Haggai (91/09/01)
In the year 586 B.C., the magnificent Jewish temple built by King Solomon was destroyed and residents of Judea were taken captive to Babylon. Fifty years later when the captives returned to Jerusalem, they rebuilt their homes but neglected to rebuild the temple. A prophet, Haggai, scolded them for thinking only of their physical or material wellbeing and not showing concern for their spiritual health. He stated that they could not find satisfaction or happiness only in a physically comfortable life and urged them to rebuild the temple of God. After the temple was rebuilt on a much smaller scale he recognized that those who remembered the splendor of the earlier edifice were disappointed. But, speaking for God, he said: "don't be discouraged...for I am with you. When you came out of Egypt, I promised that I would always be with you. I am still with you, so do not be afraid." [Haggi 2:4-5] The temple was a symbol of God's presence with his people. It is a great comfort to be assured that the almighty, eternal God is with us. If he is now with us, all of the comforts of material affluence will not bring inner peace and satisfaction, but if we have the confidence that God is with us, we can find happiness in all circumstances. --Clark Offner (3687)
Labor Day (91/09/02)
This first Monday of September is known as Labor Day in the United States. It is a day when not only laborers but most other people as well take a day off to honor laboring men and women and to recognize their contributions to the national wellbeing. There are two well-known sayings related to labor or work in the New Testament. One is a saying of Jesus, found in Luke 10:7: "the laborer is worthy of his hire", which means, "the laborer deserves his wages". This one is emphasized by the laborers themselves. The other, a saying of Paul in II Thessalonians 3:10, is an admonition to be used for lazy people who refuse to work: "if any would not work, neither should he eat", hatarakazaru-mono wa kuu bekarazu. Both of these sayings are important principles of modern, enlightened economic thought. --Clark Offner (3688)
Santa Fe Fiesta (91/09/03)
Place names in the United States are derived from various languages. The names of six states and over 2000 cities and towns come from Spanish. One such city, the capital of the state of New Mexico, holds a traditional commemorative festival for a number of days at this time of year. This city, founded in 1610, was named by the Spanish governor La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Assissi--the Royal City of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assissi. Of course, such a name was too long for common use, so it was soon shortened to Santa Fe, meaning "Holy Faith". Although Santa Fe is the capital of the state, it is not the largest city. In respect to population, it is the second city, with some 53,000 inhabitants, 1/7 the population of the largest city of Albuquerque. A highlight of the Santa Fe Fiesta is the burning of a 12-meter effigy on a hillside overlooking a park. This monster image made of paper and muslin on meshed wire with a telephone pole backbone is called Old Man Gloom. Setting it afire symbolized the banishment of cares and the ushering in of merriment. It would be good if troubles could be eliminated so easily, but external rituals are not the way to get rid of problems rooted in hearts and minds. --Clark Offner (3689)
Bankruptcy (91/09/04)
The so-called bursting bubble of the Japanese economy has resulted in an increasing number of bankruptcies. Reading an article about this problem, I wondered about the origin of the word "bankrupt", denoting a person or company that does not have enough money to pay outstanding debts, which is to say, the person or company is legally insolvent. Since the word "rupture" means to break open or burst, my first thought was that when financial resources are completely depleted, one's bank bursts or ruptures, resulting in bankruptcy. I find, however, that there is a more interesting theory. In medieval Italy, money lenders conducted their business from temporary benches or shelves, called 'bancas', on which they displayed their money. When they had used up all their money, these 'bancas' were broken up and carried home. When these financiers no longer had money to carry on their business, they were called, after their dismantled benches, 'bancarotte,' literally "broken benches". It is said that the English word, "bankrupt" is derived from this Italian expression. Financial bankruptcy is a calamity to be sure, but a greater tragedy is the moral bankruptcy which is evident in business and political manipulations these days. --Clark Offner (3690)
Men's Brains (91/09/05)
I am thankful for listeners to or readers of these daily messages who take the time and make the effort to inform me of typographical, grammatical or factual errors they find in them. Happily, there are not many, but every so often such errors do appear, for which I apologize. Since reading a recent news item, I have a new excuse to offer for my mistakes. They may be due to my shrinking corpus callosum. If you don't know what a corpus callosum is, don't feel bad. Most educated Americans don't know either. Actually, it is a wide band of white matter, containing about 300 million nerves, that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. A Canadian psychiatrist recently reported that her autopsies of brains revealed that men aged 61 to 70 had a corpus callosum that was 20 percent smaller than that of men aged 25 to 50, while those of women remained virtually unchanged with age. Thus, along with losing teeth and hair, men my age may be losing part of their brain tissue as well. The psychiatrist added, however, that it was not known whether the changes in the size of men's brains mean that they work less effectively. I am thankful I still have all my teeth and a full head of hair, but I sometimes have doubts about the state of the gray matter or "white matter" above the teeth and underneath the hair. --Clark Offner (3691)
Lafayette (91/09/06)
At least fourteen American states have cities, towns or counties named Lafayette, besides a mountain in New Hampshire and a park in Washington, D.C. Statues honoring the Marquis de Lafayette, are found in many other places as well. When this man was born, 234 years ago today, on September 6, 1757, he was named Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier. When he was two years old, his father was killed in battle. Upon the death of his mother, when he was 13, he became the inheritor of a large fortune and, following in his father's footsteps, entered military service the next year. Learning of the American revolt against Great Britain, with youthful enthusiasm, he resigned from the French army and determined to join the Americans in their struggle. Overcoming various obstacles placed in his way by the officially neutral French government, he was welcomed by the American Congress and, at the age of twenty, was given the rank of major-general in the revolutionary army. Lafayette not only served in a military capacity but exerted his influence to gain French support. He distinguished himself in the final, decisive battle against British forces at Yorktown, winning a lasting place in the hearts of Americans and in American history. After his return to France, he was active in the French Revolution and created the modern French flag with its three vertical bars of blue, white and red.---Clark Offner (3692)
Newspaper Delivery (91/09/07)
Half a century ago when I was an eighth-grader in elementary school, I became a newspaper delivery boy. Unlike Japan, which has a few nationwide newspapers, in the United States there is a variety of local or regional newspapers which have morning or evening editions but not both. In my hometown, some people received a morning newspaper, but most people subscribed to one of the afternoon newspapers which I delivered. Every afternoon after school, I went to the newspaper shop to receive over a hundred newspapers, including three or four different kinds, to be delivered in a certain section of town. At the shop, I first rolled up or folded the newspapers individually in a particular way and put them into the huge bag which I hung around my neck. While riding my bicycle, I usually threw the newspapers onto the front porches, steps or lawns of the subscribers rather than dismounting and politely putting them into mailboxes as is done in Japan. Only on rainy or snowy days did I have to make sure the papers were protected from the weather. On Saturday mornings, I made the rounds to collect the money for the papers delivered that week and I received a certain amount for each paper delivered. Fortunately, these newspapers did not have Sunday editions so I was able to rest on that day of rest and worship. --Clark Offner (3693)
Jubilee (91/09/08)
The English word, "jubilee," denotes a time of joyful celebration. It is often used for a special anniversary celebration and for a fiftieth anniversary in particular. This word comes from the Bible. In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 25, regulations are given regarding the year of jubilee, which was to be celebrated every fifty years. The word is rooted in the Hebrew word, 'yobel,' signifying the ram's horn which was blown to mark the festive occasion and, in the Japanese Bible, the jubilee year is translated, 'yoberu no toshi.' In that year, all land which had been purchased during the preceding 49 years was to revert to its original owners and all slaves were to be freed. In this way, people were reminded that land actually belonged to God and present land-owners to continually expand their holdings at the expense of a permanent class of the landless poor. Every fifty years, poverty-stricken families who had had to sell their land received it back and were able to start over again and those who had been sold into slavery were given their freedom. These regulations may never have been faithfully followed, but they contain principles which should be remembered by conscientious people of all time. -- Clark Offner
Kokoro no Kagami (91/09/09)
Both mirrors and windows are made of glass. A mirror is a piece of glass coated with silver so that it reflects the images of objects placed in front of it. One cannot see through a mirror. One sees only the reflection of one's own face. A window, on the other hand, is a clear piece of glass through which one sees objects on the other side. The Chinese sage, Mencius, wrote that "Eyes are the mirror of the soul," 'me wa kokoro no kagami', and this has become a well-known saying in Japanese. In English, the more common saying is, "The eye is the window of the heart", but, in either case, the meaning is the same: the intent or character of the heart is evident in the eyes. Thomas Adams, a 17th century English clergyman wrote, "The eye is the pulse of the soul; as physicians judge the heart by the pulse, so we by the eye." What do people see in your eyes? --Clark Offner (3695)
Colors (91/09/10)
Studies show that colors stimulate varying responses in viewers. For example, red is an exciting, passionate color which causes an increase both in the heartbeat and in perspiration. Tina Sutton, an American color designer, has noted that "There's a feeling of motion with red, even if someone is standing still." Hot pink is considered a frivolous color, but soft pink is seen as light and sweet. Ms. Sutton advises a manager who has to fire an employee to wear a pink shirt, which is seen as compassionate and can soften a bad situation. Black is considered serious and authoritative. When a vacuum-cleaner company once offered the same new model in both pink and black, customers said that they believed the pink model weighed less. Orange is seen as vital and fun-loving. Peach and apricot colors are termed fresh, warm and inviting. Blue is deemed trustworthy and dependable. And, of course, white is the symbol of purity and green denotes life and growth. Our concept of beauty is related not only to form but to color as well. Living in a world full of an infinite variety of colors, we should thank God for beautiful colors and for the marvelous eyes we have which are able to distinguish between and appreciate colors. --Clark Offner (3696)
Navaho Fair (91/09/11)
Centuries ago, when European explorers, adventurers and settlers invaded the North American continent, the land was inhabited by native peoples who the Europeans mistakenly called Indians. Many different tribes of these Native Americans were scattered throughout the land. The largest tribe was the Navahos, which occupied a region in the southwestern part of the continent. This tribe, which had assimilated other tribes, includes more than fifty separate clans. The Navajo Nation is now settled on an Indian Reservation, extending over parts of northeast Arizona, northwest New Mexico and southeast Utah which is a little larger than the state of West Virginia. During this second week of September, a giant Navaho Fair is held at Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the Navaho Nation. This place gets its name from a large natural rock formation in the shape of a window. At this fair, native songs are sung, tribal ceremonies are performed and traditional food is on sale along with handwoven rugs and blankets and the silver jewelry for which Navahos are famous. In the Navaho Tribal Museum, clothing, arts and crafts and other facets of culture that predate written history are on exhibit. The unjust treatment of Native Americans by European invaders is a sad fact of American history that, unfortunately, continues today. --Clark Offner (3697)
Cleopatra's Needle (91/09/12)
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided stone pillar with a pyramid-shaped top. The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. is in the shape of a huge obelisk. In ancient Egypt, obelisks, made from single stones of red granite and dedicated to the sun god, were erected in pairs on the sides of gateways to temples, similar to the stone lanterns found in Shinto shrines in Japan. Names and titles of Egyptian kings, or pharaohs, were engraved on the sides of the obelisks. Some of these ancient pillars have been removed from their original temple sites. One, dating from about 1475 B.C., was carried from Heliopolis to Alexandria by a Roman emperor around 14 B.C. Over 1800 years later, this 21-meter-high obelisk was presented to England by Egypt's ruler at that time and 113 years ago today, on September 12,1878, it was erected on the bank of the Thames, the river that flows through London. It is called Cleopatra's Needle, after the ambitious Egyptian queen whose romantic adventures influenced world history. When Jesus spoke of a camel going through the eye of a needle, in Mark 10:25, he was not speaking of that kind of "needle". --Clark Offner (3698)
Coups, Coos (91/09/13)
The English word "coo," spelled c-o-o, denotes the sound made by pigeons or doves. If a "p" is added, the word is changed to "coop" and signifies an enclosure for poultry or small animals. Another word, spelled c-o-u-p, is also pronounced koo, but this word, which comes from French, means a stroke. There are a number of French expressions beginning with this word which have entered English, the best-known of which is coup d'etat, literally meaning a "stroke of state." It denotes a sudden overthrow of a government by a group of persons in authority in deliberate violation of constitutional forms. Last month a coup d'etat occurred in the Soviet Union. Fortunately for the citizens of that country and of the rest of the world, the coup ended in defeat. Another kind of coup is a coup de grace, which is literally a "stroke of grace." This word denotes a death blow or finishing stroke delivered to end the misery of someone mortally wounded. In medieval times, it was common to torture condemned prisoners before they died, so the final blow that caused their deaths was considered a "stroke of grace." In Japanese tradition, it was the function of a "kaishakunin" to deliver such a stroke to the man who had committed "harakiri." In contrast with such coups, the coos that issue from pigeon coops are a welcome sound. --- Clark Offner (3699)
Telegram Delivery (91/09/14)
In this day of instant voice and written communication using telephones and electronic devices, telegrams are becoming obsolete. In my youth, however, they were an important means of rapid communication and, during my high school days, I also worked as a telegram delivery boy. The telegraph office in my hometown was located in the town hotel. Telegrams transmitted by a telegraph operator in a nearby city issued from the teleprinter in the hotel in the form of a long, thin paper tape. While the message was still being printed, the hotel clerk called my home and informed me. I immediately went to the hotel on my bicycle while he cut the tape into appropriate lengths, pasted it onto a telegram form and inserted it into an envelope. In order to deliver the telegram, I had to know addresses and locations of homes throughout the area. If the destination was nearby, it took only a few minutes, but if it was far away and the weather was bad, it was not a pleasant job. Regardless of the location and the weather, the payment I received for each telegram was the same, so I was happy when there were a number of telegrams to deliver at the same time in a convenient neighborhood on a nice day. Fortunately, this was before the days of so-called "singing telegrams." -- Clark Offner (3700)
A Roaring Lion (91/09/15)
One meaning of the Japanese word 'shishi' is an imaginary animal associated with traditional dances to drive away evil influences or with guardians of shrines to keep out demons. But the same word is used to indicate a real animal, a lion. The Bible includes many references to lions, which were often seen in Palestine in ancient days, but the "roaring lion" mentioned in I Peter 5:8, does not symbolize the power to ward off evil but the evil power itself. There it is written that "the Devil roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." The Bible teaches that even as there is a good influence in the world coming from God, thee is also an evil influence that comes from God's enemy, the Devil. The hearts of people may be considered a kind of battleground between these two forces and one of the greatest gifts given to human beings is free will. We are able to choose which influence to follow. But we must remember that devilish influence is not always so obvious as a roaring lion. It may be very quiet and subtle or even disguised as "an angel of light" [II Corinthians 11:14]. Therefore, we are urged to constantly be alert and be firm in our faith to resist such influence and choose to follow the right path which leads to eternal glory. -- Clark Offner (3701)
Uji Yori Sodachi (91/09/16)
In Japanese, one kind of 'uji' is a worm or maggot. Some of these 'uji' may be found in or on trees. But another kind of 'uji' is related to the family tree, or lineage, of an individual. Some people judge others on the basis of their lineage but, in fact, some respected family trees may include worms, so the Japanese proverb, 'uji yori sodachi', breeding rather than birth, is important to remember. In English, we have the saying that "birth is much but breeding is more". The education and training received during one's formative years is of crucial importance in developing a person's character, as seen in another English saying that "nurture surpasses nature". Jesus taught that neither birth nor breeding will enable a person to enter the kingdom of God. Rather, in John 3:3, he indicated that a complete change is required, which he called a "new birth" or being "born again". -- Clark Offner (3702)
Meeting of Listeners (91/09/17)
Today is Tuesday, September 17th. Since September began on a Sunday this year, it includes five Sundays. Do you know what that means? It means that we will hold a meeting of listeners to or readers of these "Daily Word" telephone messages on the fifth Sunday, September 29th, at 1:30 p.m. at the Nagoya City Kyōikukan at Sakae. You are invited to attend this meeting. This is the typhoon season in Japan. On September 21, 1934, the Muroto Typhoon resulted in the loss of 2702 lives in Western Japan. On September 26, 1954, 1151 passengers and crew members of the Tōya Maru were drowned when the ferry sank in the Tsugaru Straits during a typhoon. On the same day, five years later, over 5000 people lost their lives as a result of the Ise-wan Typhoon which hit this Nagoya area. Personal memories or general thoughts related to typhoons will be the theme for the meeting, at which the 35th issue of "Daily Word" Echoes will be on sale. If you wish to receive written copies of these telephone messages before they are spoken, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope plus ¥60 in stamps for each week of messages desired to: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3703)
Cartography (91/09/18)
In Japanese, playing cards are called karuta, which is rooted in the Latin word for card, or chart. There are various kinds of cards, including the Alien Registration Cards which foreigner in Japan are required to carry with them at all times. There are also various kinds of charts, including those representing an area of the earth. Such charts are called maps and cartography is the art of making maps. Cartographers have many headaches these days as they try to keep abreast of the rapid changes taking place in the world. One problem is that the names of countries sometimes change, but even if the name remains the same, the spelling may change to conform to a different spelling system or to more closely approximate the preferred pronunciation. Borders between countries also change as the result of war or negotiations. A cartographer who prints a map of Yugoslavia or the U.S.S.R. these days must realize it may be out-of-date as soon as it is printed. Even the borders of Japan, or Nippon, may change within a few years, if not months. Amidst the many changes now occurring as well as those that are "in the cards", faith is a divine Governor, or Controller, as expressed in the latter part of the 40th chapter of Isaiah can bring peace of mind even to map makers. --Clark Offner (3704)
Mickey Mouse (91/09/19)
What do you think is the most famous cartoon character throughout the world? I presume it is Mickey Mouse. I'm sure you are acquainted with this cute figure that doesn't look much like a real mouse. How long do you think Mickey Mouse has been around? Mickey's creator, Walt Disney, began making his animated cartoon movies in 1928 and 63 years ago today, on September 19 of that year, the first cartoon talking picture was shown in New York. It was a Disney film, called 'Steamboat Willie', and it featured Mickey Mouse. Since that time, Mickey Mouse has been featured in many other ways, achieving a fame that exceeds that of most famous human beings in this century. His name has also become a slang term for something inferior or second rate, so to say that a person has mickey mouse ideas is not a compliment. The expression, "Mickey Mouse rules", is used for traditional, petty, outmoded regulations, which some authorities insist on keeping. This term is said to have its roots in the Military Indoctrination Company, or M.I.C., to which awkward recruits were assigned for special training in military rules in the U.S. Navy in former days. When the Navy dispensed with many traditional regulations, such as crew cuts, in the early 1970s, it was said to have abolished its "Mickey Mouse rules". --- Clark Offner (3705)
Recycling Auto Parts (91/09/20)
The English word "cycle" comes from the Greek word for "circle." Cycle is sometimes used for such vehicles with circular wheels as bicycles and motorcycles. It may also denote a repeated sequence of events. Nowadays, the term "recycle" has become popular. It means to put through a cycle again. In particular, it is used for extracting useful parts from discarded materials to be reused. As a means of cutting down on waste and protecting the environment, we should recycle as many things as possible instead of wastefully throwing them away. The Transport Ministry has announced a new program to promote the recycling of parts and materials from abandoned cars. The Ministry estimates that between 20,000 and 30,000 cars across the country are illegally left on streets. One reason cars are simply abandoned is that junkyards no longer pay for old cars. Now they charge a fee for disposal services, so some selfish owners abandon their cars on the streets without thinking of the inconvenience caused others. It is hoped that if more auto parts can be recycled, scrap dealers will once again pay for old cars and fewer will be abandoned. It is too bad when morality needs to be encouraged by monetary benefit. -- Clark Offner (3706)
Delivering Receipts (91/09/21)
As noted in previous Saturday messages, during my youth, I was a deliver boy. Not only did I deliver newspapers and telegrams, I also delivered material sent out by my church. A church-related periodical was distributed regularly to all the homes in my hometown and I was responsible for its delivery in a certain area. A more important task was delivering receipts for monetary offerings made to the church. It was customary for church members to make regular financial gifts to the church, separately from the anonymous offerings made during regular church services. Such gifts were acknowledged by written receipts. Instead of sending such receipts through the mail, they were delivered by a special delivery boy. Every two weeks, I went to the church office to receive between fifty and a hundred receipts from the church treasurer. Through the window of each envelope the name and address of the donor was visible. At home, I sorted the receipts according to the address as I plotted the course I would take to deliver them. Since they were scattered throughout the town, I regularly rode my bicycle around the entire community while delivering them. Fortunately, the town was laid out in a very rational way, on the order of Kyoto rather than of Tokyo, so finding addresses was usually not a problem. -- Clark Offner (3707)
Why Do Dishonest Men Succeed? (91/09/22)
One of the major Old Testament prophets was named Jeremiah. Many of his prophecies predict the coming judgment of God upon the disobedient people of Judah. The Lamentations of Jeremiah are poetic elegies on the capture and destruction of Jerusalem and it is from his name that the English word "jeremiad" was coined to denote a lamentation or tale of woe. The book of Jeremiah contains not only public addresses. It includes a number of personal dialogues between Jeremiah and God, such as that at the beginning of chapter 12: "Lord, if I argued my case with you, you would prove to be right. Yet I must question you about matters of justice. Why are wicked men so prosperous? Why do dishonest men succeed?" The issue raised here is very contemporary in the light of current events in business and politics. If a just God is in control of human affairs, why are dishonest people so prosperous? This question naturally arises in the minds of honest, thinking people. Jeremiah did not receive a clear, satisfactory answer to his query and we also cannot make logical sense of the mysterious ways of God. Yet there is something we can learn from all events and believers in the biblical God will work diligently for justice in the world while leaving the final judgment to God. -- Clark Offner (3708)
Atsusa Samusa mo Higan made (91/09/23)
This 23rd day of September is called the autumnal equinox in English. "Equinox" comes from a Latin term for "equal night". On the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, day and night are of equal length. In the west, today is considered the first day of autumn. This is also the middle of the 'higan' season in Japan, when ancestral spirits are said to return home. There is a Japanese saying that heat and cold last until this season, 'atsusa samusa mo higan made'. In English, there is also a saying that associates a religious festival with the weather. It is said that "St. Bartholomew brings cold dew". The feast day of St. Bartholomew, who was one of Jesus' twelve apostles, is on August 24th and it is from about that time that the morning dew begins to feel cold in the area where that saying originated. As the weather gets cooler, please take good care of yourself. --Clark Offner (3709)
Metric System (91/09/24)
The most common system of measurement in the world today is the metric system. When this system was first introduced by French scientists over two hundred years ago, the length of the basic unit, called a "meter" from the Greek word meaning measure, was meant to be equal to 1/10,000,000 of the distance measured on the earth's surface from the equator to the pole. Accurate computation of such a long distance, however, is doubtful, so representatives from thirty countries met in Paris on September 24, 1872, 119 years ago today, and determined that the standard for the meter would be the length of a particular platinum bar kept in Paris. The unit of surface in the metric system is the are, which is a hundred square meters. The unit of volume is the liter, the cube of 1/10 of a meter. And a gram, the unit of weight, is theoretically the weight of distilled water that would fill a cubical vessel with edges of 1/100 meter. The Greek word, 'metron' is used in Matthew 7:2, where Jesus taught that the measure we deal out to others will be dealt back to us. This coming Sunday afternoon at 1:30, we will hold another meeting of "Daily Word" listeners and readers at the Nagoya City Kyōikukan at Sakae. The theme for the meeting is: Typhoons. You are invited to attend. --Clark Offner (3710)
"Discoverer of the Pacific Ocean" (91/09/25)
The designation of this part of the globe as the "Far East" is an indication of a European-centered view of the world. This same world view is evident in many history books which record that the Spanish conquistador, Vasco Balboa, was the "discoverer of the Pacific Ocean". A discoverer is a person who is the first to find, learn of, or observe something. Four-hundred-seventy-eight years ago today, on September 25, 1513, accompanied by a group of Indians, Balboa trekked across the Isthmus of Panama and saw that huge body of water now called the Pacific Ocean. With typical imperialistic flourish, he claimed the ocean and all shores washed by it for Spain. Obviously, Balboa was not the first person to see that ocean. Countless numbers of people, including Japanese, knew of its existence long before, but as the first European known to have seen it, he is considered its discoverer. It is natural for people to view the world and historical events with themselves and their nations at the center, but an accurate, universal perspective can only be realized from the heavenly throne of God. You are invited to the "Daily Word" Listeners Meeting on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Kyōikukan at Sakae. --Clark Offner (3711)
Yemen (91/09/26)
Today is a national holiday in the Yemen Arab Republic, commemorating the revolt of army officers 29 years ago, on September 26, 1962, following which the republic was established. Yemen is located on the southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, across the Red Sea from Ethiopia. The area of this Islamic country is about 85 percent that of the Japanese island of Honshu, which means there is plenty of room for its 6 1/2 million citizens. In preparing today's message, I was surprised to find that the name "Yemen" in Arabic means "of the right hand", which is related to the Hebrew name, Benjamin, meaning "son of the right hand". Benjamin was the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons in the Bible. Benjamin was also the name of uncle and is my own middle name. This 26th day of September is also the date of two disastrous typhoons, both numbered 15, that struck Japan in 1954 and 1959 so "Typhoons" is the theme for the "Daily Word" Listeners Meeting which will be held on Sunday afternoon at the Nagoya City Kyōikukan at 1:30. My wife will again serve some homemade refreshments and the current issue (#35) of "Daily Word" Echoes will be on sale. We would be happy to meet you there. --Clark Offner (3712)
Stephen O (91/09/27)
Computers are very convenient, but they also may be the cause of frustration. Stephen O, a 23-year-old casualty underwriter for a Washington insurance company, came to the United States from South Korea when he was seven years old. When former Yomiuri Giants baseball star, Sadaharu Oh, wrote his name in English, he used two letters, "O-h," but Stephen uses only the single letter "O." As a result, credit card companies have refused to issue him cards because their computers cannot recognize a surname with a single letter. His automobile finance company lists him as "S. O. Stephen" and on the computer of the Division of Motor Vehicles, his name is entered as "OO" complaining, "I can't believe computer systems aren't sophisticated enough to pick up one letter," Mr. O finally admitted defeat and recently paid the $20 court fee to legally change his name from O to Oh. His experience clearly demonstrates the superiority of common human beings to very sophisticated machines. You are invited to attend the "Daily Word" Listeners Meeting on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the Nagoya City Kyōikukan at Sakae. Following that meeting, I will preach at the English-language worship service of the Nagoya Union church and you are invited to that service also. -- Clark Offner (3713)
Delivering Groceries (91/09/28)
I obtained my first drivers license while I was a high school student. The only training I received before taking the examination was from my father who gave me good instruction. After getting that license, I got a part-time job as a delivery boy for an express company that was starting a home delivery service for customers of grocery stores in my hometown. In those days, automobiles were not so prevalent as today. Many people walked from their homes to the stores in the downtown area. When they bought many groceries, it was troublesome to carry the large bags or boxes back home. Customers who desired the delivery service wrote their names and addresses on a slip of paper that was kept with their groceries at the store. Using a small pickup truck, I made regular rounds of the grocery stores and loaded the boxes and bags onto the truck. I arranged them in a certain order, considering the route I would take, so that the groceries of the first houses visited would be conveniently placed at the back of the truck. At that time, I enjoyed delivering groceries by truck more than delivering newspapers, telegrams and other things by bicycle, but these days, I prefer riding my bicycle to nearby places to driving a car or taking public transportation. -- Clark Offner (3714)
Labor Day (91/09/02)
Santa Fe Fiesta (91/09/03)
Bankruptcy (91/09/04)
Men's Brains (91/09/05)
Lafayette (91/09/06)
Newspaper Delivery (91/09/07)
Jubilee (91/09/08)
Kokoro no Kagami (91/09/09)
Colors (91/09/10)
Navaho Fair (91/09/11)
Cleopatra's Needle (91/09/12)
Coups, Coos (91/09/13)
Telegram Delivery (91/09/14)
A Roaring Lion (91/09/15)
Uji Yori Sodachi (91/09/16)
Meeting of Listeners (91/09/17)
Cartography (91/09/18)
Mickey Mouse (91/09/19)
Recycling Auto Parts (91/09/20)
Delivering Receipts (91/09/21)
Why Do Dishonest Men Succeed? (91/09/22)
Atsusa Samusa mo Higan made (91/09/23)
Metric System (91/09/24)
"Discoverer of the Pacific Ocean" (91/09/25)
Yemen (91/09/26)
Stephen O (91/09/27)
Delivering Groceries (91/09/28)
Psalms (91/09/29)
Menjū Fukuhai (91/09/30)
Haggai (91/09/01)