My visit to the United States (84/08/26)
Those of you who have been listening regularly to these "Daily Word" messages may be able to recognize a change in my voice today. It may be that I sound a little older, for the messages of the past couple of months were actually taped some 3 years ago, but this is my present voice. Yesterday, my wife and I returned from a summer visit to the United States. We enjoyed visiting with my wife's 84 year old mother along with our children, brothers and sisters and other relatives and friends. I also was kept busy in various aspects of our church's work--lecturing, preaching, visiting, etc. We arrived back at our home in Nagoya some 27 hours after leaving our temporary residence for the San Francisco airport. Mechanical trouble in Anchorage and bad weather in Korea delayed our arrival in Seoul. Now that I'm back in Nagoya, I plan to continue to produce up-to-date messages in the days ahead and to again send out weekly copies of the messages beginning this weekend. As we look back over the past 2 1/2 months of travel, reunions and separations, we are reminded of the 130th Psalm that teaches that wherever we go, God is with us. We can never get away from his merciful presence even if we tried to do so. We are thankful for his protection and blessing. (1285)
The Los Angeles Olympics (84/08/27)
The word "television" is a hybrid word combining a Greek prefix meaning "far off" with the English form of a Latin word meaning "to see". Thus, by means of television we can see events from afar. During my 2 1/2 months in the U.S., there were 3 spectacular television programs. One, which was broadcast throughout the world, was of the summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles. Another was the convention of the Democratic Party held in San Francisco. The 3rd was the Republican Convention held in Dallas. Needless to say, the Olympics was the most interesting and exciting. The Democratic Convention, with some very impressive speeches, was also interesting and exciting and resulted in the nomination of a woman for vice-president. On the other hand, there was little excitement at the Republican Convention for its results were known before it began. Although the coverage of political conventions was more objective, that of the Olympics was obviously slanted in favor of American athletes and sports appealing to Americans. It is difficult to be completely objective in sports, politics and religion for the person who has his or her own preferences, but the Bible teaches that God has no favorites. He loves all people alike.(1286)
St. Augustine (84/08/28)
This 8th month of the year is called August in English. The word "august" refers to something which inspires awe and reverence. Augustus was a title chosen by the grandnephew of Julius Caesar who become the first emperor of Rome. The month of August was named in his honor. In the Roman Catholic Church calendar, this 28th day of August is the feast day of a man whose name is a diminutive of Augustus, a man who is an outstanding figure in Christian theology. His name is Augustine and he died on this day in the year 430. St. Augustine was born in north Africa. His pagan father wanted him to be educated and to enjoy life. His Christian mother wanted him to be educated and to live a life devoted to God. In time, both parents got their wishes, for Augustine did receive a good education, lived a very dissolute life and sampled many pagan philosophies until his conversion at the age of 33, when his mother's prayers were answered and he became one of the great thinkers of the Church. A couple of his meaningful sayings are the following: "What you are most always displease you, if you would attain to that which you are not" and "Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe".(1287)
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (84/08/29)
in American history, there are two outstanding men by the name of Oliver Mendell Holmes. The son was an outstanding justice on the Supreme Court for thirty years, from 1902 to 1932. His father was a medical doctor who held a professorship at Harvard for 35 years, but who is better known for his writings--both in prose and in poetry. One of his best-known poems, entitled "Old Ironsides", was written in 1830 to arouse public opinion against the plans to scrap the U. S. warship, Constitution, which had been nicknamed "Old Ironsides" because of the hard oakwood sides of its hull. The ship had been used in the War of 1812 and, as a result of Holmes' poem, was rebuilt and used again during the Civil War. It was rebuilt once again in 1925 and now is preserved as a national monument in Boston Harbor. Today is the birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., who was born on this day in 1809. He wrote these words: "The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving." If you would like to receive a typewritten copy of the "Daily Word" messages, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope plus 100 yen in stamps to: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office 463.(1288)
The Los Angeles Olympics (84/08/27)
St. Augustine (84/08/28)
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (84/08/29)
The Chunichi Dragons (84/08/30)
Malaysia (84/08/31)
My visit to the United States (84/08/26)