Happy New Year (81/01/01)

Happy New Year! Today is the first day of 1981 A.D. (anno domini=“the year of the Lord”), the 56th year of Showa (the year of the reigning emperor of Japan), the year of the rooster. What kind of year will this be? Will it be a year of trouble and conflict or one of enjoyment and peace? We don’t know, but we can find comfort and encouragement in some of Jesus’ words about birds. In Matthew, chapter 6, he told his disciples to “look at the birds flying around; they do not sow seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds?’ In Matthew, chapter 10, he said “For only a penny you can buy 2 sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” Although we don’t know what events will happen in this new year, faith in the heavenly Father, who not only cares for the birds, but loves each one of his human creatures, including you, will certainly make this year a meaningful one. I pray that it will be a peaceful year for you as you “leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7).

Kakizome (81/01/02)

Are you enjoying the typical New Year’s foods and eating a lot of omochi? It is said that Japanese people have been eating omochi on special occasions since the Nara era in the 8th century and it is not certain whether that is a native Japanese custom or one imported from China. Whether or not you eat a lot of mochi, I hope that your life will be a mochi no ii one, that is “long lasting.” This 2nd day of the New Year is the day for kakizome, the first calligraphy writing of the year. “Calligraphy” comes from 2 Greek words meaning “beautiful writing.” Will you do or have you done some “beautiful writing” today? A couple of significant Chinese characters to practice writing are the two that make up the word toso, the special, spiked sake that is drunk at the New Year season to insure a long and healthy life. Literally, these two characters mean “slaughter” and “resurrection.” They may refer to the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one, or to the killing of evil and reviving the drinker. However, for the Christian, it may be a reminder of the death and resurrection of Christ and the need for his followers to follow his example. In order to gain new life (true life), we need to die to our self-centeredness. Goodbye. Have a pleasant dream tonight.

Hatsuyume (81/01/03)

Did you have a good dream last night—on the night of hatsuyume, or “first dream”? Traditionally, the first dream of the New Year was considered very important as a portent of one’s future during that year. Some people place a picture of a treasure ship under their pillow in the hope of encouraging a favorable dream. Favorable dreams include those of the rising sun and Mt. Fuji. Dreams of snakes are commonly regarded as good omens—indicating the gaining of money. Even dreams of being cut or wounded by swords or knives are considered happy signs—for kane can refer to money as well as metal and such dreams may mean the coming in of kane. The English word “dream” seems to have come from an old English term referring to joyful noise or music. A dream which one experiences while awake is called a “daydream.” In some Bible stories, dreams were the means by which God spoke to people. However, in the present day, I believe it is more common for God to speak to us through the actual events of daily life during times of prayer and sincerely seeking his guidance. Jesus promised that those who seek will find. If we honestly and earnestly seek to know God’s will, he will reveal it to us in some way.

Traditional symbols (81/01/04)

Some of the traditional Japanese New Years decorations and foods have been chosen because of their symbolism. However, what the symbol means depends upon whom you ask. The fish called tai is eaten at happy times because it is a part of the word medetai, (“happy”) or because it is regarded as the “king of fish.” The yuzuriha plant is used in decorations either because its name suggests the continuation of a family or because the old leaves fall when new leaf buds come out on the stem to replace them—signifying a prosperous family from one generation to the next. The fern called urajiro has two sets of leaves branching out from a stem, signifying a married couple enjoying a harmonious life, but another explanation is related to its name, which literally means “white inside,” referring to the beauty of one’s heart. Whatever explanation is given for the various symbolic foods and decorations or to the various symbolic ceremonies and words or signs related to religions, it is well to remember that the meaning is more important than the symbol. Jesus often criticized the religious people of his day for being so concerned about keeping the traditional customs but disregarding the more important meanings those customs were meant to teach.

The meanings of "New" (81/01/05)

Today is the day when many people will be going back to work for the first time in the New Year. I wonder how many will begin their work with a new feeling. The Chinese character for “new” includes an ax and a tree, with the original meaning of cutting down trees to prepare new fields. However, “new” can have different meanings. In Greek, there are two different words translated “new.” Neos, from which the English word “new” is derived, refers to “new” in relation to time—that is something that has recently come into existence. The other word, kainos, refers to something “new” in relation to quality, that is something that has never been used. Certainly this New Year is “new” in the temporal meaning, because it has just begun. However, whether or not it is “new” in a qualitative sense, depends on the spiritual attitude of the individual. To the pessimistic writer of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new in the whole world, but to the person with a living faith in a loving God, the heavenly Father’s love and mercy are new every morning. The Christian faith leads a believer into a new life, whereby he becomes a new person with new power and new hope. To begin a new year of work with a new spirit is one of the blessings of a vital faith.

Epiphany (81/01/06)

Today, January 6, is the 12th day after Christmas and thus officially ends the Christmas season. In the Christian church calendar, this day is called Epiphany, from the Greek word for “appearance” or “manifestation.” In English, “epiphany” refers to the appearance or manifestation of a god or some other supernatural being. In the Eastern Church, Epiphany was originally a feast day to commemorate the baptism of Christ, but later it was associated with the visit of the Wise Men from the East who came to worship the baby Jesus. Since those Wise Men were not Jews, but Gentiles, Epiphany also refers to the manifestation of the universal Christ to the whole world. From its early days, the universal character of the Christian faith was recognized. The Good News of God’s love and salvation which was manifested in Christ could not be limited to one nation alone. It was Good News for all who believe. Christmas celebrations have spread to non-Christian lands like Japan, but the true joy of the season comes from the manifestation of God’s love within the heart of the believer. That is the real epiphany.

Nanakusa (81/01/07)

In Japanese tradition, there were five seasonal festivals called gosekku in the odd numbered months of the year: January, March, May, July and September. Except for the first one, they were all celebrated on the day whose number was the same as that of the month: January 7, March 3, May 5, July 7 and September 9. However, the first of those five festivals is celebrated on the 7th day of the 1st month, which is today. It is called nanakusa, literally meaning “7 herbs.” On this day, it was customary to eat rice gruel cooked with 7 particular herbs that were considered to have medicinal value to insure good health through the year. In the Bible, the number 7 is the most sacred number. In the Biblical story of creation, God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day (Genesis 2:1-3). For that reason, the 7th day was considered a holy day for rest and worship. Each of the 3 Biblically-related religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, has a holy day every 7th day, although the days observed are different. Even Japan with its different cultural and religious tradition, has adapted the custom of enjoying a holiday every 7th day even though it is not kept as a holy day. I hope you keep well this year, whether or not you eat the nanakusa.

Self-centered prayer requests (81/01/08)

A recent newspaper article reported that on New Year’s Day this year, for the first time in history, over one million people visited the Atsuta Shrine. On that day, some 1,007,000 people visited that shrine and the total number of worshippers for the first 3 days of the year was 2,010,000. Another article reported on the kinds of prayers the worshippers offered. A 49-year-old salaried man prayed for the good health of his family. A young lady in a pretty kimono prayed for a suitable mate. A grocer prayed for business prosperity and a ronin student prayed that he might pass the entrance examination. A couple that had been married for three years prayed that a child would be born. All of the prayer requests noted were self-centered. Self-centeredness is a basic characteristic of much religious activity. However, Jesus taught, both by his words and by his life, that his followers should be concerned about the needs of others and that their prayers should be for others rather than being centered upon themselves. The many important exhortations given in the last chapter of the New Testament Letter of James are centered on praying for and helping those in need.

the Matsushige Lock (81/01/09)

A couple of kilometers south of Nagoya station, looking out the train window, one may see four towers which form the corners of a rectangle. These are a part of the Matsushige Lock which was constructed over 50 years ago. In English, “lock” may refer to a curl or ringlet of hair. It may also indicate a mechanical device to fasten a door, a drawer or a box. But in this case, “lock” refers to an enclosed part of a canal, with gates so that the level of water may be changed to raise or lower boats in it from one level to the other. This lock was used to connect the Nakagawa Canal, which runs from Nagoya Port to the city business district with the Horikawa River, which is 4 meters higher at that point. Since truck transportation has replaced the barges, the lock was closed 5 years ago. However, this spring, the lock will become the center of a new park to be constructed around it. At night, spotlights will illuminate these 20-meter high towers which will become another lasting landmark of the city. In the Psalms, God is referred to as a high tower, a place of safety. All people need a place of spiritual security, a refuge. Do you have such a place?

Saturn (81/01/10)

Today is Saturday. The name of this last day of the week comes from the name of the god, Saturn, in Roman mythology. Saturn was the god of harvest who ruled the world in the Golden Age of peace and plenty. He was the husband of Ops and the father of Jupiter, who became the supreme god in Roman religion. Saturn is also the name given to the second largest planet in the solar system—after Jupiter, which is the largest. The peculiar characteristic of Saturn is the system of rings that encircle it. This planet was the particular object of study by the Voyager rocket which took a long voyage of more than 2 billion kilometers over 3 years to send back valuable information to earth regarding this peculiar planet last year. Astronomers now know much more about Saturn than they knew a year ago. However, they also have new questions for which they are still seeking answers. New knowledge is always followed by new questions and every honest seeker of new or fuller truth should realize that one’s quest for truth is based on an underlying faith.

Kagami-biraki (81/01/11)

In Japanese tradition, January 11 is the day of kagami-biraki, literally meaning “mirror-opening.” In this case, however, kagami refers to kagami-mochi, the round rice cakes which are a part of the New Years decorations and the “opening” refers to splitting them open and dividing them up for eating in such soups as zoni or shiruko. Actually, the kagami-mochi rice cakes were originally considered offerings to the divine spirits. In ancient times, mirrors were considered sacred objects, symbols of the unseen kami. In fact, some scholars have taught that the word kami itself is derived from kagami. Anyway, on this day, these rice cake offerings are disposed of as the New Years season draws to a close. In Christian teaching, the kind of offering God requires is not rice cakes. Nor is it money nor ceremonial ritual. In the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 12, verse 1, it is taught that we should offer up our bodies, that is ourselves, as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service. This is true Christian worship. It is much easier to offer up things to God, but he doesn’t want things. He wants us.

Snow (81/01/12)

In some areas of Japan, particularly in the hokuriku area, there has been much snow this winter. Trains have been delayed. Roads have been blocked. Buildings have collapsed. And a number of people have lost their lives because of it. What is snow? Snow consists of frozen particles of water vapor. The countless varieties of snowflakes are usually hexagonal crystals—that is, they have six-sided forms. It takes about ten millimeters of snow to equal one millimeter of rain. In polar regions and on very high mountains snow lies continually on much of the land all year round, but snow never falls on about two-thirds of the world’s surface. Ogden Nash has compared a heavy snowfall to getting drunk. He wrote: “It is very pleasing when it is coming, but very unpleasant when it is going.” The weatherman predicts three more cold spells with snow during January in this area. The Bible teaches that snow also is one of God’s gifts. It is a symbol of purity and God’s promise to those who repent of their evil ways is that though their “sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Janus (81/01/13)

In English, this first month of the year is called January. January comes from the name of a Roman god, Janus. In Roman religion, Janus was the god of beginnings—both in a spatial sense and in a temporal sense. As the god of spatial beginnings, he presided over gates and doors of houses and other buildings. As the god of temporal beginnings, he presided over the first hour of the day, the first day of the month and the first month of the year. His chief festival was celebrated on the first day of the year, when rams were sacrificed to him. He was represented by two bearded heads placed back to back so that he may look in two directions at the same time. He thus was able to view both the past and the future, both the inside and outside simultaneously. The Bible teaches that God, the Creator, who is above time and space and knows all things—past, present and future, who knows our thoughts as well as our words and deeds, has entered into human history in the person of Jesus Chris who is the Savior of the world. Through him God came to man and man is brought to God.

Festivals and celebrations (81/01/14)

You Japanese really enjoy your New Year’s celebrations, don’t you? For many people, the special decorations, the special foods, family gatherings and other New Years activities are the highlights of the entire year. In fact, in some places it seems that only one New Year’s celebration is not enough. So other festivities are held on January 15th which is called “small New Year” (koshogatsu) and the night before, that is, tonight, is called juyokka toshigoshi, or “January 14th New Year’s Eve.” Once again, on February 5th, another New Years Day. according to the lunar calendar will be observed. Yes, it is clear that Japanese people enjoy festivals and celebrations. This is probably because of the hard life of the farmers in the old days when a festival brought rest and refreshment from the heavy burdens of daily life. “Refreshment” refers to being made fresh again. To be “fresh” means to have vitality and new life. We all need times of refreshment. Even as our bodies require regular rest periods, our spirits also need regular renewal for their spiritual health. As the new year becomes increasingly busy, remember to include times of spiritual renewal in your schedule.

Adults Day (81/01/15)

Today is a national holiday called “Adults Day.” On this day, young people who celebrated, or will celebrate, their 20th birthday during the present school year are recognized in official ceremonies as having attained the status of adults. Thus, those born between April 1960 and March 1961 will dress up in their Sunday best for the occasion. Aichi Prefecture has almost 98,000 who will come of age today. Although this is a postwar holiday, coming of age ceremonies have a long tradition in Japan. Samurai boys who had reached the age of 15, at the ancient genpuku ceremony received an official samurai name and were permitted to wear a top-knot in their hair—which was the sign of adulthood. In English, “adult” refers to a person who is grown-up, mature. It comes from the same root as “adolescent,” which refers to a person in the process of becoming an adult. However, maturity refers to something more than a grown-up body. It refers to a mature spirit as well. Unfortunately, there are people who have children’s minds or emotions inside of their adult bodies. And even people with higher education are not always spiritually mature. Adults Day is a good time to reflect upon our true maturity.

Model pagodas made of used chopsticks (81/01/16)

Most people in this modern industrialized society tend to be very wasteful. Many products are used only once and then thrown away. However, there are exceptions. 65-year-old Kiyoshi Hattori, a noodle shop owner in Atsuta Ku is one. Mr. Hattori has been making noodles for the past 30 years. After his wife died 3 years ago, he started a new hobby. He began saving once-used wooden chopsticks and toothpicks, washed them, trimmed them and then used them to build intricate model pagodas, ranging in height from 40 cm. to 1 meter tall. He has already made and given away or displayed some 30 pagodas and enjoys this hobby, while getting his construction materials free. His shop uses about 100,000 chopsticks a year, so he has a limitless supply. The Bible teaches that we should not be wasteful, that we should make good use of the gifts God has given us. Jesus told a story of a businessman who went on a trip and gave his servants money to make use of while he was gone. Upon his return, he rewarded those who made good use of even a small amount (Matthew 25:14-30). We also should make good use of that which we have, whether it be much or little.

Gossip (81/01/17)

The English word “gossip” was originally pronounced “godsib” and is made up of the words “God” and “sib.” “Sib” referred to a relative and a “godsib” was a godparent, that is the sponsor of an infant at baptism. Later it came to mean a person who chatters and repeats rumors about others and then to the rumors themselves. Although no one claims to like gossip, it seems that everyone enjoys it. Here are some more modern definitions of a “gossip” that you won’t find in a regular dictionary. A gossip is a person who turns an earful into a mouthful. He or she is a person who can make a mountain out of a little dirt. A gossip is a person who creates the smoke which other people assume comes from a fire. In Today’s English Version of the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 20, verse 19, we read “A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much.” Before we repeat stories we have heard about others, it is well to ask ourselves three questions: 1) Is it true? 2) Is it needful? 3) Is it kind? If it is not all three of them, the tale had better be left untold.

Ansokunichi (81/01/18)

Today is Sunday, the first day of the week. For Christians, Sunday is a day of rest and worship, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus, which occurred on the first day of the week. The Jewish day of rest was on the seventh day of the week, that is, on Saturday because God is said to have rested on the seventh day after creating the world in six days (Genesis 2:1-3). The Bible calls this day of rest the Sabbath, from the Hebrew word for “rest.” In Japanese, it is translated ansokunichi. Nichi means “day,” and ansoku refers to “rest,” but the Chinese characters for ansoku are interesting. The character for an pictures a woman sitting in a house and has the meaning of “peace.” In old China, a woman sitting at home signified “peace.” Is it so today? The character for soku is made up of a nose over a heart, referring to one’s breathing—taking a breath from the lungs through the nose. Putting these two characters together into ansoku, literally “peaceful breathing,” thus means rest, repose, quietness. For the health of both spirit and body, it is well for the original meaning of this ansokunichi, or Sabbath to be remembered and put into practice.

A student’s goal accomplished (81/01/19)

How many kilometers of railroads for passenger trains do you think there are in Japan? Including both national and private railways, there are a total of 26,815.5 kilometers. And 25-year-old Satoshi Tomita of Ichinomiya, a 4th year student at Nagoya University, has traveled over all 26,815.5 kilometers. It took him some 3 1/2 years to accomplish this aim that he decided on during his 1st year at the university. Making use of student fares and excursion tickets, he has traveled throughout the country and last week he completed the final trip of his project by riding on the Bisai Line of the Meitetsu Railway from Tamanoi station to Shinichinomiya, where he was greeted by the station employees and about 20 classmates. On the same day, he submitted his graduation thesis entitled “Reconstruction of the National Railway as seen by a User.” Having accomplished a couple of his short-term goals in life, following graduation, he must now move on to longer term goals. And so it is with us. All people need goals or a goal toward which they are moving. What is yours? Call again tomorrow for another message about goals.

Goals in life (81/01/20)

To live a satisfying meaningful life, a person must have some purpose or goal toward which he or she is advancing. Benjamin Disraeli, a famous British statesman of the last century who experienced many ups and downs during his political life, wrote: “the secret of success is constancy to purpose.” Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf at the age of 2, but through many struggles and self-discipline became a well-known lecturer and author, wrote: “Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” All of us have smaller purposes or short-term goals that we aim to accomplish by a certain time, but what about the more important overall goal or the fundamental purpose of our lives? Have we decided what that is and are we progressing toward accomplishing it? Jesus’ aim in life was to bring honor to God, his Father, by accomplishing God’s aim for him. This is the way to happiness—accomplishing God’s purpose in our lives.

Stress (81/01/21)

The word “stress” in English may have different meanings depending on the context. In music, it refers to the accent or emphasis given a chord or rhythmic beat. In speech, it refers to the emphasis placed on a word or syllable. In engineering, it may refer to the pressure or force exerted upon some material. But as a medical term, it refers to the mental strain or pressure or tension we experience in daily life. A recent study shows that over 61% of the Japanese people feel their lives to be stressful. This was especially true for those in their late 30s and early 40s. 10% of all 3rd year high school students were found to have ulcers—which indicates the kind of stress even young people endure. The Biblical answer to the problem of stress, worry and fear is faith. Jesus taught that those with faith in the heavenly Father had no reason to worry—for if God cares for the birds and flowers, certainly he will take care of his children.

Top news (81/01/22)

Newspaper editors and telecasters must have had a difficult day yesterday. They were faced with some difficult decisions. In the midst of the many big news stories that clamored for attention, which one was to be given priority? Which one was to be put at the top of the list as “top news” and given the main headline? Would it be the arrest and confession of the kidnapper of Sayuri Toya? Is the inauguration festivities of U. S. president Reagan of greater news value? Or should the release of the U. S. hostages in Iran be given priority? Probably many other events of lesser appeal were eliminated from the newspapers altogether because of the overriding importance of these happenings with higher ratings. What should be given first place in importance and upon what basis our priorities are determined is a crucial mater for all of us. When Jesus was asked what came first, he replied that God and his will was to be given priority in life. He taught his disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and to love God above all else. Once our priorities are determined, other matters will find their proper place.

Catching a cold (81/01/23)

The traditional Japanese calendar is divided into 24 seasons, each with an appropriate name. This means that each of the four major seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter are further divided into six smaller seasonal periods lasting approximately 15 days. According to that seasonal calendar, we are now in the final season before the beginning of spring—the season known as the “big cold,” considered to be the coldest time of the year. Once we get through this “big cold,” we may look forward hopefully to springtime. In English, the common illness during the cold season, characterized by coughing and sneezing, is called a “cold,” while in Japanese it is referred to as a “wind.” Americans “catch a cold;” Japanese “pull a wind.” In either case, it is not a pleasant feeling. However, from the Biblical viewpoint, seasonal changes are also evidence of God’s faithfulness and goodness. It was his promise, as given in Genesis, chapter 8, verse, 22, that as long as the world exists, there will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night. Rather than complaining about the cold, let us be thankful for variety and for God’s faithfulness.

Kidnapping (81/01/24)

One of the main news stories of recent weeks in the Nagoya area has concerned the kidnapping of Sayuri Toya. Now the kidnapper has been arrested, following his confession. The word “kidnap” in English comes from joining two words, both of which are quite informal. The word “kid,” literally referring to a young goat, is the colloquial term for a child. And the word “nab” is a colloquial term for snatching suddenly or catching someone. Put together as “kidnap,” the word literally means to nab a kid—that is to steal a child. We may also use “kid” as a verb, in reference to teasing or playfully deceiving someone. As an adjective, “kid” may refer to something made of kidskin (“soft leather made from the skin of a young goat”) and kid gloves are “gloves made of fine, soft leather.” The expression “to handle with kid gloves” means to treat someone with special care. One does not feel like kidding with a kidnapper and there is no need to handle a kidnapper with kid gloves. However, one must sympathize with the kids of a kidnapper as well as with the father and brother of Miss Toya.

Names for January (81/01/25)

In modern Japanese, the months of the year are named with numbers. January is called the 1st month; February is called the 2nd month, and so on. However, in Japanese literature and poetry, the months have more expressive names. In fact, all of the months have a number of different poetic or literary names, but the 1st month of the year has the greatest variety of names. In one book I have, there are 84 different names listed for this 1st and most important month of the year. One of the more common literary names is mutsuki, evidently meaning a friendly, affectionate month when hostility is forgotten and harmony prevails. The English word “friend” comes from an Anglo-Saxon root meaning lover. In Greek also, “friend” and “lover” are related in the term philos. A number of English words also contain this root. Thus “philosophy” refers to the love of wisdom, “philanthropy” to the love of man and “philharmonic” to the love of harmony. Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love. In the Bible, both of the books written by Luke are addressed to Theophilos, which may be translated the lover or friend of God. It is good to have friends in the world, but it is even more important to love God as our friend—or to be his friend.

A thief into a police substation (81/01/26)

A couple of weeks ago, in Okazaki City, Tatsuya Yamamoto, a 42-year-old policeman (an omawarisan) returned to his police substation (his chuzaisho) after making his appointed rounds (that is, his omawari), where he stayed (chuzai) for a couple of hours working on his report. He hung up his coat, handcuffs, billy club and portable, wireless communication device in the 6-mat tatami room in the rear before sitting down at his desk. However, when he finished working and went into the tatami room, he found that all of these items had been stolen while he was at work. The thief had quietly removed a cracked glass pane that had been patched with tape, unlocked the window, climbed in the room and stole all of those things while the policeman was in the next room. It seems that even a police station is not free from being burglarized. Jesus taught that we should not store up riches “here on earth, where moths and rust destroy and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy and robbers cannot break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).

Retirement Age (81/01/27)

Last month in the Budget Committee of the Nagoya City Assembly, one of the committee members asked, as a matter of reference, how old the oldest city employee was. Can you guess what the answer was? A murmur of surprised comments filled the room after the man from the Personnel Section replied that there was a city employee in the Public Works Office, in charge of cleaning parks and weeding, who was 82 years old. Apart from being a bit deaf, he is very healthy and a vigorous worker. Although there is no definite retirement age for public employees, there are various benefits given to encourage retirement at age 55. However, this 82-year-old employee has turned a deaf ear to all suggestions that he retire and is still a fulltime employee. “Retirement age,” like “old age” itself is difficult to define. Bernard Baruch, who served in various advisory positions with the U. S. government at 85 years of age, is quoted as saying “To me, “old age” is always 15 years older than I am.” In the 92nd Psalm, the righteous person is compared to a tree planted in the house of the Lord, which continues to bear fruit in old age and continues to be full of sap. So may it be with you.

“Human” and “Humane” (81/01/28)

In the Biblical story of creation, the first man God created was called “Adam,” which is the Hebrew word for “man.” So this word may be a common noun a well as a proper noun. In Hebrew, “adam” means “of the ground.” According to the Bible story in Genesis, chapter 2, God formed a man out of the soil of the ground. In Latin, the word for ground is humus, which in modern English refers to the organic part of the soil. From the word humus, comes the English word “humble,” originally meaning close to the ground—low in rank, unimportant, unpretentious. The English word “human,” comes from that same root, reminding us that, as human beings, we have a lowly origin. Finally, if we add an “e” on to “human,” we get the word “humane,” which refers to the best qualities of humankind, such as kindness, tenderness, mercy and consideration. One of the basic sins of human beings is pride, which comes from forgetting our humble origin as creatures made from the soil who should find our fulfillment, not in lording it over others, but in humbly serving our Creator and in acting humanely toward our fellow creatures.

Veterans ready to work (81/01/29)

A couple of days ago, I told of the 82-year-old man who is still a fulltime employee of the City Public Works Office. He is healthy and willing and able to work and is given the opportunity to do so. All older people, however, are not so fortunate. There are many skilled and unskilled senior citizens who would like to work but are not given the chance to do so. Nagoya City now has a central office where those over 60 years of age who are interested in working are enrolled. Anyone who wants to make use of either specialized or general abilities of these senior citizens may do so through contacting this placement center. There are veterans ready to do various odd jobs including carpentry, gardening, office work, house work, tutoring, translation, or even being a rusuban. If you are interested in giving even temporary employment to these reliable people looking for opportunities to make profitable use of their time and talents, you may call this number: 671-3161. Making use of their services should be beneficial both to them and to you. People who desire to work should be given the opportunity to make meaningful use of the abilities God has given them.

Franklin Roosevelt (81/01/30)

During the past two weeks there have been many news reports, feature articles, editorials and television commentaries regarding the new American president, Ronald Reagan. A number of writers have compared his entering the White House with that of Franklin Roosevelt and Mr. Reagan himself has referred to and quoted from President Roosevelt. It was 99 years ago today that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born at Hyde Park, New York. He became a lawyer, but after being elected to the New York Senate in 1910, his life was devoted to politics. In 1921, when he was 39 years old, he was stricken with infantile paralysis. At first, he was paralyzed from the waist down, but through strenuous effort, he regained partial use of his legs although he remained crippled for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, he was later elected governor of New York and, at 51 years of age, he became president of the U. S. He was re-elected three times and served in that office for 12 years, 1 month and 8 days—the longest of any president in history. He is a good example of a person who did not let his disability subdue his spirit nor ruin his career. I Corinthians 10:13 teaches that God “will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it.” “House” and “home” (81/01/31)

There are many words that have come from English into Japanese—not by translation, but by transliteration. “Transliteration” means to transmit the same sounds of a word from one language to another rather than putting the meaning into a different word of the other language. For example, both “house” and “home” have been transliterated into Japanese katakana. Both of them may be translated ie, but, in English, there is a different feeling related to these two words. “House” comes from a root meaning “to cover” and refers basically to a material building. “Home” comes from a root meaning to lie down or rest and refers to one’s dwelling place with a warmer, friendlier atmosphere than a mere “house.” “Home” has been called the place where one hangs one’s hat, but the comedian, Groucho Marx, referred to it as the place where one hangs one’s head. According to Edgar Guest’s poem, “it takes a heap o’ livin and some love to make a home.” Do you live in a “house” or a “home”? In Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke, chapter 15, the son finally realized that “home” was where his father was. And so it is with us. Our true spiritual home is to be with our heavenly Father.