04/04/11  Resurrection  (Timely Words 0700)

There are a number of different English words that denote the restoration of vitality or life to something that seems to be dead or to someone who seems to have died. Among them are renew, restore, revive, resucitate and resurrect. Each one of them has a particular emphasis, but the traditional Christian teaching relating to the body of Jesus following his death on the cross is limited to the word "resurrection." Today, we may read or hear of things that have been renewed or restored and of people who have been revived or resucitated, but on Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. People outside of Japan will be surprised to know that there is a grave in a village, named Shingo, literally meaning "new village," in the northern Japanese prefecture of Aomori, in which the body of Jesus is said to be buried and at their annual Christ Festival, held on June 10th, villagers sing, dance and pray in commemoration of Jesus' death. According to that village's tradition, Jesus' younger brother died on the cross instead of Jesus, who eventually came to Japan where he died at the age of 106. The New Testament accounts of Jesus' resurrection are difficult for non-Christians to accept, but it is also difficult to understand how his disheartened disciples were renewed, restored and revived with new life that gave them the courage to fearlessly face death as they proclaimed Jesus' victory over death and urged others to find spiritual vitality through their faith in him. How can we explain the extension of this faith in Jesus' resurrection to people around the world who testify to the new life they have received through their faith in him? This also is "unbelievable."

04/04/14  Civil War  (Timely Words 0701)

One hundred and forty-three years ago, on April 12, 1861, when shots were fired against a fort in South Carolina, the Civil War began in the country known as "the United States of America." There are various meanings of the adjective "civil," including "polite" and "courteous," which are obviously not fitting as modifiers of "war." No, the Civil War was not a "civil" war. Rather, it was a very boorish, uncivil war between states in the North and those in the South. The common Japanese term for this war is "Nanboku Senso," which literally means the "South/North War." The northern states, under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, were called the Union, while those southern states that seceded from the Union and elected Jefferson Davis as their president, were called the Confederacy, which may also mean "union." When the war began, there were seven states in the Confederacy and 27 states in the Union. The war was stimulated by opposing views related to slavery. The first slaves from Africa arrived in the American colony of Virginia on a Dutch ship in 1619 and were sold. Over the years, many more shiploads of African slaves were imported until their number reached over three-and-a-half million by the time of the Civil War. Slavery has been customary in many countries and cultures around the world and even many religious groups have sought to justify it. The American Civil War lasted for over four years and resulted in the deaths of about 360,000 Union soldiers and 260,000 Confederate soldiers. Unfortunately, wars and other conflicts continue to be waged between countries and cultures on the basis of prejudice.

04/04/16  Recent Memorial Service  (Timely Words 0702)

In the center of this Christian retirement community is a large bulletin board, both sides of which are filled with information related to the community—including notices of meetings and other activities. At one end of the bulletin board, a small Christian flag is attached whenever a death occurs. When we see the flag hanging there, we look at the section of the bulletin board which informs us of the name of the person who died and when and where the funeral or memorial service will be held. Since the average age of the 500 residents here is 75, including more than 50 who are over 90, it is not surprising that we frequently see that flag waving. Whether to hold a funeral service in the community cemetery, during which the coffin is lowered into the ground in the presence of those who attend, or a memorial service in the church is determined by the relatives or their proxies. Recently, during a ten-day period, there were four such memorial services, including one for our neighbor, whose sons and families came from distant cities to attend and to settle his affairs. Both sons were born in Peru and also lived in Chile where their parents served as missionaries. The elder son, Brian Williams, who now lives in Japan with his Japanese wife, is a well-known artist whose art exhibits are often held in Takashimaya Department stores. The younger son, David, is a teacher in a high school in Tucson, Arizona. Both sons participated in the memorial service and related interesting, meaningful and amusing stories related to their father's life. My wife and I enjoyed the times of fellowship we had with them and their families—both here and in Japan.

04/04/19  Fish  (Timely Words 0703)

Living creatures in the world that have a backbone or spinal column include mammals, reptiles, birds and fish. Mammals are distinguished by self-regulating body temperature, hair and milk-producing glands in the females. Reptiles walk or crawl on the ground. Birds have wings and fly in the air, swim on the surface of water or walk on the ground or on the branches of trees. Fish have fins and live in the sea, lakes or rivers. There are many varieties of fish, or fishes, including some that are called "flying fish." Such fish do not actually fly, but they have enlarged fins capable of sustaining them in brief, gliding flight over the water. Some flying fish are able to glide for over a hundred meters. Fish are considered healthy sources of meat for human beings and have even been called "brain food" because they were thought to be good for the brain, but in informal English, something that inspires suspicion or is dubious may be called "fishy." At least four of the twelve disciples of Jesus were fishermen before he called them to follow him. The story of his calling them is found in the first chapter of the Gospel according to Mark. There, Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Following Jesus' death, fish became a Christian symbol. It is found not only in catacombs and other ancient monuments but in certain places today as well. The explanation for this symbol is found in the five letters which form the Greek word for "fish," pronounced "ichthus." These are the first letters of the Greek words for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."

04/04/21  Patients/Patience  (Timely Words 0704)

One of the difficulties in learning the Japanese language is the number of different words which have the same pronunciation. This is related to the use of many different Chinese characters. In my Japanese dictionary, for example, there are 35 different words pronounced "kouka." In English also, there are homonyms, words having the same pronunciation but different meanings. One such example is the word pronounced "payshuns." As a noun, spelled p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e, it means the quality of being patient, capable of bearing affliction with calmness, but when spelled p-a-t-i-e-n-t-s, it is the plural of "patient," denoting persons under medical treatment. Often, it is necessary for patients to have patience. Over the centuries, a number of quotations related to patience have been recorded, including an old Chinese proverb, "Patience is power; with time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes silk." In the New Testament book of I Thessalonians, written in the 1st century, readers are urged to "encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone"(5:14). The 18th century British statesman and orator, Edmund Burke stated that "Our patience will achieve more than our force," and Horace Bushnell, an American clergyman in the 19th century, said, "It is not necessary for all men to be great in action. The greatest and sublimest power is often simple patience." In the 20th century, the Hindu nationalist leader, Mahatma Gandhi, said "To lose patience is to lose the battle." Now, in this 21st century, world leaders and all of us should seriously consider these words.

04/04/23  Blossom Festivals  (Timely Words 0705)

When considering the natural beauty of Japan, there are two sights that naturally come to my mind, both of which have been the subjects of paintings and poetry throughout the ages. The first is the towering mountain called Fuji, a 3,776-meter extinct volcano that I climbed many years ago. Although the appearance of the mountain is different when the peak is covered with snow, the mountain itself does not change. The other beautiful sight characteristic of Japan are the cherry blossoms, which brightened our garden in the city of Nagoya. In contrast with Mt. Fuji, these beautiful blossoms last only a short time. During the week in which they are in bloom, many people gather together beneath them to enjoy themselves. Since 1912, when 3000 cherry trees were given to the city of Washington, D.C. from the city of Tokyo, Cherry Blossom Festivals have been held in the American capital also. One of the characteristics of Japanese cherry trees, however, is that even though they produce beautiful flowers, they do not produce fruit. In the northwestern state of Washington also a blossom festival is held every year. This Apple Blossom Festival is held in the city of Wenatchee, located in the central area of the state. This city is sometimes called the Apple Capital of the World, for from it thousands of carloads of apples are shipped to cities around the world. Which do you think is more important, beautiful blossoms or healthy fruit? In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus had something to say about trees and their fruit.

04/04/25  Monotheistic Religions  (Timely Words 0706)

The three major monotheistic religions of the world are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A common element in these religions is the belief that there is one, and only one, true God, but each one has a sacred book in which the character and purpose of God is believed to have been revealed. Jews have the Torah. Christians have the Bible and Muslims have the Quran. Along with the Torah, or Law of God revealed to Moses in the thirteenth century before Christ, Jews also recognize the writings of other prophets included in what Christians call the Old Testament, written in Hebrew. In the Christian Bible, along with the Old Testament, in which a Messiah is foretold, there is a New Testament, written in Greek, that includes narratives related to Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. The Quran, written in Arabic, consists of revelations to Muhammad in the seventh century after the death of Jesus. Both Moses and Jesus are recognized as prophets by Muhammad, whom Muslims believe is the last and greatest prophet. There are a number of basic beliefs in these three religions which are similar; there are also elements that are distinctive. Whether to emphasize beliefs that may be unifying or divisive depends on the choice of the individual believer which is influenced both by the particular tradition and the personal character of the believer. In the problems faced in the world at the present time, the spirit or attitude manifested by believers may have greater influence than the doctrines they profess.

04/04/28  Metric System in the U. S. A.  (Timely Words 0707)

When my wife and I arrived in Japan, over fifty years ago, we had to learn a different system of weights and measurements than what was used in our homeland. After Japan adopted the metric system, matters became simpler and more logical, but that system was still different than the one commonly used in the U. S. A. In the metric system, first adopted in France in 1799, a meter is the unit of length, a gram is the unit of weight and since it is a decimal system, all units are divisible by 10. This system is now used by almost all of the technologically developed countries in the world, but many citizens in the U. S. A. continue to use the traditional British system of miles, yards, feet and inches, gallons, quarts and pints. In 1866, Congress approved the following statement: "It shall be lawful throughout the United States of America to employ the weights and measures of the metric system" and the use of this system became the official policy of the National Bureau of Standards in 1964. In 1975, legislation for voluntary conversion to the metric system within ten years was passed by Congress and the Trade Act of 1988 declared the metric system the preferred system of weights and measurements for U. S. trade and commerce. Nevertheless, the metric system has still not become the system of choice for most Americans in their daily lives. This is an example of the power of tradition even in a society that is considered advanced, intelligent and practical. But even respected traditions must sometimes be broken to encourage further progress.

04/05/01  May Day  (Timely Words 0708)

After typing the above title, I realized that there are many English words with three letters, ending in a-y that begin with a consonant. How many of those words can you think of and define? Consider the following sentence: On her way to the bay along the river Tay under the sun's ray to look for a cay on a spring day, Kay saw a gay fay and a blue jay as they lay in the hay and heard someone say that she may have to pay, but she said,"nay." This fifth month of the year is called "May," which may be derived from a Latin word meaning "elders" to honor older people, in contrast with the following month which honors "juniors." Other scholars, however, consider the name to be derived from the name of a goddess. May is a month when days become warmer and many flowers are in bloom. The first day of May, called "May Day," ranks as one of the oldest holidays in the West. On this day in England, it is customary for people to dance around a "maypole," while holding on to streamers attached to the pole. In many industrialized countries, May 1st is celebrated by workers as "Labor Day" for it was on that day in 1884 that American trade unions launched an intensive campaign for an eight-hour working day. The U. S. Veterans of Foreign Wars has designated May 1st as "Loyalty Day." For the American Bar Association, it is "Law Day," and in the state of Hawaii, it is known as "Lei Day" and people are encouraged to wear the pretty flower necklace called a "lei." Regardless of the name it is called, I hope it is a happy day for you.

04/05/05  Bills  (Timely Words 0709)

There are many different kinds of bills, depending on whether we are thinking about financial or political matters. One kind of bill is a piece of legal paper money. At the present time, I usually have some five-dollar or ten-dollar bills in my wallet, but when in Japan, I would have some one thousand or five thousand-yen bills. Another kind of bill is the statement of charges one must pay for items purchased or services rendered. Every month, we receive bills from a telephone company, an electric power company and a television company. Another kind of bill is a proposed law submitted for approval of a legislative body or an official document that has been approved. In the United States, the first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights, the first of which guarantees citizens freedom of religion and freedom of speech. A completely different kind of bill denotes the beak of a bird and we are surprised at the long bills of the hummingbirds that visit the bird feeder outside the window by our dining room table. Bill is also a nickname for William. Some Bills may be unable to pay their bills because they do not have enough bills on hand and hope that Congress will pass a bill that will lower their bills. In the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus told a strange story of a dishonest manager who told debtors to change the amounts on their bills in order to ensure a brighter future for himself. The dishonest manager was commended for his shrewdness because he was preparing for the future—which is important for all of us to do.

04/05/07  Wills  (Timely Words 0710)

The previous message about bills stimulated this one about wills. Both Bill and Will are nicknames for William, which was, at one time, the most popular male name in England. Once, at a festival in the court of King Henry II, 120 knights named William gathered together. There have been four kings of England and four presidents of the U. S. A. named William. Another meaning of "will" is the legal statement of a person's wishes concerning the disposal of his property after his death. It is important for those of us who are getting old to have a will that will assist our children and others as they consider what to do with our possessions following our death. Still another meaning of "will" is the power of conscious and deliberate action or choice, a strong purpose. If we have the will to do something, we need to find the way to accomplish it. According to a Chinese proverb, "Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes." In the view of the ancient Greek philosopher, Epictetus, "There is nothing good or evil save in the will." In the Gospel of John, chapter 4, is the story of Jesus speaking with a Samaritan woman. When his disciples brought him some food to eat, he surprised them by saying, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." While his disciples wondered who had brought him food, he said to them: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." In the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, which is repeated regularly by Christians today, are the words "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 5:10), but many prayers do not think deeply about the words when they pray this prayer.

04/05/10  The Right Side  (Timely Words 0711)

There are three different English words pronounced RAIT, spelled r-i-g-h-t, r-i-t-e and w-r-i-t-e, with completely different meanings. In the past, it was common to use a pencil or pen to write, but nowadays, many people in industrialized countries make use of a computer to write. In every culture and religion, there are certain traditional ceremonies or rituals that are followed. Such a ceremony may also be called a "rite." But the word spelled r-i-g-h-t is the one with the most varied meanings, with moral, political or physical implications, depending on its context. In a moral sense, "right" denotes that which is conformable to justice, law or morality and its opposite is "wrong." In the physical sense, "right" is the side of the body away from the heart and its opposite is "left." In the British Parliament, representatives of conservative parties are seated on the right side of the House and those of liberal parties are seated on the left. Because of this custom, "right" became associated with conservatism (which, I presume, was considered "right") and "left" was used for liberalism. In Japan and a number of former members of the British Commonwealth of Nations, it is right to drive on the left side of the road, but in most countries the left side is the wrong side and the right side is the right side. And if we write a rite in a foreign language, we must be careful to write in the right direction. According to the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 45, verse 19, it is the Lord who speaks the truth and declares what is right.

04/05/12  Malls  (Timely Words 0712)

The Penney Retirement Community, where my wife and I reside, is located in a quiet rural area, surrounded by trees and greenery. We usually do our shopping at a mall, about half-an-hour away. A mall is a shopping center, a covered street lined with shops and closed to vehicles. This name is derived from the name of a broad thoroughfare in London, called the Mall because it was there that King Charles II and his attendants played pall-mall, an old game in which a boxwood ball was struck by a mallet through an iron ring hung at the end of an alley. According to a recent magazine article, by some estimates, there are now more than 50,000 malls in the United States of America. The first such mall, having 72 shops and restaurants, was opened in 1956 in a well-to-do Minneapolis suburb. Since that time, malls have become popular, not only for shopping but for many other activities as well. In the famous Mall of America, which is also located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, there are more than 500 stores, 20 sit-down restaurants, 14 movie screens, an aquarium and an amusement park. This mall now draws 40 million visitors a year, almost a third of whom come from more than 250 kilometers away. Northwest Airlines even offers package deals to shopper-tourists from Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. Because there is a roof over the shop-lined street and a parking area nearby, people visit the mall in all kinds of weather and enjoy walking and talking with others, whether or not they do any shopping.

04/05/14  Chronicles  (Timely Words 0713)

Some scholars think that the name of this month of May was derived from a Latin word meaning "elders" to honor senior members of the population and that the following month of June was derived from a word meaning "juniors." In the United States of America, May is recognized as "Older Americans Month" and in this Penney Retirement Community, an annual celebration is held in May in honor of residents who have passed their 90th birthday. At the recent celebration, 30 of the 48 residents who were 90 or older were present and on the wall, a chronicle of important events from 1900 to 2004 was posted. A "chronicle" is "a historical record according to date." There are various kinds of "chronicles" and a couple of books in the Old Testament have this name. I recently received a book from Japan entitled "A Chronicle of Contemporary English Words and Phrases in Use." Prepared for the School of Contemporary International Studies at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, it includes headline news items in chronological order from January through December 2003, taken from the English language news which is broadcast twice daily on NHK, the national radio station. Following every headline, there are three definitions or explanations of words or expressions in Japanese. The editor, Tomoyasu Kimura, was a faithful listener to the "Daily Word" telephone service I had in Japan and has made use of both "Daily Word" and "Timely Words" messages in his teaching. I am sure that many Japanese students of English will find this book very helpful.

04/05/17  Holy Days and Holidays  (Timely Words 0714)

A "holiday" was originally a "holy day," but now it is not only spelled differently but pronounced differently also. According to Jewish tradition, the seventh day of the week is a holy day set apart for rest and worship. In Genesis 2:1, it is written: "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." And in Exodus 35:2: "For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord." For Christians, the day of rest and worship was changed to the first day of the week, in commemoration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead on that day. In both Jewish and Christian traditions, there are other "holy days" that have special significance. Some of them have become "holidays" in which the religious significance is no longer recognized by many observers. In the United States of America, public holidays are determined by the individual states, but most states include the federal holidays designated by the president and Congress for the District of Columbia and federal employees. At the present time, there are ten federal holidays: two in the months of January and November and one in the months of February, May, July, September, October and December. Four of them are set by date (New Year's Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Christmas Day), the other six are set by a day of the week and month: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. All but the last are celebrated on Mondays to create three-day weekends.

04/05/19  French  (Timely Words 0715)

The English language has been greatly influenced by other languages, including French. The spelling or pronunciation of some French words has been changed in the anglicization process while others have remained the same. Consequently, students of English may be confused about the correct spelling or pronunciation of such words as "depot,""detente" or "chasse." There are also a number of English expressions that begin with the word "French," not all of which are derived from France. In fact, "french" is a verb meaning to cut into thin strips before cooking, so "French fries" or "French fried potatoes" are thin strips of potatoes fried in deep fat, but "French toast" is sliced bread soaked in a milk and egg batter and lightly fried. "French dressing" is a seasoned oil and vinegar salad dressing and a "French cuff" is a wide cuff on a shirt that is folded back and fastened with a cuff link. "French chalk," made of a soft, white variety of talc, is used by tailors for marking fabrics and by dry cleaners for removing grease spots. In contrast to traditional British custom, Frenchmen did not consider it necessary to bid a formal farewell to the host or hostess before leaving a party, so "French leave" signifies an informal, unannounced or abrupt departure and American servicemen may consider "French leave" to be the same as "AWOL," or "absent without leave." Finally, a "French horn" is a valved brass wind instrument with a circular shape, tapering from a narrow mouthpiece to a flaring bell at the other end and producing a mellow tone.

04/05/21  Tomatoes  (Timely Words 0716)

In Japan, before the development of large grocery stores or supermarkets, the common place to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables was called a "yaoya." The Chinese characters used in this word literally mean "eight hundred shop." The term "eight hundred" signified a great variety and "yaoya" is translated into English as "a greengrocer's shop" or a "fruit and vegetable shop." In such a shop, there was a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, but the distinction between these two kinds of foods is sometimes unclear. For example, is a tomato a "fruit" or a "vegetable?" In one of my dictionaries, the following definition is given: "a red or yellowish fruit, more or less round, with a juicy pulp, used as a vegetable: botanically it is a berry." Thus, it may be considered a "fruit," a "vegetable" or a "berry." Tomatoes were once known as "love apples." Some people mistakenly interpreted that to mean that they were an aphrodisiac and stimulated sexual desire. However, the reason for this misunderstanding was the result of another misunderstanding. Tomatoes were originally grown in South America, from which they were imported to Spain. They were then taken to Morocco and were introduced to Italy, where they were known as "pomo dei Moro" (apple of the Moors) and a romantic Frenchman mistakenly translated this as "pomme d'amour" (love apple). How to accurately translate words and concepts from one language to another is truly a difficult task and, in the case of "tomato," there are even two different ways to pronounce it that are considered correct.

04/05/24  Wild/Wilderness  (Timely Words 0717)

One of the attractions at fairs, circuses or zoos is a special show which features wild animals that do not seem to be very wild. At a recent fair in a nearby fairground, a number of tigers came out of their cages and followed the command of the animal trainer to climb onto small stools, jump over them or to lie on the ground and roll over. It seems that even some wild animals can be tamed or domesticated to a certain degree. At a recent party, we were asked to identify some wild flowers, which we found it difficult to do. Whether speaking of animals or flowers, "wild" denotes that which lives and grows in a natural state. When applied to people, "wild" denotes unruly, disorderly behavior. Parents and teachers are often upset by wild children and young people. An unsettled, uncultivated region left in its natural state may be called a "wilderness." This was the term used by European colonists on the east coast of the American continent, or "New World," for all the land to the west, but the eastern boundary of that "wilderness" continued to change as the settlers increased and even the "Wild West" became more cultivated. In the Bible also, there are many references to a "wilderness," which may denote either a desert or a land covered with dense vegetation. Following their escape from Egypt, the Israelites are reported to have wandered for forty years in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land of Palestine (Joshua 5:6) and, following his baptism, Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan (Mark 1:13).

04/05/26  Scotland/Scotch  (Timely Words 0718)

In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, there are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England and Wales in the south and Scotland in the north. England and Wales were united as a result of the Act of Union signed in 1536, but it was not until 1707, that the kingdoms of Scotland and England were united. "Scotch," "Scottish" or "Scots" may be used as an adjective in relation to this land, its language or people, but the Scots or Scotsmen themselves usually prefer "Scottish" rather than "Scotch." There are various expressions that begin with the word "Scotch." "Scotch broth" is mutton broth thickened with barley. "Scotch whisky" is a whisk(e)y distilled in Scotland from malted barley, and a "Scotch terrier" is a terrier with short legs, a blunt muzzle, rough wiry hair and pointed, erect ears. The term "Scotland Yard" is often used to signify British police or the site of the police headquarters, which previously were located on a London street with that name. The name was originally given to that street because it was there that a castle where Scottish kings stayed when they were required to come down once a year to acknowledge their indebtedness to the rulers of England was located. English prejudice against Scotsmen is evident in the writings of Samuel Johnson, who wrote that oats were "a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people." And in response to the statement of Boswell that "I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it," he replied, "That, Sir, I find is what a very great many of your countrymen cannot help."

04/05/28  Graduation Ceremony  (Timely Words 0719)

Students who faithfully attend classes and fulfill the school requirements are awarded a diploma or an academic degree at a graduation ceremony at the end of the school year. In the U. S. A., school years usually end in May, so graduation ceremonies are held at this time of year. Our eldest granddaughter, whose home is in Japan, has been living with an American family in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the past year while she attended high school there. Last week, she received a diploma at the graduation ceremony. Her Japanese mother and two of her cousins made a special trip from Japan to attend the ceremony with my wife and me. We met them at the Jacksonville Airport and, two days later, drove 330 kilometers to St. Petersburg where we stayed for a couple of days. The ceremony was held in the evening on the school's football field. On one side of the temporary platform, the school band was seated and played appropriate music. In front of the platform the graduating class, with green robes and mortarboard caps with tassels, sat on folding chairs while certain individuals made speeches and songs were sung. Then each of the 447 graduates walked across the platform when his/her name was called. Often, a small group of spectators yelled, blew whistles or rang bells to express their delight when a certain name was called. Following the ceremony, parties were held in various places for particular graduates and their friends. My wife and I attended such a party before returning to our home and leaving our Japanese guests to board planes for Japan from a nearby airport.

04/05/30  Decoration Day  (Timely Words 0720)

"Decorate" means to adorn with beautiful things. There are many different kinds of decorations, depending on what we are decorating. Rooms may be decorated with pictures or artwork. On certain occasions, buildings are decorated with flags or banners. During the Christmas season, trees are often decorated with colorful lights and ornaments. Decorations for people include rings, earrings, ribbons or brooches. But in the United States of America, "Decoration Day" is the day when the graves of servicemen who died during a war are decorated with flowers. On the first nationwide Decoration Day following the Civil War, an order was given by a general of the Grand Army of the Republic stating that "the thirtieth of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion." This day to remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country is now called "Memorial Day" and is celebrated on the last Monday of May. The way we "decorate" graves of departed loved ones and the kind of "memorial" we make for them depends on our cultural tradition. In the U. S. A. and Japan, traditions are different, but in both nations, the desire to honor and show respect for the dead are recognized. In the Christian tradition, showing respect for the dead is different than "worship," which is directed toward the almighty God alone, but more important than the traditional rituals followed is the inner attitude or faith in our hearts which is manifested in our daily lives.

04/06/02  Family Fiesta  (Timely Words 0721)

It is customary in our retirement community to have meetings of some kind on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Some of them have a religious character. Others are informational, educational or recreational. Recently, we had a Talent Night, at which a number of residents took part to share their talents. The coordinator, who had spent many years in Latin American countries, called it a "Family Fiesta." Some participants sang solos. Others played musical instruments. One lady read poems she had composed and others gave recitations. Artistic skills in stained glass and woodworking were also explained and displayed. My wife participated in a skit performed by the clowns and I gave a recitation I have repeated on various occasions over the past 65 years. I first heard the reading on the radio when I was in high school. I wrote to the radio station to receive a copy of it. Then, I memorized it, recited it at certain times and still remember it today. Entitled "Melody in F," it is a variation of Jesus' parable of The Prodigal Son using many words beginning with F which I felt was appropriate for a "Family Fiesta." It begins as follows: "Feeling footloose and frisky, a featherbrained fellow forced his fond father to fork over the farthings. He fled far to foreign fields and frittered his fortune, feasting fabulously with faithless friends." The final words, following his return to his father's house, are his father's. "Unfurl the flags. Let fun and frolic freely flow. Former failure is forgotten, folly forsaken. Forgiveness is the foundation for future fortitude."

04/06/04  Mississippi River  (Timely Words 0722)

Many names of places in the United States of America are derived from tribal languages of the Native Americans who lived there before the influx of settlers from Europe. Mississippi, which has only four different letters in its eleven-lettered name, is derived from an Algonquian word meaning "big river." It is the name of both the big, long river that runs through the country from north to south and of one of the ten states whose borders it partly defines. When combined with the Missouri River, which flows into it, it is almost 6000 kilometers long, making it the third longest river in the world, after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon in South America. Early settlers and explorers from Europe hoped to discover a river that ran from the east coast to the west coast, but they were unsuccessful. With its tributaries, the Mississippi drains over 3 million square kilometers of the central United States, including all or part of 31 states and two provinces of Canada. The river is a busy, economic waterway throughout the year, but shipping in the northern part may be interrupted by ice in the winter. The river is rich in freshwater fish and enters a delta before it discharges into the Gulf of Mexico. During the Civil War, the Mississippi was an invasion route for Union armies and the scene of many important battles. Following that war, river traffic resumed and is colorfully described by Mark Twain in his Life on the Mississippi. It was after working as a river pilot on the Mississippi, where "mark twain" denoted the river depth of two fathoms, that Samuel Clemens chose that for his pen name.

04/06/06  Pentecost Worship Service  (Timely Words 0723)

In the Christian Church Calendar, the birth of Jesus, the Christ, is celebrated at Christmas. His resurrection from the dead is celebrated at Easter. The third main festival celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit, which occurred on "the day of Pentecost," fifty days after the resurrection. This event is often referred to as "the Birthday of the Church." According to the account written in the 2nd chapter of Acts, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind filled the house where Jesus' disciples were meeting. Then, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, or languages, as the Spirit enabled them. People from various countries were amazed and confused when they heard these Jews declaring the wonders of God in their own languages. The people attending Penney Memorial Church were also amazed and confused during the Pentecost Worship Service last Sunday, at which certain worshippers, who had been contacted previously, stood at a certain time and began reading Acts 2:1-4 in many different languages. My wife and I read from the Japanese Bible while others read the passage in French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Chinese and various languages of India and Africa, countries where these residents had served. Following this time of confusion which may have resembled the event recorded in Acts, the preacher emphasized how God speaks to people in different ways, some of which may be confusing to us, but we should always be alert to receive his message and to follow it.

04/06/09  Ronald Reagan/Berlin Wall  (Timely Words 0724)

On Saturday afternoon, Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States of America, died in California at the age of 93, ten years after his announcement in a public letter that he had Alzheimer's disease. Saturday evening television programs and Sunday newspapers were filled with many stories about his life, his family and his influential role in American and world affairs during his two terms in the White House, from 1980-1988. Standing before the Berlin Wall, his exhortation to the Soviet leader, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," was repeatedly shown on television and reminded me of my experience at that wall. My wife and I and our three children were on our way back to the U. S. A. from Japan in 1963, traveling through Germany in a camping car. At the home of a German relative (with whom we could not easily communicate) we saw President Kennedy on television giving his famous speech in West Berlin. Two days later, we passed through "Checkpoint Charley" into East Berlin and rode through flag-decked streets lined with people and policemen who were awaiting the arrival of Russian Prime Minister Khruschev. We stood with the crowd in front of the City Hall Landing from which Khruschev spoke in Russian with a German interpreter. Fortunately, the man standing next to us spoke English and told us what was being said, including the emphasis on Soviet supremacy in space. As it began to thunder, I suggested that there was some disagreement in heaven, but he said it was probably St. Peter, who doesn't understand politics, moving some furniture.

04/06/11  D-Day  (Timely Words 0725)

D is the fourth letter of the modern English alphabet. In the ancient Phoenician script, the letter was written with three straight lines in the shape of a triangle and called "daleth," meaning "door." Now, "daleth" is the name of the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. When the Greeks adapted the Phoenician alphabet, they altered its shape and called it "delta," the name of the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. In schools that use letters to indicate grades, D is the lowest passing grade for students. This week, radio, television, newspapers and magazines were filled with stories and memories of what is called "D-day," the day in 1944 when Allied troops invaded France during the Second World War. The term "D-day" was used for the unnamed day when the military offensive was to be launched. Originally, June 5th was the day chosen for the invasion, but weather conditions forced its postponement to June 6th. On that day, about 156,000 troops landed on the French coast of Normandy, transported in some 4,000 ships and 3,000 planes. It is estimated that up to 5,000 Allied soldiers lost their lives on that day and even now, construction work sometimes unearths bones and skeletons of those who died. There are over 9,000 white gravestones in the American cemetery there. On the 60th anniversary of D-day, some 8,000 people gathered at that cemetery to pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives. In English, we do not use the term "worship" to denote the attitude or action involved in these ceremonies, but respect for the deceased is expressed in traditional ways in both the East and the West.

04/06/13  Priorities: An Object Lesson  (Timely Words 0726)

A professor stood before his philosophy class, picked up a large, empty jar and filled it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full; they agreed that it was. He then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. Next, he picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Then he poured the contents of two cups of coffee into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand particles. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: God, your family, your children, your health, friends, things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter: your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else: the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the car. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One student inquired what the coffee represented. The professor replied, "It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

04/06/16  Flag Colors  (Timely Words 0727)

Prior to the meeting of the leaders of the world's major industrial democratic nations in the U. S. state of Georgia, our local newspaper printed an introduction to those nations that included their national flags. Noticing that flags for Germany and Russia were identical, I informed the newspaper of the error and a correction was printed in the newspaper the next day. Comparing the flags of those countries, I noticed that five of the eight national flags included three different colors, but the Japanese and Canadian flags had only two colors, and only the German flag did not include the colors of red and white. This stimulated my examination of the flags of 193 countries appearing in a current reference book and this is what I found. There is only one national flag (Libya) that has only one color (green). The flags of 35 countries have only two colors and those of 73 countries have only three colors. Obviously, red and white are the most popular colors. White is included in 136 national flags and red is found on 131 of them. There are 13 national flags that have only the colors of red and white, 34 that have three colors including red and white and 22 of those flags have the three colors of red, white and blue. Colors symbolize certain feelings or concepts, whether on national flags, church, school or home decorations, but the meaning may vary depending on the culture. I am reminded of the thesis our daughter, who is now the editor of a publishing company in Thailand, wrote for her college graduation: "A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Color Terms: 'White,' 'Black,' and 'Red' in English, Greek and Japanese."

04/06/18  Shuffleboard  (Timely Words 0728)

Residents in this retirement community have a variety of ways to exercise their bodies to keep them in good condition. Some enjoy walking along the tree-lined streets. Others take advantage of the Fitness Center with its many different machines that strengthen various parts of the body. Others go swimming in the swimming pool. Outdoor sports facilities include a golf course, a tennis court and a couple of shuffleboard courts. Although a game called "gate ball," which is similar to "croquet," is considered the most popular sport among senior citizens in Japan, we have not seen either of these games played in the U. S. A. since our retirement. "Shuffle" may denote dragging the feet along the ground while walking or mixing things together. Some elderly folk shuffle their feet when they walk and others shuffle playing cards or dominoes before playing a parlor game. Shuffleboard is played on a smooth court that is 15.8 meters long and 1.8 meters wide. There are triangular diagrams at each end with numbers in them. Players use long cue sticks to push disks down the court toward the scoring diagrams. Two players play from each end of the court and must stay behind the base line as they try to push their disks onto the diagram at the other end. Each player has four disks and players take turns pushing their disks so it is often the case that a disk on the diagram is bumped off by a later disk. The score is added up after each round when the eight disks have been pushed. A winning point total is often set at 50, 75 or 100 points. As we grow older, it is important for us to exercise our minds as well as our bodies.

04/06/20  Doves and Pigeons  (Timely Words 0729)

It is interesting that the same kind of bird may be called either a "dove" or a "pigeon" in English although there is only one word for this bird in both modern Japanese and in Old Testament Hebrew. Also, the conceptual images connected with these words are different. Figuratively, a "dove" is "a person regarded as gentle, innocent or beloved" and a "pigeon" is "a person who is easily deceived; [a] dupe." In English translations of the Old Testament, both "doves" and "pigeons" were offered as sacrifices to God and in the New Testament, a "dove" is the symbol of the peaceful Spirit of God (Luke 3:21-22). Some people keep pigeons as pet birds. Homing, or carrier, pigeons may be used both for racing contests and for delivering messages which have been inserted into a tube attached to one of their legs. Two residents of this retirement community have recently revived an interest they have had in pigeons from their childhood. Many years ago, one of them, who was born and raised in India, was informed by the pigeon his wife had taken with her to the hospital that it was time for him to join her, so he rushed to the hospital to be present when their child was born. The other one, who served as a missionary in Japan, sometimes used a pigeon to communicate with his family when he was working at a church far away from his home. Earlier this year, a pigeon coop was built for them and the two young pigeons which were born there are daily permitted to fly outside but always return to their coop, even when taken on trips hundreds of kilometers away.

04/06/23  Indiana/Indians  (Timely Words 0730)

One of the Midwestern states in the United States of America is the state of Indiana, which previously was the land of Indians. When "polis," the Greek word for "city" is added to the name of the state, we obtain the name of the capital city in that state: "Indianapolis." Thus, both the state and its capital city include the word "Indian." When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean and landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea, he mistakenly thought he had reached the Asian country of India so he called the inhabitants "Indians." That word came to be used for all the native peoples of North and South America so it is now an ambiguous term which may denote either a citizen of India or a native American. The so-called white people from Europe who came to the so-called New World were quite often cruel to the so-called redskins and the treatment of these native Americans is a real black mark in American history. In recent decades, efforts have been made to bring the plight of the native Americans to the attention of the general public and to urge compensation for past injustice. In some states, the fourth Friday of September is called American Indian Day to commemorate the contributions to American life and civilization made by the native Americans. Although now legally able to participate in the democratic process, native Americans are still underprivileged in many ways along with other minority peoples. In all nations of the world, continuing effort is needed to achieve the ideal society in which all people are respected, regardless of their ethnic, national, cultural or religious backgrounds.

04/06/25  Japanese Numbers  (Timely Words 0731)

Recently, my wife and I presented a program on Japan, where we have spent most of our lives. We spoke about Japanese history, the Japanese language and many other topics including Japanese customs and traditions. One of the problems I noted was the number of Japanese words that have identical pronunciations but are written with different Chinese characters and have very different meanings. While explaining about the first telephone number we were given there, I realized that the pronunciation of all the numbers from one to ten have at least one other meaning. When I received our first telephone number from the telephone office, I was asked if I would accept it. It was after giving my consent that I realized why I was asked this question. The number was 9242, which is pronounced "kyuu-ni-shi-ni" in Japanese. Whenever we told this number to others, they all thought of the other meaning of that pronunciation, which may be translated as "sudden death." I am sure that many Japanese would have refused to accept this number, but it did not bother us and all of our friends were able to remember it easily. At the meeting where my wife and I spoke, a young lady who had just returned from Japan where she had been teaching English for the past year in a university in Osaka was present. She said that she was confused when a number of her students wrote the numbers 39 at the end of the final papers they handed in to her. Then a Japanese teacher explained that these numbers, pronounced "san-kyuu" in Japanese, were the students' amusing way of saying "Thank you."

04/06/28  Squirrels  (Timely Words 0732)

In the retirement community in which my wife and I reside, there are many large trees on the spacious lawns between the houses of residents. These trees with their variety of leaves, palms or needles, provide homes not only for many different kinds of birds but also for squirrels. Squirrels are a kind of rodent. Rodents, which include rats and mice, are characterized by front teeth adapted for gnawing and cheek teeth adapted for chewing. Squirrels have slender bodies, sleek, thick fur and bushy tails. As I look out of the window in front of my desk, I often see squirrels racing across the lawn, running up or down the trunk of a tree or sitting with their bushy tails erect behind them while eating something held in their forepaws in front of them. In contrast with cats, bears and monkeys, squirrels always descend from trees head first. Although they can run fast on the ground, they are able to climb trees faster than they run. Squirrels not only swiftly jump from branch to branch on the tree next to our house; they often jump onto the roof of our house. They also enjoy eating the droppings of seeds from the bird feeders in our lawn. According to a reference book, the bushy tail of a squirrel is used as a rudder when it leaps and as a parachute when it drops. I presume that squirrels relax in their nests, but I have never seen a squirrel that appeared to be at ease. They are always very tense, alert and vigilant, ready to dart when they see a sudden movement. There are things human beings may learn from watching animals.

04/06/30  Crossing the English Channel  (Timely Words 0733)

One meaning of the word "channel," is a "strait," "a body of water joining two larger bodies of water." The English Channel is the body of water between England and France, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea. It is about 560 kilometers long and between 240 and 34 kilometers wide. There are various ways of crossing this channel. Airplanes fly over it; a tunnel goes under it and ferryboats go on it. It is also possible to cross the Channel in a Hovercraft, a vehicle used in low-level flight over land or water, but a recent news article noted that a new record had been set by an amphibious vehicle from England to France. Amphibious animals are able to live on both land and in water, and amphibious vehicles are able to operate on both land and water. According to the article, an Englishman drove into the channel at Dover in England and crossed over to Calais in France in one hour, forty minutes and six seconds. The vehicle he drove is able to reach about 150 kilometers an hour on land and about 50 kilometers an hour in the water, with its wheels retracted. I recall the Channel crossing I made with my wife and three children in the camping car we purchased in Germany on one of our return trips to the U. S. A. We rode on a car ferry from Ostende in Belgium to Dover in England, arriving late at night. While driving along the country road in the dark, I had to remember whenever I saw a car coming from the opposite direction to keep on the left side of the road, which was the opposite side of the highways I had been driving on in other European countries but the same side of the road I drove on in Japan.

04/07/02  Ramen and Men  (Timely Words 0734)

The stimulus for today's message was a recent newspaper article about a popular kind of Japanese noodles called "ramen." This was the topic of the senior thesis of a college student in Colorado, who carefully examined the "social and cultural meanings" of this tasty noodle dish. It reminded me of the frequent visits to a neighborhood noodle shop in the Japanese city of Nagoya that my wife and I made along with our son and his Japanese wife and two daughters. While reading the article, I was again reminded of certain peculiarities of the Japanese and English languages. In Japanese, there are many words with the same pronunciation, having completely different meanings and written with different Chinese characters. In my Japanese dictionary, there are six words written with different characters pronounced "men," one of which denotes "noodles." "Ramen" is one kind of "men." In English, there are many irregularities in regard to the pronunciation of certain letters and the plural forms of certain words. The plural form of most words is made by adding an "s" or an "es" to the singular form. Thus, the plural of "pan" is "pans;" the plural of "can" is "cans," and the plural of "fan" is "fans." But the plural of "man" is "men," and the plural of "woman" is "women," in which the pronunciations of both vowels are changed. In the creation story found in the second chapter of the first book in the Bible, the book of Genesis, the origin of the (Hebrew) words for "man" or "Adam," (both derived from "ground" = "adamah") (verse 7) and "woman" (= "wife-man") (verse 23) may be found.

04/07/04  Declaration of Independence  (Timely Words 0735)

Most early colonists of North America did not have political independence as their goal. They were content to live under the administration of Great Britain and to express their loyalty to the British monarchy. It was in response to the unilateral imposition of taxes and other undemocratic procedures that provoked the colonists to object and rebel. Finally, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the "Declaration of Independence" which has continued to exert a great influence in the affairs of many other nations also. That Declaration begins as follows: "When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands, which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government . . . ." Now, as Independence Day is celebrated in the U. S. A., it is well for its citizens and others throughout the world to reconsider the implications of these famous words.

04/07/06  Bilingualism  (Timely Words 0736)

Reflecting on the time, place and circumstances related to one's birth, all people may discern both positive and negative factors, both advantages and disadvantages. Whether the "plus" or "minus" side is emphasized depends on the individual. Having been born and raised in a foreign country with a different language and culture than those of one's parents may be considered either beneficial or distressful. Thinking of the experience of my own children, who were born and raised in Japan, obviously they had very limited contact with their grandparents and felt somewhat "out of place" both in Japan and the U. S. A. Although we generally spoke English at home, they naturally became conversant in Japanese as well and they had the opportunity to experience and understand two very different cultures and traditions. A recently published study has indicated that people who are fluent in two languages, who are bilingual, since childhood generally perform better than monolingual people on cognitive tests. They also maintain their cognitive abilities longer as they age. It was noted that it takes a lot of brainpower to hold two languages in the mind simultaneously and that speaking a second language actually produces physical changes in the brain�\pumping more blood to carry more oxygen. The advantage of being able to communicate accurately in different languages is obvious in the world today, but genuine "bilingualism" implies more than being able to literally translate words from one language to another. The underlying implications of certain words and expressions also must be recognized.

04/07/08  National Cherry Festival  (Timely Words 0737)

There is a big difference between the cherry trees in the United States and those in Japan and in the mental pictures they stimulate. In Japan, cherry trees are famous for the beautiful blossoms they produce in the spring which last for about one week. At that time, parties are held under the flowering branches, but for the rest of the year, these trees are almost ignored. Japanese cherry trees and their blossoms have become a favorite theme for poets, but they do not bear fruit. Blossoms on a lesser scale may be seen on American cherry trees also, but these blossoms are the predecessors of tasty fruit. In the state of Michigan, which ranks first among the states in the production of cherries, there are over two million cherry trees. In Traverse City, a northern Michigan city located on a bay of Lake Michigan, a National Cherry Festival is held annually during the first full week after Independence Day. During that week, the city, in which there are hundreds of thousands of cherry trees, sponsors many events that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors. Parades are held. A Cherry Queen is selected. Groups of singers perform. There is a cherry pie-eating contest and a cherry recipe-baking contest. Along with fresh cherries, cherry ice cream, cherry fudge, baked cherry goods, cherry pizzas and other cherry specialties are available. In Washington, D.C., a National Cherry Blossom Festival is held while the cherry blossoms on the trees donated by the city of Tokyo in 1912 are in bloom�\in March or April.

04/07/10  Caesar  (Timely Words 0738)

This seventh month of the year in the Gregorian calendar is called July. This name was given to this month in the year 44 B.C.E. in honor of Julius Caesar, the Roman statesman, military leader and writer, who died that year. The number of days in that month, which was the month of his birth, was then increased by one to total 31. Originally, Caesar was simply a family name, but after the imperial reign of Julius, the name was used by other emperors and has been used as titles of rulers of other countries as well: the Kaiser of Germany and the Czar of Russia. This name is also found in certain English expressions. A "Caesarean section" is a surgical incision through the abdominal wall and uterus performed to extract a fetus from a pregnant woman. The procedure was given that name because of a legend that Julius Caesar was born in that way. Because of a suspicion that one of the three wives of Caesar was involved with another man, Caesar divorced her. Although her involvement was not certain, Caesar made the statement that has become a traditional expression: "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." A "Caesar salad" is a certain kind of salad that was first served in a restaurant called Caesar's Place in Tijuana, Mexico. In reply to the question about whether the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus told the questioner to look at a coin he was using, which had Caesar's portrait on it and gave his famous reply: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" (Matthew 22:21). According to the creation story in the first chapter of Genesis, man was created in the image of God so we should give ourselves to God.

04/07/14  Vice President  (Timely Words 0739)

There are a number of different kinds of "vices." One kind of "vice" (which may also be spelled v-i-s-e) is a clamping device having two jaws which is used to firmly hold an object being worked on. This kind of "vice" is an important tool for carpenters or metalworkers. Another meaning of "vice" is an evil, degrading, immoral practice or habit. All morally sensitive people seek to rid their societies of these kinds of vices. There is a third homonym with the same spelling which denotes one who acts in the place of another, a deputy. In the Navy, a vice-admiral is ranked just below an admiral and some universities have a vice chancellor who serves as the chancellor when the chancellor is absent. In the United States of America, the vice president ranks just below the president and may assume the president's duties if the president is absent, ill or deceased. In the national election to be held this fall, both a president and a vice president will be elected to serve a four-year term. In the election campaign which is now under way, even before the official selection of the candidates by the major political parties, candidates for both president and vice president are seeking to win the approval of voters. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts recently chose Senator John Edwards of North Carolina as his running mate and candidate for vice president. They will seek to replace President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Obviously, there is now too much vice in American society. Of course, we cannot put this kind of vice in a vice to repair it, but we hope that the person who is chosen to be vice president will help to solve the problem.

04/07/16  National/State Boundaries  (Timely Words 0740)

Looking at a map of the world, it is interesting to compare the size and shape of the various countries and to note the kind of boundaries that separate them. The countries with the largest areas are: Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Brazil and Australia. National boundaries of countries in Europe and Asia are generally determined by natural geographic features, such as bodies of water, mountain ranges, rivers, etc., but those on the continents of Africa, North and South America have many straight-line boundaries, obviously determined by human beings, usually representing colonial powers. Some of those boundaries have continued to be causes of bitterness and wars, even at the present time. Of the six largest countries, Canada, the United States, Brazil and Australia have some straight-line boundaries. Comparing state or prefecture boundaries within Canada, the United States, Australia and Japan, we see no straight-line boundaries in Japan, but many in the other three countries. In fact, there are two adjacent states in the U. S. A. that are rectangular in shape, with straight-line boundaries on all four sides. An adjacent state also has straight-line borders and three other neighboring states have mostly straight-line borders with short sections determined by rivers. If you wish to check a map, the states I have noted are the western states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona. If you look closely in that area, you will see the only place in the U. S. A. where the boundaries of four states join in one place.

04/07/19  The Ceding of Florida  (Timely Words 0741)

Twenty-three of the fifty states in the United States of America have at least a part of their state on a seacoast, whether the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. From all of those states, one may easily see the sea, but the states with the highest percentage of coastline are Hawaii, Alaska, California and Florida. "See" and "sea" are homonyms with very different meanings as are "seed" and "cede." When used as a noun, "seed" denotes a small embryo from which a new plant may be produced. As a verb, "seed" means to plant seeds, but "the seeding of Florida" has quite a different meaning than "the ceding of Florida." To "cede" means to officially surrender possession of some property. It was 183 years ago, on July 17, 1821, that Florida was ceded to the United States by Spain. It was the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, who claimed this territory for Spain in 1513 and gave it the Spanish name meaning "flowery," but it became the source of conflict between Spain, France and Britain. During the American Revolution, Florida remained loyal to Britain and became a haven for Loyalists who flocked there from the rebelling colonies. It was following the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, however, that Great Britain conceded to American demands and ceded this territory to the U. S. A. One may see the sea from many parts of this flowery state and since it was ceded to the U. S. A., it has been seeded by many kinds of flowers and fruits, including oranges, grapefruit and other citrus fruits which we enjoy.

04/07/21  Commons Building  (Timely Words 0742)

Since entering this retirement community five years ago, it has become customary for our granddaughters to come to visit us during their summer vacation. During the recent visit of two teen-aged granddaughters, one from Japan and one from New Mexico, the new Commons Building which is very near our house became a popular place. In this building, there are a variety of attractions. In one corner, there is a large swimming pool, in which the girls enjoyed swimming. Next to the swimming pool is a Fitness Center, in which there are many different kinds of machines that are used for exercising various parts of one's body, but they did not make use of these machines. In the third corner, there is a large library in which not only books, newspapers, magazines and videotapes are available; there are also a couple of computers on which they enjoyed playing games and writing to their friends. In the other corner there is a game room. In this room, there is both a ping-pong table and a pool table. There are also many small tables and chairs to be used by those who borrow games or jigsaw puzzles which are kept in a cabinet. Games include checkers, chess and Chinese checkers. There are many different kinds of jigsaw puzzles which may be put together. Unfinished puzzles are often left on tables for others to work on or finish. My wife and I also went to the game room to play games with them and we brought home a jigsaw puzzle and a couple of videotapes to enjoy at home. And in the middle of the Commons, there is a Coffee Shop where people may relax and have a cup of coffee or tea along with some cookies and ice cream.

04/07/23  Sightseeing Tours  (Timely Words 0743)

When guests visit us in our retirement community here in Penney Farms, Florida, we may take them to the city of St. Augustine, which is about 40 minutes away by car. St. Augustine, located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and founded in 1565, is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in North America. There are many historic sites and tourist attractions in that city that draw millions of visitors every year. We usually find a place to park our car and then walk around the city, visiting various places of interest along the streets, but it is also possible to take a sightseeing tour of the city on a trolley. The trolley, which is a kind of small streetcar which does not run on a track, may consist of three or four cars, with the driver in the first car using a loudspeaker to explain about the various areas we pass through. It is possible to disembark from the trolley car at certain stops and board another one that follows later with the same ticket. We have taken this sightseeing tour with guests, but we had never taken a carriage tour until the recent visit of our two granddaughters. The carriage is a four-wheeled, horse-drawn passenger vehicle, which we knew our granddaughters would enjoy riding. The driver, who sat in front of us held the reins which guided the grey horse. As we slowly passed along the streets that were also used by passenger cars and trolley cars, the driver told us about the history of the city and informed us about the particular areas we were passing through and the sites along the way. Since it was the first time that any of us had ridden in a carriage, it was an enjoyable experience.

04/07/25  Ministry of Mending  (Timely Words 0744)

There are various kinds of "ministers" engaged in different types of "ministries." The most common use of these terms is related to government or religion. Certain governmental departments may be called "ministries," such as the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In such cases, the person in charge of such departments is a "minister," as is a person who is authorized to represent his government in dealings with other governments, usually ranking next below an ambassador. In the religious sense, a "minister" is a person authorized to perform religious functions in a church. There are many retired ministers in this Christian retirement community who are regularly called upon to minister in the community's church. On Sunday, I am scheduled to preach and my wife will serve as the liturgist. My sermon title is: "Ministry of Mending." To "mend" means to "make right or correct; repair." There are a number of different areas in which church members, including "ministers," should be involved in mending. First, in the Biblical view, there is a break in the relationship between human beings and their Creator which needs to be mended. Then, there are divisions between human beings of different cultural, religious, racial traditions that should be mended. Even members of the same religious or cultural traditions often are separated because of different personalities or perspectives which require mending. Mending relationships between countries, races and religions is important in the world today and these problems will be considered in the "Sermon Feedback" session on Monday morning.

04/07/28  Transatlantic Cable  (Timely Words 0745)

At the present time, when radio and television, computers and telephones are so prevalent, it is difficult to imagine the communication problems of 150 years ago. At that time, it took up to one or two months for messages to be transmitted from New York to London over land and sea. After underwater cable connections had been made between England and France in 1845 and between Scotland and Ireland in 1853, a number of attempts were made to lay a submarine telegraph line connecting North America with the British Isles, but it was not until July 27, 1866, 138 years ago this week, that a permanent transatlantic cable was successfully completed. A line laid eight years earlier, by which Queen Victoria and President Buchanan exchanged greetings, lasted only three weeks due to poor insulation. Attempts to lay the cable under the ocean included having ships coming from the opposite sides carrying cables to a meeting place in the center of the ocean and for ships beginning at the midpoint and sailing to their opposite continents had failed. The cable stretching from the Canadian province of Newfoundland, the easternmost area of the North American continent, to the British Isles is about 4,800 kilometers long; from Newfoundland to New York, another 1,500 kilometers of cable connections over land and sea were required. The major figure involved in the successful completion of this project was Cyrus Field, an American merchant who had retired from paper manufacturing at the age of 33, and began this new project, which he continued despite numerous failures, the following year.

04/07/30  Henry Ford  (Timely Words 0746)

When used as a common noun, "ford" denotes a shallow place in a body of water, such as a river, where a crossing can be made on foot. It is more common, however, to use the word as a proper noun, designating a particular person or the automobile he invented. Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan. As a young man, he spent much time doing farm chores by hard hand labor, but, having an interest in mechanics, he became an apprentice machinist in Detroit and repaired watches in his spare time. In 1893, in his backyard shop, he successfully tested a two-cylinder internal combustion engine powered by gasoline he had designed and produced. In 1903, he established the Ford Motor Company and, in 1908, he began producing his Model T Ford, also known as the "Tin Lizzie," which became very popular. By 1927, when production of the Model T ceased, 15 million of them had been sold around the world. This was made possible by new assembly-line techniques which Ford had introduced. On the assembly-line, a moving conveyor belt transports parts in front of a line of workers, each one of whom performs a simple task on a particular part. High wages and an eight-hour day were other factors in attracting workers and making Ford cars so popular. In conclusion, here are a couple of meaningful quotations from Henry Ford. "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it." "One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again."

04/08/01  The End  (Timely Words 0747)

Literally, a "year" is the period of time it takes for the earth to make a single revolution around the sun: 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes and 12 seconds. According to the Gregorian calendar, a year begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st. Other "years" begin and end at other times, including fiscal years and school years. In my school days in the U. S. A., the school year began in September and ended in June. July and August were vacation months, so August was the end of the summer vacation. This year, August will mark the end of the 5th year of this "Timely Words" homepage and I expect it to mark the end of my present custom of adding a new message 3 times a week. I began the "Daily Word" telephone service in Japan on September 1,1980 and continued it until February 28,1999, when I returned to my homeland; this "Timely Words" homepage was begun on September 1st of that year. Over the years, I have enjoyed composing messages I thought would be interesting, informative, stimulating and inspiring to listeners/readers, but I have decided it is time to retire and try to do other things I had hoped to do upon retirement. I have been very grateful for the dedicated service of Kazuhiko Sakakibara and Tomizo Shobo over the years related to the "Voiced Messages" and "Previous Messages" of the homepage sections and for uploading the messages onto the English Forum of the Nifty-Serve computer network in Japan. At this time, I recall the words of Ecclesiastes 7:8: "The end of something is better than its beginning."

04/08/04  Chess  (Timely Words 0748)

Chess is called "the game of kings," for the English word comes from the Persian word for "king" and the aim of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. Chess is played on a square board composed of 64 square spaces. Each of the two players has 16 pieces—a king, a queen, 2 bishops, 2 knights, 2 castles and 8 pawns. Each of these "chessmen" can be moved according to specific rules and is removed from the board when an opponent's piece is moved into its square. The game ends when a king is unable to move into a safe square. Chess has been played for centuries in India and Persia, but it may have originated in Russia, where two ivory chessmen dating to the 2nd century have been discovered. My wife played her first game of chess last month when one of our granddaughters, who was visiting us, taught her. Although I used to play chess at times in my school days, my last game was played 35 years ago in Nagoya, Japan, in response to a telephone call from a newspaper reporter. He informed me of the first Japan-America Chess Tournament to promote friendly relations between the two countries which had been arranged with the approval of both the Japanese mayor and the American consul. The problem was that there were almost no American chess players who were able to participate. He urgently asked if I would not be willing to come and take part. I reluctantly agreed to do so and still have the picture of that event clipped from a Japanese newspaper. An English philanthropist, Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, made the significant statement: "In life, as in chess, forethought wins."

04/08/05  Time and Faith  (Timely Words 0749)

Although the passage of time continues at the same rate of speed, depending upon our perspective, a number of minutes may be considered a long time and a number of years may be considered a short time. In this retirement community, most residents are in their seventies or eighties. Some are in their nineties and a few have celebrated their hundredth birthdays. When we talk with other residents in the dining room, in homes or other meeting places, we are reminded of the many interesting and unique experiences we have had in our different kinds of ministry in different countries. Regarding the past, there is much to talk about. My wife and I are once again reading letters my wife wrote to our families from Japan fifty years ago, which my mother had saved. We are amazed at some of the experiences she related which we had forgotten. We may look at past events with both joy and sorrow, but what is our outlook for the future? That depends upon a person's faith. From my perspective, following half a century in Japan, where along with my church-related activities, I studied other religions and tried to understand the thinking of Japanese people, I have come to the conclusion that there is no normal human being who does not have faith. Faith is not always expressed in traditional religious forms and many people who regularly observe religious rituals are not thereby expressing their faith but merely following tradition. According to the faith of some, there is no God, but such people also express their faith in their daily lives and the hope or lack of hope they have for the future depends on their faith.

04/08/09  Number Seven  (Timely Words 0750)

Numbers can be written in many different ways. In Roman numerals, seven capital letters (I, V, X, L, C, D, M) are used to identify numbers, but the most common system now used throughout the world is the Arabic system. The ten symbols used in this system may be called "digits," derived from the Latin word for "finger." These symbols are given different pronunciations, depending on the language used, but in English, they are pronounced as follows: 0-zero, 1-one, 2-two, 3-three, 4-four, 5-five, 6-six, 7-seven, 8-eight, 9-nine. Depending on cultural tradition, certain numbers have fortunate or unfortunate implications. In the Bible, the number 7 has a special sacred significance. In the Biblical story of Creation, the world was created in six days. Then, God rested, blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:3). In the Ten Commandments, the seventh day was designated a day of rest and worship (Exodus 20:8-11) and even today, a week is composed of seven days, one of which Jews and Christians consider holy. The symbolic visions found in the final book of the Bible, which begins with messages to 7 churches, include 7 candlesticks, 7 stars, 7 trumpets, 7 spirits, 7 horns, 7 vials, 7 plagues, a 7-headed monster, and the Lamb with 7 eyes. As I discontinue composing new messages for this "Timely Words" web page this month, I am looking forward to my 77th birthday later this year and the number of messages composed for this web page will surpass 777. When these are added to the 6,290 different messages composed for the "Daily Word" telephone service from September1980 to February 1999 the total number will be 7,070.

04/08/11  Missouri  (Timely Words 0751)

It is the custom of this retirement community to hold a birthday celebration in the Dining Hall on the first Wednesday of the month for all residents who have a birthday that month. At this celebration, it is customary to have a word game at each table for diners to think about before the celebration begins. Last Wednesday, the game was to discern the names of states of the U. S. A. hidden in a paragraph that was available on each table. In that paragraph was the sentence: "If nothing goes amiss our intended trip will include Paris," but it required very perceptive eyes to discern the name "Missouri" in the middle of that sentence. Missouri was the name of a Native American group that lived at the mouth of a river that was also given that name. That name eventually became the name of a district and then of a state that was officially admitted to the Union after much debate as the 24th state, 183 years ago, on August 10, 1821. The debate was related to whether or not slavery should be permitted in the new state. Each individual state has its own constitution and the problem was whether or not this new state should be admitted if it recognized slavery. As a result of the so-called Missouri Compromise, Missouri was admitted with a constitution containing no restrictions against slavery, Maine was admitted as a free state and slavery was prohibited in the north. It was in 1865, following the Civil War, that slavery was prohibited throughout the U. S. A. Missouri is one of only two states that share their borders with eight other states.

04/08/13  English Words  (Timely Words 0752)

As I approach the end of this "Timely Words" web page and look back over the years, I realize how much I, myself, have learned while composing messages for it and for its predecessor, the "Daily Word" telephone service in Japan. I have become especially conscious of the irregularities in the spelling and pronunciation of English words. Since the U. S. A. is now preparing for a national election to be held this fall, I decided to compose a message about the election "campaign" now under way. Then, I realized the strange spelling of the second syllable in that word. There are two other words pronounced the same as that syllable but with different spellings: "pain," denoting an unpleasant feeling, and "pane," related to a glass window. Then, I thought of the white wine that will be drunk at celebrations of victorious candidates. It also has two syllables, the second of which is pronounced the same as the second syllable of "campaign," but has a different spelling. "Champagne," the name of this wine, comes from the region in France where it is produced. In some English words beginning with "ch," the pronunciation is the same as the "c" in "campaign" ("chaos" and "chameleon," for example), so we could imagine "champagne" having the same pronunciation as "campaign." In fact, while composing this message, I discovered a new word I had never known before: "champaign," meaning "a plain," which may be pronounced the same as "champagne." There is a city in my home state of Illinois, however, named Champaign. Yes, indeed. English is an irregular, complicated and confusing language—especially in regard to pronunciation and spelling.

04/08/15  King James Version  (Timely Words 0753)

James, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jacob, was the name of two of Jesus' twelve apostles (Mark 3:16-19). It was also the name of a brother of Jesus, who became the head of the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13ff) and who probably wrote the letter in the New Testament that bears that name. It became one of the most popular names in English-speaking countries following the enthronement of James I as king of England in 1603. In Scotland, he was recognized as James VI. It was during his reign that a new English translation of the Bible was ordered in 1604 and completed in 1611. Forty-seven outstanding translators were involved in this translation from Hebrew and Greek to English. Earlier English translations had been made by John Wyclif and William Tyndale but the beautiful English which characterizes this translation resembles that of William Shakespeare. This English translation is now known as the King James Version or the Authorized Version of the Bible and despite the change in the meaning of words and expressions over the past five hundred years, many people prefer this translation of the "Word of God." Since Christians consider the Bible a holy book that reveals the character and plan of God and provides instruction for those who believe, it is very important that the meaning of the original writings are comprehended so new, up-to-date translations are always being made, but the beauty of the King James Version makes it particularly attractive.

04/08/18  Election Campaign  (Timely Words 0754)

The word "campaign" is derived from the Latin word, "campus," meaning "field." A "field" is open country suited to military maneuvers and the primary meaning of "campaign" is "a series of military operations with a particular objective." Its secondary meaning is "a series of organized, planned actions for a particular purpose, as for electing a candidate." This kind of "campaign" is now being waged in the United States of America. Included in campaigns to elect the nominee of the Democratic Party, John Kerry, or to re-elect the nominee of the Republican Party, George W. Bush, are related campaigns to gain support for certain issues that highlight different emphases of these two candidates. Such issues include conditions related to governmental regulations regarding taxes, health care, the environment, marriage, abortions, stem-cell research, international relations and how to effectively express one�fs religious convictions. Obviously, the personalities of the candidates, their personal histories and their running mates for vice-president are also important elements to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the election on November 2nd is not only for president and vice-president but for members of Congress as well, so many factors must be considered by sincere and conscientious voters.

P. S.  This personal note at the conclusion of this message is to inform readers that the recent hurricane that caused great damage in certain areas of Florida did not disturb us at all—even though we had made preparations for it.

04/08/20  Translation Problems  (Timely Words 0755)

After studying Spanish for two years in high school and one year in college, I was asked by the dean to tutor a couple of Spanish-speaking students from Latin America whose English was deficient as one of my part-time jobs at my university. One of these students was the son of a wealthy lawyer in Mexico City, who invited me to visit him during the summer vacation. So I hitchhiked from Chicago to Mexico City and lived as a guest in his house for six weeks while attending summer school at the University of Mexico and became quite fluent in Spanish. Following seminary and graduate school, I went to Japan where I spent the next 48 years, seeking to communicate Christian truth in Japanese. Consequently, I am well acquainted with translation problems and have concluded that a perfect translation from one language to another is impossible because of the difference in the meanings and connotations of words in particular languages and cultures. Following the speech of a well-known priest from South America who was visiting Japan, in which he stated that, "in Japan, it is not sufficient to affirm that 'God is love,' one must explain what is meant by 'God,'" I informed him that it was also necessary to define "love," for I had recently spoken with a Buddhist priest who told me that "love" was one of the passions that hinder the attainment of enlightenment. I now believe that truth in the true sense is communicated more by life and spirit than by words, in keeping with the well-known proverb that "Actions speak louder than words."

04/08/22  The Greatest Commandment  (Timely Words 0756)

All people who live orderly lives follow certain rules. Some rules are clearly stated in the form of laws or regulations. Others are simply traditional customs that are followed unconsciously. Some are applicable only in very limited areas while others have universal implications. Among the many commandments written in the Old Testament for the Israelites following their escape from Egypt, the most famous ones are known as the "Ten Commandments" found in the 20th chapter of the book of Exodus. But when Jesus was asked "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" he replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 6:5). In this statement, we face the problem not only of translation but interpretation. What is the meaning of "heart," "soul" and "mind" (or "strength") in Hebrew (the language of the Old Testament), Greek (the language of the New Testament), or English? Both physical and spiritual, or symbolic, meanings can be discerned. The "heart" is the essential physical organ at the center of the human body and the most important part of anything. The "soul" is the life that invigorates a human being. And the "mind" is the reasoning faculty of human beings. Thus, according to Jesus, the greatest commandment is to love God with all one�fs powers. And the second most important commandment is "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39; Leviticus 19:18). In the Christian perspective, love is the basic element in a wholesome life.

04/08/25  The Future  (Timely Words 0757)

Nowadays, it is common to read predictions of the future—including such natural phenomena as the time of the sun's rising and setting and the weather. Various factors may cause a change in the weather forecast, but even the time of the sun's rising and setting is based on the "faith" that the natural laws will continue to function in the future as they have in the past. Actually, we are not sure what will happen tomorrow. We make plans on the basis of our experience in the past, but we do not know what the future holds for us, our country or the world. Also, we do not know the future of this "Timely Words" homepage which I began five years ago on September 1, 1999. This message is number 777, and until now, I have been adding a new message every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night (Florida time). As noted in recent messages, I plan to discontinue adding new messages regularly at the end of this month, but in response to the requests of readers, I will continue composing new messages at my convenience but without the pressure of adding them on certain days. This permits me to engage in other activities I had envisioned in my retirement. Although I am unsure of the future of the "voiced messages," I plan to add written messages sporadically as I feel stimulated to do so. The "Previous Messages" and "Previous Voiced Messages" listed on the homepage should remain accessible for those who wish to read or listen to them, but we must wait and see what happens in the future. Incidentally, I am always happy to read the comments of readers.

[Editor's note: This message was previously # 777 as indicated in text. However, in the course of uploading the archived messages for the reader's convenience, it was re-numbered # 757.]

04/08/27  Stamps  (Timely Words 0758)

Some people stamp their feet when they are cold or to emphasize a point or to call attention to themselves. Some people have a special kind of stamp with their name and address on it which they stamp on envelopes or other articles to designate the sender of a letter or the owner of an article. But another kind of stamp is a small piece of gummed paper sold by a government for attachment to an article that is to be mailed. Such stamps are called postage stamps. "Philately" is a specialized word denoting stamp collecting and a stamp collector may be called a "philatelist." Although I do not think I deserve such a designation, I have been a stamp collector since my childhood, following the example of my father. In my case, I do not collect new stamps nor do I search for special stamps with great value. Rather, I simply collect used stamps from mail that has been sent to me or stamps that others have given to me. I do not know how many thousands of stamps I have in my stamp books, but I find that there are 104 different countries represented. Most of the stamps have come from the U. S. A. and Japan, where I have lived most of my life, but many have also come from other countries where relatives or friends have lived. The size, shape and style of stamps vary depending on the country, but it is now possible to have a photograph of oneself or of someone/something else put on a regulation U. S. postage stamp, good for collecting or mailing, at a cost twice the face value of the regular variety, according to the information provided at Stamps.com.

04/08/29  Historic Overview #1  (Timely Words 0759)

Having reached another milestone in my "message ministry," I will here begin a historic overview of the past 25 years. On January 1, 1979, I began transmitting a daily, recorded Biblical message called "Message for Today" in Japanese from the message telephone in our church in the city of Takahama. I continued that telephone service until May 31, 1998. In December 1994, a book was published containing one of those messages for every day of the year (selected by church members). On September1,1980, I began transmitting a daily message in English from my residence in the city of Nagoya called "Daily Word." Printed copies of the messages were mailed to those who requested them and meetings of listeners were held regularly at a public place in Nagoya on the afternoon of the 5th Sundays of a month. At these meetings, where we spoke in English, copies of "'Daily Word' Echoes," consisting of corrected English essays written by listeners on themes I had suggested were available. The final issue (#60) of "'Daily Word' Echoes" was published on May 31, 1998. Following reports of the "Daily Word" telephone service in newspapers and on radio and television, it became very popular and callers complained to the telephone company that the line was always busy. Telephone company officials informed me that, according to their investigation, I needed two more telephones to handle all the calls. I opened a postal transfer account, informed listeners of the problem and received enough funds to purchase another telephone and message machine, so when one line was busy, it would switch to the second one. (To be continued.)

04/08/31  Historic Overview #2  (Timely Words 0760)

In 1986, the "Daily Word" telephone service was taken over by NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) . An NTT employee came daily to my home to pick up the cassette tape of the message for the following day. It was also possible to read the messages on the screens of monitors in certain public places. After moving into an area with a different area code, a special telephone pole was erected beside our house with a direct connection to the telephone office so that the "Daily Word" number did not need to be changed. "Daily Word" messages were introduced into the English Forum of the Nifty-Serve computer network (with Japanese translations) and then onto the Internet. Later, NTT provided me with the equipment to record the messages and transmit them from my home, but eventually, the messages were recorded on a chip in the telephone office when I called a certain number. Over the years, the average number of calls was over 130 a day and on January 14, 1988, following special preparations, a record number of 5224 calls were received in one day. Tapes of the messages were made available at a library for the blind in the city of Kobe. In 1989 and 1991, English textbooks for university and high school students made up of "Daily Word" messages were published. This "Timely Words" homepage, to which new messages have been added three times a week, was begun on September 1, 1999. Although from now on, I will add new messages irregularly, I hope that interested readers will continue to activate it at times and also inform me of their impressions along with their comments or suggestions.

04/09/03  Olympic Lessons  (Timely Words 0761)

Recently, many people around the world, including my wife and me, spent time watching the Olympic contests. We viewed some games and other competitions that we had never seen before and we were amazed at the skill of the contestants. From these Olympic games, various lessons can be learned. First, it is significant that even though the participants come from many different countries with their varied political, racial and religious backgrounds, they are all treated equally. Unfortunately, at certain times and places, one's nationality, skin color, religious beliefs or political preferences result in discrimination, but in the Olympic games, all are recognized as members of the same human family. This recognition should be granted in all areas of life. Secondly, we clearly see the value of strenuous effort and perseverance to attain one's goals. Certainly, individual ability makes a difference, but without strenuous effort and perseverance the desired result cannot be attained. This is also true in other areas of life as well. Thirdly, despite all the differences between the contestants, they are judged according to the same rules, which must be obeyed to gain a medal. There are a number of references to sports events (probably the Olympic games) in the New Testament letters. One found in II Timothy 2:5 notes the need to follow the rules. There it is written: "if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules." Life itself may be compared to a race which is being run under the supervision of our Creator and final victory is only attained by following the rules.

04/09/08  Hurricane Frances  (Timely Words 0762)

A violent, rotating windstorm may be called a "cyclone." A cyclone that originates in the western Pacific Ocean is called a "typhoon," while a cyclone that originates in the Atlantic Ocean is called a "hurricane." Typhoons are designated by a number, but hurricanes are given names. The names, chosen by the international committee of the World Meteorological Organization, change from year to year but are arranged in alphabetical order and alternate between male and female names. Residents in the state of Florida, where my wife and I reside, have just endured the second serious cyclone of this hurricane season. While many residents were still seeking to recover from Hurricane Charley, they were hit by Hurricane Frances as Typhoon #18 was approaching Japan. Fortunately, the community in which we live did not receive much damage, although the wind and rain caused branches of trees to fall and there was some flooding and power outages. As the hurricanes approached, my wife and I made various preparations, both outside and inside our house, but the most troublesome effect was a temporary power outage and the cancellation of the church's worship service. The name, Francis, when spelled with an "i" is a male name, but when spelled with an "e," is a female name. It is derived from the Latin term for a Frenchman and became popular because of the association with St. Francis of Assisi, who founded the Roman Catholic Church's Order of Franciscans and is also memorialized in the name of the California city of San Francisco.

04/09/11  Storm Stories  (Timely Words 0763)

The retirement community in which my wife and I reside, founded in 1926, now consists of some 77 hectares. About 500 residents live here in individual homes, residential "cottages" (with 3 to 5 apartments per cottage), an apartment building or in assisted living facilities. Our "cottage" is near the center of the community and we usually walk the short distance to the Dining Hall for our noon meal. In the Dining Hall, there are tables for four, six or eight diners to eat together and we enjoy eating and talking with different residents, all of whom have interesting stories to tell of experiences in different parts of this country and different countries in the world. Recently, many stories have been related to recent storms and their effect in our community and elsewhere. Fortunately, the hurricanes did not cause great physical damage in this community, but some homes have continued to be without electric power for five days. We experienced one day of power outage and realized how different life is without electric lights, a refrigerator, an electric stove, television and other conveniences. Yesterday, instead of playing tennis, I got my exercise by raking up the leaves and branches that fell from the tall pine and oak trees that are nearby. While doing that, my hands were bitten by tiny fire ants that caused them to swell. As I result, I took off the wedding ring I had worn for the past 55 years and wondered why wedding rings are always worn on the third finger of the left hand. I found out that it was because Greek physicians, in the third century B.C. believed that this finger contained a "vein of love" that ran directly to the heart.

04/09/13  Terrorism  (Timely Words 0764)

In the U. S. A., the telephone number to call in an emergency, whether for an ambulance, for police or firefighters is 9-1-1. For the past three years, those numbers have had another significance as we recall the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11/2001. On 9/11 this year, relatives and friends of the 2,749 victims who lost their lives in that attack were joined by others who gathered at the site of the attack and heard or recited the names of the victims. Although the words used to describe such activities differ, depending on the cultural tradition, such remembrances are common to many different traditions. The primary meaning of "terror" is an intense, overpowering fear, but it may also denote violence promoted by a group to attain or maintain a certain objective. The period in the French Revolution from 1793 to 1794 is known as the "Reign of Terror," and during this "war dictatorship," thousands of people were put to death to preserve the reforms of the Revolution. The suffix, "ism," is added to certain words to indicate a continued action or a distinctive trait. We find this suffix on certain words relating to religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and Judaism. In years gone by, Islam was also called Mohammedanism and among Christians, there is a division between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Regardless of the objective, however, terrorism is opposed by all conscientious human beings. It is especially despicable when it is supposedly being used for a so-called religious purpose.

04/09/17  Family Tree  (Timely Words 0765)

Among the many different kinds of trees on lawns or along streets in this retirement community are tall pines, huge live oaks, palms with fronds and magnolias which bear pretty flowers. Within the homes of residents a different kind of "tree" may be found. Called a "family tree," it is the genealogical diagram of a family. Some residents are very proud of their ancestral lineage with roots in this land or across the sea. In Japan also, family trees are important and ancestors are regularly and respectfully remembered. In case there is no male descendant to carry on the family name, a boy from another family may be legally adopted for that purpose. All six of the siblings in my family married, but in order to carry on the family name, it was necessary for my brother or me to have a grandson. My brother has three sons and I have two, but they had only produced daughters until six years ago, one of those five Offner boys, our younger son, generated a son, so my family tree will continue. We have recently been informed that one of my brother's sons, after twenty years of marriage is expecting his first child on his 49th birthday next March, so it is possible that another branch of the Offner family tree may continue also. In the Bible, the many genealogical lists indicate the importance of family trees and if a man died without having children, his brother was required to marry his widow and have a child for him (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). In Matthew, chapter 22, Jesus was asked if a widow remained childless after marrying seven brothers, whose wife would she be "at the resurrection." His answer is found in verses 29-32.

04/09/19  "Acts of God"  (Timely Words 0766)

The deeds or actions that people perform may be called "acts." The acts of some people are honorable and praiseworthy; others are despicable and should be denounced or punished. Not only individuals, but groups should be honored or despised because of their acts and the daily news reports include many examples of both kinds of acts by individuals, groups, nations and religions. "The Acts of the Apostles" is the title of the New Testament book in which is recorded the beginning of the Christian Church, but there is a very different meaning of the term "acts of God." "Act of God" is used in legal documents to designate an accident due to natural causes for which no individual or group can be held accountable, a happening for which no one is liable, because no one could foresee or prevent it. In the past month, there have been numerous such "acts of God" both in this southeastern area of the United States of America and in Japan. Hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes all are included in this term and many people are wondering whether these recent "acts of God" should be interpreted as indications of divine displeasure or punishment for the sinful acts of the victims of these disasters. The answer to such questions depends on one's viewpoint, faith or interpretation. Personally, I do not view such catastrophes as God's judgment on the particular people who suffered. Actually, I prefer to use the term "act of God" to denote an unexpected joyful, inspiring event. Such events also regularly occur but they are often overlooked.

04/09/22  Telephones  (Timely Words 0767)

This message was stimulated by a news item that stated, "Pay telephones are disappearing off the streets as Americans opt for private cell phones. There are currently 1.5 million pay phones in the country, down from 2.6 million in 1998." However, it was my personal experience today that indicated how important telephones (whether public pay phones or private cell phones) have become in modern life. My wife and I were expecting our granddaughter from Nagoya, Japan to arrive at the Jacksonville, Florida Airport at 5:18 this afternoon. Then, a telephone call from our son in Nagoya informed us that his daughter had telephoned to inform him that the airplane had mechanical trouble and was diverted to Tokyo, where she would have to wait for three hours. This meant that she would be unable to make her scheduled flight from Detroit, Michigan and would arrive here later than planned. Hours later, we received a phone call from the granddaughter herself, from Detroit, informing us that she would be taking a later flight which would arrive at 9:37. A couple of hours later, she called again to tell us that that plane was also delayed and would not arrive until 10:44. I repeatedly called the airline and pushed the proper buttons to obtain the latest information regarding the time of arrival. Fortunately, I was informed before leaving home that the arrival would be yet further delayed. Finally, we met her at the airport at 11:45, after which it took less than one hour to drive home because of the decreased traffic at that time of night.

04/09/26  Yom Kippur  (Timely Words 0768)

The word "fast" has a number of different meanings, some of which seem opposed to one another. On the one hand, to say that something is "fast" may mean that it is firm, not easily moved. On the other hand, something that moves very rapidly may also be said to be "fast." Similarly, a person who has loose morals and lives in a reckless, dissipated way may be called "fast," but in another sense, it is the sincere, religious people who "fast" on certain days. In this case, "fast" means to refrain from eating in observance of a holy day. In the different traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, there are certain days when it is customary to fast. In the Jewish calendar, the 10th day of the lunar month of Tishri, which falls on September the 25th in the Gregorian calendar this year, is considered the holiest day of the year, a day of prayer and fasting. On that "Day of Atonement," animal sacrifices were made to seek forgiveness or atonement for the sins of the people. Yom Kippur is the last of the 10 Penitential Days which mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah). The Biblical source of the traditional customs related to this day is found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 16. On that day, a goat was sacrificed to God as an atonement, but another goat was led into the desert to figuratively carry away the sins of the people. This goat was called a "scapegoat," which is now used for a person who bears the blame for the mistakes or crimes of others. In the daily news reports these days, scapegoats related to the military and social situation in Iraq or the political situation in the United States of America are often mentioned.

04/10/03  October  (Timely Words 0769)

There are a number of English words beginning with o-c-t, derived from the Greek word for "eight." An "octagon" is a plane figure with eight angles and eight sides. An "octave" is a series of eight musical tones. An "octopus" is a mollusk with eight tentacles. "October" was the eighth month of the year in the old Roman calendar and the name was retained after two new months were added at the beginning of the year, so it is now the name of the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. People living in Temperate Zones associate October with autumn, or "fall," when days become shorter, leaves of the trees change color and then "fall" to the ground. Also, the weather becomes cooler and farmers begin harvesting their crops. In Japanese tradition, this was the month when all the "kami" (or "gods") left their local shrines and territories to gather together at the main shrine in Izumo, so the month was traditionally known as the "godless month." At the present time, the one Japanese holiday in this month is October 10th, Sports Day, when mental and physical health are promoted through the enjoyment of sports. The day was established in commemoration of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which began on October 10, 1964, but since October 10th falls on a Sunday this year, it will be celebrated on the 11th. In the U. S. A., the one holiday in October is on the third Monday of the month. Columbus Day commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus at an island in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. Residents in this country must remember that Daylight Saving Time ends on the last Sunday of October when we must turn our clocks back one hour to Standard Time.

04/10/06  Debate/Dialogue/Discussion  (Timely Words 0770)

These days in the U. S. A., there is much discussion related to the televised debates between presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Such debates will certainly be influential in the coming national election. How to decide who wins such debates depends upon the preconceptions and political preferences of the viewers. One might ask how a "debate" differs from a "dialogue" or simply a "discussion." A "debate" is a formal confrontation between speakers with opposing views regarding some matter and there are certain rules which must be followed. At the conclusion of a debate, a "winner" and a "loser" are usually recognized. A "dialogue" is an exchange of ideas or convictions in a less formal setting and often involves more than two people. The rules are less restricting and the range of opinions is usually broader. A "discussion" is a still broader interchange of opinions and does not necessarily imply confrontation or disagreement. Discussions of one kind or another are carried on daily by all thinking people. In my personal experience, I participated in debates at times in my student days. During more than four decades in Japan, I was often involved in dialogue with people whose traditions and convictions were different than mine—including those of different Christian perspectives as well as those of dissimilar cultural and religious traditions, and the interreligious dialogue group I organized in 1980 continues to meet monthly even today. In this retirement community, I have become the president of the Dialogue Class that meets weekly on Sunday mornings before the Worship Service and I continue to be involved in discussions, not only with my wife but with other residents as well.

04/10/10  Three-day Weekends  (Timely Words 0771)

"Genesis," meaning "beginning" or "origin," is the name of the first book of the Bible. According to the story of the genesis of the universe related at the beginning of Genesis, the world was created in six days and God, the Creator, rested on the seventh day. Consequently, a week, consisting of seven days, was established and, for Jews, the seventh day of the week is considered a holy day, a day of rest. A command to observe the "Sabbath" day was included in the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses, as recorded in the book of Exodus, chapter 20, verses 9-11. Christians, at first, followed that custom, but later changed the holy day to the first day of the week, in commemoration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead on that day. In the Gregorian calendar, now used in most countries around the world, a year is divided into 12 months and 52 weeks. In many industrialized countries, both Saturday and Sunday, called the "weekend," are considered holidays, when many employees are not required to work. In recent years, some countries have changed the dates of traditional holidays to a Monday to provide a longer, three-day weekend. So it is that in the United States, Columbus Day is no longer celebrated on October 12th, the day when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Western hemisphere in 1492, but on the second Monday of October. And in Japan, Sports Day, commemorating the beginning of the Tokyo Olympic Games on October 10, 1964, is now celebrated on the second Monday of October also. So, at the present time, the second Monday of October is a holiday in both countries.

04/10/13  Columbus and Vespucci  (Timely Words 0772)

Residents in this Penney Retirement Community are very thankful that, within the community, there is both a small post office and a small branch of a bank, which is open three days a week. There is no mail delivery, however, so all residents have their own post office box in the post office to which they must go regularly to pick up their mail. On Monday of this week, I stopped both at the post office and the bank and was not surprised to find both of them closed for that was the holiday to commemorate the arrival of the Italian seaman, Christopher Columbus, on an island near this North American continent on October 12, 1492, over two months after leaving Spain and over one month after leaving the Canary Islands. Shortly before land was finally sighted, the sailors began to rebel and sought to persuade Columbus to return to Europe, but he continued the search for a new route to Asia. Some people thought this newly discovered continent should be named after him and, although that did not happen, "Columbia" has been used as a poetic name for this land. There is one South American country named Colombia (the spelling of which includes a second "o") and in the U. S. A., there are 9 cities and 8 counties named "Columbus," but the two continents in this Western hemisphere were named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator who also made trips to the "new world." On his first trip in 1499, he landed on the mainland of South America, whereas Columbus had only landed on islands. Vespuccio later made maps of areas he visited and introduced certain scientific measurements that were remarkable at that time.

04/10/16  An American Cemetery  (Timely Words 0773)

The Penney Retirement Community, in which my wife and I reside, has its own cemetery just outside of town. All residents of this Christian community are expected to participate in various kinds of voluntary activities for the benefit of the community and the world at large. One of the activities I have chosen is to work with a group of men to keep the cemetery in good condition. Every Monday morning, we gather there to mow the lawn, clip bushes, etc. American cemeteries are quite different than those in Japan. In this cemetery, all grave markers are the same size and made of bronze. They lie flat on the ground so the tractor mowers can mow the grass around them without obstruction. In most of the graves, corpses have been buried in wooden caskets. Graves in which cremated ashes have been buried are half the size of the others, but such graves also are only for one person. Recently, a new area of the cemetery has been prepared. It is a "cremation garden," in which the ashes of the deceased are scattered on an area of granite chips. In this case, there are no individual grave plots. The ashes of all those who choose to be cremated and have their names engraved on a common memorial at the entry to the garden are all scattered in the same area and fall on top of or in between the granite chips. This "cremation garden" has been named "The Garden of Hope," but that name could be applied to the entire cemetery, for hope for the future, even after death, has been a important element of the Christian faith from the time of Jesus' resurrection from the dead (as reasoned by the Apostle Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15).

04/10/21  Circus  (Timely Words 0774)

Life in this retirement community is very varied. My wife and I began this third week of October as usual by attending the Dialogue Class on Sunday morning. I led the discussion that morning related to the question of whether the conveniences of our technological society may be more burdensome than liberating. Following that class, we attended the worship service where we are serving as ushers during this month along with another couple. On Monday morning, I went as usual to the cemetery, where I trimmed bushes for a couple of hours. In the afternoon, I attended a continuing education class on "Worship." In the evening, we invited a couple we knew in Japan who are now visiting this community to go with us to a circus performance in a neighboring town. A circus is "a public entertainment consisting typically of a variety of performances by acrobats, clowns and trained animals." "Circus" is derived from the Latin word for "circle," and it was in a central circular area under a huge tent that the performances took place. The two dozen members of this circus family played a variety of roles. The juggler was also one of the animal trainers and the clown was also a stage manager. We enjoyed the procession and tricks of dogs, ponies, horses, camels and elephants, but the most spectacular performances were displayed by a couple of young ladies. One was an agile acrobat who performed many dangerous feats while swinging on a long rope and a trapeze high up in the air with no net beneath her. The other was a 12-year-old girl from Argentina who appeared to be double-jointed for she was able to bend her body into impossible positions. We were amazed to see the spectacular results of practice, discipline and skill by both animals and human beings.

04/10/28  Hymn Translation  (Timely Words 0775)

All readers of these messages must realize the difficulty of translating words or thoughts from one language to another. The problem is complicated when poetry or songs are involved. In Christian churches, it is common to sing hymns during the worship service. (Note: "hymn" and "him" are homonyms.) Most of the hymns in the Japanese hymnal are translations of hymns in so-called Western languages, but since they must be adjusted to fit the music, exact translations are not possible. Recently, my wife and I taught the chorus of a well-known children's hymn in Japanese at a meeting of American adults. The chorus of the English hymn, which begins with the words "Jesus Loves Me," is as follows: "Yes, Jesus loves me; yes, Jesus loves me; yes, Jesus loves me; the Bible tells me so." But a literal translation of the Japanese translation is: "My Lord Jesus, my Lord Jesus, my Lord Jesus loves me." After explaining that the written Japanese language includes Chinese characters and two different syllabaries, one of which is used primarily for foreign words, it was noted that all three systems were used in that chorus. The only Chinese character used was the character for "Lord," which has an additional mark on the top of the character for "king," indicating that the "lord" is even greater than a "king." And the only word using "katakana" syllables was the name "Jesus." The important message of that children�fs hymn is that "Jesus is Lord" (as noted in the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 10, verse 9) and that Jesus loves us.

04/11/01  Daylight Saving Time  (Timely Words 0776)

One meaning of "day" is "the period of light between dawn and nightfall." The length of a day varies depending on the season of the year. In spring and summer, days are longer than in fall and winter. In order to take advantage of the longer daylight time and to conserve lighting power, most communities in the United States of America observe Daylight Saving Time from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday of October, when clocks are set an hour ahead of Standard Time. Those who neglect to change the time on their clocks and watches ("spring ahead and fall back"), will find themselves early or late for meetings. Daylight Saving Time has been humorously compared to the attempt by a simple-minded man to make a blanket longer by cutting off one end and sewing it on the other end. Although Benjamin Franklin, when serving as the U. S. minister to France in 1778, wrote an article recommending earlier opening and closing of shops to save the cost of lighting, Daylight Saving Time was first observed by a number of countries during the First World War. The world is now divided into 24 time zones, 12 on each side of the prime meridian which passes through Greenwich, England. The time in each zone is one hour different from that in the adjoining zone. In the continental U. S. A., there are 5 time zones and beginning this week, our area will revert to Eastern Standard Time. The number of hours in a day will not change, but we should reflect on the way we have used the daylight hours we have saved. According to the New Testament book of Colossians, chapter 4, verse 5, we should use our time wisely.

04/11/03  General Election Day  (Timely Words 0777)

During the early years of the U.S.A., dates on which elections were held varied, depending on the state, but in 1845, Congress decreed that the Tuesday after the first Monday of November was the day to select presidential and vice-presidential electors every four years. That also became the day when members of the House of Representatives and Senate were chosen. The Constitution gives each state the right to establish voting qualifications for federal elections, but amendments state that the right to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color, previous condition of servitude, sex, or failure to pay a poll tax. An amendment passed in 1971 gave the right to vote to all citizens who are 18 years of age or older. The country has just held a General Election following one of the most controversial campaigns in the nation's history. There have been many negative attacks not only on the policies but also on the character and truthfulness of those running for office. Many questions have also been raised about the accuracy of both voting records and voting machines. In the town of Penney Farms, Florida, with a population of about 700, my wife and I walked about 15 minutes to the Town Hall to vote. The Hall opened at 7:00 a.m.; we arrived there about 7:20 and took our place at the end of a line of about 20 people. We showed our drivers licenses for identification and were given ballots, on which we used a special pen to connect lines from the front and back of the symbol of an arrow to indicate our votes for President and Vice-President, Senator, Congressman, judges and proposed amendments to the state constitution in one of the ten voting booths. After depositing our ballots and receiving an "I Voted" sticker, we left less than half-an-hour after we arrived.

04/11/07  Tippecanoe  (Timely Words 0778)

A "canoe" is a narrow, light boat moved with paddles and to "tip" means to cause to tilt or slant. Thus I would feel uncomfortable if I had to ride for a long time in a "tippy canoe." In the state of Indiana, there is both a river and a county that have that pronunciation but they are spelled T-i-p-p-e-c-a-n-o-e. This name is related to the Native American name for that "buffalo-fish" river. The name has become well-known in American history because of a battle that occurred 193 years ago, on November 7, 1811, between troops of the United States government and the Native Americans who lived in that area west of the Appalachian Mountains. Because Native Americans had fought on the side of the British during the Revolutionary War, the "invaders" from the east considered it reasonable to force them off of their land. In some cases, they were forced to sign treaties giving up land as "war reparations." According to the convoluted view of some of the invaders, Native Americans should welcome such European concepts as individual ownership of property, European methods of intensive agriculture, animal husbandry, etc., but they did not. At the Battle of Tippecanoe, neither side scored a decisive victory and both sides suffered about an equal number of casualties. Later, the governor of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, who had led the government troops, was elected president of the United States with the slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," for John Tyler was his vice-presidential running mate. For many Americans, this was another embarrassing event in our nation's history—as was our recent election.

04/11/11  Veterans Day  (Timely Words 0779)

In its general meaning, a "veteran" is a person who has a long record of service in a particular activity. In this Penney Retirement Community, there are many veteran missionaries and pastors who have served in many countries around the world and in many areas of the United States of America. In a more specific sense, a "veteran" is one who has been a member of the armed forces. The eleventh day of the eleventh month is a national holiday in the U. S. A. commemorating the armistice that became effective at 11:00 a.m. on that day in 1918, which ended the fighting of World War I. That war in Europe lasted for four years and resulted in the deaths of over ten million people. On November 11, 1921, the United States, following the example of England and France, honored its veterans who had died in the war. At 11:00 a.m. on that day, the remains of an unidentified American soldier which had been brought back from Europe was interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. A federal holiday, called Armistice Day, was established in 1926, but in 1954 the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all men and women who have served in the armed forces of the country. On Veterans Day, many people visit cemeteries to decorate the graves of veterans and others. Ceremonies are held in some communities accompanied by parades and brass bands. The way in which the dead are remembered differs depending on cultural and religious traditions, but while remembering the sacrifices of the past, we should all work to avoid repeating such catastrophes in the present and in the future.

04/11/14  U. S. Capitol  (Timely Words 0780)

One kind of "capital" is the top part of a pillar. Another word with the same spelling and pronunciation has a number of different meanings, one of which is the city where the official seat of government is located. The capital of the United States of America is Washington, D. C., also called the District of Columbia. The most important building in this capital is the Capitol, which is spelled differently but has the same pronunciation. It is on the third floor of this Capitol that the Congress of the United States meets: 435 representatives in the House Chamber on the south side and 100 senators in the Senate Chamber on the north side. As a result of the recent election, the Republican Party has a majority in both chambers with 231 representatives and 55 senators. The site of the Capitol was selected by President George Washington, who laid the cornerstone in 1793. The first session of Congress met there seven years later, after moving from Philadelphia, the foremost city and first capital of the United Colonies. Seventy years later, the huge iron dome, one of the largest domes in the world, weighing over four million kilograms, was completed. At first, not only the legislative bodies but also the Supreme Court met in the Capitol, but since 1935, it has met in its own Supreme Court Building. The third area of authority in the United States government, along with the legislative and judicial, is the executive, over which the president presides. The president's home and office, in the White House, which has been in use since 1800, will be occupied by the same family for the next four years.

04/11/17  Proof-reading  (Timely Words 0781)

The common meaning of "proof" is evidence to establish the validity of an assertion. In judicial proceedings, proof is required to support the declarations of the prosecutors or the defenders. In religious matters, it is difficult or impossible to provide proof of assertions made on the basis of faith. According to the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Another meaning of "proof" is a trial sheet of printed material that is checked against the original manuscript and on which corrections are made. In this Penney Retirement Community, a monthly newsletter is printed to provide residents with information regarding the many kinds of activities being carried on here. In its 8-12 pages are many matters of interest, including a schedule of coming events, the names of speakers or programs at the regular or irregular meetings, special announcements and other news items of interest to residents. For the past three years, I have been serving as one of two proof-readers of this newsletter. The editor, who served as a missionary to India, obtains the information, arranges it and types the manuscript. He then gives a copy to us proof-readers, who in our own homes, read it carefully to discover any typographical, grammatical or factual errors that need to be corrected. We then return our copies to him with the corrections noted and he takes it to the printer to have it printed. It is well to have two proof-readers for sometimes mistakes overlooked by one of them are found by the other.

04/11/19  Calendars/Time Abbreviations  (Timely Words 0782)

The three natural divisions of time are the periods during which the earth makes one rotation on its axis, which is a "day," during which the moon makes one revolution around the earth, which is a "month" and during which the earth makes one revolution around the sun, which is a "year." How to combine these natural time periods into one system has been a problem throughout the centuries. According to the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, this is the year 2004 A.D. According to incorrect calculations made centuries earlier, this is the 2004th year after the birth of Jesus, the Christ. Consequently, it is often followed by the abbreviation "A.D.," for the Latin term "Anno Domini," meaning "in the year of the Lord." The abbreviation "B.C." meaning "Before Christ," is used for those years prior to the birth of Jesus. According to the Islamic calendar, based on a lunar year of 354 days and beginning in 622 A.D., the year of the Hegira in which Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina, this is the year 1425. According to the Jewish calendar, based on both lunar and solar years, this is the year 5765. The stimulation for this message occurred when I was proofreading the new issue of this Penney Retirement Community�fs newsletter. In it, I found the starting times for certain meetings written with the time followed by "am" or "pm" without the periods. While correcting them, I reviewed the meaning of the abbreviations: "a.m." for the Latin term, "ante meridiem," meaning "before noon" and "p.m." for "post meridiem," meaning "after noon." Whether we think of hours, days, months or years, we should make productive use of the time allotted to us.

04/11/24  Thanksgiving Days  (Timely Words 0783)

In this fourth week of November, there are holidays in both Japan and the United States of America related to thanksgiving. In pre-war Japan, November 23rd was the day when a special ceremony was held in which the emperor invited the gods to partake with him the first fruits of the harvest. After the war, this day was designated a holiday celebrating both labor and its fruit—"Labor Thanksgiving Day." In the U. S. A., special days for giving thanks were held on various days by the early settlers from Europe during the harvest season. Thanksgiving days varied depending on the area and other factors, but in 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving Day. This custom was generally followed in subsequent years until 1941 when Congress chose the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day, the day now celebrated throughout the country. Over the years, many different kinds of holidays have been designated, commemorating certain people, events or concepts, on certain dates. In recent years, a number of holidays have been changed from their original date to a Monday to provide a longer weekend, but it is unusual for a certain day of the week to be designated a holiday and Thanksgiving Day is the only holiday that is always celebrated on a Thursday. "Thanksgiving," however, should not be limited to one day or season of the year. It is a daily feeling of thinking people. In Colossians 3:15, it is written: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. . . . And be thankful."

04/11/28  Turkeys  (Timely Words 0784)

The word "turkey," spelled t-u-r-k-e-y, has very different meanings, depending upon whether or not the first letter is capitalized. When written with a capital T, the word denotes an intermediate country, 97% of which lies in Asia and 3% in Europe. In Turkey, the two continents are divided by three small bodies of water. Two straits called the Bosporus and the Dardanelles connect the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. The capital city of Istanbul lies on both sides of the Bosporus. During our visit there in a camping car 34 years ago, we crossed the Bosporus on a ferryboat. When "turkey" is spelled with a small t, it denotes a large North American bird that did not come from Turkey. This kind of turkey has become the center of a Thanksgiving Day feast in North American tradition, although the supposition that turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving celebration by the pilgrims in 1621 seems to be incorrect. At that celebration, the meat evidently included venison, duck, goose, seafood and eels. On Thanksgiving Day this year, my wife and I enjoyed a turkey dinner at the home of the family with whom our eldest granddaughter from Japan spent her senior year in high school. That home is about 320 kilometers south of our retirement community, but our granddaughter also was there, having come from the city, about 400 kilometers to the southeast, where she is now attending a university, so it was a very enjoyable time. As a slang term, "turkey" denotes an inept or undesirable person and we are happy that there were none of these "turkeys" present.

04/11/30  Perspectives  (Timely Words 0785)

Regular readers of these "Timely Words" messages may have noticed that since I no longer feel pressured to add a new message every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the content of the messages has become more personal. Rather than taking time doing research on certain themes in accordance with the calendar, I have noted personal experiences or events related to activities in this retirement community; I feel more relaxed in deciding what to write about. My previous message noted the Thanksgiving dinner my wife and I attended in St. Petersburg, Florida where we enjoyed seeing our granddaughter from Japan who is now attending a university in Miami. In the message, I mistakenly wrote that she had come from a city "about 400 kilometers to the west." My son, who lives in New Mexico, informed me by e-mail that that was a mistake. "400 kilometers to the west" would be in the Gulf of Mexico. Actually, Miami is "southeast" of St. Petersburg, so our granddaughter had to go west to attend that dinner. I corrected that message, but I wonder if any other alert readers had noticed the error. I often mention in talks I give about Japan that, from the North American perspective, Japan is not in the "Far East" but in the "Far West" so we go west to get there from here. It is when Europe is at the center of a world map that Japan is in the "Far East." Such decisions regarding "Far East" or "Far West" along with what is "right" or "wrong," "good" or "bad" depends on one�fs point of view and the standard one uses to determine them. We should be aware of the standard we use to attain moral judgments.

04/12/02  December  (Timely Words 0786)

We have now entered the final month of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar. In the ancient Roman calendar, the year began in March and was divided into ten months, of which December was the last. Even after the Roman calendar was revised and two months were added at the beginning of the year, the names of months that had been derived from Latin words for numbers were retained even though their position had been changed. Thus, December, derived from the Latin word for "ten," is now the twelfth month of the year. In Dutch and Anglo-Saxon traditions, it was known as "winter month," for in Western thought, the winter season begins with the winter solstice that occurs about December 22nd. Because of the celebration of Jesus' birth on December 25th and the many customs related to it—including decorations, giving of gifts, family gatherings, special services in churches, etc., December has become a very busy month in the West. Although for a different reason, the traditional Japanese name of this month is "teacher running month," probably because Buddhist priests are so busy running from house to house during this final month of the year. The ancient Roman festival in honor of the god, Saturn, was held during the winter solstice and the extensive festivities that took place at that time prompted Christian leaders to commemorate the birth of Jesus around the same time, even though this was not the season when he was born. During this busy month, it is well for us to take time to reflect on the reason for our busyness and to reflect the spirit of the one whose birth is being celebrated.

04/12/04  Holiday Season Busyness  (Timely Words 0787)

The primary meaning of 'season' is one of the four natural divisions of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In a broader sense, other periods of time may be called 'seasons.' In the United States of America, this season between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas is sometimes called the 'holiday season.' It is a particularly busy season both for stores where people go shopping for Christmas gifts and decorations and for the people who do the shopping and put up the decorations. Many families gather together for a Christmas celebration, so transportation facilities as well as the travelers are also busy. For many of us, it is the busiest time of the year. Actually, a 'holiday' originally denoted a day free from work, which may be spent leisurely, but nowadays, holidays are often busier than workdays. Of course, this word is derived from 'holy day,' which is a day specified for religious observance. This holiday season is supposedly centered on the holy day set apart to celebrate Jesus' birth. Unfortunately, many people who enjoy the busyness of the season overlook its true significance. The word 'busyness' is not found in all dictionaries, but it denotes the condition of being busy. Some busyness is related to one's business. In this retirement community also, I feel very busy at this time of year, which raises the question of the meaning of 'retire.' The common meaning is to withdraw from business in order to relax, but I have experienced a different implication. The prefix 're' often denotes 'again,' as in the words 'reopen' and 'rethink.' In my experience thus far, 'retire' may also denote 'tire again' and that is my feeling during the busyness of this holiday season.

04/12/09  God's Temple  (Timely Words 0788)

In this Christian retirement community, worship services are held in the community church every Sunday morning. In another building in the community, a communion service is held every Wednesday morning. Retired ministers who reside in the community are requested to lead these services and this week it was my turn to lead the communion service, assisted by my wife. Since the date of the service coincided with the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, the Hebrew word meaning "dedication," which celebrates the rededication of the Jewish temple in 165 B.C., I chose "God's Temple" as the subject of my homily. In Jewish history, there have been three temples in the city of Jerusalem, but the last temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. so now there is no temple for the Jews. However, as the Apostle Paul stated in his speech in Athens, recorded in the 17th chapter of the New Testament book of Acts, "the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by men" (verse 24). The text for my homily was I Corinthians 3:16-17, where it is written: "you yourselves are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in you." Although human beings build temples, shrines, mosques or churches in which to worship God, Christians believe that the true God is not limited to such structures and we do not need to go to certain places to have communion with God. God's universal Spirit is in the heart of the sincere believer and is manifested in the believer's words and actions. The communion service may be considered a kind of "rededication" of this "temple."

04/12/15  Parades  (Timely Words 0789)

A procession of people walking along a street may be called a "parade." Some parades are formal events held on special days with certain traditional implications. Military troops may parade in uniform accompanied by a brass band on a national holiday. Other parades are more informal. Schools sometimes have a parade as part of their homecoming activities. A famous parade is held annually in New York City on March 17, St. Patrick's Day. As many as 125,000 marchers march along the four kilometer route passing St. Patrick's Cathedral and a reviewing stand where government officials, guests and local politicians have gathered to watch this spectacular event. In this Florida town of Penney Farms, it is customary to have a Christmas Parade during this holiday season. About two-thirds of the population of the town resides in this Penney Retirement Community and citizens outside of the retirement community are basically Afro-American. Both groups and individuals were invited to participate in this parade, which was held last Saturday, to encourage friendly relations between citizens both inside and outside the retirement community. Police cars, fire engines and ambulances with their sirens sounding also joined the procession along with bands and choral groups on the backs of open trucks, people in golf carts and many on foot. Following the parade, we ate together in the town park—food that had been prepared and brought by participants. My wife, who is a member of the Clown Group in this community, dressed in her clown costume for the event, but I wore my regular weekday garb.

04/12/19  Old Age  (Timely Words 0790)

"Young" and "old" are relative terms like "near" and "far," "tall" and "short," "big" and "little." Their precise meanings depend on the context in which they are used and the particular perspective of the speaker or writer. When I was a child, I considered a teenager "old," but later, I used this word for those who were over thirty or sixty. This week, I reached the age of 77, but in this retirement community, I am surrounded by people who are really "old." In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 19, verse 32, it is written: "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God." The precise definition of "aged" and "elderly" is not given, but the attitude manifested toward them should be different than that expressed toward God. In Proverbs 20:29, we are told that "The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old." Although my hair has become gray, I am happy for the strength, even on a reduced scale, I still have. During this very busy last month of the year, I have not been preparing regular messages for this "Timely Words" webpage, but I do try to compose a new message when I find time. Recently, I have been transferring "old style" tapes of thirty or forty years ago onto cassette tapes for the future use of our children or other interested people. Unfortunately, I am unable to transfer them onto compact discs, but listening to the old taped voices of my parents, our children, our church members or lectures, sermons or interviews I have given has brought back many meaningful memories, which is an enjoyable characteristic of old age.

04/12/22  Solstice/Light  (Timely Words 0791)

The four seasons of the year in the temperate zones are: spring, summer, autumn and winter. They are determined by the mutual relationship of the sun and the earth. Spring and autumn begin when the length of day and night are equal, which is called the "equinox," from Latin words meaning "equal night." Summer and winter begin at the "solstice," from Latin words meaning "sun stand still," for at that time it was thought the sun had reached the limit in its ecliptic journey around the earth and was about to begin another circuit. Beginning with the winter solstice, which occurs on December 21st or 22nd, daylight hours are lengthened. In industrialized countries, electric lights are commonly used when it becomes dark, but during power outages, we realize how important light is in our lives. "Light" may have either a physical or a mental or spiritual significance, all of which are important. Even as we may stumble and fall if we walk in the dark, so we may be confused if we are without proper mental or spiritual light. Japanese students of English often find it difficult to distinguish the "r" and "l" sounds, so the words "light" and "right" may be pronounced the same or be confused, but it is important to follow the "right light." Mental light may be gained from study and education. Spiritual light is obtained through faith and Christians believe in Jesus' words quoted in the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 12: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

04/12/25  Christmas  (Timely Words 0792)

In Japan, December 23rd is a national holiday to celebrate the birthday of the present emperor who was born on this day in 1933. Although the celebration of his birthday is limited to Japan, two days later another birthday is celebrated not only in Japan, but also in many countries throughout the world. In the West, the birth of Jesus, the Christ, has been celebrated on December 25th since 336 A.D., but not only is the month and the day of his birth uncertain, we are not even sure of the year he was born. According to the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was born during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus (27 B.C.-14 A.D.). According to the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, he was born during the reign of Herod, King of Judea (37 B.C.-4 B.C.) who died in 4 B.C. Thus, the calculation made centuries later that Jesus was born in the 1st year of the Christian era is mistaken. He was probably born around 6 B.C. One of the reasons December 25th was chosen to celebrate his birth was to counter the pagan worship of the sun in the Roman Empire on that day near the winter solstice when days become longer. Even today, many popular customs associated with Christmas can be traced back to pagan origins, including the lighting of candles, decorations of evergreens, giving gifts and feasting. At the present time, Christmas has become so commercialized that its religious meaning is often overlooked. For Christians, Christmas is a time to thank God for the gift of our Savior, the Word of God who "became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:1-14).

04/12/28  East and West  (Timely Words 0793)

Since returning to the United States, I have had a number of opportunities to give talks on Japan. At such times, I often begin with the question of where Japan is located. I surprise most listeners by my statement that Japan is located in the Far West for it is commonly thought that Japan is in the Far East. Nevertheless, when going from the United States to Japan, it is usual to travel west. World maps printed in the United States usually have the U. S. A. in the center and Japan is located in the far western area of such maps. It is on world maps with Europe at the center that Japan is located in the Far East. Of course, maps made in Japan have Japan at the center and on such maps, the United States is in the Far East. So it all depends on one's perspective. We tend to look at the world with our homeland at the center and at other people with ourselves as the standard. One of the advantages of living for a while in a foreign country is to be able to view our own culture, traditional customs and ways of thinking from a different perspective. It can be a very broadening experience and should result in a better understanding of our own nation and both its positive and negative aspects. On a global map, there are north and south poles which indicate the limits of those directions, but it is not so for east and west. To express the unlimited nature of God's compassion, in Psalm 103:12, it is written: "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our trangressions from us".

04/12/30  Tsunami  (Timely Words 0794)

One of the characteristics of the English language is that it includes many words that are derived from other languages. Some of these words change their pronunciations when they enter English, but others do not basically change. Until I went to Japan, I had never read or heard the word "tsunami." I did not know there was such a word in English, but I did understand this word in Japanese. Because of the severe, devastating tsunami that occurred this week in the Indian Ocean, this word has now become very well known in English-speaking countries. My English dictionary defines "tsunami" as "A very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption." The extraordinarily strong earthquake that occurred under the Indian Ocean and the tsunami it caused resulted in about 100,000 deaths, and over a million people lost their homes. There is now fear that many more people will die from illnesses caused by impure water, lack of food and various kinds of infections. Questions related to how such disasters can be explained or why they occur are very difficult to answer. People who say they are inexplicable will not try to explain them, but all human beings have some kind of "faith" related to the relationship of nature and human beings. From my perspective (faith), there are many events which I cannot explain, but I still believe that there is meaning in life and a purpose for all that occurs. How we react to events we cannot understand (whether on a personal or universal level) depends on our "faith," which is evident in our daily lives—whether in times of joy or sorrow.

05/01/01  Ringing Bells  (Timely Words 0795)

According to the Gregorian calendar, an old year has ended and a new year has begun. In certain traditions, this is a time for ringing bells, but the mood stimulated by the bells of Christian churches, which ring when struck by a tongue on the inside, is different than that stimulated by the bells of Buddhist temples, which ring when struck by a hammer on the outside. Today's message is a poem, written 150 years ago by the English poet, Alfred Tennyson, "Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New."

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying clouds, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night—
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new—
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land—
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

05/01/05  Christmastide  (Timely Words 0796)

Because of the recent extraordinary "tsunami" or "tidal wave" that has caused widespread destruction and countless deaths in countries around the Indian Ocean, it is common to think of one meaning of the word "tide," "the periodic variation in the surface level of the oceans." The basic meaning of the word, however, is "a time or season." The word "eventide" means "evening," and "Christmastide" means "the Christian church festival extending from December 24 through January 6." In the church calendar, the Advent season, which precedes Christmas, begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and Christmas itself is not limited to one day. Rather, it lasts for 12 days, until the feast of Epiphany. "Epiphany," derived from a Greek word meaning "manifestation," refers to the manifestation(s) of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The celebration of this feast actually preceded the celebration of Christmas in the early Christian church. A basic theme of this feast is the story, recorded in the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, of Gentile priests from the east, called "magi," (translated as "wise men" in the classical English version of the Bible) who followed a star to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem, where they worshipped the baby Jesus. In this story, because three gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) were offered, it has been surmised that there were three magi, but the number of magi is not mentioned in the story itself. Nor does it note that they rode on camels, which has become the common assumption—as pictured in many Christmas paintings.

05/01/07  Christmas in Miami  (Timely Words 0797)

The southernmost state in the United States of America is Florida. This name is derived from the Spanish word for "flowery," for the flowers he saw there deeply impressed the Spanish explorer who landed on that peninsula. The largest city in Florida is Jacksonville, on the northeastern coast, named after General Andrew Jackson, the first military governor of Florida, who later became president. The second largest city, on the southeastern coast, is Miami. This name is probably derived from a Native American term for "big water." It is now one of the world's leading year-round resort centers. My wife and I spent Christmas in Miami last month because that is the city in which our granddaughter from Japan is attending a university. Our son and his daughter had arrived from New Mexico at Jacksonville Airport, about one hour away from our retirement community, after experiencing problems both in their flight plans and luggage retrieval. The day before Christmas, we drove the 600 kilometers to Miami and celebrated the day with our granddaughter who lives on the 8th floor of a 17-floor apartment building called The Towers. Because of the many Hispanic residents in Miami, it is helpful to know Spanish as well as English. On the day after Christmas, we attended the worship service at an historic Afro-American church; we were the only so-called "white people" there. The next day, we drove back to our home, by way of St. Petersburg on the west coast, where we left our granddaughter with the family she lived with during her final year of high school. It was a busy, but enjoyable, time for us all.

05/01/10  American Place Names  (Timely Words 0798)

Although the adjective "American" is often used in reference to the United States of America in particular, it may also refer to any of the other countries on the North and South American continents. In the previous "Timely Words" message, I mentioned the names of two states and three cities in the U. S. A. and noted the meaning of the names of three of them. The reference book I consulted for that purpose was "American Place Names," published by Oxford University Press in 1970. In my preparation of that message, I was surprised at a number of details, one of which was the number of places in this country named "Miami." In the "World Atlas" published by Rand McNally in 1983, there are seven different states in the U. S. A. that have cities or counties bearing that name. Even more surprising is the fact that there are five different explanations for the name, depending on the area in which it is used. I was also surprised to find that cities named "Jacksonville" may be found in seven different states and that there are 38 cities or counties named "Jackson" in 27 states. The name of the Florida city of St. Petersburg was given by the president of a local railroad whose name was Peter and who had formerly lived in St. Petersburg, Russia. Finally, there are three other states beside New Mexico whose names begin with "New," only one of which is in the area commonly called "New England." But there are over 150 American place names that begin with "New," including such cities as "New Boston" (in four states), "New Philiadelphia" (in two states) and "New Chicago" (in one). And the final vision recorded in the final book of the Christian Bible is of the "new Jerusalem."

05/01/12  January Holidays  (Timely Words 0799)

All countries have certain public holidays to celebrate cultural traditions, commemorate historical events or honor important persons. One country may have a holiday on the same day as another country, but for a different reason. Even when holidays are celebrated for the same reason, the way of celebrating differs according to the cultural traditions. In both the United States of America and Japan, there are three public holidays in January. January 1st is New Year's Day in both countries, but it is celebrated differently. As noted in a previous message, both the U. S. A. and Japan have a holiday on the 2nd Monday of October for different reasons-to commemorate events that occurred on October 10 and 12. It is interesting that the two countries have chosen a different Monday, however, to celebrate events related to the same day in January. In Japan, "Coming-of-Age Day," to honor those young men and women who reached their 20th birthday the previous year and thus became adults and are granted all the rights of citizens, was previously celebrated on January 15, but now it is celebrated on the 2nd Monday of the month. In the U. S. A., the 3rd Monday is a holiday to honor Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights leader whose birthday is on January 15. Five years before his assassination in 1968, Dr. King proclaimed his dream of the future before some 200,000 people in Washington, D.C. that "one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" Unfortunately, his dream has not yet been fulfilled.