April (87/04/01)
This fourth month of the year is called April in English. The name probably comes from a Latin word meaning "to open" and is related to the opening of buds and flowers in this spring season. Another theory, however, is that it comes from the Latin form of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. In either case, this first day of April is known as April Fools' Day in Europe and America, but in Japan, April marks the beginning of a new school year, during which, hopefully, students will make progress in becoming less and less foolish and more and more learned. To understand Western culture and literature, it is important to have some understanding of the Bible and its teachings. On the first and third Tuesday evenings of the month, I teach a Bible Class which meets in the City Kyōikukan near Sakae beginning at 6:30. For the first hour, we study a Bible passage in Japanese and for the second hour, we consider the same passage in English. You are invited to attend if you are interested. Also beginning this month, I will begin a new series of English lectures on "The Parables of Jesus" at the YWCA near Sakae on the fourth Tuesday afternoons of the month beginning at 1:30. To get more information about this class, please contact the YWCA directly.
Dragon (87/04/02)
The English word "dragon" is a transliteration of the Greek word for that mythical creature. In the New Testament, this word appears only in the visions recorded in the last book of the Bible, Revelation. In the vision recorded in chapter 12, the great red dragon, representing the devil, has seven heads. In Japanese mythology, there is the tale of an eight-headed dragon, in whose tail the sacred sword, said to be enshrined in Atsuta Shrine, was found. Dragons are often found in the classic art of China and Japan. Many scholars think that this legendary beast of the Orient was derived from a snake or some other long, crawling animal. However, the earliest known Chinese representations of dragons appeared over 6,000 years ago in an area where snakes were rare and the dragons in these jade carvings appear quite different than snakes. A recent book by a young Chinese scholar suggests that the sacred dragon image was derived from the clouds rather than from any earthly animal for, in Chinese mythology, the dragon was variable in shape, could vanish, glow or darken at times and was associated with water and rain. Whatever the origin of the concept, it seems that the Chunichi variety of dragons are showing new life this year and we wish them well.
Amakudari (87/04/03)
Today, April 3rd, is the day of the annual festival at the Kashihara Shrine in Nara commemorating the death of Japan's first emperor, Jinmu. Jinmu is considered to be a descendant of Ninigi, the sun goddess' grandson, who descended from heaven to these Japanese islands. Since then, there are many other people in Japan who are said to have "descended from heaven". In fact, a report issued last week by the National Personnel Authority showed that, just last year, a total of 248 persons "descended from heaven", although nowadays amakudari has a different meaning. It is used to refer to public officials who, following retirement from their government jobs, take positions with private companies. By law, public officials must wait for two years after retirement before accepting re-employment in private companies which have dealings with the public organizations they served. In Japan, where personal connections are important, the connections of these retired public officials are often beneficial to the private companies they join. In Christian thought, amakudari reminds us of a central belief that the eternal Son of God became a human being in order to open the way for sinful people to enjoy eternal fellowship with God, their loving Father.
Bullish and bearish (87/04/04)
Although I know very little about stocks, I do know that "bull" and "bear" are terms used in relation to the stock market. In the lingo of those who play with stocks, a bull market or a bullish market refers to the situation when prices are rising, while a bear, or bearish, market is the opposite, referring to falling prices. So a "bull" is an investor who purchases stock in anticipation of a rise in its value and a "bear" buys in anticipation of a slump in the market. Of course, a bull is literally a male bovine animal and a bear is a wild animal with a long furry coat. It is unclear how these particular terms came to be used in this way, but one suggestion is that the former comes from the bull's habit of tossing its head upwards and the latter from an old axiom about "selling the skin before you've caught the bear". In Japanese, there is a similar proverb about estimating the value of an uncaught badger's skin: Toranu tanuki no kawa zanyo. Jesus' advice to those who were interested in a sure investment, found in Luke 12: 33-34 was, "Save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease . . . . For your heart will always be where your riches are."
Passover (87/04/05)
The bridge which extends over a highway or a railway may be called an overpass. So we may use an overpass to pass over the road. The proper noun, "Passover", however, has a particular meaning, which is very important to Jews in particular. Passover is a major Jewish festival commemorating the escape of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery under the leadership of Moses. The institution of this festival is recorded in the 12th chapter of the Old Testament book of Exodus, which is the text for my sermon today. The name for this feast comes from the promise of God that he would "pass over" the homes of the Israelites when he brought his judgment upon the homes of their Egyptian oppressors. At the heart of this traditional festival is the Passover meal which includes a roasted lamb, bitter herbs and bread made without yeast, all of which have a symbolic, spiritual meaning. It was this meal that Jesus ate with his disciples at the Last Supper and Christians find a deep meaning in the fact that Jesus was crucified during the Passover feast, for we consider him the Lamb of God whose life was sacrificed to free us from the bondage of sin. We commemorate this meaningful event in the Communion Service, which we observe in our church on the first Sunday of every month.
The North Pole (87/04/06)
Around the center of the earth runs the equator, which is an equal distance from the north and south poles. Horizontal lines on the globe running parallel to the equator indicate the latitude north or south of the equator in terms of degrees. Both north and south poles are at the 90' point on the globe. 78 years ago today, on April 6, 1909, a white man, a black man, and four Eskimo guides arrived at the North Pole after many days of exhausting travel. These men of three different races are considered to be the first human beings to have reached that spot, where the black man planted an American flag. Anthropologist From Boas has written, "If we were to select the most intelligent, imaginative, energetic and emotionally stable third of mankind, all races would be represented."
Daylight-saving time (87/04/07)
The word "day" may refer to quite different periods of time. It may refer to a particular historical era. The more usual meaning is the 24-hour period during which the earth completes one rotation on its axis. But it may also refer to the period of light between dawn and nightfall. In this meaning, the days are getting longer these days. In order to take advantage of the longer daylight hours, most residents of the United States turned their clocks an hour ahead this week when the country officially changed to daylight-saving time. However, Americans tend to be quite individualistic and non-conformist, so the state of Arizona and certain areas in the state of Indiana have elected not to change to daylight-saving-time. Thus, when people cross the state border into Arizona or go from one city to another in the state of Indiana, they must remember to change their watches to the local time of that area. Jesus had something to say about making use of the daylight in the Gospel of John, chapter 9, where he said, "While daylight lasts we must carry on the work of him who sent me; night comes when no man can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Jesus' disciples are also called "the light of the world" and must work faithfully during the daylight time given to them.
Hana-matsuri (87/04/08)
I was surprised to find so many different meanings of the Japanese word, hana, in my Japanese-English dictionary. Besides the usual meaning of flower or blossom in general and of cherry blossoms in particular, it may be translated into English as: essence, spirit, pride, youth, best days, a fair woman, a tip and Japanese playing cards. Thus, it is not surprising that there are various kinds of hana-matsuri in Japan. One kind of hana-matsuri is observed every year on this eighth day of April in honor of the man called Shaka, Shakamuni or Shakuson in Japanese. In English, we usually refer to this person as the "Buddha", meaning "enlightened or awakened one", but the historical figure is also called by his family name of Gautama or by his given name of Siddhartha. Neither the day nor the month nor the year of his birth is known for sure, but today is celebrated as his birthday in Japan, where the Chinese custom of pouring sweet tea over his image is followed. During this season of the year when people enjoy the transient beauty of cherry blossoms, I am reminded of the verse in Isaiah, chapter 40: "all mankind are like grass; they last no longer than . . . flowers. . . . grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever."
Marian Anderson (87/04/09)
Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia in 1902. As a child, she sang in a church choir, where the unusual quality of her voice attracted attention. Money raised by a church concert enabled her to take singing lessons. Later she studied in New York, Chicago and Europe and began her singing career in 1924. Her rich, contralto voice had a range of three octaves and in concert tours throughout the United States and Europe, she quickly won acclaim for her rendering of classic, operatic and popular songs, and especially for her Negro spirituals. She became the first Negro to sing with the Metropolitan Opera Company. Although recognized as an outstanding American singer, 48 years ago today, a patriotic organization, Daughters of the American Revolution, denied use of its auditorium in Washington for her concert because she was black, so she held an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Marian Anderson later wrote that racial prejudice sometimes is "like a hair across your cheek. You can't see it, you can't find it with your fingers, but you keep brushing at it because the feel of it is irritating." Unfortunate1y, there are still people suffering the effects of racial prejudice today, even in Japan.
Humane Day (87/04/10)
The word "human" refers to a human being, a person, in distinction from an animal. When an "e" is added to that word, it is pronounced "humane" and indicates a quality of kindness, mercy or compassion, whether shown to other humans or to animals. This tenth day of April has been designated Humane Day in the United States, commemorating the incorporation of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on this day in 1866, 22 years after the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had been founded in England. Both societies, known by their initials, S. P. C. A., provide care for homeless animals, assist farmers in caring for their livestock, cooperate with governments in enforcing game laws and seek to motivate the general public to become more compassionate in its treatment of animals. A basic element in one's character may be seen in the way that person treats animals. On the other hand, some people show more consideration to certain animals than they do to certain people. The German philosopher, Nietzsche called man "the cruelest animal" and the Bible teaches that there are things that people can learn from animals. According to Isaiah 1:3, cattle who know their master are wiser than people who don't know their Lord.
Like father, like son (87/04/11)
Japanese universities held entrance ceremonies this week. Parents are proud to have their children enter university, but the ceremony of Meijō University, here in Nagoya, had a unique feature. At that ceremony, not only was a father happy to have his son become a university student; the son was happy to have his father join him as a first-year student in the same School of Commerce. 53-year-old Tsuyoshi Tanase was not able to go to university after graduating from high school in Nagano 35 years ago. Last year, he left his job with the Japan National Railways and began a real estate business. He also decided to further his education by attending Meijō University if he passed the entrance examination for the evening school. Not only did he pass his examination, his 18-year-old son, Mitsugu, passed the regular examination for the daytime school. Thus, both father and son have become first-year students in the same department of the same university -- quite an unusual situation. Although they will be attending classes at different times, they may be able to help each other in their studies. In Japanese, there is a proverb, "The young of a frog is a frog", but an English proverb with a similar meaning is, "Like father, like son".
Palm Sunday (87/04/12)
Do you know what a frond is? Spelled f-r-o-n-d, a frond is the leaf of a fern or palm tree. In ancient days, in the lands where palm trees grow, the frond of a palm tree was considered a symbol of victory or success. Even today, to "carry off the palm" is a literary idiom meaning to "win the prize" or to "gain a victory". In the New Testament, there are two occasions where such fronds are mentioned. In John's vision, recorded in Revelation 7:9, there was a great crowd standing before the heavenly throne with palm branches in their hands, signifying victory. According to the Gospel of John, chapter 12, verse 13, a crowd of people met Jesus as he entered Jerusalem waving palm branches and shouting, "God bless the king of Israel." Today, the Sunday before Easter, when that event is remembered in Christian Churches, is called Palm Sunday, and Jesus' entry into the Jewish capital on that Sunday before his crucifixion is referred to as the Triumphal Entry. However, this king did not enter the holy city riding on a warlike horse, but on a peaceful donkey. To Christians, Jesus is the king of peace and the road to victory or triumph is the way of the cross, the way of self-sacrifice.
Chad (87/04/13)
Two of the countries on the African continent have names of only four letters. One of them is a landlocked country in central Africa. Do you know its name? About half of it lies in the great Sahara Desert and it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Since its independence from France in 1960, it has had many civil wars, for the animosity between the Arabs who live in the north and the blacks who inhabit the south has a long history. Muammar Kaddafi's troops from the neighboring country of Libya have also been fighting there. The name of the country is Chad and today is its national day, commemorating the overthrow of its first president, who had become a dictator, on April 13, 1975. Thomas Jefferson, who was born 244 years ago today, once wrote, "Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."
Ann Sullivan (87/04/14)
You have probably heard of Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf at the age of 19 months but who overcame these handicaps to graduate from one of America's outstanding colleges and become a world famous writer and lecturer. Of course, Miss Keller's natural ability and perseverance were required to bring about this result, but it would never have been possible without the sacrificial help and guidance of her dedicated teacher and friend, Anne Sullivan, who was born 121 years ago today. Miss Sullivan herself had weak eyes as a child and studied in a school for the blind, where she learned the manual alphabet used for communication with deaf-mutes. She became Helen's teacher when she was 21 years old and Helen was seven. For the next 49 years, until her death, Anne Sullivan was the teacher, companion, friend and interpreter for Helen Keller. After teaching her the manual alphabet by touch, she accompanied her to her college classes and repeated the lectures to Helen by touch. The inspiration that Helen Keller brought to the world is largely due to the devoted effort of her mentor. As Miss Keller once wrote, "When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."
McDonalds' hamburger (87/04/15)
In the 1940s, hamburger stands proliferated along streets and highways across the United States. Catering to people in cars who stopped for a bite to eat, waitresses took orders from cars and returned with them on trays that could be attached to a car door. 32 years ago today, in the suburban town of Des Plaines, northwest of Chicago and about 40 kilometers away from my hometown, a hamburger stand was opened. The owner of this new enterprise was Ray Kroc, whose motto was "Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value". Many such hamburger stands went out of business after a few years, but this one continued and expanded. Eventually it became a hamburger chain which spread around the world. Its name is McDonalds and you may have eaten one of its all-beef hamburgers. When I was a high school student, I often went to a hamburger stand with my friends. At that time, hamburgers were fried after the order was taken and we could order what we wanted with it, such as ketchup, mustard, a slice of onion or pickle relish. Some fellows would order a hamburger "with the works", which meant to include everything. The wise person is careful about his or her diet and will choose the kind of physical and spiritual food that provides healthy nourishment for both body and soul.
Jugon (87/04/16)
The Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture has acquired a new resident. It arrived in Nagoya aboard a chartered plane from the Philippines and was given VIP treatment. This rare sea mammal is a present from President Aquino, who promised to make such a gift when she visited this country last fall. The Japanese name for this creature is jugon, which is usually written in katakana these days instead of the older Chinese characters. In English, the proper name for it comes from the same Malayan word from which the Japanese word was derived. It is called a dugong, spelled d-u-g-o-n-g. However, it is also commonly called a sea cow or a sea pig. In the language of the Philippines, it is referred to as a "human-fish" or mermaid. In fact, this may be the very mammal from which legendary mermaid stories originated. A mermaid, of course, refers to a half-human, half-fish creature having a fish tail instead of legs. Tales of such creatures are found in the folklore of many lands, including Japan. It reminds me of the English expression, "neither fish nor fowl", which refers to a person or thing that is ambiguous and hard to categorize and may be used to describe the religious thought of some people who do not have a solid faith.
Crucifixion of Jesus (87/04/17)
The "crux" of an argument is its basic or central feature. The word "crucial" refers to something of critical or supreme importance. "Crucible" may mean a severe test or trial and "crusade" refers to a holy war or a vigorous movement for some special cause. All of these words come from the Latin word for "cross". Similarly, "crucify" means to put a person to death by nailing or binding him to a cross. Compared with other methods of capital punishment, crucifixion is the most cruel. The crucified one, unable to move his body and suffering from exposure to heat, cold and insects, slowly dies as the result of fatigue, hunger and thirst. It was such a death that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, experienced almost 2000 years ago. Today, the Friday before Easter, is the day Christians commemorate Jesus' crucifixion. It is called Good Friday, for Christians believe that Jesus' death on the cross had a crucial, good effect for the whole world. Jesus endured that crucible of suffering on our behalf. Indeed, the cross, at the crux of the Christian faith, is a symbol of the infinite love of God for all people. According to Colossians 1:20, God made peace through his Son's death on the cross and thus reconciled the whole world to himself.
Centenarian (87/04/18)
Do you know what a centenarian is? It is a person who has lived for over a century, which is a hundred years. Do you hope to reach that ripe old age? If you do, you might be interested in the research recently conducted by the institute of Gerontology in Tokyo. This study indicated that there were 1851 centenarians in Japan as of September last year in comparison to only 153 in 1963. Researchers visited 1260 of them in all parts of the country last year to study their lives, personalities and living surroundings and came to the following conclusions: three out of four centenarians are women; most centenarians have an outgoing, cooperative spirit; few are introverted, nervous or temperamental; they eat more meat, soybeans and other high-protein food than the average person; about 30 percent drank more than 180cc of milk daily and over 30 percent ate vegetables more than twice a day; but hereditary factors are also involved in human longevity. According to Psalm 91:16, long life is one of the blessings of God, but more important than the length of life is its content. Some people live a fuller, more satisfying life in 50 years than others do in a hundred.
Easter (87/04/19)
In Japan, as in most countries of the world, this first day of the week, is a holiday. Why is that so? It is because of the Christian belief that it was on the first day of the week that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Jesus' disciples, who were Jews, had always kept the seventh day of the week as the sabbath, but following Jesus' resurrection, they celebrated this extraordinary event on the first day of the week, which was called "the Lord's Day". However, the date of a yearly festival to commemorate the resurrection became a subject of controversy due to the desire both to keep the celebration in connection with the Jewish feast of Passover, which is held according to the lunar calendar, and to always celebrate it on a Sunday. Eventually the following formula to determine the annual date of Easter was developed: the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Thus, Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 22 to April 25. This year, today is Easter Sunday. Christians rejoice in the victory of Christ over sin and death and the assurance of eternal life which his resurrection implies. Through our faith in Christ, we not only face the future with hope, we experience the joy of new life today and everyday.
Eating habits (87/04/20)
To "sup" literally means to take a liquid, such as soup, into the mouth by sips, but it may also refer to eating the evening meal called supper. Dinner, from the word "dine" refers to the main meal of the day, which nowadays is usually eaten in the evening. Lunch is the light meal eaten at midday and breakfast is the first meal of the day when we "break our fast". A recent survey of high school students in the Tokyo area indicates that 31% of the boys and 17% of the girls "almost never" or "only occasionally" eat breakfast. Most of them take box lunches to school and only 18% eat in school cafeterias. Nine out of ten students eat snacks between meals. Eating habits are changing these days, but according to I Corinthians 3:19, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we should take good care of them.
Spain lost to the United States (87/04/21)
Spain was once one of the world's great colonial powers. Its explorers and settlers created an empire that included large areas of North, Central and South America, small colonies in Africa and the Far East and various islands around the world. However, within a comparatively short time, that empire was lost and it was the Spanish-American War that decisively brought it to an end. That war was fought over Cuba, which lies just off the American mainland. In April 1898, the United States had demanded that Spain grant independence to Cuba, so Spain declared war on the United States. In response, the U.S. replied that a state of war already existed and retroactively declared that the war had begun on April 21st, 89 years ago today. Whenever the war began, it lasted only a few months and some of the major battles were fought halfway around the world, in the Philippine islands. As a result of this war, Spain was without an empire and the United States was on the road to becoming a world power, with both Cuba and the Philippines under its control. I'm not sure this was good for the United States. Lewis Mumford has written that "War is both a product of an earlier corruption and a producer of new corruptions" and I think he was right.
Hawk (87/04/22)
A hawk is a bird of prey, having a short, hooked bill and strong claws. A person who favors a strong military force to carry out foreign policy may also be called a hawk, in contrast to the so-called doves who advocate a peaceful settlement of problems. The Japanese word for hawk is taka, but the English word for a large hawk, or ōtaka, is goshawk, from old English words meaning goose hawk. Due to deforestation, the withering of pine trees and illegal hunting, the goshawk is in danger of extinction in Japan so a branch of the Wild Birds Society plans to place small video cameras inside goshawks' nests to record how parent birds keep their eggs and raise the baby birds. Members of this society have been carefully observing the movements of these birds over the past six years. They have found that goshawks make their nests in red pine trees about 18 meters in height and that the young birds fly within 200-300 meters of their nests for about a month after they leave them. An owl is another bird of prey. Because of its large eyes, it has become a symbol of wisdom, so we may refer to a wise person as an owl. An American politician once said, "I am not very keen for doves or hawks. I think we need more owls."
Bachelor (87/04/23)
Misunderstandings between people of different nations may occur due to inaccurate translations or interpreting words in different ways. However, even when a common language is used, one word may have quite different meanings, so it is important to discern the meaning of the word in the mind of the speaker. For example, although I am a doctor, that doesn't mean I treat sick people; although I am a master, that doesn't mean I have slaves who do my bidding; and the fact that I am a bachelor does not mean I am unmarried. In these cases, the words refer to a person who holds certain scholastic degrees. If you hold a college degree, you also are a bachelor, even if you are a woman. In feudal days, a bachelor was a young knight in the service of another knight, but these days its most common meaning is an unmarried man. Of the 40 men who have been president of the United States, only one was a bachelor. Born 196 years ago today and preceding Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, his name was James Buchanan. During his administration, his niece served as the White House hostess. In Matthew, chapter 19, when asked if it were better not to marry, Jesus replied that it depends on the person and the motivation. All people cannot be forced into the same mold because all are different.
Library of Congress (87/04/24)
The word "library" comes from the Latin word for book. A library is a place where books and periodicals are kept for reading or reference. One of my favorite college professors used to tell his classes that the next best thing to knowing some information is knowing where to find it. Libraries are places where all kinds of information may be found. As you may surmise, I have a small library in my study, including various kinds of reference books, which I constantly use in preparing these daily messages. 187 years ago today, on April 24, 1800, the United States Congress established a library by approving an act providing "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress . . . and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them." Although originally intended specifically as a parliamentary collection to aid the legislative branch of the government, the Library of Congress has expanded its services and has become the national library of the United States and one of the largest libraries, if not the largest library, in the world, containing over 75 million items. The English word, "bible", comes from the Greek word, biblia, meaning "books" and the Bible is a collection of many books that are valuable reference materials. It is a kind of library in itself and well worth becoming acquainted with.
Juku (87/04/25)
Recently the Tōkai Bank conducted a survey of 4000 mothers in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka with children between the ages of four and 18. The results indicate that over 34% of all children from kindergarten to senior high school attend juku, or cram schools, and almost 709 of junior high school students do so. The number attending juku is nearly 20% higher than it was five years ago. The average monthly tuition of ¥14,000 is 30% more than in 1982. Regarding the reason why children attend the after-hours schools, 55% of the mothers of senior high school students replied that their children went because they wanted to. But 36% of the mothers of primary school pupils and 43% of those of junior high school students said their children went because their scholastic ability was inadequate. To meet the demand for such tutoring, new, improved textbooks are continually being published. An ancient philosopher once wrote, in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes 12:12, "There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out." Unfortunately, there are many people these days who have much knowledge but little wisdom and moral perception. Such qualities must be nurtured at home.
God does not have favorites (87/04/26)
Of the 27 books in the New Testament, the first four, called Gospels, consist of stories related to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The fifth, called The Acts of the Apostles, includes stories related to the early years of the Christian Church which arose after Christ's death and resurrection. These first five books make up over half of the New Testament. Following them are 22 letters written to various churches or individuals and a final book of heavenly visions. My sermon today, from the 10th chapter of Acts, concerns the Apostle Peter's visit to the home of Cornelius, a Roman soldier. It was the first time Peter had ever entered the home of a Gentile, for Jews considered Gentiles to be ritually unclean. This story indicates how the prejudice of the early Jewish Christians began to break down as the meaning of Jesus' teachings was more fully understood. In his sermon to those gathered in the home of Cornelius, Peter confessed his new realization that God treats everyone on the same basis, regardless of race or religion. Unfortunately, even today there are people who think that God has favorites, but the Christian message is that God loves all people--including you!
Republic of Togo (87/04/27)
It is sometimes quite difficult to determine the correct pronunciation of English words from their spelling. As you know, "u" is one of the letters of the English alphabet. One word with that pronunciation, spelled y-o-u refers to a person, but another word with the same pronunciation, spelled e-w-e, refers to a female sheep. Another word, spelled e-w-e, is pronounced āwā and refers to the largest tribe in a West African country. The name of that country is similar to that of a town just east of Nagoya. It is the Republic of Togo, which is celebrating its 27th independence day today. In Japanese, tōgō can mean to integrate, unify, or bring together. Many African nations, with their various tribes, have not yet achieved that aim. We also should be working to that end since all people are living together in this global village called earth.
Renju spreading abroad (87/04/28)
Do you enjoy eating so-called "five-eyed-rice"? I wonder what the "five eyes" stand for in gomoku meshi? They seem to refer to a variety of things. Gomoku-narabe, on the other hand, is quite clear in its meaning, for this is a game played on a square board that has 361 "eyes" on it. In this case, "eyes" refer to the intersections of the 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines on the board. When playing gomoku narabe, the aim is to place five stones in a row on five consecutive "eyes" while one's opponent is trying to do the same and to keep you from doing so. The Japanese game of go was introduced from China in the 8th century but continues to be popular among many Japanese today. There is now a variation of gomoku-narabe, called renju, which is played on a smaller board having only 15 lines instead of 19. The rules have also been changed to give the first player, who plays with the black stones, less of an advantage. Renju has now spread to other countries and last year there were two international tournaments held in Sweden and the U. S. S. R. According to II Timothy 2:5, one cannot "win the prize unless he obeys the rules." This is true of all games, including the game of life.
Dragon (87/04/02)
Amakudari (87/04/03)
Bullish and bearish (87/04/04)
Passover (87/04/05)
The North Pole (87/04/06)
Daylight-saving time (87/04/07)
Hana-matsuri (87/04/08)
Marian Anderson (87/04/09)
Humane Day (87/04/10)
Like father, like son (87/04/11)
Palm Sunday (87/04/12)
Chad (87/04/13)
Ann Sullivan (87/04/14)
McDonalds' hamburger (87/04/15)
Jugon (87/04/16)
Crucifixion of Jesus (87/04/17)
Centenarian (87/04/18)
Easter (87/04/19)
Eating habits (87/04/20)
Spain lost to the United States (87/04/21)
Hawk (87/04/22)
Bachelor (87/04/23)
Library of Congress (87/04/24)
Juku (87/04/25)
God does not have favorites (87/04/26)
Republic of Togo (87/04/27)
Renju spreading abroad (87/04/28)
William Randolph Hearst (87/04/29)
Horses (87/04/30)
April (87/04/01)