Paul's Letter to the Romans.

02/06/23  Fur/Fir/Fire  (Timely Words 0428)

One of the basic characteristics of the English language is the great irregularity in the spelling and pronunciation of words. There are two three-letter words beginning with f and ending with r that are pronounced the same even though they have a different vowel. The word spelled f-u-r denotes the thick coat of soft hair covering the body of various animals. The fur of some animals has been used to make garments for human beings. The word spelled f-i-r signifies a certain kind of evergreen tree that bears flat needles and erect cones. When an e is added to this word, the e is not pronounced, but the pronunciation of the vowel between the f and the r is changed and the new word denotes a chemical reaction that releases heat and light. Recently there have been extraordinary fires in the western part of the United States of America that have destroyed many fir trees and caused great upheavals among both the furry animals and the human beings who live those areas. Many homes have been destroyed and both people and animals have had to leave their habitats. Such fires become especially possible following very dry weather and are spread by gusty winds. The person who is found guilty of causing such a fire bears a great responsibility. In the 2nd chapter of the New Testament Letter of James, the human tongue is compared to a fire which must be kept under control for it can cause great harm if it is not. "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire." Reading of the destructive forest fires, let us resolve to keep our tongues under control.

02/06/26  Korean War  (Timely Words 0429)

The mountainous peninsula east of China that lies between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan is called Korea in English. The history of the Korean people extends for over two thousand years. Although the treaty that concluded the Sino-Japanese War in 1895 recognized its complete independence, Japan forcibly annexed Korea 15 years later. At the end of World War II, the area north of the 38th parallel was occupied by Soviet troops and the area south of it by Americans. As the so-called Cold War between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. developed, two different governments were organized and 22 years ago, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces launched an invasion across the 38th parallel into South Korea. The war between the Communist forces, which eventually included the Chinese army, and the United Nations forces led by Americans, lasted for three years. When an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, what had been accomplished? There was a minor change in the dividing line, but there were over 54,000 Americans killed and 103,000 wounded while North and South Korean casualties were over ten times as high. For the Japanese people, however, a startling example of democratic procedure was provided when General MacArthur, the American military commander in chief, who had been the actual ruler of Japan since the end of the Pacific War, was suddenly relieved of his military duties by President Truman for publicly disagreeing with the President, his civilian commander in chief. Such an action would have been impossible in Japan under the reign of the militarists which even the Emperor had to recognize.

02/06/28  Indians  (Timely Words 0430)

When Christopher Columbus made his historic trip across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492, he mistakenly thought that the land he reached was the Indies in Asia. Consequently, he called the natives of those islands "Indians." Later, when his mistake was recognized, the large group of islands between the continents of North and South America were called the West Indies, in contrast to the East Indies, which include India and other areas in southeast Asia. Thus, the word "Indian" now has two very different meanings. Nowadays, in the United States of America, it has become more acceptable to use the term "Native American" instead of "Indian" to refer to the native inhabitants of this land. There are a number of terms in American English that contain the word "Indian," including "Indian club," "Indian corn," "Indian file," "Indian giver," "Indian meal," "Indian pudding" and "Indian summer." One of the most embarrassing elements in American history is the way Native Americans were treated by the European invaders and colonists and how they have been dealt with over the years until the present time. There have been many treaties between native groups and government officials that have not been kept and the situation of many Native Americans on the reservations to which they were forced to move is even now pitiable and inexcusable. As we consider the state of affairs in our own and other lands, we can find many reasons for the frustration expressed by terrorists against authorities which have the power to effect changes that would alleviate unfair conditions of the past and present.

02/06/30  Monarchies  (Timely Words 0431)

A "monarchy" is an area over which there is a single ruler, or "monarch." If the ruler is called a "king" or "queen," the area over which the "monarch" rules may be called a "kingdom." In certain Arabic countries, rulers called "emirs" or "sultans" ruled over "emirates" or "sultanates." When territories extended over a wider area and included a variety of national units, the result was an "empire" ruled by an "emperor" or "empress." There have been many famous kingdoms and empires in the past and there are a number of countries called "kingdoms" today, but there is no longer an "empire" even though one country, Japan, continues to call its head of state an "emperor." Although the types of government in both Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are very similar, in the "World Almanac," Japan is said to have a "parliamentary democracy" while the United Kingdom has a "constitutional monarchy." In both countries, a clear distinction is made between the "head of state," (the "queen" in Great Britain, the "emperor" in Japan) and the "head of government." In both countries, the "head of government" is called a "prime minister." Article 1 of the Japanese Constitution clearly states that "The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power." A basic element in the teaching of Jesus was related to the "Kingdom of God." He told many parables about it, but in Luke 17: 20-21, he made clear that this kingdom has a spiritual rather than a political or geographical meaning.

02/07/02  Dollars and Cents  (Timely Words 0432)

The "dollar" is the basic monetary unit in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and over a dozen smaller countries. Although there were no dollars in Scotland when Macbeth was the Scottish king in the 11th century, they are mentioned in Shakespeare's drama about that king which was written four centuries later. Thus, we are reminded that the historical details of even great literature are not always accurate. The word "dollar" is derived from the name given to coins made at a mint in Bohemia, located in Joachimsthal, the valley of Joachim, or Joseph, early in the 16th century. The coins were called "Joachimsthalers", which was shortened to "thalers" and then called "dalers" by the Dutch, which became "dollars" in English. The symbol used for a dollar is a capital S with one or two vertical lines running through it. According to one theory, this symbol originated from a capital U written on a capital S to represent the U.S. However, the standard symbol now used by the U.S. government has only one vertical line. It seems that the line, or lines, were first drawn over the capital S to make a clear distinction between the U.S. coin and the Spanish peso, or "piece of eight" that bore the figure 8. A "cent" is a coin worth one-hundredth of a dollar. This word was purposely coined in 1762 in the American colonies to avoid use of the British term, "penny." In the King James Version of the Bible, the Roman coin, a "denarius" that Jesus used to make his point about whether or not to pay taxes to the Roman government, was translated as "penny" in Mark 12:15.

02/07/05  Yen and Sen  (Timely Words 0433)

In an English dictionary, I find two different words spelled y-e-n, which are pronounced the same. Both of them are derived from Chinese. One, derived from a Chinese word related to opium or smoke, signifies a deep longing or desire. The other, related to a Chinese word meaning "round," denotes the monetary unit used in Japan. Even though the economic state of Japan today is not as bright as it was a few years ago, there are still many people who have a yen for the yen and many workers from abroad enter the country to gain some yen. In Japanese, however, the pronunciation of this Chinese character, meaning "circle," is not "yen" but "en." It was in 1871 that the "yen," or "en," was officially designated the Japanese monetary unit. Although there is a smaller monetary unit worth one-hundredth of a yen called a "sen," one does not find coins or bills bearing this designation today. When my wife and I first went to Japan in 1951, small bills worth ten or fifty sen were sometimes received at a bank when we exchanged foreign currency, but even at that time, when the rate of exchange was 360 yen to one dollar, sen bills were not commonly used. The most common paper money at that time were the one, ten, fifty or one-hundred yen bills. Nowadays, coins have replaced these bills and one-thousand, five-thousand and ten-thousand yen bills have become more common. The value of the currency of any country fluctuates depending on many factors, but the advice of Jesus, in Matthew 6:19-21, was not to accumulate temporary treasures on earth, but to store up eternal treasures in heaven.

02/07/07  Democrats and Republicans  (Timely Words 0434)

Most countries in the world today are "republics" and many of them include that word in their formal names. In a republic, power rests in the hands of citizens who are entitled to vote. Such countries may be called "democracies" for they are ruled by the people. Generally speaking, a "democrat" or a "republican" is a person who supports a democratic or a republican form of government. In the United States of America, however, when these words begin with a capital letter, they designate members of a political party. When the U.S.A. was being developed, there was disagreement between "federalists," who favored a strong central government, and "anti-federalists," who preferred that power be exercised by local administrators. "Anti-federalists," who first called themselves "Democratic Republicans," formed the Democratic Party in 1828 and were opposed by the Republican Party which was formed in 1854. At the present time, however, Democrats tend to favor programs administered by the federal government while Republicans support the power of local governments. Since the presidential election of 1828, when the Democratic candidate, Andrew Jackson, was called a "jackass," the donkey has become the symbol of that party. And after a cartoon appeared in 1874, in which an elephant symbolized the strength of the Republican vote, that animal became a symbol of the Republican Party. There is no reference to an elephant in the Bible, but the donkey was the animal Jesus chose to ride when he entered Jerusalem to symbolize his peaceful intention. (Matthew 21:1-11).

02/07/09  A Golden Wedding Anniversary  (Timely Words 0435)

Both silver and gold are precious metals, but gold is more precious as seen in the old proverb, "Speech is silver, silence is golden." Also, the 25th anniversary of one's marriage is the "silver anniversary" and the 50th anniversary is the "golden anniversary." These days, the percentage of marriages that last for fifty years is becoming less and less. Three years ago, when my wife and I celebrated our golden anniversary, we were given blue T-shirts with the words "50 Years of Happiness" printed in large golden letters on the back. On our anniversary, we wore them when we visited a famous recreational area and were given special treatment and recognition. Many people congratulated us and expressed amazement that we had stayed together for such a long time. Recently, one of my older sisters celebrated her golden wedding anniversary. Her four children and their families who live in France, the Central African Republic and the United States of America, gathered at her home in North Carolina along with other relatives and friends to celebrate the happy occasion. My wife and I, along with our daughter who was visiting us from Thailand, drove there from Florida. Along the way, we stopped to visit a couple we had known in Japan and went with them to the Peach Festival, celebrated on the 4th of July, Independence Day. Others drove from the states of West Virginia, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania to attend. It was a very joyful time and together we thanked God for his blessing upon this couple who faithfully served as missionaries in Africa and whose children are also involved in Christian service.

02/07/12  Hummingbirds  (Timely Words 0436)

To "hum" is to make a low, continuous, murmuring sound like that of a bee or a prolonged "m" sound. A "humbug," however, is not a bug that hums. It is something done to deceive others, a hoax or sham. So what kind of a bird do you suppose a "hummingbird" is? The Japanese word for "hummingbird," pronounced "hachi-dori," consists of two Chinese characters, literally meaning "bee bird." A hummingbird is a very small bird with short wings and a long, narrow beak. It does not hum with its mouth but with its wings, which it flaps so rapidly that the wings seem blurred. According to my encyclopedia, which I find difficult to believe, hummingbirds can flap their wings between 50 and 75 beats per second and dart at speeds of up to 60 miles, or 97 kilometers, per hour. For the past couple of years, my wife and I have enjoyed looking out the window while eating our meals and seeing different kinds of birds that are attracted by our bird feeder. Along with sparrows and finches, there are cardinals, blue jays and woodpeckers. There are also cow birds and grackles, which we are not so fond of. Recently, we put up a new feeder for hummingbirds. It was almost a month after hanging the feeder under the eaves next to the window that we saw a hummingbird come and hover next to it. Then it stuck its long beak, with which it extracts nectar from flowers, into one of the holes to take a drink of the sweet liquid in the feeder. Now hummingbirds have been added to the list of birds we enjoy watching from our dining table and we thank God for the beauty and variety of the creatures that inhabit our world.

02/07/14  Giving Gifts  (Timely Words 0437)

A gift is something that is given voluntarily. It is presented as a present. In the United States of America, it is common to give gifts or present presents to celebrate special, happy occasions such as birthdays and weddings, graduations and promotions. In this way, we express our joy and congratulations to others. The most popular time to give gifts is at Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus, who Christians believe was God's gift to a sinful world. Japanese are considered a gift-giving people. Gifts are given on many occasions, not only to express gratitude and praise but also when seeking a favor. In modern Japan, as a result of Western influence, many people give Christmas presents and birthday presents, but traditionally, the gift giving seasons are at the end of the year and in the middle of the year. (Yearend gifts are called "seibo" and midyear gifts are called "chugen.") The gifts that are given at these times are to express thanks or appreciation for the friendship, help or consideration of others during the time that has passed. The Chinese characters for "chugen" literally mean "middle beginning" and are derived from the Chinese concept of an "early beginning" on January 15, a "late beginning" on October 15 and a "middle beginning" on July 15. These mid-year gifts are not only given to friends and relatives but to one's superiors in one's company and to teachers in schools. In Japan, the benefits received from deceased ancestors are also remembered at this time of year. At such a time, we may remember the words of Jesus recorded in Acts 20:35: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

02/07/17  Florida Ceded and Admitted  (Timely Words 0438)

My wife and I now live in the American state of Florida. The name of this state means "flowery" in Spanish and was given to this territory by the Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon, when he landed here in 1513. There are many beautiful flowers in this state, all of which develop from their own particular seeds. People interested in agriculture or gardening recognize the many different kinds of seeds from which plants grow. Those of us who enjoy eating fruit also recognize the special kind of seed found in a particular fruit. And students of the English language will be interested to know that the word "seed," spelled s-e-e-d, has a homonym spelled c-e-d-e.This "cede" means "to surrender possession of officially or formally." It was 181 years ago this week, on July 17, 1821, that the territory known as Florida was ceded by Spain to the United States of America. From 1763, following the Seven Years War in Europe, Britain controlled this territory for twenty years. It was during that time that the 13 American colonies revolted against Britain and Florida became a haven for Loyalists who sided with Britain. In 1845, Florida was admitted as the 27th state, but during the Civil War, it became one of the Confederate States of America that withdrew from the Union. Following the war, it was only after the political powers in Florida approving of slavery receded and Floridians conceded that former slaves should be allowed to vote that the state was readmitted to the Union in 1868. At the present time, a large percentage of the state's population has come from outside the state.

02/07/19  Introductions/Forward  (Timely Words 0439)

"Introduce" is derived from a Latin word meaning "lead into." There are many different kinds of "introductions." We may introduce a person we know to others who have not yet met that person. That is a personal "introduction." On a more general level, the "introduction" of a speaker usually precedes the speaker's speech at a formal gathering. The basic textbook of a particular course of study may also be called an "introduction," and there are specific words to denote the introductions to certain compositions or documents. The first lines of a discourse or play may be called a "prologue." The brief, formal introduction of a constitution or treaty may be called a "preamble." The first chapter of some books may serve as the "introduction" to the theme of the book, but other books have a short introductory section called a "preface" or a "foreword." Previously, there was no difference between these two words, one derived from Latin and the other an Anglo-Saxon word. Now, however, a "preface" is ordinarily written by the author and a "foreword" is written by someone else. "Foreword" has a homonym with a different spelling. This "forward" is the opposite of "backward" and denotes movement toward the front, going ahead. "Forward, March" is one of the basic military commands and the person with a healthy faith can always look forward to the future with hope. According to the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, chapter 7, verse 24, one of the shortcomings of the Israelites, the chosen people of God, was that, after receiving God's commands, "they went backward and not forward."

02/07/21  "For Whom the Bell Tolls"  (Timely Words 0440)

One kind of "toll" is the fixed charge that must be paid by drivers of cars when they drive on a tollway. Another kind of "toll" is the sound made by a large bell, including those in the bell towers of many old churches. Such church bells are usually tolled on Sunday mornings to inform the surrounding community that the worship service or mass is about to begin. But these bells may also be tolled when funerals are held, when someone in the community has passed away. In Europe long ago, it was common for townspeople to ask, when they heard the church bell ring on a weekday, who had passed away, for whom did the bell toll? "For whom the bell tolls" has become a famous phrase in the English language. It was first used in an essay by John Donne, the outstanding English poet who became a minister in the 17th century. In this devotional essay, he emphasized the interdependence of all human beings and of their importance to one another. In it, as was common in the literary English of that day, the archaic forms "thy," "thine" and "thee" are used instead of the "your" and "you" of modern English. Here is the meaningful quotation which should stimulate all readers to think about their own mortality and their relationship with others: "No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

02/07/24  Malls  (Timely Words 0441)

Famous places in the heart of London include the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. James' Palace and the National Gallery, all of which are located on or near streets or places with such famous names as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly and Pall Mall. The tall Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square commemorates the victory of the British fleet under the command of Lord Nelson over the allied fleets of France and Spain off the coast of Cape Trafalgar in southwestern Spain in 1805. At the end of Piccadilly is the amusement center of London called Piccadilly Circus. Pall Mall was the name of a game played on the street in front of St. James' Palace in the 17th century in which a boxwood ball was struck with a mallet (or mall) to drive it through an iron ring suspended at the end of an alley. The alley, or street, on which this game was played became the center of fashionable club life in London so the name "Pall Mall" became a symbol of elegance. There is another London street nearby that is called "The Mall" and nowadays, there are many "malls" in the United States of America and elsewhere. These "malls" are streets lined with many shops but closed to vehicles. Many malls have roofs over the street and are popular shopping centers. There is a mall about 24 kilometers from our home where we sometimes go to shop. There, I enjoy sitting on a bench to read while my wife visits the stores and shops. Another kind of "mall" is a heavy, long-handled hammer used to drive stakes, but when used as a verb, it may mean to handle roughly, bruise, tear or injure.

02/07/26  Walls  (Timely Words 0442)

In today's message, we move from "malls" to "walls." A "wall" is an upright structure made of some kind of building material to enclose, divide or protect an area. One of the best-known streets in New York City is Wall Street, which is the center of the city's financial district. In the surrounding area are major stock exchanges, brokerage houses and offices of many banking firms and large industrial corporations. Thus, the term "Wall Street" has come to designate U. S. financial interests. It is a short, narrow street with high buildings on both sides, which has caused some tourists to think that the name was given because the street seemed "walled in," but this is not so. Actually, there was a wall built there in 1653 by Dutch colonists to protect the settled area south of it from assault by English colonists and by Indians. A "wallflower" has nothing to do with Wall Street. It is a plant having yellow, orange or brown flowers, but this word is also used to denote a person who does not participate in the activity of a social event because of shyness or unpopularity. Robert Frost, one of the most popular American poets of the 20th century, who died in 1963 at the age of 89, wrote a very meaningful poem entitled "Mending Wall." The poem, which begins with the words, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," includes these words: "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know / What I was walling in or walling out / And to whom I was like to give offense. /Something there is that doesn't love a wall, / That wants it down." At the present time, there are too many "walls" between people which need to be eliminated.

02/07/28  Names of Months  (Timely Words 0443)

In calendars used throughout the world today, a year is divided into twelve units which are called "months" in English. The number of days in each month varies depending upon the month and the calendar used. In the Hebrew and Muslim calendars, months have 29 or 30 days. In the Gregorian calendar, seven months have 31 days, four have 30 days and one usually has 28 days, but every fourth year it has 29. Each of the calendars have different starting points and different names for the months. In the Hebrew calendar, this year is 5762. In the Muslim calendar, it is 1423, and in the Gregorian calendar it is 2002. In all calendars, each month has a special name, but the Japanese names of the months are very easy to remember because they simply combine the numbers from 1 to 12 with the word for "month" (or "moon"). The English names of the last four months of the year are derived from Latin names of the last four months of a ten-month year, so September, October, November and December are related to numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10. The name of this month of July is derived from the name of the Roman ruler, Julius Caesar, and that of the coming month of August is related to the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. This Caesar is noted in the New Testament account of Jesus' birth in the 2nd chapter of Luke. In Luke 20:25, in response to the question of whether taxes should be paid to Caesar, after noting that coins bore the image of Caesar, Jesus said: "give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's," which may be related to the statement in Genesis 1:27 that man was made "in the image of God."

02/07/31  Mother Goose  (Timely Words 0444)

A "goose" is a web-footed water bird with a shorter neck than that of a swan and a shorter, more pointed bill than that of a duck. More precisely, a "goose" is a female bird, distinguished from the male bird which is called a "gander." The largest animal of the deer family is called a "moose" and a loop formed in a rope by means of a slipknot so that it binds tighter as the rope is pulled. is called a "noose." Another example of the irregularity of English is evident when we compare the plural forms of "goose," "moose" and "noose." The plural of "goose" is "geese;" the plural of "moose" is "moose" and the plural of "noose" is "nooses." Many of the short, rhymed poems for children, called "nursery rhymes" are also known as "Mother Goose" rhymes. And who is, or was, Mother Goose? It is said that a book of rhymes, entitled "Mother Goose's Melodies for Children" was published in New England in 1719 by a man who called himself the son-in-law of Elizabeth Goose, but no copy of that book has been found. Rather, it seems that a French author, Charles Perrault, was the originator of this term for he published a collection of stories called "Tales of Mother Goose" in 1697. Although most nursery rhymes are nonsensical or foolish, some of them may have some meaning to consider or provide food for thought. For example, "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, / His wife could eat no lean; / And so between them both, you see, / They licked the platter clean." So it is that individuals, groups or nations with different instincts, talents or interests may work together for a beneficial result.

02/08/02  Airport  (Timely Words 0445)

There are five different English words spelled p-o-r-t. One denotes a kind of wine. Another signifies the left-hand side of a ship or aircraft facing forward. A third denotes the place on a waterway that provides a harbor for ships. Aircraft also need a place to take off or land and where passengers or cargo can be loaded or unloaded. Such a place is called an "airport." During the past month, my wife and I have made numerous trips to an airport about fifty miles from our home. Just one month ago, we went there to meet our daughter who had arrived from Thailand on a Saturday morning. The following Monday evening, we went there to pick up our neighbor who was returning with his granddaughter from a visit to Japan. Because their plane was delayed, we had to remain for a couple of hours in the airport area until they arrived after midnight. The following week, our two granddaughters, aged 16 and 14, arrived from Japan. Another granddaughter, who is 12 years old, was scheduled to arrive from New Mexico the following Sunday evening, but due to excessive rain in Texas, her flight was canceled. Due to the uncertain weather conditions, she was not permitted to take the flight the next day because she was traveling by herself, so she arrived on Tuesday evening. On Friday of that week, we took our daughter to the airport for her return flight to Thailand and on Tuesday of this week (July 30th), we took our granddaughters for their return flights to New Mexico and Japan. It has been a busy but enjoyable month for us. We are thankful for the nearby airport and for the safe trips of our family members.

02/08/04  Worship  (Timely Words 0446)

Some students of English in foreign countries have difficulty distinguishing words with very similar pronunciations. One example is the difference between "warship" and "worship." A "warship" is a combat ship used in war, but "worship" denotes the reverent love and allegiance accorded a deity. All religions engage in some form of worship, but the object of worship, the places and forms of worship are quite different. Among Christian churches also there are various forms of worship. In the Roman Catholic Church, the central form of worship is called "mass," which must be distinguished from "mess." The "mass" is a celebration of the "Eucharist," which, in Protestant churches is called "Communion" or "the Lord's Supper." In that ceremony, bread and wine, representing the body and blood of Jesus are received by the worshippers who, in this way, remember Jesus' death on the cross for their sins. Over the years, traditional forms become very standardized and many people identify rituals with worship. Without thinking of the meaning of the rituals or of the words they read, sing or hear, they think they are worshipping if they perform the rituals. Both the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament apostles and Jesus himself make clear, however, that true worship "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24) is not expressed in ritualistic forms but in daily acts of mercy and justice which manifest the character of God (Isaiah 1:11-17; Matthew 7:21; Mark 7:6-8; Matthew 23:23; James 1:26-27). "Actions speak louder than words." This was my sermon at Penney Memorial Church on Sunday, August 4th.

02/08/07  Live Oaks, Spanish, English  (Timely Words 0447)

According to my encyclopedia, there are about 300 species of oak trees. One wide-spreading, evergreen oak that is native to the southeastern United States has been given the interesting name of "live oak," presumably because there are green leaves on it all year round. There is a live oak tree down the street from our house. From the branches of this tree hang many long gray stems of a plant called "Spanish moss." Until I moved to this area, I was unacquainted with this "mosslike plant" which is also called "Florida moss." Since it is seen hanging from many trees and bushes in this area, I can imagine why it was given that name. Checking my dictionary, I find that there are a number of plants that begin with "Spanish," including Spanish bayonet, Spanish cedar, Spanish chestnut, Spanish needles and Spanish onion. There is also a fish called Spanish mackerel, a beetle called Spanish fly, a mild seasoning called Spanish paprika and a dish consisting of rice cooked with tomatoes, spices, chopped onions and green peppers called Spanish rice. Finding these names, I wondered why the spin that I often put on the tennis ball while playing tennis is called "English" (which some of my opponents who know my background call "Japanese"). I find that this adjective was first applied to a billiard ball that had been given a spin by hitting it off center and was probably used by non-English players to denote the tricky or deceitful effects of such a stroke by an Englishman. Englishmen have coined a number of insulting expressions beginning with "Dutch," which will be considered in a subsequent message.

02/08/09  Dutch and Irish  (Timely Words 0448)

The Netherlands is a European country located on the coast of the North Sea. Natives of the Netherlands are now called "Dutch," although this word, which can be traced back to a Gothic word meaning "tribe," originally was used for Germans. In the United States of America, even today, "Pennsylvania Dutch" is used for the German settlers in the state of Pennsylvania. Since the 17th century, this word has been applied to natives of the Netherlands. At that time, there was great rivalry between Great Britain and the Netherlands and their colonial empires and a number of derogatory terms were coined by the British that include the word "Dutch." A "Dutch uncle" is a person who bluntly and sternly lectures or scolds someone. "Dutch courage" is courage stimulated by drinking alcoholic liquor. A "Dutch treat" is an entertainment or party at which each participant pays his or her own expenses, which is also the meaning of the expression "go Dutch." "Dutch reckoning" denotes guesswork, "Dutch defense" means retreat or surrender and to be "in Dutch" means to be in difficulties or disfavor. Natives of the nation of Ireland are called "Irish" and there are expressions also related to this word. To "get one's Irish up" means to arouse one's temper and "Irish confetti" denotes the bricks thrown by one group of rascals at another group during a confrontation. "Irish potatoes" are white potatoes which are extensively cultivated in Ireland and are one of the ingredients of "Irish stew." "Dutch" and "Irish" have their particular implications, but both Dutchmen and Irishmen are a part of our global village.

02/08/11  Water  (Timely Words 0449)

Life as we know it would be inconceivable without the odorless, tasteless, transparent liquid called water, which in its solid form is called ice. Water covers about 70% of the earth's surface; most of the living tissue of human beings consists of water, including about 92% of blood plasma, 80% of muscle tissue, 60% of red blood cells and over half of most other tissues. Water has been called "a medicine for the cure of thirst," but not all water is good to drink. In the ballad about "The Ancient Mariner" sailing on the ocean by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is the famous line: "Water, water, every where / Nor any drop to drink." It is said that a person drinks about 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of water in a lifetime and that the average American uses about 168 gallons (636 liters) of water daily for drinking, washing, etc. All forms of life, both plant and animal life, require water to survive. Water may come down as rain from above, which in the Old Testament is called "showers of blessing" (Ezekiel 34:26), or it may issue from a spring underneath. In Jesus' conversation with a Samaritan woman, recorded in the Gospel of John, he contrasts the physical water that may be drawn from a well with the spiritual water he gives to those who ask: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again," he said, "but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (4:13-14). Later, he invited thirsty people to come to him and drink, saying that "streams of living water will flow from within" those who believe in him (7:38).

02/08/14  Commemorative Days  (Timely Words 0450)

Every country has special days to commemorate historical events that are considered important and worthy of remembrance. Last week, a couple of special days were observed in Japan that were generally ignored in the U.S.A. August 6th was the 57th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima and on August 9th, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. On those days, special memorial services were held at "peace parks" in those cities to commemorate those sad events and to pray for peace. In the U.S.A., memorial services are held in some cities on December 7th, known as "Pearl Harbor Day", commemorating the Japanese attack on the naval vessels and airplanes at Pearl Harbor on that day in 1941. On August 14,1945, the week after the atomic bombings and the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan, the Japanese government agreed to the unconditional surrender terms of the Allied Forces which brought an end to the Pacific War and to World War II. That "V-J (Victory over Japan) Day," occurred three months after the war ended in Europe on May 8th, which is known as "V-E Day." V-J Day is commemorated in some American cities and is even celebrated as a legal holiday in a couple of states. Although August 14th was the day the fighting stopped, it was about three weeks later, on September 2nd (Japan time), that the formal ratification of surrender took place on an American battleship in Tokyo Bay, marking the official end of the war. Ideally, commemorating these events should strengthen the resolve to work for world peace, but is it so?

02/08/16  Port and Starboard  (Timely Words 0451)

As noted in a previous message, "port" may denote a kind of wine—sweet, dark-red wine. Another word spelled and pronounced the same denotes a harbor for ships. Another homonym means "to carry," so if something is "portable," it is easily carried. And yet another meaning of "port" is the opening in an armored vehicle or fortified structure through which weapons may be fired. Such openings may be called "portholes." There are "portholes" in the walls of forts and on the sides of warships. Now, however, the small, circular openings in the side of any ship to admit light or air are also called "portholes." Such openings are not only found on the "port" side of the ship, which is the left-hand side of a ship when facing forward and the opposite of "starboard." The word "starboard" has nothing to do with stars. Rather, it is derived from Anglo-Saxon words meaning "steer side" for the oarsman who steered the boat stood on the right side near the stern. Originally, the left side of the boat was called "larboard," probably because that was the side of the ship on which cargo was loaded, or laded. Because the similar pronunciation of these two opposites led to confusion and possibly to some collisions, the word "port" was chosen to replace "larboard." The "port" side was the side which usually faced the port when the boat was docked. The words denoting the front and back of a boat, "bow" and "stern" are derived from German or Scandinavian roots. While a child makes a bow in the bow, his father may look stern in the stern. As any student of English is aware, English is a very complicated language to say the least.

02/08/18  Titles for Teachers  (Timely Words 0452)

In all languages, those who are given the responsibility of instructing others, who are recognized as teachers, are given respected titles. In Japanese, the title is "sensei," composed of two Chinese characters meaning "born before." Obviously, a teacher was "born before" the one being taught. This title is not only used for teachers; it is also used for doctors, lawyers and other respected "elders." In recent years, to my bewilderment, it is used even for politicians. In India, the title of respect, translated into English as "master" or "sir," is "sahib." Titles for religious teachers have various implications depending on the religion. "Ayatollah," meaning "divine sign" or "miracle" in Persian, is the title of an Islamic religious leader of the Shiite sect. The ordained spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation is a "rabbi," meaning "my master." The most critical words of Jesus (recorded in the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew) were not related to irreligious lawbreakers but to hypocritical religious leaders who loved "to have men call them 'Rabbi.'" Jesus instructed his disciples that they should not be called "Rabbi" for they have only one Master and they are brothers. Nor should they call anyone "Father" or "Teacher" for they have but one Father, who is in heaven, and only one Teacher, who is the Christ. He taught that "the greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (verses 7-12). The most effective teacher is not one who glories in a title, but one who humbly seeks to be a means of help to others.

02/08/21  Ice Cream Social  (Timely Words 0453)

There are many activities in this retirement community throughout the year for residents to participate in. Some are intellectually stimulating, such as book reviews, lectures or study groups. Others appeal to those with particular interests such as painting, weaving, working with wood, ceramics or stained glass. There are groups for residents with special talents related to vocal or instrumental music, drama or writing. Sports include shuffleboard, golf and tennis. Some events aim simply to provide opportunities for social contact and fellowship. Such informal gatherings may be called "socials." During the summer, when many residents travel, there are fewer specialized activities, but there are monthly socials. Months ago, my wife was asked to organize the Ice Cream Social to be held in the meeting hall on August 14th. As the time drew near, she organized a committee to help in the planning and preparation. Over twenty tables and more than a hundred chairs had to be arranged beforehand to accommodate an uncertain number of attendees. As a member of the Clown Group, she asked the other five clowns to help decorate, greet the people wearing their clown costumes and present a few skits. Others were asked to serve the six different kinds of ice cream available at the serving table. Her husband was asked to serve as the leader. Afterward, the tables had to be removed, the decorations taken down and the chairs rearranged for an evening meeting. We are happy and relieved that all went well and that the more than one hundred who attended seemed to enjoy the program and the refreshments.

02/08/23  Crows  (Timely Words 0454)

We see many different kinds of birds in the trees and on the lawns of this retirement community. Among them are the large black birds called crows, which are not the most popular. Crows are about 19 inches, or 49 centimeters, long, but they have a wingspan of over 3 feet, or 92 centimeters. The sound they make is called a "caw," but when used as a verb, "crow" may mean either to make a shrill cry or to brag or boast. There are a number of expressions that include this word. "As the crow flies" means the shortest distance between two places, although it is questionable if a crow really flies in a straight line. "To eat crow" means to be forced into a humiliating situation, to admit you were mistaken or defeated. Wrinkles at the outside corner of the eye may be called "crow's feet" and a "crow's nest" is the small lookout platform near the top of the mast of a sailing ship from which a crew member may see far away. Crows are said to be the most intelligent of all birds. They are easily tamed and can learn to mimic some human sounds. Recently, a newspaper article appeared that related the surprising report of an ornithologist. Crows that saw food at the bottom of a glass tube picked up short pieces of wire and bent them into hooks in order to obtain the food. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that we should not worry about things, but trust our heavenly Father to provide our needs. "Look at the birds of the air," he said. "They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26).

02/08/26  St. Louis  (Timely Words 0455)

In my high school class, there were two boys who had the same surname, Robinson, and although their given names were also pronounced the same, they were spelled differently. One was spelled L-e-w-i-s and the other was spelled L-o-u-i-s. In our conversations, we sometimes spoke of "black-haired Lewey" or "brown-haired Louie." "Lewis" is the anglicized form of a French name that has a different pronunciation. The largest city in the state of Missouri, one of the main ports along the Mississippi River, is St. Louis, which has the French spelling but the English pronunciation. There were 18 kings of France named Louis. One of the greatest and best-loved was Louis IX, who is recognized as a "saint" in the Roman Catholic Church. He became king in 1226 at the age of 14, following the death of his father, Louis VIII. A man of great piety, renowned for his justice and charity, he also participated in the Crusades to recover the Holy Land from Muslims. He died in 1270 on August 25th, which was designated his feast day when he was officially proclaimed a "saint" 27 years later. Nowadays, a "saint" is considered an extremely virtuous person or one who has been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, but in the New Testament, all believers in Christ were called "saints" as is evident in Acts 9:32 and in the greetings found in the first verses of Paul's letters to the churches in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi and Colosse. The word "saint" is derived from a Greek word meaning "holy, separated for a divine purpose" and this should be characteristic of all disciples of Christ.

02/08/28  Hamburger/Frankfurter/Hot Dog  (Timely Words 0456)

A couple of the most common foods served at fast-food restaurants or at sports events are "hamburgers" and "frankfurters," or "hot dogs." Both of them include a certain kind of meat inserted in a bun. "Hamburgers" are round and flat while "frankfurters," or "hot dogs," are round and long. Can you imagine the origin of these words? "Hamburgers" and "frankfurters" are related to the German cities where they first appeared. "Hamburg steak," made of ground beef, was brought to the United States of America by German immigrants in the middle of the 19th century. When put in a bun, it was called a "hamburger." During the First World War, when things with German names were not popular, the "Hamburg steak" was renamed "Salisbury steak" in honor of an English dietitian who had created a nutritious meat patty. The smoked sausage of beef made in long, reddish links originated in Frankfurt and when placed in buns was called a "frankfurter." Smaller sausages made of beef and pork which came from the Austrian city of Vienna were called "wienerwurst" (Vienna sausage), which was later shortened to "wiener." But now, the more common name for either "frankfurters" or "wieners" is "hot dog." A hundred years ago, the frankfurters sold at the Polo Grounds in New York City were called "red hots." After a newspaper cartoonist drew a "red hot" in the shape of the long dachshund dog, which was first bred in Germany and had become a symbol for things German, the term "hot dog" became popular. Nowadays, "hot dog" is also used as an informal interjection to express satisfaction or enthusiasm.

02/08/30  Knickknacks  (Timely Words 0457)

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, but some of them are used much more than others. In a dictionary of the English language, the shortest section is that of words beginning with the letter x. Other sections with few words are those beginning with y, z, q and k. The pronunciations of some consonants change when they are combined with certain other consonants. Note for example, the difference in pronunciation of words beginning with c, p and s if an h is inserted after the first letter. "Cat" becomes "chat," "pony" becomes "phony" and "sell" becomes "shell." In the case of a k followed by an n, however, the pronunciation of the k is completely eliminated, so the following words are pronounced the same: nap/knap, nave/knave, night/knight, nit/knit and not/knot. Which brings us to the subject of this message: "knickknacks." This word was formed from a reduplication of "knack," which may mean "a specific talent for doing something" or "a cleverly designed device." The definition of a "knickknack" is "a small, ornamental article." In the homes of many people who have traveled to foreign lands, there are places where knickknacks are displayed. In our house, we have shelves full of knickknacks. Most of them are from Japan, but others are from Europe and Africa as well as Latin America. Looking at these small articles stimulates memories of the places from which they were brought and of the situation or conditions which they symbolize. Although for Christians, the symbol of the cross would not be considered a knickknack, viewing it does stimulate deep and meaningful thought.

02/09/01  Faults and Earthquakes  (Timely Words 0458)

In Japan, the amazing power of nature is evident. Not only are there typhoons and volcanic eruptions, there are also times when the earth quakes. This is the fault of faults which lie below the earth's surface. Common meanings of "fault" are a weakness, defect, mistake or error and responsibility for something offensive. Some "faults" have serious consequences and cause great economic or moral damage. Another kind of "fault," however, is a break in the rock formation of the earth's crust. It is movement of this kind of "fault" that causes earthquakes which may cause great physical damage. September 1st is remembered in different ways in the West and in Japan. It was the day in 1939 that German troops invaded Poland and the Second World War began. This was the fault of Adolf Hitler. On this day in 1923, a severe earthquake occurred in the Tokyo/Yokohama area. As a result of that earthquake and the fires that resulted from it, over 100,000 people lost their lives and over 560,000 homes were destroyed. In the Earthquake Memorial Hall in Tokyo, charred bones of victims are kept in huge urns and scenes of the disaster are displayed. Now, September 1st is "Disaster Prevention Day" in Japan and citizens are encouraged to consider how to prevent disasters and to be prepared for them when they occur. In Mark 13:8, Jesus prophesied that earthquakes would occur in various places in the future, but a story recorded in I Kings19:11-12 teaches us that God not only reveals himself in such natural powers as wind, earthquake or fire, but in a "gentle whisper" to those with receptive minds or hearts.

02/09/03  Photograph Albums  (Timely Words 0459)

One of the tasks I expected to accomplish following my retirement was to organize, classify and preserve in an orderly way the many photographs we had accumulated over a number of years. They included pictures of our family and friends, of school and church activities, of picturesque scenes or social events in Japan, the United States of America and other countries. We do have numerous photograph albums full of such pictures but in recent years, we did not find or take the time to put later pictures into albums. Fortunately, my wife did write dates on the back of pictures so we do have an idea of their chronological order. Now, as albums and snapshots are taking up space in a corner of our living room, I have been stimulated to consider the difference between a "photograph" and a "snapshot" and the meaning of "album." Here I will share with you the result of my etymological investigation. As you know, there are a number of words beginning with the prefix "photo," from the Greek word for "light," and a number of other words ending with the suffix "graph," from the Greek word for "write." A "photograph" is "an image recorded by a camera;" a "snapshot" is "a photograph taken with a small hand-held camera." "Album," meaning "blank tablet" in Latin, comes from the Latin word for "white" and denotes "a book or binder with blank pages for the insertion and preservation of collections, as of stamps, photographs, or autographs." The task of arranging hundreds of snapshots of different sizes and putting them into albums is both confusing and amusing and stimulates both happy and sad memories.

02/09/06  Soft Drinks  (Timely Words 0460)

In my dictionary, there are 22 different definitions of the adjective "hard." Some of these major definitions have 2, 3 or 4 secondary definitions for a total of 37 definitions altogether. One of them, number 16 in the list, is: "having high alcoholic content; intoxicating." Since the opposite of "hard" is "soft," a "soft drink" is "a nonalcoholic, usually carbonated beverage." A "carbonated beverage" is a beverage that has been charged with carbon dioxide gas, which makes it fizzle. There are many different kinds of carbonated beverages, including those called "colas" because they contain an extract prepared from kola nuts. "Coca Cola" (or "coke"), "Pepsi Cola" and other soft drinks are available from vending machines in many American schools, but because drinking too much of these carbonated beverages is not good for one's health, there is a movement to have such machines taken out of the schools. Because such soft drinks contain sodium, they are also called "soda." When the top of a bottle of soda is suddenly removed, there is a "pop," so such a drink is also called "soda pop," or simply "pop." A recent newspaper article reported that there seems to be a regional difference in the use of these terms. "Soda" is more commonly used in the Northeast and California, "pop" is more common in the Midwest and "coke" is popular in the South where it is not used only for "Coca Cola." In the Dining Hall in this retirement community, at mealtime, we may choose to drink milk, coffee or a variety of "soft drinks." For our noon meals, my wife usually chooses coffee and I choose cranberry juice.

02/09/09  Nimrod and Babel  (Timely Words 0461)

Since the Bible is such an influential book in English-speaking countries, it is not surprising that the origin of many English words and expressions can be traced to this book. Two such words are derived from stories found in the 10th and 11th chapters of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. In chapter 10, verses 8-10, mention is made of "Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth," "a mighty hunter before the Lord." From this short account, the word "nimrod," as a common noun, is found in the dictionary and defined as "a hunter." According to a magazine article, "Italy has the world's second highest concentration of hunters, after the tiny island of Malta, with each Italian nimrod stalking an average hunting area about the size of two football fields." The first 9 verses of chapter 11 report how an original common language understood by all peoples became confused at the "Tower of Babel." As a result, the common noun "babel" has come to mean "a confusion of sounds or voices, a scene of noise and confusion." So we find the statement in another magazine article that "they speak a babel of languages: Czech, Romanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, German." There are various reasons why people read and study the Bible. Many earnest Jews and Christians read it daily to find spiritual truth, enlightenment, comfort and guidance. But it is well for all who desire to deepen their understanding of English literature, the English language and the thinking of Western nations to become acquainted with the teaching and outlook of the Bible. I hope these "Timely Words" messages will be helpful for that purpose.

02/09/11  Scoring in Tennis  (Timely Words 0462)

Recently, the Sports section of American newspapers have featured an annual tennis tournament called the "U.S. Open," which is "open" to both professional and amateur tennis players. Important matches have also been shown on television. This outdoor sport which is now played on grass (either natural or artificial), clay or asphalt courts, probably evolved from an indoor game played by French royalty in the late 15th century. It became popular as an outdoor game in England and the United States of America in the latter part of the 19th century. Tennis is played by two players (singles) or by four (doubles) on a court with a net in the middle. The tennis ball is hit over the net using a tennis racquet. One of the intriguing aspects of tennis is the strange method of scoring. Scoring begins with "love," meaning zero, and then jumps to 15, 30 and 40. If the opponent's score is less than 40, the next point after 40 is the winning point, but if both sides are tied at 40, two consecutive points are required to win the game. It seems that the numbers used in scoring are derived from the four quarters of an hour, with "45" being shortened to "40" because it was easier to say. It is said that the English word "love" used for zero is derived from the French word, l'oeuf, meaning "egg" which is the shape of a zero. Another theory, however, maintains that the term is rooted in the expression "to play for money or to play for love," meaning to play for money or for nothing. It is true that true love does not require anything in return, but love cannot be equated with "nothing" for love is truly priceless, or invaluable.

02/09/14  Primaries and Memories  (Timely Words 0463)

This week, the minds of citizens of the United States of America were focused on two significant events. One was related to politics and will influence the future path this country will follow. The other was related to memories of a catastrophe of the past. Prior to national elections held on "the Tuesday after the first Monday in November," primary elections are held to select candidates from the various political parties for national and local offices. On Tuesday, the 10th of September, voters went to the polls in their districts to vote for the candidates they preferred. On Wednesday, September 11th, memorial services were held to commemorate the terrorist attacks one year ago that killed many innocent people. Thus, with a look both at the past and the future, the role to be played by this country in world affairs is now under consideration. As we look backward and forward, conscientious citizens of this land must face the question of what is truly "primary" in our thinking. "Primary" not only denotes what is first in a time sequence, but what is first in importance. At the present time, the U.S.A. is universally recognized as the primary national power in the world but considering presumptuous actions of world powers in the past, it is important to get our priorities right as we think about the future and focus on what is "primary." A word from the Lord proclaimed centuries ago by the prophet, Jeremiah, was: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls" (Jeremiah 6:16).

02/09/16  Jeremiah, the Prophet  (Timely Words 0464)

The Christian Bible is divided into two major divisions: Old Testament and New Testament. A "testament" is a covenant, or binding agreement between man and God. The "Old Covenant," centered in the law, was revealed through Moses. The "New Covenant" was revealed in Jesus Christ. The first part of the Old Testament contains the "Law of Moses." The last part is composed of messages communicated by men called "prophets." Although "prophet" may denote "a person who foretells the future, one who 'speaks before'," in the Bible, the basic meaning is "one who 'speaks forth' God's word, a spokesman for God," whether the content be related to matters in the future, the present or the past. A major prophet in the Old Testament was Jeremiah, who communicated messages from God for over 41 years, during the reigns of the last 5 kings of the southern kingdom of Judah. His divine calling is recorded in the first chapter of the book that bears his name. Although he was reluctant to accept God's appointment, God promised to be with him and inspire him. Included in Jeremiah's prophecies were many exhortations for people to reform their ways and obey the divine commands in order to receive God's blessings, but the people refused to do so and, consequently, received God's judgment. Because of his harsh words, Jeremiah was a very unpopular prophet who was persecuted for his stern sermons. Although he complained to the Lord and desired to stop prophesying (Jeremiah 20:7-18), he felt unable to do so and continued his faithful ministry to the end, leaving us a good example to follow God's call despite difficulties.

02/09/18  Iraq  (Timely Words 0465)

There are different theories regarding so-called "cradles of civilization," where writing and other cultural achievements were begun and developed. Such presumed "cradles" include China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. The ancient country of Mesopotamia, whose name is derived from Greek words meaning "between rivers," was located in what is now called the Middle East in the area of two important rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Mesopotamia was the center of the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian empires so there is much of world history that can be traced to this place. The attention of the world is once again focused on this land, which is now called Iraq. Under British control following the First World War, Iraq gained its independence in 1932. Subsequently, it has had numerous confrontations with neighboring countries and with ethnic groups within. Because of its abundant oil reserves, it has become an important influence in world affairs. In 1979, Saddam Hussein became president and has remained in power ever since. Following Iraq's unilateral assimilation of Kuwait in 1990, a U.S.-led coalition forced its withdrawal. Since that time, Iraq has been considered a threat to world stability because of the powerful weapons it is thought to possess. How to counter the possible danger that implies is a problem that must be considered, but unilateral action by one country is not advisable. Hopefully, we can learn from the disastrous mistakes of overconfident international powers of the past who considered themselves umpires as well as empires.

02/09/19  Eggs  (Timely Words 0466)

There are many different kinds of eggs which are produced by female birds, fish, reptiles, insects or mammals. A number of words or expressions include "egg" in them. An "eggplant" is a plant which bears a large, egg-shaped, purple-skinned fruit that is eaten as a vegetable. An "eggnog" is a drink consisting of milk and beaten eggs, commonly mixed with rum, brandy or wine. An "egghead" is a slang term, sometimes used for a man who is bald, but it may also denote an intellectual, usually used in a derogatory way by anti-intellectuals. "Egg" is also a slang term for a person; we may say that a certain person is a "good egg." The expression "lay an egg," however, means "to fail completely" and is usually used in reference to a performance in front of an audience, whether by a theatrical group performing a drama or a comedian telling a joke. To "lay an egg" means the performance was a failure. The anticipated response did not occur so the performers were disappointed and embarrassed. This expression seems to be rooted in the British game of cricket, where a player who failed to score was said to have "achieved a duck's egg," meaning zero, for a zero resembles the shape of a "duck's egg." In the United States of America, the term "goose egg" became the more popular term for zero and scoreboards often include "goose eggs" on them. It is from fertilized eggs that new life is produced and the colorful "Easter eggs" associated with the Christian feast of Easter were originally meant to symbolize the new life represented in the resurrection of Christ which is commemorated at that time.

02/09/21  Solstice and Equinox  (Timely Words 0467)

Each of the four seasons of the year have a definite starting point. Summer and winter begin with a "solstice," derived from Latin words meaning "sun stand," the days in June and December when the sun seems to stand still and subsequent days become longer or shorter. Spring and autumn begin with an "equinox," derived from Latin words meaning "equal night," the days in March and September when day and night are equal. In Japan, both the vernal and autumnal equinoxes are national holidays, the center of a week during which memorial rites are held in cemeteries, Buddhist temples and private homes to pay respect to ancestors and other family members who have passed away. This week is called "higan" in Japanese, meaning "yonder shore," for in Japanese Buddhist thought, life with worldly worries, sins and death is on this side of a dividing stream while the "pure land," where spirits of the departed go, is on the "yonder shore." This "paradise" is believed to be located in the west, the direction in which the sun seems to set directly on an equinox. Christians also remember with gratitude departed loved ones, but do not "worship" them. In the beginning of chapter 12 of the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews, we find this exhortation, following a chapter relating stories of faithful believers who had died: "since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses . . . let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." While remembering the departed, Christian "worship" is directed to God alone, who was revealed in Jesus, the Christ.

02/09/24  Flag Burning Ceremony  (Timely Words 0468)

A recent newspaper article attracted my attention and reminded me of a Japanese custom. The article reported on a flag burning ceremony performed at the National Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida. This flag burning was not a form of protest but a sign of respect. Following the terrorist attacks of last year, many people bought national flags to manifest their patriotic spirit and love for their country and its traditions. The ceremony was held to remind citizens that the "Stars and Stripes" should not simply be thrown into the trash along with coffee grounds and soup cans but should be disposed of in a more respectful manner. According to the U.S. Flag Code, the proper way to "retire" aging American flags that are faded or torn is by burning. The article noted that the black smoke that rose from the burning flags almost reached the flag that flapped at half-mast on a nearby flagpole while about 125 people, including battle-scared veterans and school-age children watched. After the ceremony, organizers collected the ashes and took them to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to be scattered at sea. I was reminded of the Japanese ceremony observed by tailors, dressmakers or housewives to dispose of broken needles that have served their purpose. To show respect for these inanimate objects, they are not simply thrown away. Rather, they are stuck into a piece of soybean curd (tofu), then wrapped in paper and taken to a shrine or to the sea for burial. Customs vary depending on culture and tradition, but we should try to understand customs different than our own.

02/09/28  "Great" Britain  (Timely Words 0469)

The adjective "great" is usually used before nouns to denote something of a large size, having many units or of outstanding importance. The word "Britain" denotes the territories of England, Wales and Scotland. Since the island on which these three territories are located is not large, the significance of this word in the name "Great Britain" is quite obvious. At one time, Great Britain was the center of the British Empire, or British Commonwealth of Nations, which included the present independent countries of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Africa and Ghana. It is interesting that the terms denoting each of the three divisions within Great Britain have been transformed into slang words with negative meanings. Citizens of the northern territory of Scotland prefer to be called Scots or Scotsmen rather than Scotch or Scotchmen for, as an adjective, "scotch" may mean stingy and as a noun, it may denote a certain kind of whiskey. Citizens of the small, western territory of Wales are known as Welshmen. When used as a common verb "welsh" means to fail to fulfill an obligation, to cheat or swindle by failing to pay a bet or other debt. And the term "english" is used to signify the spinning motion given to a ball in billiards, bowling, tennis or ping-pong, which is considered a bit deceitful. Obviously, in the minds of those who coined these slang terms, citizens of the various territories of "Great Britain" were not considered so "great." According to the teaching of Jesus, found in Mark 10:43, to become great, one must become a servant.

02/10/02  U.S.A. Motto  (Timely Words 0470)

Newcomers to the United States of America may be surprised to see the words "In God We Trust" on all the currency in this country, whether paper money or coins. It was in 1956 that the United States Congress designated these words as the national motto, but they had appeared on some coins since 1861, from the time of the American Civil War. A "motto" is "a brief statement used to express a principle, goal or ideal." This word entered English from Italian, but it is rooted in a Latin word meaning "mutter," and in some cases, mottoes are simply muttered without thinking of their meaning. Many organizations, companies and communities have a motto and every state in the U.S.A. has a state motto. When my hometown of Zion in the state of Illinois was founded as a Christian community one hundred years ago, the motto chosen for the town was "God Reigns," and this motto was included in the town seal which was affixed to all official documents. About ten years ago, a member of an atheist association brought a legal suit against the town charging that the seal violated the separation of church and state. He won the suit, but then the town council changed the motto to "In God We Trust." The judge then rejected the complaint of the accuser, stating that although these words suggest the same intention and message as the previous motto, they do not convey a religious meaning for it is a common civil phrase and the Supreme Court had already refused to hear an appeal on the constitutionality of the phrase. Actually, many people who use American money are trusting in money rather than God.

02/10/04  Providential Rescue  (Timely Words 0471)

This amazing story which appeared in the Los Angeles Times reminds us that not all recent events are sad ones. A U.S. Navy ship on counternarcotics patrol about 500 kilometers off the coast of the Central American country of Costa Rica received word from a drug hunting airplane that a broken down sailboat was bobbing in the water not far away. The frigate approached the sailboat and lowered a small boat to investigate. On the sailboat was a 62-year-old man who had come to the U.S.A. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1976. He had left Long Beach, California in his 8-meter long sailboat for a 35-kilometer trip to an island which should have taken about three hours, but a storm caused the mast to break. His outboard motor and radio also failed. During the next three-and-a-half months he had drifted about 4000 kilometers. Since he had no family and had not filed a sailing plan, he was not reported missing. He collected rain water in a bucket to drink and caught fish and sea birds which he roasted on a makeshift grill made from wood paneling he tore off his boat. During the day, he stayed below deck to keep out of the sun, but since his solar-powered generator worked, he was able to watch videos on his small television set. When rescued, he refused medical treatment and only wanted a new sail and mast so he could continue sailing. He thought he was somewhere near Hawaii. The sailors convinced him that his sailboat was beyond repair and dropped him off in Guatemala, where he was able to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles with money they had collected for him, so the story has a happy ending.

02/10/06  "The Lamb of God"  (Timely Words 0472)

Every language has its own characteristics. In some ways, Japanese is more complicated than English. One of the difficult features of written Japanese is the hundreds of Chinese characters that are used and the different pronunciations of those characters. The pronunciation of the Japanese syllabic symbols (kana), however, are very regular. In contrast, English has an alphabet of only 26 letters, but the spelling and pronunciation of English words is very irregular. In some ways, the use of Chinese characters makes communication much simpler. The addition of a character meaning "male," "female" or "small" before characters meaning "horse," "cattle," "deer" or "sheep," for example, convey meanings which require completely different words in English. A male horse is a "stallion;" a female horse is a "mare;" and a young horse is a "foal." In the case of cattle, the male is a "bull," the female is a "cow" and a young cow or bull is a "calf." The words used for deer are: "stag," "doe" and "fawn," while those for sheep are: "ewe," "ram" and "lamb." Japanese speakers of English find it difficult to distinguish the "r" and "l" sounds, so "ram" and "lamb" are often confused. In the Old Testament, both rams and lambs were offered as sacrifices to God to receive forgiveness for sins committed. In the 53rd chapter of the book of Isaiah, the suffering servant of the Lord is described as both "a lamb" and "a sheep." This chapter is the background of the statement of John, the Baptist, in the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 29, in reference to Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

02/10/09  Political Expressions  (Timely Words 0473)

Certain words or expressions have developed particular meanings in American politics. A "lame duck," for example, is an elected official who continues in office during the period between his failure to be re-elected and the inauguration of his successor. A "mugwump" is a politician who refuses to follow the directives of a particular political party. "Gerrymander" means to divide a voting area in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to one political party. And "Tammany Hall" denotes political corruption, improper or unethical conduct by elected officials. How did that term acquire that negative meaning? Actually, Tammany was the name of a 17th century chief of a Native American tribe who was noted for his wisdom and "St. Tammany" was the name given to anti-British groups before the revolution, ridiculing loyalist societies named for saints. The Tammany Society was founded in 1789 as an exclusive social club to champion democracy and to oppose aristocratic tendencies. It became an effective political group under Aaron Burr and played an important role in the election of Thomas Jefferson as president in 1800. The Tammany Society met in Tammany Hall which became the headquarters of the Democratic Party in New York City and State. During the 19th century, this party was associated with widespread corruption and "Tammany Hall" became a figurative expression to denote wholesale and widespread political or municipal malpractice. Some proper names are associated with positive or negative feelings. So it is that we do not hear of boys in Christian families named Judas.

02/10/10  Sports Day  (Timely Words 0474)

In Japan, traditional festivities were held on days of odd-numbered months that corresponded to the number of the month: January 1st, March 3rd, May 5th, July 7th, September 9th. The "Double Tenth Day" is a holiday in Taiwan, commemorating the revolution that resulted in the establishment of the Republic of China and since 1966, it has also been a holiday in Japan: "Physical Education Day." In Japanese thought, a well-rounded education includes the development of intellectual, moral, aesthetic and physical capabilities. Previously, the first Saturday in October was known as "Sports Day," but the date was changed to October 10th and became a national holiday following the Tokyo Olympics which began on that day in 1964. The most popular Japanese sports are baseball and soccer, or football. In the United States of America, baseball, American football and basketball are the most popular team sports. In my school days, I considered these "seasonal sports": baseball during spring and summer, football during fall and basketball in the winter. In my high school days, I played on both the baseball and basketball teams, but I was not attracted to football for two reasons: it was a rough game and practice sessions began before the end of the summer vacation when I was still working at a summer job. There are also individual sports such as tennis, golf and "sumo" which attract enthusiastic observers. In the New Testament book of I Timothy, chapter 4, verse 8, we find these words: "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

02/10/13  Labyrinth  (Timely Words 0475)

Fish have gills which enable them to breathe while in water and most fish cannot exist for very long out of water. Certain kinds of fish found in Africa and Southeast Asia, however, are able to remain out of water for several days. They are able to walk with jerky movements and may even climb low trees. Such fish, called "walking fish," or "climbing perch," are members of the "labyrinth fish family" for they have a labyrinthine chamber over their gills that enables them to absorb atmospheric oxygen. A "labyrinth" is an intricate structure of winding passages that is hard to follow without losing one's way. In ancient times, such structures were built in Egypt, Italy and on the island of Crete to confuse people who entered them. In 1800 B.C.E., an Egyptian king built himself a funeral temple in the form of a great labyrinth having 3000 apartments. A small labyrinth made of high hedges is an attraction of Hampton Court in London. This weekend at Penney Retirement Community is "Spiritual Enrichment Weekend." A special speaker is giving messages on "The Fulfilled Life," based on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters of the Gospel of Matthew and strips of canvas have been laid on the floor of the meeting hall to make a "Prayer Labyrinth." On Saturday morning and afternoon, residents may quietly and slowly walk along the complex, circuitous route to the center of the labyrinth while meditating or praying and then retrace their steps to the entrance, passing other walkers along the way. In this way, prayer and meditation have both a private and public character.

02/10/16  Weekend  (Timely Words 0476)

Following last week's message entitled "Sports Day," I received word from Japan that that Japanese holiday had been changed from October 10th to the 2nd Monday of October. This change took place after my wife and I left Japan in 1999. I presume the holiday was changed for the same reason that "Columbus Day" was changed in the United States of America from October 12th to the 2nd Monday of October in 1968. The reason this and some other public holidays were changed to Mondays was to provide citizens with three-day weekends. Which raises the question of what is a "weekend?" The 7-day week (beginning with Sunday and ending with Saturday) is followed in Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions because of the Old Testament story of the earth's creation in 6 days, followed by a day of rest, or "Sabbath." In the "Ten Commandments," we read: "in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:11). For Jews, Saturday, the 7th day, is the holy day. Christians observe Sunday as the Lord's Day, for it was on the first day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead. Muslims observe Friday as the day of gathering at mosques to pray, for it was on the 6th day that Adam (man) was created. Nowadays, in many countries, Sunday is considered a "holiday" if not a "holy day," and Saturday also has become a kind of rest day. It may seem strange to use the word "weekend" to denote the period from Friday evening to Sunday evening or Monday morning, but that's the way it is.

02/10/18  Friesland and the Frisians  (Timely Words 0477)

The English word "symposium" is derived from Greek words meaning "with" and "drink." Thus, it means "to drink together." 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. At a recent symposium, the topic was "Friesland and the Frisians." The speaker was a resident who was born in Friesland and lived there until she was 15 years old when she emigrated with her family to Canada. Before her retirement, she had taught for 33 years in Christian schools in Dutch Guyana and Japan. Friesland is a province of the Netherlands, as are North and South Holland, and she made a clear distinction between "The Netherlands" and "Holland," which many people mistakenly equate. Friesland, established on the coast of the North Sea by independent-minded Frisians in the first century before Christ, has its own history and its own language. Frisian is spoken in the home, but Dutch is learned in school along with English, so most Frisians are trilingual by the time they graduate from high school. While explaining about her homeland, she answered questions from the audience and we were again impressed with the variety of cultures and traditions represented in this community and of the intellectual stimulation which results from communication with one another.

02/10/19  "Unity in Community"  (Timely Words 0478)

While driving on streets or highways in the U.S.A., we often see short slogans attached to the bumpers of cars. They are called "bumper stickers." Some of them are a kind of advertisement. Others aim to make readers laugh or think. In the area around Penney Retirement Community, we see many bumper stickers that read "Unity in Community". These bumper stickers were distributed to the residents of P.R.C. as a reminder that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of this community. Both "communion" and "community" are derived from the Latin word for "common," and just as "union" is an important element in "communion," so "unity" is an important element in "community." Residents in this retirement community have served in many different countries under a variety of organizations with their divergent traditions, but as a Christian community we do have a sense of unity despite our diversity. Descriptions of the first community of the followers of Christ in the New Testament book of Acts indicate that they practiced a form of "communism," for "all the believers . . . had everything in common. Selling their possessions, they gave to anyone as he had need" (2:44-45). "No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." "There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales . . . and it was distributed to anyone as he had need" (4:32-35). But this idealistic situation did not last long and subsequent "communes" also have collapsed because of human greed.

02/10/23  Shigechiyo Izumi  (Timely Words 0479)

Recently, I read in the Guinness Book of World Records that "the greatest authenticated age to which any human being has ever lived is . . . 120 years 237 days in the case of Shigechiyo Izumi of . . . Japan." Reading this statement, I recalled the message I had composed for my "Daily Word" telephone service in Japan related to Mr. Izumi's 118th birthday on June 29, 1983. I had read an article about him in a Japanese newspaper the previous day and decided to tell about him in my message on his birthday, including his prescription for a long life: "Don't worry nor let little things bother you and eat lots of vegetables." Since the pronunciation of Chinese characters used in names is irregular, before recording the message, I called a newspaper reporter to make sure that my pronunciation of the name "Shigechiyo" was correct. In Japanese, the gender of subjects in sentences is unclear, but since I knew women whose names ended with the same character pronounced "yo," I had assumed that Shigechiyo was a woman and spoke with the newspaper reporter with that in mind. In my English message, I used such words as "she" and "her" in reference to Shigechiyo Izumi which I recorded on a telephone tape that night. You can imagine my surprise the next morning when I read a new article that included a picture of Shigechiyo with a white beard. I immediately rushed to the telephone and recorded a corrected message after 15 calls had already been made. I was again impressed with the vagueness of the Japanese language and the difficulty of making an accurate translation from one language to another.

02/10/26  Thinking and Feeling  (Timely Words 0480)

It was our custom in Japan to have a time of informal fellowship around a table in the church following the Sunday morning worship service. All those who attended the service, who had the time and the interest, were invited to attend. At that time, while drinking green tea and eating a few cookies, we talked about recent events, future plans or other matters of general interest. That was also a time for those who had questions about what was said in the sermon to ask them. I considered it a very helpful time and made it my custom to provide an opportunity for those who had questions or comments related to sermons I preached in my homeland also to attend a "sermon feedback" session on the day following my sermon. Now, in this retirement community, there is a meeting on Monday mornings to talk about the worship service of the preceding day—not only about the sermon, but about the service as a whole. Those who attend are encouraged to share what they heard in their head and what they felt in their heart during that service. Some people make a clear distinction between what they think with their minds and what they feel with their hearts. Others find it more difficult to distinguish between "thinking" and "feeling," between what is intellectual and what is sentimental, but a healthy faith will be both mentally and emotionally satisfying. And true belief cannot be separated from daily life. What we truly believe will be evident, not only in our verbal profession of faith, but in the way we live. The basic decisions we make are influenced by our faith, whether consciously or unconsciously. In James 1: 22, we are encouraged to be doers of the word and not hearers only.

02/10/27  Enigma/Sphinx  (Timely Words 0481)

Tracing the origins of words, stories connected to them and how words are translated into different languages is very interesting. Take the word "enigma," for example. An "enigma" is "a perplexing statement that is difficult to understand." This word is derived from a Greek word meaning "to speak in riddles." In Japanese, "enigma" is translated "nazo," the Chinese character for which is composed of two characters meaning "word" and "perplex." And a "nazo no jinbutsu," or "enigmatic person" who seems a bit mysterious may be called a "sphinx," which is a Greek word denoting "the strangler." In Greek mythology, the sphinx was a winged monster with the head and breasts of a woman and the body of a lion. In the legend of Oedipus, she posed a riddle about the three ages of man: "What walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?" She killed those who could not answer her question, but when the answer was given by Oedipus ("Man crawls on all fours as a baby, walks upright in the prime of life, and uses a staff in old age"), she then killed herself. The sphinxes of ancient Egypt symbolized the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, as an incarnation of the sun god Ra. Egyptian sphinxes usually had the head of a man and the body of a lion, but some were constructed with the head of rams or hawks. They were usually represented in a reclining position, like the Great Sphinx of Gizeh, a colossal figure sculptured out of natural rock, 18 meters high and over 54 meters long. Winston Churchill once spoke of the action of Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

02/10/30  Daylight Saving Time  (Timely Words 0482)

The correct answer to the question "What time is it?" depends on the time zone in which the question is asked. There are 24 time zones around the world, 12 to the east and 12 to the west of the meridian that passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. The amount of daylight on a given day of the year is fixed but the hours of sunrise and sunset vary from day to day. During the summer months, the sun rises earlier and sets later so there are more hours of daylight. In order to make more effective use of the daylight hours and to reduce the cost of artificial lighting, in some countries clocks are set ahead one hour in the spring and turned back an hour in the fall. This custom was first adopted in European and North American countries during the First World War. Now, in the United States of America, Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of October, so those of us living in this country were reminded to reset our clocks before retiring last Saturday night. Daylight Saving time has been compared to the action of a man who cut off his blanket at one end and sewed it on the other end to make it longer, but it does make it more enjoyable to play tennis at 7:00 a.m. throughout the year in the bright, cooler time of day. I am reminded of Jesus' words in John 11:9-10: "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles." These words should be compared to Jesus' words in John 8:12.

02/11/02  Halloween  (Timely Words 0483)

Around this time of year in this area, we see pumpkins for sale and jack-o-lanterns on display in various places. A "pumpkin" is "a large, round, orange-yellow gourdlike fruit" and a "jack-o-lantern" is "a lantern made from a hollowed pumpkin with a carved face," but we must be careful to distinguish between what is "hollowed" and what is "hallowed." "Hollow" denotes an empty space, while "hallow" means to make holy. For most Americans, the only time we use the word "hallowed" is in the traditional form of the "Lord's Prayer" found in Matthew 6:9-13, which is repeated in many Christian churches regularly and which contains the phrase "hallowed be thy name." In the Roman Catholic Church, November 1st is celebrated as "All Saints' Day," also called "All Hallows' Day." The evening before that day, also known as "All Hallows' Eve," has become the "Halloween" of today. Halloween has become a time of following traditions rooted in pre-Christian customs of the Celts of Ireland and Scotland. Witches, goblins, ghosts, spirits of the dead, skeletons and black cats are all included in decorations and activities related to this day which are not in harmony with Christian thought. The "trick or treat" custom of children going from house to house in costumes, asking for a "treat" of some kind to avoid a possible retaliatory "trick," seems to have ancient roots which are also not in keeping with Christian teaching. There are many people who repeat the words "hallowed be thy name" in churches on Sunday but whose lives during the rest of the week do not reflect that aim.

02/11/03  Percussion Triangle  (Timely Words 0484)

Recently, my wife and I attended another symphony orchestra concert in the city of Jacksonville, about an hour's drive away from our retirement community. At that concert, the beautiful music was derived from operas composed by Italian, German, French and Russian musicians. There were over fifty players in the orchestra, the majority of which played stringed instruments—violins, violas, cellos and basses. Of course, there were woodwinds (clarinets, bassoons, flutes and piccolos) and brass instruments (trumpets, trombones, horns and a tuba) as well. In the back row were the percussion instruments, which produce sound when struck, including drums, cymbals, chimes and xylophones. The orchestra member that attracted my special attention was a large man at one end of the back row. He appeared to be the largest person in the whole orchestra and most of the time, he just sat on a chair. At certain times, however, he stood up and held up a small elongated piece of metal in the shape of a triangle which was open at one angle. Then, while the entire orchestra was playing, he would tap that triangle with a short metal rod. I presume that produced a musical sound, but it was not audible by those of us sitting in the hall. And I thought of the hours of practice that big man must have spent to strike that tiny triangle at the right time to make a contribution to the musical rendition of the entire orchestra, even though it could not be distinctly heard. And so it is that small efforts which are often overlooked by others may be important to bring about a desired result.

02/11/06  Election Day  (Timely Words 0485)

During the early years of the United States of America, election days varied from state to state, but in 1845, Congress established the Tuesday after the first Monday of November as the day for selecting presidential and vice presidential electors. Later, that became the day for electing members of Congress also. This year, November 5th is Election Day and all citizens are urged to go to polling places and cast their votes. Each state has the right to establish qualifications for voting and some states restricted the right to vote to those who met certain conditions. Constitutional amendments have eliminated such restrictions in federal elections, granting the right to vote to all citizens regardless of race, color or gender and prohibiting literacy tests or payment of a poll tax as requirements for voting. Now, all citizens 18 years and older have the right to vote and the use of voting machines has simplified voting procedures and the tabulation of results. However, as was evident in the presidential election two years ago in the state of Florida, confusion related to the voting machines and the ballots used raised many questions about the results. In this election, Floridians will vote for congressional representatives, a governor, a state senator, state representatives and state judges. There are also ten amendments to the State Constitution that will be approved or rejected. In our county, voters must connect the head and tail of arrows printed on the ballots to show their preferences. Hopefully, voters will understand, machines will work right and results will be beneficial to the state, the nation and the world.

02/11/08  Constitutional Amendments  (Timely Words 0486)

The fundamental rules of a government are written in a constitution and changes in the constitution may be effected by constitutional amendments. In the case of the United States of America, 27 amendments have been made since its constitution came into effect in 1791, but each of the states has a constitution which also may be amended. I do not know how many amendments have been made to the State Constitution of Florida, but in the recent election, ten amendments were presented to voters for their approval or disapproval and citizens of other states or countries may be interested to know what some of them were. One affirmed the application of the death penalty. Another prohibited tobacco smoking in enclosed indoor workplaces, including restaurants. Another provided a high quality pre-kindergarten learning opportunity for every four-year-old child in the state. And another required the State Legislature to provide funding for sufficient classrooms so that there be a maximum number of students in public school classes for various grade levels. But to me, the most interesting one was related to the "inhumane treatment of animals" and stated that "no person shall confine a pig during pregnancy in a cage, crate or other enclosure, or tether a pregnant pig, on a farm so that the pig is prevented from turning around freely . . . ." On the day after Election Day, it was reported that there were no major problems at the polling places and that all of the above amendments were approved. As times change, some rules also need changing, or amending—and so do some of our perspectives.

02/11/10  Armistice/Veterans Day  (Timely Words 0487)

From 1914 to 1918, European countries were engaged in a disastrous war, now known as the First World War. In 1917, the United States of America entered that war, which officially ended with the signing of an armistice in 1918 on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 o'clock in the morning. In the following years, observances were held in Europe and America on that day to commemorate that event. In the U.S.A., it was called Armistice Day. ("Armistice," derived from Latin words meaning "arms stopping," denotes the cessation of hostilities by mutual consent.) On that day, ceremonies were held in the National Cemetery in memory of those servicemen who lost their lives during that war. That cemetery included the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where remains of an unknown American soldier which had been shipped from France are buried. In 1958, the bodies of two other unknown servicemen, killed in World War II and the Korean War, were added to that tomb, which became the Tomb of the Unknowns. Since 1956, November 11th has been called Veterans Day. ("Veteran," rooted in the Latin word for "old," denotes one who has a long record of service in a given activity or capacity in general or who has been a member of the armed forces in particular.) On Veterans Day, a legal holiday in all fifty states, men and women who died in the service of their country are remembered and honored. Though the term "worship" is not used, the inward feeling of those who participate in such ceremonies is similar to those in Japan who honor their departed ancestors and others, which is called "worship" in English.

02/11/13  Diamond Anniversary  (Timely Words 0488)

Precious metals or gems are associated with certain anniversaries: silver for the 25th, gold for the 50th and diamonds for the 75th. The town of Penney Farms, Florida was founded in 1925 by department store magnate, J. C. Penney, and this past weekend (November 9-10), it celebrated its diamond anniversary. The 465 residents of Penney Retirement Community make up about three-fourths of the town's population. Throughout the year, residents of this community are involved in many kinds of creative activities—including painting, woodworking, ceramics, stained glass, pottery, photography, sewing, knitting, etc. and their artistic works were on sale during that time along with homemade cookies and other baked goods. A parade that included bands and decorated vehicles marched, or rolled, through the town's streets. My wife was one of the clowns that walked between an antique car and a golf cart. Concerts were presented by both the Sunshine Band, composed of residents, and a top-quality band from outside the community. On Sunday, a community worship service was held in Penney Memorial Church during which the town's former mayors were honored. It was a busy, but enjoyable time and many visitors from the surrounding area also attended. My wife and I were especially pleased at the unexpected visit of one of my younger sisters and her husband, my childhood friend who later became mayor of our hometown in northern Illinois. It was their first visit to this community and they helped to make the anniversary yet more precious as we recalled more personal memories with them.

02/11/16  Abacus/Soroban  (Timely Words 0489)

An "abacus" is a manual computing device composed of beads on rods fixed in a frame. In a Japanese abacus, or "soroban," there are four beads in the lower division and one in the upper one. Soroban classes are conducted outside of school for children to be proficient in its use. My first encounter with a soroban occurred within an hour after I entered Japan over fifty years ago. After two weeks on the freighter that brought us there, my wife and I were expecting a friend I knew in seminary, who had arrived in Japan a few months earlier, to meet us at the Port of Yokohama. He was not there, so I went into an office at the port to call him on the telephone. While making the call, the telephone wire jiggled the soroban of the man working at the desk, upsetting his calculations. He said nothing, but he looked disgusted. I was reminded of that incident by a recent newspaper article telling of the amazing use being made of an abacus by a blind man here in Florida. This 32-year-old bank employee, who lost his vision in 1980 at the age of 10, uses fingers of one hand to punch in digits on a computer keyboard and manipulates the beads on his abacus with the other hand. Using special software, he listens to his talking computer through earphones and talks back through his hands. As a substitute for paper and pen, the abacus enables him to add, subtract, multiply, divide and use fractions. He takes an abacus nearly everywhere, jotting down a phone number to be entered into his computer or keeping a running total on his spending at the supermarket. Truly, skill and perseverance may bring about amazing results.

02/11/18  Tent/Tabernacle  (Timely Words 0490)

Residents in this retirement community live in individual houses, called "cottages," apartment buildings, called "Quadrangles," assisted living units ("Beyer House," "Penmor Place"), the nursing home ("Pavilion"), or the "Hagan Care Center" (for Alzheimer patients). However, there is a large, vacant lot in the center of the community on which a large tent is sometimes erected for special activities. It was in a large tent on that lot that the First Coast Wind Ensemble, a 45-member band, played during the recent Diamond Anniversary celebration. Afterward, as I saw the tent being taken down, I thought about the tent used by Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land (present-day Palestine or Israel). This was called a "tabernacle" in the classical version of the Old Testament. There are two Hebrew words translated "tabernacle" in English. One means "tent" and the other denotes a "dwelling place." In the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapters 25-27, there are detailed instructions regarding the tabernacle and its furnishings. It was considered the dwelling place of Israel's God which could be easily collapsed and transported as the children of Israel moved from place to place. Later, a more permanent sanctuary, called a "temple," was built by King Solomon in the city of Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul, however, made clear in his sermon in Athens that "the God who made the world . . . does not live in temples built by hands" (Acts 17:24). But God did reveal himself through Jesus Christ, his "Word" that "became flesh" and "tabernacled among us" (John 1:14).

02/11/19  Short Wave Radio  (Timely Words 0491)

There are many things related to electricity that I do not understand, but I make use of many electrical appliances, including the light which brightens this room and the computer on which I am composing this message. Another electrical appliance is on a shelf near my chair at our dining room table. It is a radio from which I can listen to both domestic and international broadcasts. This radio was a gift from a Japanese church before I left Japan on a year's furlough about 25 years ago. Thus, while in the United States of America, I was able to listen to short wave broadcasts from Japan and other countries. I also made use of it to listen to a number of countries while living in Japan. Nowadays, I try to listen to the regular live morning broadcast from Tokyo in Japanese on the afternoon of the previous day here in Florida. Recently, when I tried to tune in to that program as usual, I could not find it and then realized that we had changed from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time so I would have to tune in an hour earlier than before. I enjoy listening to news reports from Japan and comparing them with the news reports in this country. Each country, of course, has its special interests and concerns. When I heard the report from Japan about the attack in a Moscow theater, I immediately turned on the television to see what was being reported in this country and saw a World Series baseball game. In order to receive a short wave radio broadcast, one must be tuned in to the right waveband. And for effective communication between nations or individuals also, it is necessary to be on the same "wavelength."

02/11/22  Japanese Radio Broadcasts  (Timely Words 0492)

Since I have spent many years in Japan, I am generally able to understand both spoken and written Japanese, but some short wave news reports in Japanese I find difficult to understand. There are various reasons for this: sometimes, the reporter speaks too rapidly; the pronunciation of certain speakers is not so clear; at other times, I am not familiar with the subject being discussed and do not recognize the specialized words being used. In Japanese, words used in formal reports or articles may be different than those used in ordinary conversation. On one hand, the use of so many different Chinese characters in Japanese makes the written language very complicated. On the other hand, seeing the written characters may convey the meaning even when their pronunciation is unclear. Thus I sometimes feel that if I could read the report being broadcast, I would understand more clearly than hearing it. Obviously, news reports emphasize events that are of special interest to the majority of listeners. In recent weeks, there have been many reports related to the Japanese citizens who had been abducted into North Korea years ago and were now permitted, under certain conditions, to visit their families in Japan, but I did not hear such reports on American news broadcasts. Comparatively speaking, however, Japanese broadcasts include more news of events related to America and Europe than vice versa. The ideal of a universal language has not yet been realized. Some years ago, before returning to the U.S.A. through Europe, I studied Esperanto for a while in the hope that it would be helpful, but I did not find it so.

02/11/25  Thanksgiving Days  (Timely Words 0493)

It is advisable for people who make frequent trips to foreign countries to know at least a few words or expressions in the languages of those countries. Along with the common expressions used in greetings, words of gratitude should also be included. Expressions of thankfulness are not only important for tourists but for the development and maintenance of healthy relationships among all people. In fact, such expressions of gratitude should not be limited to human relationships. Conscientious people who believe in the existence of a divine being will also offer thanks to that being. In all religious traditions, there are times when thanksgiving is emphasized. In Japanese tradition, it was on the 23rd day of the 11th month that the emperor tasted newly harvested rice, supposedly in the presence of the spirits of his ancestors. Consequently, November 23rd became a Japanese holiday called Labor Thanksgiving Day. In the United States of America, Thanksgiving Day is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The roots of this holiday go back to the Pilgrims who set apart a day of thanksgiving to God for the abundant harvest in the year 1621 which they joyfully shared with many Native Americans in the area. Though most prayers consist of petitions or requests, prayers of sincere believers will be characterized by thankfulness—not only on special days, but always. The ancient Greek essayist, Plutarch, wrote: "The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart" and in I Thessalonians 5:18, it is written: "give thanks in all circumstances." Today and always, let us be thankful.

02/11/27  Home Languages  (Timely Words 0494)

Human beings make use of languages to communicate with one another and every language has certain peculiar characteristics related to the nation and culture in which it originated. One characteristic of the Japanese language that is difficult for some foreigners to adjust to is the different levels of politeness which are included in it. Certain words are considered more polite than others although the meanings are the same. Thus the words or language used in speaking on formal occasions or to respected people and to those in superior positions is different than what is spoken in the home to family members or friends. A recent newspaper article noted that in the United States of America also, a different language may be spoken in the home. In this case, however, the difference is not related to politeness but to ethnicity. Since citizens of this country have come from many different parts of the world, a variety of languages may be spoken in homes. According to the article, in only 76 percent of the homes in the state of Florida, only English is spoken, and in the county around the city of Miami, almost 60 percent of the households speak only Spanish at home. Most of these families have come from Cuba. Immigrants from Asian countries have also increased during the past ten years and in a couple of Florida counties, in over 3 percent of the homes, only an Asian language is spoken. Whether at home or elsewhere, however, communication on a deeper level than verbal language is possible, communicated by deeds rather than by words—the language of compassion and love.

02/11/29  Mauritania  (Timely Words 0495)

Some legal holidays in the United States of America fall on different days of the month each year because they are related to certain days of the week instead of particular days of the month. For example, this year, the 28th day of November is a holiday because it is the fourth Thursday of November which is Thanksgiving Day. In the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, however, November 28th is a legal holiday every year, for it was on that day in 1960 that the country gained its independence from France. This Islamic Republic is located in the northwestern area of Africa, but I must confess that I was confused when I began my research for this message because an ancient district in the same area with the same pronunciation is spelled differently in English—with an "e" in the middle of the name instead of an "i". "Mauretania" was "the land of the Moors," a Caucasian nomadic people, including Arabs, who became fanatic Muslims. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania now lies south of the ancient district of Mauretania. About 30 percent of the population is black, 30 percent is Caucasian and the remaining 40 percent is mixed. Islam is the predominant religion and the 1961 constitution stipulated that the president, who is popularly elected, must be a Muslim. The national flag of Mauritania has a yellow crescent under a yellow star on a green background. The crescent and star, ancient Byzantine symbols adopted by the Ottoman Turks, appear on flags of many Muslim nations. They symbolize light from the night sky and both nations and individuals need light from above to make wise decisions in this dark world.

02/12/01  Advent Season  (Timely Words 0496)

In countries using the Gregorian Calendar, the Civil New Year begins on the 1st day of January, but other "new years" begin on different days depending on the religious tradition of the community. The Jewish New Year began on September 7th this year and the Muslim New Year began on March 15th. In Christian Churches in the West, the liturgical year begins on the Sunday nearest November 30th. Called Advent Sunday, it is the beginning of the Advent season, which includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas (December 25th). This year, December 1st is Advent Sunday. "Advent," derived from a Latin word meaning "arrival," may be used as a common noun, but when capitalized, it denotes the arrival, or coming, of Christ. The Advent season has been observed since the 6th century as a time of solemn preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Christ. During the Christmas season the most common decoration is an evergreen tree with colorful ornaments and lights called a Christmas tree. Such a tree is seen in many places not related to a church, but in many Christian churches, it is customary, during the Advent season to display an Advent wreath—a simple circle of green leaves or branches in which four candles, one for each week of Advent, are placed. Each candle is lighted in turn on each of the four Sundays in Advent. During the Advent season, Christians are encouraged to quietly consider the significance of the birth of the One who, in the 1st chapter of the Gospel of John, is called "the Word [that] became flesh," "Lamb of God," "Son of God," "Messiah," "King of Israel" and "Son of Man."

02/12/04  Different Viewpoints  (Timely Words 0497)

One of the most famous natural attractions in Japan is its most famous and tallest mountain called "Fuji." The Chinese characters now used for this name literally mean "rich samurai," but different characters meaning "unique" have also been used. However, the name probably comes from an Ainu word meaning "volcano." This volcanic mountain which last erupted almost 300 years ago is particularly beautiful on a winter day when the entire mountain seems covered with snow, but snow remains on the peak throughout the year. Many paintings and poems have been made about Mt. Fuji and each one reflects the particular viewpoint of the artist or poet. I was reminded of this recently at a meeting of the Bible and Theology Club at which the same subject was considered from many different viewpoints, reflecting the theological traditions, cultural backgrounds or personal experiences of those present. Even when viewing the same object or discussing the same subject, very different impressions or conclusions may be obtained. Designating certain paintings or poems "beautiful" and certain theological or philosophical concepts "correct" reflects the viewpoint or perspective of the judge. One of the benefits of living in a community with a wide variety of talents, traditions and experiences is to be stimulated and motivated to see things from a different or broader perspective than before. One's theological or philosophical perspective depends upon one's faith and, from my perspective, all people have faith which is not necessarily manifested in creeds and rituals but in the attitudes and decisions made in daily life.

02/12/06  Japanese Restaurants  (Timely Words 0498)

While driving on a highway through towns in this part of Florida, we often see restaurants that specialize in ethnic foods. The most common ethnic restaurants feature Mexican or Chinese food, but Indian or Thai food is available in others and we see Japanese restaurants also. Since my wife and I enjoy eating Japanese food, we are attracted to such restaurants. Waiters and waitresses at those restaurants usually have Oriental faces so I ask them, in Japanese, whether they understand Japanese. Thus far, we have found only one Japanese restaurant which not only serves what is considered to be Japanese food but which is really Japanese. At that family restaurant, the father stands behind the sushi counter and makes sushi. The mother works out of sight in the kitchen and their daughter is the waitress. On our first visit there, we ordered "oyako-donburi," literally meaning "parent-child dish" for it includes both chicken and eggs on top of rice. When my wife asked if there was no "tsukemono" of pickled radish which usually is served with it, the waitress replied that most Americans do not like the taste of that "tsukemono," so it is not usually served, but she did bring some for us. After that, whenever we go to that restaurant, she remembers to serve it to us. Most Americans seem to think that "sushi" always includes raw fish, but those oval-shaped balls of vinegar-seasoned rice may also include raw or cooked vegetables, eggs or seaweed. Special "ethnic" foods are related to certain countries, but basic "ethical" behavior should be universally recognized both between countries and individuals.

02/12/08  Delaware  (Timely Words 0499)

Each one of the states in the U.S.A. has at least one nickname, or sobriquet, whether official or unofficial, that is sometimes used in reference to that state. These names may have historical significance. The sobriquet of the second smallest state in the Union, located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and sharing borders with the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania, is "First State," for it was the first state to ratify the Constitution 215 years ago on December 7, 1878. The state of Delaware was named after the Colonial governor of Virginia, Thomas West, Baron De La Warr. The first European settlers in what became this state were from the Netherlands, but the thirty Dutch settlers who established a settlement there in 1831 were killed by Native Americans and their settlement was destroyed. Six years later, a Swedish settlement was established. This was then taken over by the Dutch and later by the English and for a time became a part of the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania. Another nickname for this state is "Diamond State," which suggests its small size but valuable, fertile soil. This may remind us that it is not only size which is important. A small state, like a small gem, may also be very valuable. And so may people of small stature. There is no need to feel inferior because of one's size. Of greater importance is what is on the inside—in one's heart. When Jesus' disciples rebuked people for bringing little children to Jesus, he was indignant and said that "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 10:14), probably referring to the innocent, trusting attitude of children.