08/01/31  Obesity and Autopsy  (Timely Words 1100)

From the Japanese perspective, Caucasians are characterized as people with big noses and big feet, but actually their whole bodies are bigger.  For the past several years, my wife and I have been amazed at the many obese people we see in this country.  This is not so surprising, considering the huge meals provided in many restaurants.  It has been reported that the percentage of obese Americans has jumped from 15 percent about 30 years ago to about 33 percent at the present time.  My wife and I are especially aware of the problem when we are on an airplane or in a theater or auditorium with regular seats, which are too small for obese persons.  A recent news article noted how obesity causes problems even after death, when autopsies are performed.  An “autopsy” is an examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death.  In many morgues, where dead bodies are kept, the traditional equipment used for moving, keeping or working on dead bodies is not suitable for the huge, heavy bodies, which are common today.  The cart on which the body is moved from one place to another and the table on which it is placed must be enlarged.  The legs underneath such equipment must be strengthened; larger cranes to lift the bodies and larger drawers and refrigerators in which to keep them are also needed.  As we think about the physical problems our death may cause, we should be more concerned about the spiritual or social implications of our death, and since we do not know when we will die, we should always “be prepared.”

08/02/05  February/Leap Year  (Timely Words 1101)

In the ancient Roman calendar, there were only ten months in a year.  That is the reason the last four months in the present Gregorian calendar have names beginning with prefixes related to Latin words for 7 (sept), 8 (oct), 9 (nov) and 10 (dec).  About 700 years before the Christian era, two additional months were added and placed at the beginning of the year, without changing the names of the other months.  The name of the first month was derived from the two-faced Roman god, Janus, the god of all beginnings.  The second month was named “February,” derived from a Latin word meaning “feast of purification” because such a feast was held at that time of year, before the beginning of spring.  In 46 B.C.E., Julius Caesar, instituted a revised calendar, known as the Julian or Old Style calendar.  In order to keep the seasons of the year aligned with the twelve months, related to the moon, and the 365 days, related to the sun, some years require an extra day.  Seven months have 31 days and four have 30, but when an extra day is needed (every four years), it is added to the 28 days of February.  Years in which February has 29 days are called “leap years” for in those years, the months following February “leap” ahead an extra day.  In an ordinary year, a certain day of the month will fall on the next day of the week that it fell on the previous year, but in a leap year, it leaps over that day to the next.  Since this year (2008) is a “leap year,” the first day of March, which was a Thursday last year, will “leap over” Friday and be on Saturday this year.  During this “leap year,” let us remember Jesus’ words to his disciples in Luke 6:23: “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy.”

08/02/06  “American _____”  (Timely Words 1102)

When composing these messages, I often make use of a dictionary.  I do not have an unabridged dictionary, but I do have two dictionaries I have been using for many years.  The older one, Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, was printed in 1957.  The later one, The American Heritage Dictionary, was printed in 1985.  Fortunately, there are more recently published dictionaries, including unabridged ones, in a nearby library, which I can make use of.  I find it interesting, at times, to compare my two dictionaries, related to both the words included and their definitions.  For example, in the older dictionary, there are nine common two-word terms beginning with “American:”: “American aloe” (a plant), “Beauty” (a rose), “cheese” (mild Cheddar cheese), “eagle” (a bald eagle), “dialects” (regional varieties of spoken American English), “English” (English as spoken and written in the United States), “Indian” (of an aboriginal race of North America), “leopard” (jaguar) and “plan” (a system of hotel operation in which the price charged to guests covers room, service and meals).  In the more recent dictionary, there are seven such words: “American Beauty,” “cheese,” “dream” (an American ideal of social equality and material success), “eagle,” “elk” (a large North American deer), “English” and “Indian.” Of course, there are more recently created words, related to computers and modern technology, for example, that are not found in either of these dictionaries.  I was reminded again as I compared these two dictionaries how words and their particular meanings change over the years.  We should remember that words written at a certain time under particular circumstances should be understood and interpreted with that particular time and situation in mind.

08/02/06  “Japan(ese) _____”  (Timely Words 1103)

This message is a continuation of the previous one, but considering two-word terms beginning with “Japan” or “Japanese” in place of “American.”  In my older dictionary, there are two two-word terms beginning with “Japan” and four beginning with “Japanese.” Those beginning with “Japan” are: “Japan clover” (cloverlike plant of the bean family) and “current” (warm current in the Pacific, flowing east of Formosa and northeast past Japan).  Those beginning with “Japanese” are: “Japanese beetle” (green-and-brown beetle, originally from Japan, which eats leaves, fruit and grasses, and is damaging to crops), “ivy” (a woody vine of China and Japan, bearing three-lobed leaves), “persimmon” (Asiatic tree of the ebony family, bearing large, soft, edible, red or orange-colored fruit) and “quince” (spiny shrub with large pink or red flowers and hard, fragrant, greenish-yellow fruit).  In the later dictionary “Japan clover” and “Japan Current” (with capital C) are included, along with “Japan wax” (pale-yellow solid wax obtained from berries of certain plants and used in soaps, food packaging, and as a substitute for beeswax).  In that dictionary, the ten two-word terms beginning with “Japanese” are: “Japanese andromeda” (shrub, native to Japan, having small, white flowers), “beetle,” “cedar” (evergreen tree, native to Japan, having short, inward-curving needles, soft, durable, fragrant wood), “iris” (plant, native to Asia, having large, flat flowers), “ivy,” “leaf” (Chinese evergreen), “maple” (shrub or small tree, native to eastern Asia, having decorative, deeply lobed, reddish foliage), “quince,” “river fever” (scrub typhus [= acute infectious disease common in Asia, transmitted by a mite and characterized by sudden fever, painful swelling of lymphatic glands, skin lesions, skin rash]) and “spurge” (Pachysandra [= plant native to Japan, having evergreen leaves and inconspicuous white flowers]).

08/02/16  The Morikami  (Timely Words 1104)

One hundred years ago, a Japanese graduate of New York University returned to Japan and invited a number of bachelors to join him in his plan to establish a Japanese farming colony in the southern part of Florida in the United States of America.  The settlement, “The Yamato Colony,” eventually included Japanese women and families and had its own post office and railway station.  One of the young men involved in this project was George Morikami, who remained in the colony during wars and economic crises, even after the others had left.  He continued to grow and sell fruit and vegetables to a growing South Florida population, after losing $250,000 in the Florida bust in 1925.  A few years before his death in 1976 at the age of 90, he gave 200 acres (80 hectares) of land to the Palm Beach County, in which he had lived for most of his life.  On this land, there has now been established “The Morikami, Museum and Japanese Gardens.”  The museum, built with Japanese architecture, features more than 5000 Japanese art objects and artifacts, a 225-seat theater, an authentic tea house with viewing gallery, library and classrooms and includes many exhibitions.  It is the largest U. S. museum devoted to the living culture of Japan.  The tea ceremony, Japanese art and language are taught to those who are interested.  Surrounding the museum are expansive Japanese gardens with strolling paths, resting areas, tropical bonsai collections, small lakes and waterfalls.  It is said to be one of the largest and best Japanese-style gardens outside of Japan.  Recently, my wife and I joined 11 other community residents to make the 6-hour trip by cars to The Morikami.  We were deeply impressed with all we saw there.

08/02/21  Safari  (Timely Words 1105)

On our recent trip by car to the southern area of this long southeastern state, following our visit to the Morikami, noted in the previous message, we visited another very interesting place in the city of West Palm Beach in Palm Beach County.  It is called the Lion Country Safari.  The English word, “safari,” denotes “a journey or hunting expedition, especially in eastern Africa.”  Although rooted in the African language of Swahili, it is derived from an Arabic verb meaning to travel.  The Lion Country Safari is spread over 300 acres of land, divided into seven sections in which over 800 wild animals from around the world roam freely.  They include giraffes, elephants, zebras, lions, chimpanzees, rhinoceroses, alligators, tortoises, flamingos, ostriches and pelicans.  Usually, it is only in zoos that we can see such animals, kept in cages or very small open areas.  There are some wire fences in this safari that separate certain areas, but visitors are permitted to drive their cars for over four miles through this wildlife preserve.  They are cautioned to drive very slowly and to keep the car windows closed.  Convertibles are not permitted to enter the safari grounds.  Although we could stop along the way, and even touch some of the animals, feeding them is forbidden.  At certain times and locations, talks are given by certified individuals regarding the history and characteristics of certain animals that are nearby.  This closer look at some of the marvelous animals in various parts of the world stimulates many questions regarding how the world and the living creatures in it developed into their present state.  Was this the result of meaningless chance or was there some meaningful purpose behind and under the movements?

08/02/26  “Lame Duck”  (Timely Words 1106)

There is a pond next to the nursing home in this retirement community.  When walking around the pond, we often see ducks along the shore or in the water.  I have never seen a lame duck there or anywhere else, but I can imagine how difficult it would be for a duck to have an injured or broken leg.  In the United States of America, the Tuesday after the first Monday of November (November 11, this year) is General Election Day.  On that day, Senators will be elected to 6-year terms; Representatives and a President will be elected to 4-year terms.  Until 1933, congressmen and presidents who failed to get reelected in the November election remained in office until March, but the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, states that their terms end in January.  This amendment is sometimes called the “Lame Duck Amendment,” because the period during which these government leaders remained in office was shortened and their influence was lessened.  An old hunter’s maxim was “Never waste powder on a dead duck.”  Although the candidates who were not reelected are not “dead,” they are considered “lame” and the term, “lame duck” is now used to designate an elected office-holder “continuing in office during the period between failure to win an election and the inauguration of a successor.”  The Constitution prescribes 4-year terms for presidents, but does not proscribe reelections.  From the first president to the 32nd, however, no president served more than two terms.  Seven years after Franklin Roosevelt was elected to a 4th term in 1944, the 22nd Amendment was passed, limiting presidents to two terms, so the present President Bush has been a “lame duck” president since the 2004 election.

08/03/01  Nebraska  (Timely Words 1107)

How many of the fifty states in the United States of America can you name?  Eight of them begin with an M and eight of them begin with an N.  Four of those beginning with N have two words in their names: “New” or “North.”  See how many of them you can name.  One of those beginning with N is Nebraska.  Nebraska is located in the “Great Plains” between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains known as the “Midwest.”  One hundred forty-one years ago, on March 1, 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state.  As is the case with about half of the states, the name of this state is derived from words of a Native American language.  In the case of Nebraska, the words meant “flat water” and may have originally referred to the shallow Platte River that flows through the state.  In Nebraska, the 1st day of March is celebrated as “State Day,” the anniversary of the state’s admission into the Union.  Every year, a state law requires the governor to issue a proclamation commemorating the event and requesting the state’s citizens to celebrate this part of their heritage.  The largest city in Nebraska is Omaha, but the capital is Lincoln, the second largest city.  Nebraska is a leading grain-producer with bumper crops of sorghum, corn and wheat.  More varieties of grass, which is good for forage, is grown in this state than in any other.  The state’s sizable cattle and hog industries make a couple of its cities the nation’s largest meatpacking centers.  The motto of the state is “Equality before the law.”  About 10 percent of its citizens are not Caucasian, so it is important that all of them are respected and treated equally before the law.

08/03/06  Religious Leaders  (Timely Words 1108)

There are a number of different terms used for religious leaders that vary, depending on the religion and the role of the leaders involved.  In Islam, a prayer leader is called an “imam,” derived from an Arabic word related to “leading.”  In Judaism, the common term for the leader of a congregation is “rabbi,” meaning “my master,” and Jesus’ disciples frequently used it for him (John 6:25; 9:2, etc.), but he advised them not to use it for themselves or others (Matthew 23:7-10).  In the Roman Catholic Church, the highest office is that of the “pope,” related to the Latin word for “father” or “papa.”  “Cardinals” (derived from a Latin word meaning “principal, pertaining to a hinge”) rank just below the pope and many of them are also “bishops” (from a Greek word, meaning, “watch over”) of certain geographical areas.  Some Protestant denominations also have “bishops,” or “overseers,” who “oversee” areas assigned to them.  But the more common term used for religious leaders on the local level, is “pastor” (related to “pasture,” from a Latin word for “shepherd.”)  The pastor of a congregation seeks to “shepherd” the “sheep” under his or her influence.  In the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and more formal Protestant churches, in which religious leaders are considered intermediaries between God and human beings, leaders are also called “priests,” who serve as “mediators.”  Also, the terms “elder” (“older”) and “deacon” (derived from a Greek word meaning “minister”) are used both for ordained ministers and laity who “minister” to others.  The highest office in some Protestant churches is “moderator,” which expresses the expected function of that leader, not only to be “moderate,” but also to “moderate.”  In fact, from my perspective, it is preferable for members of all religions, whether “leaders” or not, to be “moderate” in the expression of their faith.

08/03/11  Running Red Lights  (Timely Words 1109)

Thirty years ago, my daughter wrote a thesis on the significance of the colors white, black and red in English, Greek and Japanese in which she made clear that colors have different meanings in different cultural settings.  In the Occident, red is often related to danger and the drivers of automobiles are expected to stop at red lights.  It is interesting that even though traffic lights along a highway have both green and red lights, many people refer to them as “red lights.”  When a traffic light is red, the driver of a vehicle is legally required to stop.  Some drivers, however, do not stop; they continue to drive in an intersection, even when the light is red.  It is common to accuse such drivers of “running a red light.”  Checking my dictionary, I was amazed to see the numerous definitions of the word “run:” as an intransitive verb (27 definitions), as a transitive verb (27 definitions), or as a noun (32 definitions).  Such traffic violations may result in serious accidents or deaths, so drivers who are seen to run a traffic light by a policeman is arrested and fined.  In some cities, cameras have been installed to record such violations; violators can then be charged.  A recent news article reported that in the last eight months of 2007, in Rockville, Maryland, such cameras recorded 224 cases in which police vehicles were traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.  The police union, however, says that the policemen should not pay fines because the citations are issued to the owner of a vehicle, which is not the driver.  It will be interesting to see what the outcome of this legal confrontation is.

08/03/14  The Ides of March  (Timely Words 1110)

A calendar is a diagram of a year divided into months, weeks and days.  At the present time, the most widely recognized calendar is the Gregorian Calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.  The Gregorian Calendar was a revision of the Julian Calendar, which the Roman autocrat, Julius Caesar, had devised from the ancient Roman Calendar.  “In Roman computation, three days in the month were used in counting the date.”  These three were the “Kalends” (from which the word “calendar” is derived), the 1st day of the month, the “Nones” (the Latin word for “ninth”), the 7th day in March, May, July and October, the 5th day in the other months, considered to be the 9th day before the “Ides,” which was the 15th day in March, May, July and October, and the 13th day in the other months.  In countries where the dramas of William Shakespeare are well known and respected, the phrase “Beware the Ides of March” is a warning of impending and certain danger because Julius Caesar was assassinated on the “Ides of March” (March 15) in the year 44 B.C.E. after having been given that warning by a soothsayer.  According to the account written by the ancient Greek biographer, Plutarch, “many report that a certain soothsayer forewarned him of a great danger which threatened him on the ides of March, and that when the day was come, as he was going to the senate-house, he called to the soothsayer, and said, laughing, ‘The ides of March are come’, to which he answered, softly, ‘Yes, but they are not gone.’”  It was in the senate-house that he was stabbed to death by his enemies, and Shakespeare’s drama, “Julius Caesar,” has made the “ides of March” a common literary term.

08/03/19  Attending a Funeral  (Timely Words 1111)

Recently, a telephone call from my sister, who lives in Pennsylvania, informed us of the death of her husband.  Since he was 84 years old, had Alzheimer’s disease and was in a nursing home, his passing away was not unexpected, but we were saddened to hear of it and decided to make the 700 kilometer trip to the southern part of North Carolina to attend the funeral at the church they had attended for many years before moving to Pennsylvania.  We left our home in northern Florida on Friday morning and arrived at the North Carolina town in the evening, which we spent talking and eating with other guests, including relatives who came from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois and West Virginia.  The next day, we drove to the church and viewed the corpse of my brother-in-law in a casket.  The minister offered prayer, read from the Bible and gave a homily, which, along with the hymns we sung, was related to the final victory and heavenly blessings that await faithful believers.  Family members and others then gave remembrances of the departed.  My sister and her husband were missionaries for many years in Africa; her eldest daughter and family continue to serve there.  A younger daughter, wife of a French pastor, came from France to attend the service.  The day after the funeral, we attended the Sunday morning worship service at the church and then returned to our home.  It was a busy, but meaningful, time.  We enjoyed meeting relatives we had not met for a long time, were happy to encourage my sister and her children and to be reassured that even death may be a time of joy and peace that is the result of a healthy faith.

08/03/24  Easter Sunrise Service  (Timely Words 1112)

Why does a week have seven days?  According to the ancient account of the creation of the world found in the first chapter of Genesis at the beginning of the Old Testament, God created the world in six days, rested on the seventh day and designated it a holy day of rest for human beings (Genesis 2:2-3).  One of the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites was to faithfully observe that Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8-11).  Christians, however, have changed the holy day of rest and worship to the first day of the week to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ.  All four Gospels in the New Testament conclude with an account of people visiting the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed “very early” (Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1), “at dawn” (Matthew 28:1) “while it was still dark” (John 20:1) on the first day of the week, but his body was not found.  The central celebration of the Christian Church is not Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ birth, but Easter, commemorating his resurrection from the dead and emphasizing the new life which is found through faith in him.  Many churches hold a Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday to remind believers of the deep meaning of Jesus’ resurrection.  Such a service was held last Sunday outdoors in this Penney Retirement Community, which is primarily made up of retired pastors and missionaries.  It was a cool morning, but our singing of hymns, accompanied by the Brass Band, listening to the Men’s Chorus and the Meditation presented by one of our members, served to warm us up and we enjoyed a simple breakfast together in the nearby meeting place.  Every morning, we give thanks to God for a new day, for the new life that is ours and for the opportunities to share it with others.

08/03/28  District of Columbia  (Timely Words 1113)

The man who is called the discoverer of America is Christopher Columbus.  A country in South America and many places in the United States of America are named after him.  However, there are two different spellings of such names.  The South American country is spelled C-o-l-o-m-b-i-a, but North American places that use that name are spelled with a “u” as the second vowel rather than an “o”.  This includes the capital city of the U.S.A.: Washington, D.C., District of Columbia.  This 61 square mile (158 square kilometer) district is located on the Potomac River between the states of Virginia and Maryland.  It was in 1800 that it became the new capital, but since it is not recognized as a state, its residents were not able to vote or have representatives in Congress until the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1961.  As a result of that amendment, its 600,000 citizens now have the “number of electors of President and Vice-President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a state, but in no event more than the least populous state.”  Until 1967, the District was administered by three commissioners appointed by the president, but in 1974, following the approval of a Home Rule Charter, it was able to elect a mayor and a 13-member council.  And it now has one nonvoting member in the House of Representatives.  In 1983, a petition asking for the district’s admission to the Union as the 51st state was filed in Congress and new statehood bills were introduced in 1993, so the district is continuing its drive for statehood.

08/04/02  April 2: “Pascua Florida Day”  (Timely Words 1114)

According to the calendar used in most American homes, we are now at the beginning of a new month, the month of April.  This name is probably derived from a Latin word meaning “to open.”  It is the time of year when the buds of trees and flowers blossom, or open, and, in Japan, it is the beginning of a new school year.  The name of the state in which I am now living is “Florida,” a Spanish word for “flowery.”  When the Spanish adventurer and explorer, Ponce de Leon, first disembarked on this part of the North American continent in 1513, the first European known to have done so, he called it “Pascua Florida” (“flowery festival”) for he was impressed with the flowers he saw there and it was the season of the Christian festival of Easter and the Jewish festival of Passover.  He thought it was another island, which he tried to circumnavigate, but found it impossible to do so.  Although the exact date of his arrival in Florida is not certain, “in 1953, the Florida legislature designated April 2 Florida State Day, to be known as Pascua Florida Day.”  “When April 2 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the governor may proclaim either the preceding Friday or the subsequent Monday as State Day.”  “The legislature also empowered the governor to proclaim March 27 through April 2 as Pascua Florida Week.”  “On April 2 and during Pascua Florida Week, schoolchildren and adults are urged to observe the period with commemorative exercises and special programs.”  (The above information and quotations are from The American Book of Days, published in 1978.  However, even though I made many calls to government offices [including that of a member of the Florida legislature] and historical societies in this area, I have found no one who has heard of “Pascua Florida” or of April 2 as a State Day.)

08/04/07  Salvation Army Founder’s Day  (Timely Words 1115)

The Salvation Army is a “Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work.”  It was begun in England in 1865 as the East London Revival Society by William Booth, with his wife, Catherine.  Designated the Salvation Army in 1878, “it was organized along military lines and sought to minister to physical as well as spiritual needs.”  The Salvation Army celebrates Founder’s Day on April 10th, the birthday of its founder, William Booth, who was born in Nottingham, England on that day in 1829.  Booth’s father, who was not a very successful builder, desiring a secure and financially rewarding future for his son, apprenticed him to a pawnbroker to learn what was a lucrative profession in 19th century England.  His experience as a pawnbroker made clear to him the human misery and economic suffering of many people.  When he was about 15 years old, he experienced a religious conversion in a Wesleyan Methodist chapel, which influenced him to dedicate himself as a minister with a deep concern for not only the spiritual state of men and women but for their physical, and economic condition as well.  He became an independent evangelist.  In 1858, he married Catherine Mumford, the daughter of a carriage builder and lay preacher, whose strong convictions and personal experiences, provided great support for Booth’s activities.  This strong-minded woman who championed women’s rights fit in well with Booth’s emphases.  The ministry of the Salvation Army included the provision of clothing, food and medical help when needed.  The Salvation Army became known as “the purveyors of ‘soup, soap and salvation.’”

08/04/11  Pan American Day  (Timely Words 1116)

The most common meaning of “pan” is “a shallow, wide, open container, usually of metal and without a lid, used for cooking,” but in a number of words beginning with “pan,” it signifies “all.”  Thus “pantheism” is the “belief that God is everything and everything is God.”  In the term “Pan American,” it refers to all countries of North, Central and South America.  When I was in college, I was an active member of the Pan American Club, which included students from a number of different countries in this Western Hemisphere.  In many countries on these continents, April 14th is observed as Pan American Day; it was on that day in 1890 that the Organization of American States (OAS) was formed at the First International Conference of American States, which met in Washington, D.C. to preserve hemispheric peace and cooperation.  In the U.S.A., Pan American Day has been observed since 1931, when President Herbert Hoover issued a proclamation that the flag be displayed on all government buildings on April 14 and schools, civic associations and the general public were invited to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies.  Now, the headquarters of this Pan American Union is located in one of the attractive buildings in Washington, D.C., made of marble and called the House of the Americas.  There, flags of member nations are displayed and in the building’s Permanent Council Chamber, simultaneous translation in the four official OAS languages (Spanish, English, Portuguese, French) is offered.  Although Canada has never been a participating member of this Pan American Union, in 1974, it became an OAS observer.  It would be wonderful if, in the future, we could celebrate a “Pan World Day.”

08/04/15  Ice Cream Socials/Income Tax  (Timely Words 1117)

When used as a noun, “social” signifies “an informal social gathering.”  Socials where ice cream is served to those who attend may be called “ice cream socials.”  In this retirement community, a number of “ice cream socials” are scheduled throughout the year.  Last month, a “St. Patrick’s Day Ice Cream Social” was held on March 17th.  Last week, we attended an ice cream social called “Spring Strawberry Festival,” presented annually by residents who make use of a garden area to grow various fruits and vegetables.  At that social, ice cream on a biscuit, topped with strawberries and whipped cream was enjoyed by all.  This week, on April 16, a peculiar social named “‘End of Income Tax Season’ Celebration Ice Cream Social” will be held.  Many Americans have been very busy during the past weeks preparing their federal income tax documents, which are due on April 15.  Some hire accountants or lawyers to complete the complicated, detailed tax forms.  During the Civil War, both the Union of northern states and the Confederacy of southern states began taxing citizens to pay for the extraordinary expenses caused by the conflict, but an amendment to the Constitution was needed for the federal government to require its citizens to pay taxes on the basis of their income.  Such an amendment (the 16th, ratified on February 3, 1913), gave Congress the right to impose an income tax on citizens, “without apportionment among the several states.”  Since that time, state and federal authorities have imposed many laws or rules related to income tax.  To celebrate the end of the confusing, tiring Income Tax preparation, an ice cream social may be a very joyful, meaningful and relaxing experience.

08/04/20  Kingdom of God  (Timely Words 1118)

In the Christian retirement community in Florida where my wife and I live (http://www.penneyretirementcommunity.org), a worship service is held every Sunday morning at the nondenominational church, located in the center of the community.  Before that service, Church School classes are held in three different locations.  Two of them (one for women and one for men) study certain Bible passages under the guidance of a teacher, but the third one is for those who are interested in carrying on a dialogue with others, who may agree or disagree with them on the subject under discussion.  My wife and I attend the Dialogue Class, where we are presently using a book entitled God and Empire, in which the author, John Dominic Crossan (“the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time”) makes clear the basic difference between empires established by military or economic power (as the Roman, Japan or American “empires” were/are) and the ideal state based on nonviolent justice.  I will be leading this class on April 27, when we discuss the second half of the chapter entitled “Jesus and the Kingdom of God” (called the “Kingdom of heaven” in the Gospel of Matthew).  The word “kingdom” in this case does not refer to a certain territory, but to the “reign” of a king.  (It is interesting to note that even though Japan is no longer an “empire,” its monarch is still called “emperor” in English.)  The emphasis of this author is that the “Kingdom of God” that Jesus proclaimed is not a future hope but a present reality, based on nonviolent, peaceful justice and love, which Jesus’ true followers affirm and experience now.

08/04/24  Maryland  (Timely Words 1119)

There are three commonly used English words that are pronounced the same, beginning with “m”, ending with “y,” with the pronunciation of “air” in the middle.  Can you identify and spell them correctly?  One of them is a female name, one is a verb and one is an adjective, but all three of them are spelled differently.  In many Western countries, “Mary” is one of the most popular names for girls.  It was the name of the mother of Jesus and of five other women noted in the New Testament.  “Mary” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Miriam,” but its original meaning is not certain.  “Marry” is the verb that denotes the joining together of a man and woman as husband and wife in an official ceremony.  A marriage ceremony should be a “merry” occasion, marked by enjoyment and delight and “Merry Christmas” is the traditional greeting during the holiday season.  The name of one of the eastern states in the United States of America is “Maryland.”  I don't know if it is a “merry land” or not, but it was named after Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I of England and like most of the other original 13 states, it is a small state, but it gave up part of its territory to create the District of Columbia.  The name of its capital city, Annapolis, is a combination of the name of the English Princess, Anne, and the Greek word for “city.”  Two hundred and twenty years ago, on April 28, 1788, Maryland officially became the seventh state to ratify the proposed U.S. Constitution.  During the Civil War, Maryland was a slave state but remained in the Union, so Marylanders fought on both sides and many families were divided.

08/04/29  Different Kinds of Jeans/Genes  (Timely Words 1120)

In modern American English, there are a number of different ways to spell names or words that are pronounced jeen.  Looking through the Resident Directory of this retirement community, I find the names of nine women, whose names are pronounced that way, derived from the male name, John.  Seven of them are spelled J-e-a-n and two of them J-e-a-n-n-e.  Fifteen other women had names, spelled and pronounced differently, that were derived from this name: J-a-n-e, J-o-a-n, J-o-a-n-n, J-u-n-e and J-a-n.  And there is one man here whose name is pronounced the same as Jean, but is spelled G-e-n-e, a shortened form of Eugene, which is derived from a Greek word meaning “well-born.”  The definition of “jean” in my American Heritage Dictionary is “A heavy, strong, twilled cotton, used in making uniforms and work clothes,” and “jeans” are “Clothes, especially pants, made of jean.”  Sometimes, residents here, including me, wear jeans even when we are not “working.”  A common noun with the same pronunciation is spelled g-e-n-e, and in our community, there is a Gene Society.  The dictionary definition of “gene” is too difficult to understand, but it is a unit in our hereditary system and members of the Gene Society are interested in learning more of their genealogical history.  Various ways are suggested for members to investigate many different aspects of their personal history: from where did their ancestors come? why did they come? with whom? under what conditions? what were their religious/professional preferences, etc.?  All of us have different genes that make us special, but regardless of our name, personality, skin color, culture and beliefs, we are all of the same human family.

08/05/03  May Days/Daze  (Timely Words 1121)

The name of this fifth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar is “May.”  One theory regarding the origin of that name relates it to the Latin word for “elders” and the name of the following month to the word for “juniors,” thus considering these special months to honor the senior and junior members of the community.  However, a more widely accepted theory is that the name is related to the name of a female goddess.  The first day of May, called “May Day,” has been celebrated as the beginning of spring and as an international holiday to celebrate labor organizations.  When using capital letters, the day has a positive meaning, but the term “mayday” has also been used as an international radio-telephone signal word used by aircraft and ships in distress.  In Japan, the first week of May has been called “Golden Week” for it includes many special days that have increased the profits of movie theaters and other entertainment businesses.  April 29, the late Emperor Hirohito’s birthday, was a holiday during his (Showa) reign.  That day is now called Showa Day, and the influence of the Showa era is emphasized.  May 1 (May Day) is Labor Day, when the rights of workers are recognized.  May 3 is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1947 when Japan’s new, postwar Constitution came into effect.  May 4 has now become a holiday, called Green Day, when respect for the greenery in nature is emphasized.  May 5 is Children’s Day, a traditional day to show respect for the personalities of children and to wish them happiness.  And May 6th has now been declared a general, national holiday to make the week yet more attractive.  Such a concentration of public holidays may seem a bit dazing to some people who may think of “May Daze” instead of “May Days.”

08/05/08  “Holidays”  (Timely Words 1122)

One of the reasons I continue to compose these “Timely Words” messages, even in my “retirement,” is because I am mentally stimulated and continue to learn as I prepare them.  The previous message on “May Days” left me a bit dazed and required a revision and corrections as I considered more carefully the meaning of “holiday,” which may be translated into Japanese with various words with their particular nuances.  As you may recognize, this word is derived from “holy day,” but not only the spelling and pronunciation have changed; so has the meaning.  All holidays are not holy days and the names and dates of some “rest days” may change as the days in “Golden Week” did after I left Japan.  In the U.S.A., legal holidays are determined by the individual states, but all states observe the ten federal holidays designated by the federal government for federal employees and the District of Columbia.  Four of them are set by date (New Year’s Day—January 1, Independence Day—July 4, Veterans Day—November 11 and Christmas Day—December 25); the other six are set by a day of the week and month: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday (January), Washington’s Birthday (February), Memorial Day (May), Labor Day (September), Columbus Day (October) and Thanksgiving Day (November).  All but the last are celebrated on Mondays to create three-day weekends.  In some states, Election Day (on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November) also is a legal holiday.  The first day of next week is not only a regular, weekly “holy day” for Christians.  It is also Pentecost (Whitsunday), commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection.  And this year, it is combined with Mother’s Day, a special day to honor mothers.

08/05/12  Names of States  (Timely Words 1123)

In Japan, there are territorial and political units called “prefectures,” which my dictionary defines as “The district, office, or authority of a prefect.”  Although I do not recall ever using or reading the word “prefect,” there are now 43 prefectures in Japan.  In my dictionary, the last of the 11 definitions of “state” is “One of the more or less internally autonomous territorial and political units composing a federation under a sovereign government,” and there are now 50 states in the United States of America.nbsp; Because the names of Japanese prefectures are written in Chinese characters, the meanings of the names are obvious.  The names of American states, however, are written in the English alphabet and their meanings are generally unclear.  Names of states that begin with “New” (New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico) are related to the names of places outside the U.S.A., and a few names are related to political figures in Europe (Maryland, named for an English queen; Louisiana, named in honor of Louis XIV of France; Carolina, named for Charles II of England; Georgia, named for King George II of England).  The one state named after its founder is Pennsylvania (Penn + Latin term for “woodland”).  Most of the other names are derived from Native American languages.  Four of the states have only four letters in their names.  Can you name them?  One of them has the same pronunciation as the common Japanese morning greeting.  When my wife and I first arrived in Japan, in 1951, we were happy we arrived in the morning so we could make use of that greeting, which was the only Japanese word we knew.  “Ohio” is derived from an Iroquoian word, meaning “fine river,” but the Japanese term, ohayou, which is translated “good morning,” literally means “it is (or you are) early.”

08/05/16  Philately  (Timely Words 1124)

I presume that many/most readers of these messages are not acquainted with the word “philately,” but at a recent monthly meeting of the Stamp and Coin Club, one of the active groups in this retirement community, I gave a talk that began with an explanation of that word.  There are a number of English words that begin with “phil,” derived from a Greek word meaning “love.”  “Philosophy” is a love of wisdom; “Philanthropy” is a love for mankind; “Philharmonic” is a love for music.  But what is “philately”?  According to my dictionary, it is “the collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, and related material; stamp collecting.”  The word was coined from the Greek words philos (“love”) and ateleia (“exemption from tax, without a charge”), alluding to the fact that the first stamps served as evidence that postage charges had been prepaid and thus the receiver was exempted from further charge.  This prefix may also be found in the name of one of America’s most important and historic cities.  “Philadelphia,” meaning “brotherly love,” was given that name by William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.  He chose to name that city after a city in Asia Minor, noted in the New Testament book of Revelation (1:11; 3:7) as one of the seven churches to which this apocalyptic manuscript was sent.  In Romans 12:10, this same Greek word is found, not as the name of a city, but as a word of encouragement to believers from the Apostle Paul which should also be taken seriously and followed by people today.

08/05/21  Popular Baby Names  (Timely Words 1125)

Usually, newly born children in Japan are given names that have special meaning to the parents, whether signifying their hopes, reflecting current events, related to family tradition or expecting it to bring good luck.  In English-speaking countries, however, most parents are unaware of the meaning of their own names or of the names they give their children.  The Social Security Administration recently released the list of the names of baby girls and boys born last year to American citizens.  For the 12th year in a row, Emily was the most popular name given to a baby girl and for the 9th year, Jacob was the most popular name for boys.  Emily, derived from the Latin name of a Roman clan (of commoners rather than noblemen), was a common Christian name in early Roman inscriptions but did not become popular in English-speaking countries until the 19th century.  Jacob is a name often found in the Bible, for the God of the Israelites, or Jews, was called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The story of why the son of Isaac was named Jacob is found in the 25th chapter of Genesis, verses 21-26.  The Hebrew meaning of the name is: “he grasps the heel” and was figuratively used to mean “he deceives.”  The character of that boy is seen in the short story at the end of chapter 25 and a longer story in chapter 27, shows his special ability to deceive—even his father.  As a result of the incident narrated in Genesis 32:22-32, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and his 12 children became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel.  In the list of names given to babies last year, 3 of the top 10 girls names and 6 of the top 10 boys names are taken from the Bible.

08/05/27  Graduation Ceremony  (Timely Words 1126)

As readers of these messages already know, the English language can be very confusing.  For example, my wife and I have one daughter and we consider her a “grand daughter,” but actually she is not a “granddaughter.”  And we have three “granddaughters,” whom we consider to be “great granddaughters,” but really they are not “great-granddaughters.”  Now, all three of our granddaughters have graduated from high school and we have been able to attend all three of their graduation ceremonies—4 years ago in St. Petersburg, Florida, 2 years ago in Nagoya, Japan and 2 days ago in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  Both ceremonies of the American schools were held outdoors in the high schools’ stadiums.  At the recent ceremony, as the high school band played, the 339 graduates filed in and sat on the folding chairs that had been arranged for them on the grass in the central part of the stadium.  Most of the graduates wore blue robes, but 61 of them, including our granddaughter, wore white robes, indicating that they had a superior grade point average.  Beside the featured speaker, speeches were given by the valedictorian and the three salutatorians who had the same second-place grades.  Every one of the graduates, after being called by name, went to the front platform to receive their diploma and to shake hands with teachers, so the ceremony took a long time.  The stadium was full of families and friends of the graduates and, often, shouts from the stands or the blowing of horns would be heard as certain names were called.  It was an interesting, enjoyable time.  I am writing this message from Dallas Airport as we wait for the plane that will take us back to Jacksonville.

08/05/30  “Speaking Truth in Love”  (Timely Words 1127)

Have you ever heard of a “lectionary”?  A “lectionary” is a book containing “lections” (Scripture passages to be read in a church service).  Some churches have a lectionary containing Scripture passages from different parts of the Bible, which are recommended for reading on every Sunday throughout the church year.  The pastors in such churches often choose the subject of their Sunday sermons from the Scripture passage listed for that Sunday.  My church tradition does not include lectionaries, but recently, when I was asked to preach at the Presbyterian Church my son and granddaughter attend in New Mexico and to tell about my missionary activity in Japan, I checked the lectionary I bought fifty years ago when I was a student at a Presbyterian university and decided to use the Scripture passage listed for that Sunday (Ephesians 4:1-16) as the basis for my sermon.  In that passage, both the unity and diversity of the church is emphasized.  Each of us have different gifts or talents, but all of them should be used for the building up or maturing of the “body of Christ,” which is the church.  As I explained about the cultural, religious traditions in Japan which I had earnestly tried to understand, I emphasized that it was my aim to “speak the truth in love,” which is noted in verse 15.  From my perspective, “speaking the truth in love” should be the aim, not only of missionaries and pastors, but of all Christians, and of all others who are seeking to make a better world.  Often it is difficult to accomplish this in our daily lives, but it should be our aim.

08/06/03  D-Day  (Timely Words 1128)

Whether or not to capitalize the second “D” in the term “D-Day,” depends on which of my two English language dictionaries I choose to follow, but in either case, the meaning of the definition is the same: “ the unspecified (unnamed) day on which a military operation (offensive) is to take place (be launched).”  Both dictionaries then specify June 6, 1944 as the D-Day when Allied forces invaded France in World War II.  The “H-Hour” was not specified, but American, British, Canadian and French forces set sail from England in the early hours of June 6, 64 years ago to launch an invasion of continental Europe.  After three years of planning, this “greatest armada ever assembled,” including over 2700 ships, made its way across the English Channel to beaches of Normandy in France.  The designation of the particular date of D-Day was related not only to the preparation and organization of armed forces, but to phases of the moon, the tide and the time of sunrise also.  After air bombardment and a blockade, ground forces, numbering approximately 130,000, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, stormed the beaches and pushed back the Nazi forces on that D-Day.  British and Canadian forces suffered more than 4,000 casualties and about 6,000 Americans were killed or wounded.  It was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 3 years earlier, that motivated the United States of America to join the Allied forces.  As a result of the successful invasion on D-Day, the German forces were defeated; the European section of the Second World War came to an end less than a year later, on May 8, 1945, celebrated in the U.S.A. as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day), but it was not until September 2, 1945 that V-J Day occurred.

08/06/13  Meaningful Girls’ Names  (Timely Words 1129)

The “Timely Words” message (#1125) added to this website a couple of weeks ago noted the most popular names given to newborn girls and boys in the U.S.A. last year.  What was particularly surprising in the list of girls names was the number of names related to spiritual or philosophical concepts, including Destiny, Trinity, Serenity, Harmony and Miracle.  I presume that parents who give such names to their children have certain reasons for doing so.  For me, the most amazing name in that list of over a thousand names was the 31st most popular one, which was 43rd on the list the year before.  It was the name “Nevaeh.”  Can you imagine why anyone would give that name to a baby girl?  If you examine the name carefully, you will notice that it is the word “heaven” spelled backwards.  It may be that parents hope their daughter will keep that goal in mind and fulfill the conditions for reaching that goal as she moves forward.  In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautioned his disciples not to store up treasures on earth, but to store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21), which should stimulate our consideration of the difference between material and spiritual treasures.  I have just learned that the new great granddaughter of my wife’s brother was named Ava, the 4th most popular name for girls born last year.  This name is evidently related to Eva or Eve, derived from the Hebrew word for “life,” the name given by Adam to his wife, who was “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20).  We pray that this new life added to a pastoral family will both gain and manifest the new life that God gives to his children.

08/06/17  War of 1812  (Timely Words 1130)

The United States of America officially came into existence as the result of the Revolutionary War, also called the War of Independence (1775–1783), between the 13 colonies in North America and the Kingdom of Great Britain.  About 80 years later, the Civil War, the war related to slavery between 25 Union states of the North and 11 Confederate states of the South, occurred (1861–1865).  In between these two well-known wars, there was another war, known as the War of 1812.  Although the details related to this war are not as well-known as those of the other wars, it also has an important place in American history.  Following a long period of troubled relations between the U.S. and Britain, during which Britain tried to keep U.S. ships from reaching France because of its conflict with that country, President James Madison declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812, after the U.S. Congress had voted for war on June 4 and 8.  One memorable event that occurred during that war was the burning of the White House and other public buildings in Washington, D.C. in August 1814.  Just a month later, however, British forces were turned back before reaching Baltimore, following their bombardment of Fort McHenry.  Francis Scott Key witnessed that spectacular assault and was inspired to write a poem entitled “The Star-Spangled Banner,” after viewing the flag still waving on the morning following the bombing.  In 1931, that poem was officially declared to be the national anthem by Congress.  The final line of each of the four verses describes the United States as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”  Is this an accurate description of the country today?

08/06/23  Kabuki  (Timely Words 1131)

“Kabuki” is a Japanese word that is composed of three Chinese characters meaning: “sing,” “dance” and “art” (or “performance”).  It is not a word commonly used in English and most Americans are probably completely unacquainted with it.  It is found in my English dictionary, however, with the following definition: “A Japanese popular drama in which gestures, dances and songs are performed in a formal and stylized manner.”  According to another reference book, the word is derived from “kabuku,” which originally meant “inclination,” but came to mean “unusual.”  Kabuki, with its peculiar songs, dances and gestures, made its first appearance onstage during the seventeenth century.  The original performances may have had a religious significance, but they were soon adapted to entertain the clients of brothels and a 1629 edict forbad women to appear onstage.  Consequently, all actors in kabuki performances are male and those who take the parts of females appear completely transformed.  Their colorful garments, facial makeup, masks and voices are all altered to fit the female image.  Kabuki has been described as “vigorous, complex, flamboyant, colorful and gutsy.”  Although it is not as popular now as it has been in the past, it is an important element to be included in any study of Japanese culture and history.  In the New Testament, the Greek word used for the religious leaders of that time whose verbal professions and daily conduct were very different denoted “stage actors, who act under a mask.”  It is the basis of the English word “hypocrite” and is used in Jesus’ criticism of their hypocrisy in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 23.

08/06/27  Chicken  (Timely Words 1132)

What is the meaning of “chicken”?  The answer to this question depends on its context.  If we are sitting in a restaurant, ready to order a meal, it signifies a kind of meat, but if we are talking about people, it may mean a young woman or a cowardly man.  In English, both “chicken-hearted” and “chicken-livered” mean “cowardly; timid,” and the phrase “to count one’s chickens before they are hatched” means to make definite plans about profits or advantages before it is certain one will obtain them.  This saying is derived from an Aesop fable about a woman who, on her way to the market, thought about how much she would get for her eggs and how she would spend the money, but in her excitement she dropped the basket and broke all the eggs.  Politicians and businessmen today who “count their chickens before they are hatched” should also be concerned about the possibility of “chickens coming home to roost,” implying that their mistaken or bad words or actions in the past may cause them trouble in the future.  The “chicken problem” is not resolved if we switch to Japanese, in which “chickens,” whether “cocks” or “hens” are called niwatori, “garden birds.”  Different Chinese characters have been used to identify them and there are also some interesting words or phrases related to them, including niwatoribito, or “chicken man.”  In the English Bible, depending on the translation used, only once is the word “chick” or “chicken” found.  It is in Jesus’ meaningful words to the people of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34): “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not.”  Today also, Jesus’ plan for us depends on our reaction.

08/07/01  Presidents’ Deaths  (Timely Words 1133)

The 4th of July, Independence Day, is the most nationalistic, or patriotic, holiday in the United States of America, an appropriate time to look back over the history of this country and its leaders.  Beginning with George Washington, the first president, whose term began in 1789, 42 different men have served as president, including one, Grover Cleveland, who served two unconnected terms.  Eight of those presidents died while they were in office; four were assassinated.  The president who served for the shortest time was William Henry Harrison, who refused to wear a jacket during his inauguration on March 4 and died of pneumonia exactly one month later, on April 4, 1841.  The most famous assassinated president was Abraham Lincoln, who was shot and killed in 1865.  Sixteen years later, President James A. Garfield, following a cabinet meeting on June 30, 1881, asked President Lincoln’s son, who was serving as his Secretary of War, about a nightmare his father had had shortly before his assassination.  In the dream, President Lincoln had seen a dead body in the East Room of the White House.  In response to his question “Who is dead,” the sentry guarding the body replied, “The President.”  Two days later, on July 2, President Garfield was hit by two bullets from an assassin’s gun, but did not die until two months later.  The other two assassinated presidents were William McKinley (in 1901) and John F. Kennedy (in 1963).  The three other presidents who died while in office were: Zachary Taylor (1850), Warren G. Harding (1923) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1945).  Death, even the death of illustrious men, may come at unexpected times and we common folk also should always be prepared.

08/07/06  Dylan, the Loggerhead  (Timely Words 1134)

The daily newspaper my wife and I read at breakfast every morning recently included an interesting article about a loggerhead, named Dylan.  There were two colorful pictures that accompanied the article.  The larger one showed a number of men standing along the seacoast with cameras pointed toward a large turtle moving into the ocean.  The men were standing in front of hundreds of observers, one of which was in a smaller picture with a sign that read, “Swim, Dylan, Swim.”  The gist of the article was: “Dylan, the loggerhead, returns to life in the wild.”  In this case, “loggerhead” does not signify the head of a “logger,” or “lumberjack.”  Rather, it is the name of “a marine turtle, having a large, beaked head.”  This loggerhead had been rescued as a hatchling in 1998 when it failed to join the migration of other turtles out to the sea.  It was then raised in an aquarium in southern Georgia, where it attracted the attention of many local residents as well as tourists.  It was given the name “Dylan,” a Welsh name meaning “son of the waves,” the name of “a legendary sea-god, for whom all the waves of Britain and Ireland wept when he died.”  It was uncertain whether this Dylan, which was raised in captivity, would survive in the strange new life in the wild.  In front of “the hundreds of well-wishers,” Dylan began to swim into the ocean, but soon turned back to the shore.  Staff members of the Sea Turtle Center then lifted the 150-pound turtle, turned it around and it swam out to sea.  It is difficult for us human beings also to suddenly change from the culture in which we were raised to an entirely different one, but change is also a necessary element in continuing maturation.

08/07/12  Newspapers  (Timely Words 1135)

In industrialized countries today, most people are informed of “recent events and happenings, especially those that are unusual or notable” by means of radio, television or computers, but daily “newspapers” are still popular.  The English word “news” is composed of four letters, the first letters of the four directions (north, east, west and south) from which the “news” may come.  In my childhood in a small town north of the city of Chicago, the most popular newspaper was The Chicago Tribune.  I did not know the meaning of “tribune” until I checked the dictionary while composing this message and discovered that there are two different words listed.  One means “a protector or champion of the people” and the other signifies “a raised platform or dais from which a speaker addresses an assembly.”  I am not sure which one was in the mind of the originator of that name.  The name of the newspaper that is now left daily at our backdoor is The Florida Times-Union.  As is the case with other newspapers that include a hyphen in their title, the Times-Union, “the major daily newspaper in northeast Florida,” is the product of a combination (in 1883) of two earlier papers: Florida Daily Times and Florida Union.  In the list of the “Top 100 Daily Newspapers in the United States,” I find 9 that include the word “Times,” including The New York Times, which has the third largest circulation, (following The USA Today and The Wall Street Journal).  The word “gospel,” meaning “good news” refers to “the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.”  It is also the name given to “the first four books of the New Testament, describing the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

08/07/16  Moon Day  (Timely Words 1136)

In traditional Western calendars, the first day of the 7-day week is Sunday, the day of the sun, and the second day is Monday, the day of the moon.  Regardless of the day of the week on which it falls, however, the 20th day of this 7th month (July) is now recognized as Moon Day in certain countries, for it was on that day in 1969 that a spacecraft landed on the surface of the moon.  Six hours after the landing, an astronaut stepped out of the spacecraft, onto the moon’s surface and uttered these historic words: “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Another astronaut followed him and they planted an American flag made of metal on the lunar surface, stepped back and saluted.  They also left a plaque on which the following words were written: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D.  We came in peace for all mankind.”  It is significant that their coming “in peace for all mankind” was noted, but I cannot imagine who, when and how anyone will read those words, written in English.  It was four days earlier, on July 16, that a rocket with two space modules, named Columbia and Eagle, attached, was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida.  After reaching the moon’s orbit, Eagle separated from Columbia, which continued to circle the moon.  When Eagle had landed on the moon and accomplished its mission, it rejoined Columbia for the return trip to the Earth.  In the collection of poems found in the Old Testament book of Psalms, the moon is said to be “the faithful witness in the sky” (89:37) that “marks off the seasons” (104:19).  Looking at the moon on Moon Day may stimulate many different ideas.

08/07/20  Joke Night  (Timely Words 1137)

People living in a retirement community realize that all the residents are headed in the same direction.  We are all getting older.  Obviously some residents are progressing more rapidly and manifest more evidence of aging than others, but we are all “on the way.”  There are various ways, however, to keep our bodies and minds active, whether through physical exercise or mental stimulation.  Recently, for the first time in our retirement community, we had “Joke Night.”  A “joke” is “a brief, amusing story.”  In Japanese, it is a joudan, literally meaning “empty talk,” but all jokes need not be meaningless.  Some may be stimulating and communicate important truths.  Also, according to certain medical authorities, having a sense of humor and laughing may slow down the aging process.  All who attended the “Joke Night” meeting were instructed to prepare a joke to be told to the group.  At each of the tables where eight residents sat, each resident told a joke and those at that table decided which of the jokes was the best one to be told to the entire group.  Then, when the joke of each table was announced to the audience, a team of four judges determined scores for each one and decided which joke was the best.  Needless to say, there was much laughter, both around the tables and in the entire meeting place.  There was also a table in the middle of the room on which were various kinds of refreshments, made and brought by residents, along with some drinks, so that our bodies might be refreshed as well as our minds.  It was an enjoyable and stimulating time for all who attended.

08/07/25  Transatlantic Cable  (Timely Words 1138)

One hundred and forty-two years ago, on July 27, 1866, following years of anticipation, experimentation and exertion, a transatlantic cable was successfully laid connecting the North American continent with Great Britain.  Since that day, telegraphic communications between these two locations on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean have been uninterrupted.  After successful underwater connections had been made between France and England in 1845, and between England and Ireland, in 1853, it was thought that the same kind of connection could be made across the ocean even though the distance was much greater.  A strong, long cable with good insulation was required and the navies of both the United States and the United Kingdom were involved in the process, but the key figure in this endeavor was an American merchant, named Cyrus Field.  His first four attempts to accomplish the objective were unsuccessful, but the fifth attempt was successfully completed when he was 47 years old.  At a banquet in New York, held in his honor, he said: “It has been a long struggle.  Many times on the decks of ships on dark and stormy nights, alone and far from home, I have almost accused myself of madness and folly to sacrifice the peace of my family and all the hopes of life for what may prove, after all, but a dream.  It has taken nearly 13 years of ceaseless anxious watching and toil.  I have seen my companions falling by my side one after another and feared that I might not live to see the end.  And yet one hope has led me on and I have prayed that I might not taste death until the work was finished.  That prayer was answered and now, beyond all acknowledgment to me, is the feeling of gratitude to Almighty God.”

08/07/29  New “News”  (Timely Words 1139)

It is interesting how the irregularities of the pronunciation and spelling of English words attract my attention as I compose these messages.  Two weeks ago, as I composed the message about “newspapers,” I again recognized the different spellings of words pronounced “nu.”  The most common word with that pronunciation is spelled n-e-w, but if a “k” is added to the beginning of that word, another word with the same pronunciation is formed.  Another word, which many people are not acquainted with, has the same pronunciation; spelled g-n-u, it signifies an African antelope.  In the previous message, relating to the “transatlantic cable,” I read about the easternmost province of Canada, an island called “Newfoundland,” which is pronounced differently by different people, and I thought about place names in the United States of America beginning with “New.”  The northeastern area of this country is called “New England.”  How many of the six states in that area can you name?  (One of them begins with “New.”)  Of the fifty states in the U.S.A., four begin with “New.”  How many of them can you name?  There are also many cities beginning with “New.”  Some of them are very important and are often in the news, such as New York and New Orleans, but others are just ordinary towns or villages and in some cases, the letters “n-e-w” are not a separate word, but are simply added to another word, such as Newark, Newport, Newhaven and Newberry.  In the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verses 34-35, Jesus gave his disciples “a new commandment:” “Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

08/08/02  Columbus’ Voyage  (Timely Words 1140)

According to the calendar used by most countries around the world, we have now entered the eighth month of the year.  This calendar consisting of twelve months and a “leap year” every four years is called “Gregorian” because it was promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.  The name of this eighth month was changed to “August” in 27 B.C.E. in honor of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.  Five hundred sixteen years ago, on August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus and about 90 sailors departed from southern Spain in three small ships hoping to arrive in the Orient by heading west, assuming that the newly formed round earth theory was correct.  After being refused financial support by Portuguese, Italian and English leaders, the expedition was finally sponsored by the king and queen of Spain who expected to acquire certain new territories as a result.  After Columbus and his team had traveled over 4000 kilometers without sighting land, the sailors became mutinous and sought to persuade Columbus to turn back.  He refused to do so, however, and on October 12, over two months after leaving Spain, land was sighted.  It was not an island off the coast of India that Columbus was expecting to reach.  Rather, it was an island off the coast of a continent that was unknown to Europeans of that time.  As a result, the inhabitants of that island were called “Indians” and that mistaken name has been applied to all the native inhabitants of the Americas.  Also, that island and others nearby, which Columbus thought were near India, were called “Indies.”  Now, they are known as the West Indies, to distinguish them from the real Indies, which are now called the East Indies.

08/08/06  China  (Timely Words 1141)

The attention of many countries of the world is now focused on the People’s Republic of China, the site of this year’s Olympics.  China is also the theme of this message.  In Japanese, shortened forms of the names of some countries are often used.  The Japanese name for the U.S.A. is “rice country” and the name for China is “middle (central) country.”  “China” is the shortened form of the long Mandarin name meaning “central glorious people’s united country.”  In my dictionary, there are 7 two word terms beginning with “China” and 7 beginning with “Chinese.”  Those beginning with “China” are: “China aster” (a garden flower), “bark” (bark of a tropical tree), “berry” (berrylike fruit of the China tree), “man” (a Chinese), “town” (the Chinese quarter of a city outside of China), “tree” (a tall, graceful tree native to Asia) and “ware” (fine porcelain).  Those beginning with “Chinese” are: “Chinese cabbage” (a vegetable tasting somewhat like cabbage), “lantern” (a lantern of brightly colored paper that can be folded up), “puzzle” (an intricate puzzle), “red” (a brilliant orange-red), “white” (a dense white pigment made of zinc oxide), “windlass” (a differential windlass) and “wood oil” (yellow, poisonous oil from the nuts of a tree grown in China, Japan and Florida).  Although the word “junk” usually signifies useless material that is to be discarded, a “Chinese junk” denotes a flat-bottom ship that can be used when fishing, transporting material or even as a houseboat, and a “Chinese home run” in a baseball game is a home run that occurred because the distance from home plate to the fenced off area was shorter than normal.  Because of its size and population, China will be an important influence in the future of the world.

08/08/10  Olympics  (Timely Words 1142)

The Olympic games are now being held in Beijing, the capital city of China.  The first Olympics were held in Greece in 776 B.C.E.  The highest mountain in Greece, Mt. Olympus, was considered the home of the Olympian gods and every four years the Olympic games were held at a place called Olympia in their honor.  (Incidentally, the highest mountain in the American State of Washington is also named Olympus and the city of Olympia is the state capital.)  After the ancient Olympics were discontinued by the Roman emperor at the end of the 4th century A.D., they were reestablished at the beginning of the 20th century and are now held every four years in various countries around the world.  In ancient times, the Olympics centered on foot races; women, foreigners and slaves were not permitted to participate.  Now, women, as well as team sports, swimming and many other activities are included also.  According to a newspaper article, the Beijing Olympics began at 8 seconds after 8 minutes after 8 o'clock Friday night (Beijing time), on the 8th day of the 8th month of the 8th year of this 21st century.  That was very interesting news, because the number 8 was considered a symbol of death among the Greeks, even as the number 4 is considered an unlucky number among the Japanese because it has the same pronunciation as “death.”  (The first telephone number we were given in Japan [9242] had the same pronunciation as the words “sudden death,” so people who were told our telephone number never forgot it—and neither did we.)  We hope that this summer’s Olympic games will not only bring benefits to the winners and to China but also make a contribution to better understanding and peace throughout the whole world.

08/08/14  Races  (Timely Words 1143)

One meaning of “race,” spelled r-a-c-e, is a competition in speed, whether running, skating, swimming or riding a horse.  These days, many people are watching many kinds of races in the Olympic games in China.  Some have made trips to Beijing for that purpose while many more watch broadcasts on television or read about them in a newspaper or magazine.  There is another kind of race that is being conducted in the United States of America at the present time and it includes problems regarding other kinds, or meanings, of “race.”  The aim of this race is to gain official approval of a political party to be its candidate for president in the coming national election.  This race is between two men of different “races.”  In my dictionary, one meaning of this kind of “race” is “any of the major biological divisions of mankind, distinguished by color and texture of hair, color of skin and eyes, stature, bodily proportions, etc.; many ethnologists now consider that there are only three primary divisions, the Caucasian (loosely, white race), Negroid (loosely, black race), and Mongoloid (loosely, yellow race) . . . .”  One of the men running in this political race is of the white race and the other is of the black race.  For some voters, the race of the candidate will be a decisive factor in determining their vote.  Unfortunately, in this nation whose Declaration of Independence clearly states that “all men are created equal,” there have been many embarrassing historic situations when race prejudice was clearly manifested and people were judged according to the color of their skin or their lineage rather than their character, ability or competence.  Hopefully, the result of the races both in China and the U.S.A. will be beneficial to the whole world.

08/08/18  Medals and Pedals  (Timely Words 1144)

As the Beijing Olympics draw to a close, there are many memories that will remain in the minds of those who participated and of those who watched.  As I considered an appropriate subject for today’s message, once again the strange irregularities of the English language (both in spelling and pronunciation) came to mind as I thought about the differences between “medal,” ”meddle” and “metal.”  Winners of the wide variety of Olympic contests received a “medal,” a flat piece of “metal” [gold, silver or bronze] stamped with an inscription commemorating their achievement.  Hopefully, these highly respected record-holders will not abuse their reputation and begin to “meddle” (intrude or interfere) in/with the affairs of others, whether of individuals, groups or nations.  As I considered the differences and similarities of the pronunciations and meanings of these three words, I thought about a similar situation related to the words “pedal,” “peddle” and “petal.”  A “pedal” is “a lever operated by the foot,” and, as a verb, “pedal” may mean to “use a pedal” or “to ride a bicycle,” but “peddle,” although pronounced the same, means “to travel about selling wares” (or narcotics).  And a “petal,” according to my dictionary is “A separate, often brightly colored segment of a corolla.”  Since I was completely unacquainted with the word “corolla,” I had to look it up in my dictionary and found the meaning as “The outer envelope of a flower, consisting of fused or separate petals.”  The English language is very confusing indeed.

08/08/21  “Blog”  (Timely Words 1145)

As my wife and I grow older, we are constantly reminded of how things have changed during our lifetimes.  Computers and the Internet have introduced many changes and even the language spoken by our grandchildren is different from when our children were their ages.  There are also a number of modern words that are not in my dictionary published 25 years ago.  One such word is “blog,” which is said to be “a portmanteau of web log.”  A “portmanteau” is “a large leather suitcase that opens into two hinged compartments,” and “a portmanteau word” is “a word formed by merging the sounds and meanings of two different words.”  Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject and are open to comments from readers.  As I look at the subjects about which I have written for these “Timely Words” messages, this webpage may also be considered a “blog,” and I welcome any comments you wish to make after reading and thinking about a message you have read.  Whether the comments are positive or negative, whether the questions are related to language or meaning, culture or lifestyle, I would be happy to read them and reply.  My e-mail address is: clarboff2@aol.com.  I am now beginning to prepare a sermon that I am scheduled to preach at the church here in October.  Residents in this Christian retirement community who have served as pastors, missionaries, social workers, etc., in many countries around the world are the preachers.  It is my custom to hold a “sermon feedback” session on the morning following my sermon; listeners are encouraged to attend and raise questions or offer positive or negative comments on what was said in the sermon.

08/08/26  Tropical Storm “Fay”  (Timely Words 1146)

All fifty of the United States of America have nicknames.  A “nickname” is “a descriptive name added to or replacing the actual name of a person, place or thing.”  The nickname of this state of Florida is “Sunshine State.”  Usually, that is an appropriate designation, but this past week has been exceptional.  Every day, along with periods of sunshine, there have been many times of strong wind and intense rain.  Whether those times were long or short depended on the particular area.  Sometimes only a few kilometers away, the effect was very different.  The street in front of our house temporarily became a river, but we experienced very little lasting effect.  Our closest neighbors, however, will change the carpets in their house because the rain had ruined them.  This “tropical storm,” which was not strong enough to be called a “hurricane,” set a record-breaking four landfalls on this state.  Following the custom in this part of the world, it was given a name.  “Fay” is probably a shortened form of “faith.”  Looking at that name, I was again reminded of the variety and irregularity of the spelling and pronunciation of English words.  Can you understand the following sentences?  After the boxer feinted with his right hand, his opponent fainted.  China put on a great fete for the Olympics, which may change its fate in the years to come.  Although it may be only a phase in their lives, some runners and swimmers, deeply fazed by their competition, may have hoped that some fays would appear to help them.  Fay may result in a strengthening or weakening of one's faith.

08/08/30  Typhoon “Vera”  (Timely Words 1147)

A “severe tropical cyclone” that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean is called a “hurricane.”  If it occurs in the Pacific Ocean, it is called a “typhoon.”  While writing about Tropical Storm “Fay” in the previous message, I recalled Typhoon “Vera” that occurred in 1959.  At that time, my wife and I were living in the Japanese city of Nagoya with our three young children.  On the day before the typhoon was scheduled to “hit,” or make a “landfall,” in our area, my cousin, her husband and their two young children had stopped in to visit us on their way back to Korea, where they were missionaries.  Since we had experienced typhoons in Japan before, we decided to ignore warnings to reinforce windows and doors and to remain at home.  Rather, we chose to follow our plans to ask a neighborhood girl to come and take care of the children while we parents went out to a restaurant to enjoy sukiyaki, a traditional Japanese meal.  After the Japanese girl expressed doubts about our plans, we changed our minds and decided to remain at home.  It was a wise decision.  As the strong wind blew, rainwater was pushed in around windows and doors, which we tried to stop with rolled-up towels.  Water also dripped from the ceiling, which we tried to catch with pans and pails.  And when half of the plaster ceiling in the living room fell down, we were glad that we had stayed at home.  This violent typhoon caused much damage, especially in the Nagoya Port area, but we will always remember its name, which was “Vera,” the name of my wife’s mother.

08/09/04  Election Campaign  (Timely Words 1148)

On November 4, “the Tuesday after the first Monday of November” this year, electors who will select the new president and vice president of the United States of America will be chosen by those citizens who exercise their right to vote.  Now that both major political parties have officially chosen candidates, a vigorous election campaign will be conducted until that date.  “Campaign,” derived from a Latin word meaning “open country,” originally denoted “a series of military operations, undertaken to achieve a specific objective within a given area,” but it may also signify a project to attain a political goal.  During this campaign, some campaigners will drink champagne, a sparkling white wine originally produced in Champagne, a region of France.  Two years ago, when I preached a sermon on the Sunday following Election Day, I tried to stimulate the minds of the congregation by choosing the following strange sermon title: “Election(s): Human and/or Divine (!?)”  On Election Day, American citizens (s)elect their representatives by voting.  But “election” has another deeper, theological meaning: “predestination.”  Some theologians affirm that all events in individual lives, in society in general and in the world at large have been “predestined” by an almighty God, who is working out a divine plan, which will eventually be accomplished.  Whether an exclamation point or a question mark is chosen for the sermon title depends on one’s perspective.  There are conflicting views depending upon whether the “free will” of the individual or the “predestination” of God should be emphasized, but the possibility that both elements may be involved should also be recognized.

08/09/08  California  (Timely Words 1149)

During my school days, the United States of America consisted of 48 contiguous states.  The last two states included were Arizona and New Mexico, which had joined the Union in 1912.  In 1959, two noncontiguous states were recognized, and each one moved the national boundary further west.  Alaska, the 49th state, displaced Texas as the largest state, and Hawaii, in the Pacific Ocean, is the only island state.  Until 1959, the westernmost and second largest state was California, which became the 31st state 158 years ago, on September 9, 1850.  The name, “California,” evidently comes from an old Spanish poem in which it signified an “earthly paradise.”  Previously, this territory was a Spanish possession, but following Mexico’s revolt against Spain in the early 1820s, it became a Mexican province and then asserted its independence in 1836.  After the U.S.–Mexican War in 1848, it was ceded to the United States.  At that time, just before the Civil War, the U.S.A. was divided between 15 states that recognized slavery and 15 that did not, so when California was admitted as a free state, it tipped the balance.  Reports that gold was discovered along a river in California attracted many people in what has been called the California gold rush.  Now, the nickname of this state with the greatest population is “Golden State” and the state’s motto is “Eureka,” a Greek term meaning: “I have found it!”  As we consider terms related to this physical or political state of California, we should be reminded of their metaphysical or spiritual implications as well.

08/09/13  The Star-Spangled Banner  (Timely Words 1150)

A piece of cloth attached to a staff may be called a “banner.”  Many schools, clubs, companies and other organizations have banners with special symbols, letters or words on them to represent them.  The flag representing a state or nation may also be called a “banner” and in 1931, the U.S. Congress officially designated a poem entitled “The Star-Spangled Banner” that had been combined with an old English tune, the national anthem of the United States of America.  That poem was written 194 years ago this week by Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer who had been detained on a British ship during the bombing of Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, Maryland, by British forces in the War of 1812.  This bombardment continued for some 25 hours and when it ended on the morning of September 15, 1814, and Key saw the national flag with its “stars and stripes” still waving, he was inspired to write this poem.  The flag that Key viewed had 15 stripes and 15 stars because two additional states (Vermont and Kentucky) had entered the Union after the original flag with its 13 stars and 13 stripes had been created.  “Spangle” denotes a sparkling object and that was the impression the flag waving in the breeze that morning stimulated in Key’s mind following the two days and nights of bombing.  So the final two lines of each of the four verses in that poem refer to the “star-spangled banner” which waves “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”  Obviously, the Kimigayo national anthem of Japan has a very different history and significance.

08/09/17  Capitol Cornerstone  (Timely Words 1151)

The place where two lines meet is called a “corner.”  Buildings constructed in the traditional way with straight walls have corners where the walls intersect and a special stone deposited at such a corner is called a “cornerstone.”  In the traditions of certain countries, a cornerstone ceremony is sometimes held to attract attention to the beginning of construction of an important building.  On September 18, 1793, 215 years ago this week, a memorable capitol cornerstone ceremony was held in the capital of the United States of America.  As we consider that ceremony, we are faced with another example of a strange characteristic of the English language.  Did you notice the different spellings of two homonyms in the previous sentence?  “Capital,” spelled with an “a” in the third syllable, has a number of different meanings related to finances and grammar, but in that sentence, it refers to the city where the official seat of government is located.  It is derived from the Latin word for “head.”  “Capitol,” referring to the building in which a state legislature assembles, is pronounced the same, but is spelled with an “o” in the final syllable.  This word is derived from the name of a temple in Rome in honor of the mythological supreme god, Jupiter.  If the first letter is capitalized, it denotes “the building in Washington, D.C. occupied by the Congress of the United States.”  George Washington, wearing a Masonic apron, conducted the Capitol Cornerstone ceremony in 1793 according to Masonic rituals for not only was he president of the United States of America, he was also the grand master of Maryland’s Masonic Grand Lodge.

08/09/23  Constitutional Amendments  (Timely Words 1152)

When the word spelled t-e-a-r is pronounced to rhyme with “ear,” it denotes a drop of liquid from the eye, but when it is pronounced to rhyme with “air,” it may signify a rip in a cloth which needs to be mended.  To “mend” means to repair something that has been torn or broken.  When an “a” is added to the beginning of “mend,” the new word, “amend,” has a similar meaning: “to improve or make better.”  The official document that includes the rules to be followed by members of an organization may be called a “constitution” and weaknesses in the original document may be changed by adding constitutional amendments.  When the United States of America declared its separation from Great Britain in 1776, it composed a Constitution which was approved by the 13 states in 1788.  The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, which emphasize the rights of citizens and include recognition of their basic freedoms, were ratified in 1791 by the first session of the First Congress; since then many other amendments have been added.  It is not only the national or federal constitution that is amended.  Each of the fifty states has its own state constitution that periodically requires amendments as times and situations change.  In the coming national election in November, legal residents of this state of Florida will also vote for or against a number of constitutional amendments.  The legal language involved in constitutional amendments is sometimes difficult to understand, so recently an evening meeting was held in this retirement community to explain the amendments, which we will approve or reject.

08/09/28  Apples  (Timely Words 1153)

My wife and I have many fond memories of beautiful cherry blossoms in Japan—whether along the street, in a park or in our yard.  We recall, however, that the cherry trees with the beautiful blossoms did not bear any fruit.  Apple trees, on the other hand, after generating pretty blossoms, also produce edible fruit.  In Japan, I often did not return home until late at night, following evening meetings, so it became the custom of my wife and me to eat our dessert together late at night, followed by a fresh apple as the climax of our evening meal.  We continue to follow that custom even now and we have recently read articles regarding the healthy benefits that apples generate.  In ancient days, the pupil in the eye was thought to be a round object similar to an apple, so something very precious and greatly treasured was called the “apple of the eye.”  In the Old Testament book of Psalms (17:8), the poet prays that God will keep him as “the apple of his eye.”  In the story of Eve’s temptation, recorded in the 3rd chapter of Genesis, no mention is made of the kind of fruit she took and ate, but some interpreters/readers imagine it to have been an apple.  A legend about William Tell, a national hero of Switzerland, tells of his being ordered to shoot with a bow and arrow an apple that had been placed on the head of his son.  He did so, but when asked why he had brought another arrow with him, he replied that he was planning to shoot the tyrannical steward who had given the order if he had killed his son.

08/10/03  Squares and Cubes  (Timely Words 1154)

At the retirement community where my wife and I have been residing since leaving Japan nine years ago, residents are able to choose whether to eat meals in their individual homes or apartments, in the community Dining Room or elsewhere.  My wife and I usually eat a simple breakfast at home in the morning and a simple supper at home in the evening, but we eat our noon meal in the Dining Room, where the menu changes daily.  There, we join the line of others who point to or tell the server what meats and vegetables to put on our plates.  The menu is written on a blackboard behind the counter, and when “cube steak” is on the menu, I sometimes jokingly say to the server: “Since you have no ‘square steak,’ I’ll take the ‘cube steak.’”  “Squares” and “cubes” are terms commonly used in geometry to signify different shapes, but they are used in other areas as well with somewhat different meanings.  In geometry, a square is “a rectangle having four equal sides” and a “cube” is “a solid with six equal square sides,” but, according to my dictionary, “cube” may also be used as a verb meaning “to tenderize meat by making superficial cuts in a pattern of squares,” and a “cube steak” is defined as “a thin slice of beef made tender by cubing.”  Another meaning of “square” is “honest” or “direct” and “just” or “equitable.”  During this emotionally charged election campaign season in the U.S.A., candidates do not always give “square” answers to the questions posed, nor are they able to promise “square” deals for the voters, but we are still hoping that the end result will benefit both this country and the world.

08/10/08  English Irregularities  (Timely Words 1155)

Residents in this Penney Retirement Community have served in many different countries around the world and consequently are acquainted with many different languages.  “Languages of the World” is one of the Continuing Education Courses now being offered here, taught by residents who are well acquainted with the languages they teach.  As I prepared my lecture on the Japanese language, I realized again how irregular the English language is in regard to the pronunciation, spelling and meanings of words. Consider, for example, the irregularities of the plurals of words ending with o-u-s-e.  In this retirement community there are many “houses.”  In many of those houses, married men and women live with their “spouses,” and the female spouses in this community have many different kinds of “blouses.”  Although I have not seen the small rodent called a “mouse” or the small insect called a “louse” in the community here, if we saw more than one of them, they would not be called “mouses”and “louses,” but “mice” and “lice.”  On the other hand, the small cubes marked with dots on the sides and used in various games are called “dice,” but the singular of “dice” is not “douse,” but “die.”  As a verb, “die” means to cease living, but another word with the same pronunciation but spelled differently signifies a substance used to color materials.  It is the tradition in many cultures to use materials “dyed” black when formally remembering the one who “died.”  As I will note in my sermon this coming Sunday, accurate translation is not simply translating words from one language to another, but transmitting the meaning of the words into a different culture and time.

08/10/12  “Retirement”  (Timely Words 1156)

When I sat down before my computer on this 11th day of the 10th month of the year (according to the Gregorian calendar), I had planned to write a message, entitled “October/Godless Month” and explain the reasons why the English name of this month begins with the prefix meaning 8 and why the traditional Japanese name for it means “month without gods.”  However, checking my index of previous messages, I found that I had made a message with that title and content just one year ago.  This was another indication of my failing memory and of the need to consider when would be the best time to discontinue my regular composition of messages for this webpage.  One of the Continuing Education Classes now being offered at this retirement community that I should be attending is titled “From Ageing to Sage-ing.”  (Last week, I spoke about the Japanese language at the “Languages of the World” class.)  A “sage” is a “wise person” and, hopefully, we become wiser as we grow older—but that doesn’t always happen.  Since my wife and I entered this retirement community directly from Japan nine years ago, we have been happy here and have kept very busy at many different meaningful activities.  In fact, we sometimes question whether we have actually “retired.”  Maybe we need to “retire” from our “retirement.”  That depends on the meaning of the word “retire.”  If “retool” means to change the tool to fit a new condition, may “retire” indicate the need for a new “tire” to keep us running fast?  And if “retry” means “to try again,” we may consider “retire” to mean, “be tired again.”  But, as Richard Cumberland, an English bishop, wrote: “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”

08/10/16  A “Pampered Pumpkin”  (Timely Words 1157)

In the newspaper, a couple of days ago, a short article under an impressive picture was entitled “Pampered Pumpkin Wins, Sets Record.”  According to my dictionary, the word “pamper” means “to treat with excessive indulgence; coddle.”  In this retirement community, we do not have a “barber shop” for men nor a “beauty parlor” for women.  However, there is a place called the “pamper room” where the hair of both men and women are treated.  The “pampered pumpkin” noted and pictured in the newspaper article was the winner of the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin/Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, California.  “Pumpkin,” derived from a Greek word for “large melon,” denotes a large, orange-yellow fruit, grown on a vine, having a thick rind and numerous seeds.  As the Halloween season approaches, more and more pumpkins will be seen, for those that are hollowed out, have eyes and a mouth cut out of the rind and have a candle inserted inside become “jack-o’-lanterns” that are very popular at Halloween festivities at the end of this month.  The “pampered pumpkin” in the aforementioned article weighed 1,528 pounds (687 kilograms) and had a circumference of 15 feet (4.57 meters).  It was grown in the state of Oregon and transported to California in a truck.  The man who grew the pumpkin said his secret to growing big pumpkins is good soil.  “We really pamper them,” he said.  Some people pamper their pets and some parents pamper their children.  The English poet, John Dryden, called the Jews “God’s pampered people,” but according to the Bible, people are chosen not to be served by others but to serve others and to be vessels of God’s grace to them.

08/10/21  Percussion Ensemble  (Timely Words 1158)

It is the custom of this retirement community to hold commemorative concerts/programs in honor of former members of the community who have passed away.  Such programs/concerts are funded by contributions made by the family and friends of the person so honored.  Recently, such a program was held that featured five percussionists.  “Percussion” is derived from a Latin word meaning to strike hard.  Bands and orchestras include percussion instruments which produce sound by striking rather than blowing or vibrating strings.  Percussion instruments include drums, cymbals, chimes and xylophones.  In fact, even pianos may be included in this category.  The leader of the recent “Percussion Pleasures” program was a lady who has been the principal percussionist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra since 1977.  She is now a professor at the University of Florida and has developed a Percussion Ensemble.  (The word “ensemble,” in which the first two “e”s are pronounced like “o”s, is derived from a Latin word meaning “at the same time.”  In this case, it denotes a group of musicians who perform together.)  The ensemble that performed here included the leader and four university students who played drums, tom-toms, cymbals and a marimba.  It was very interesting to see how what we usually consider “noise” can be combined or adjusted in such a way as to consider it “music.”  Some of those in attendance doubted whether the “noise” ever became “music”, but we were reminded that in our lives also, there are times when very unattractive experiences may combine to produce something very attractive or meaningful.

08/10/25  Continuing to Mature  (Timely Words 1159)

Since I am now over 80 years old, neither my body nor my mind are as active as they were a few years ago, but I still try to keep maturing, which is one reason why I continue to compose messages for this webpage.  Besides stimulating others to think, I also am continuing to learn as I prepare and think about them.  Recently, I composed a message about a “pampered pumpkin,” which stimulated an e-mail response from a faithful listener and reader of both the “Daily Word” and “Timely Words” messages in Japan.  In that message, I noted that many pumpkins are hallowed out and made into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween festivities.  Her e-mail included this comment: “I’m afraid that in the middle of the message, ‘those that are hallowed out’ might be ‘hollowed out,’” which stimulated me to make further investigation into the meaning and recognized usage of the words “afraid” and “hallow.”  Her comment was correct, but I was surprised that she used “afraid” to indicate “regret,” while most Japanese speakers of English would only use this word to indicate “fear.”  In regard to the word “hallowed,” I immediately had that word in the message changed to “hollowed” because in my dictionaries, the meaning of “hallow” is limited to “set apart as holy.”  Checking the larger, unabridged, international dictionary of the English Language in the library, however, I found the meaning of the word I had learned long ago was still relevant for our day, for the definition of the word in that dictionary concluded with the statement that it was a “dialect variant of ‘hollow.’”

08/10/29  Halloween  (Timely Words 1160)

As was noted in a recent message, the word “hallow” means “to set apart as holy.”  There are two well-known examples of the use of this word at the present time.  One is the phrase in the prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13, which is now called “The Lord’s Prayer” and is often repeated in the traditional English form by Christians around the world.  That prayer begins with these words: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”  The other is the name given to the annual celebration observed on October 31st, the evening before a traditional church festival honoring all the saints, called All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows.  “All Hallows Eve,” the evening before that day, came to be known as “Halloween” and has become a time of following traditions rooted in pre-Christian customs of the Celts of Ireland and Scotland.  It was the last day of the Celtic calendar and, according to the religious tradition of the druids, was the night when witches and warlocks roamed the land, when evil spirits and spirits of the dead were abroad.  Witches, goblins, ghosts, spirits of the dead, skeletons and black cats are now all included in decorations and activities related to Halloween which are not in harmony with Christian thought.  The “trick or treat” custom of children going from house to house in costumes, asking for a “treat” of some kind to avoid a possible retaliatory “trick,” seems to have ancient roots which are also not in keeping with Christian teaching.  Even as pre-Christian customs became included in the Christian celebration of Christmas, even more obvious are the customs related to All Hallows Eve.