Typhoons (91/10/01)
The etymological origin of the English word "typhoon" is unclear. There are theories that it is rooted in Cantonese, Arabic and Greek. One dictionary defines it as "A severe tropical hurricane occurring in the western Pacific or the China Sea." The same dictionary defines a "hurricane" as "A severe tropical cyclone . . . originating in the tropical regions of the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean Sea . . ." What, then, is a "cyclone"? It is defined as "A violent, rotating windstorm." Thus, typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones are all violent windstorms, often accompanied by rain. In Japan, like the rainy season, typhoons are annual climatic events. Some years there are more than others; some are stronger and more destructive than others, but every year they affect life in Japan to a greater or lesser degree. "Typhoons" is the suggested theme for an essay this week. You must have memories of typhoons in the past or opinions regarding them. If you put your thoughts into writing and send them to me, I will correct your essay and publish it in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. I would also be happy to read comments regarding other messages or regarding this telephone service in general. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3717)
Reading in the Bath (91/10/02)
Many years ago, a Japanese high school girl who became a Christian told me that the only place she could find in her home to quietly read the Bible and pray was in the ofuro. I recalled her statement recently while reading a newspaper article about a newly-published book entitled, Furo De Oboeru Eitango, "English Words For Learning in the Bathtub". The book, published by the Kyōgakusha Publishing Company of Kyoto, is made of a special waterproof substance so readers can use it in the ofuro. The aim of the book, which contains many illustrations, is to help high school students memorize English words while taking a bath. I feel sorry if Japanese young people feel pressured to make use even of the relaxing time spent in the ofuro to memorize English words. I also think it is too bad if school examinations encourage such memorization, for the benefit of such learning by rote is dubious, indeed. Reading a book for enjoyment in the bath is preferable to memorizing words. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 29, verse 13, people who have learned their religion by rote rather than by living experience and personal faith are the ones criticized for honoring God with their lips while their hearts are far from him. --Clark Offner (3718)
SOS (91/10/03)
In Japan, when emergency assistance is needed, the telephone numbers to call are 110 or 119. I presume these particular numbers were chosen because they are easy to dial in a hurry, even though 111 and 112 would be a little quicker. For aircraft or ships in distress, the radio-telephone signal word requesting emergency help is "mayday", the anglicized form of a French expression meaning "help me!" Prior to the advent of voice transmission, messages were sent by telegraphic codes made up of short and long elements, called dots and dashes. On October 3, 1906, 85 years ago today, at the Berlin Radio Conference, the international distress signal consisting of three dots, three dashes, three dots was established. This signal was chosen because it was easy to remember and to transmit with no thought given to the significance of the letters represented. In the code, three dots represent the letter S and three dashes represent O, so the distress signal is made up of the letters SOS. Subsequently, these letters were popularly interpreted to mean "Save Our Ship" or "Save Our Souls". People who are conscious of their human weakness and need of divine assistance will send out an SOS to the almighty God. --Clark Offner (3719)
Rutherford Hayes (91/10/04)
Have you ever heard of Rutherford Birchard Hayes? Unless you are a student of American history, you will probably answer "No." In case you are wondering how he got such a name, Rutherford was the name of his father and Birchard was the maiden name of his mother. Rutherford was born 169 years ago today, on October 4, 1822. When he was 45 years old, he was elected governor of the state of Ohio and ten years later became president. Some historians question whether or not Hayes was elected president fairly. In the peculiar American system, the president is not elected directly by popular vote. He is chosen by electors elected voters. In the election of 1872, Hayes' opponent, Samuel Tilden, received a larger number of popular votes but one less than the required number of electoral votes to be elected. A committee, made up of 8 Republicans and 7 Democrats, appointed to decide on 22 electoral votes that were disputed, voted, 8 to 7, to give all 22 votes to the Republican candidate, Rutherford Hayes, and he became the 19th president of the United States. In his inaugural address, Hayes made a statement that partisan politicians of all ages should remember: "He serves his party best who serves the country best." -- Clark Offner (3720)
Desk Clerk (91/10/05)
By far the largest building in my hometown in northern Illinois was the three-story high Zion Home, which was built in 1902. In it were apartments rented on a long-term basis as well as rooms for transients. The front desk also served as the town's telegraph office. As a telegram delivery boy, I became acquainted with the manager and with the responsibilities of the desk clerk. So it happened that I was asked to work at that desk on Saturdays or some weekday evenings while I was still a high school student. As the sole clerk at those times, my responsibilities included renting rooms, receiving payments for bills, sorting mail, keeping the room keys of residents who went out, answering the telephone and running to the rooms of those buzzing the front desk to see what was needed. I also sent and received telegrams. There was another peculiar responsibility of the desk clerk of that establishment. He was required to go up onto a tall tower at 9 o'clock in the morning and at night to ring a huge bell whose sound could be heard far away. The first series of nine gongs was followed by a minute of silence and another series of nine gongs, reminding residents of that religious community to stop their work and spend a moment in silent prayer. -- Clark Offner (3721)
A New Earth (91/10/06)
Contrary to what some people think, the word "news" was not derived from the first letters of the points of the compass: north, east, west and south. Rather, it is rooted in French and Latin words meaning "new." That which is new or newly heard is newsworthy, as is implied by the Japanese word for "newspaper," 'shinbun.' The Bible contains many references to new things, including a new song, a new heart, a new birth, a new commandment and a new testament. In the last two chapters of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, mention is made of a "new earth," "new heavens" and a "new Jerusalem" that God will create. This new land "will be full of joy, and her people will be happy." "There will be no weeping there, no calling for help." Babies will not die in infancy, people will live to be over a hundred years old and wolves and lambs will eat together [Isaiah 65:1725]. This vision of an Old Testament prophet was also seen by a new Testament visionary. In the last two chapters of Revelation, this new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem are described. As people get older, they tend to long for the so-called good old days. Although it is good to have respect for the past, the person with a healthy faith has a vision of a better future and puts forth a determined effort to move society in that direction. -- Clark Offner (3722)
Kinship (91/10/07)
You have probably heard of 'sukin-shippu' and you probably thought it was an English word, but you will not find it in an English dictionary. Although it is derived from the English word "skin" and the suffix "ship", it is a peculiar "English-type" word "made in Japan". The word "kinship", however, is English and, along with kinfolk, kindred, kinsman and kinswoman signifies people with a common ancestry. Such people are one's kin, or relatives. I was unacquainted with the English saying that "A near neighbor is better than a far kinsman" until I learned the Japanese proverb, 'Tōku no shinseki yori chikaku no tanin', A stranger nearby is better than a distant relative. Kinship is an important bond to be respected, but in this modern age, as we come into contact with many different kinds of people, we should remember that all human beings are related. --Clark Offner (3723)
Doctor-Patient Relationship (91/10/08)
Generally speaking, the medical profession in Japan is of high quality. One area in which improvement may be made, however, is in the doctor-patient relationship, whereby the patient is given fuller information related to the treatment prescribed. The results of a survey conducted by the Prime Minister's Office this year indicated that 63 percent of the respondents agreed that doctors should explain treatment to patients in a more satisfactory way and obtain patients' consent for treatment. Japanese doctors have been accused of "over-surgery, over-treatment and over-dosage of drugs". Some patients would refuse to undergo certain kinds of treatment if they were fully explained beforehand. A survey of Japanese doctors indicated that most doctors agree it is preferable to explain basic matters about treatment and possible effects to patients. What do you think about the subject of doctor-patient relationship in Japan and how much information should be requested or provided regarding treatment of illnesses? From your experience, is the present situation satisfactory or are changes needed? Essays on this theme sent to me will be corrected and published in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3724)
Leif Ericson Day (91/10/09)
The second Monday in October is a holiday in the United States called Columbus Day, commemorating the landing of Christopher Columbus on an island in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492 and next year, various festivities will mark the 500th anniversary of that event. It is now generally recognized, however, that adventurers from Europe reached the North American continent hundreds of years before Columbus. Icelandic sagas tell of Leif the Lucky, the son of Eric the Red, discovering a land rich with wild grapes and wheat about the year 1000, which he named Vinland. The sagas further relate that Leif's brother, Thorvald, returned to explore the coast of the newly-discovered continent. Although the orally-transmitted sagas were not written down until the 13th century, various discoveries have been made that seem to confirm the fact that Leif Ericson, a Viking from Iceland or Greenland, actually did land on the east coast of North America almost 500 years before Columbus. The American president annually proclaims this 6th day of October Leif Ericson Day and many American communities, especially those with many residents of Norwegian lineage, hold celebrations. --Clark Offner (3727)
Ten (91/10/10)
Today is the tenth day of the tenth month. In the Republic of China, now located on Taiwan, it is called the Double Tenth Day and is a public holiday there commemorating the Proclamation of the Republic of Sun Yat-sen on Ocotber 10,1911. Can you think of any famous expressions or events that are related to the number ten? For example, do you know the address of the official residence of the British Prime Minister? It is Number 10 Downing Street. Canada is made up of ten provinces plus two territories. In the United States, a cowboy's broad-brimmed hat with a high crown is called a ten-gallon hat and the Russian Revolution of 1917 has been called "Ten Days That Shook the World". The Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus, chapter 20, were given by God to Morse and became the heart of the Old Testament Law. The story of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, also found in that book, includes the Ten Plagues which finally prompted the Egyptians to let their Israelite slaves leave. Finally, a famous quotation from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'Sir Galahad' is "My strength is as the strength of ten, Because my heart is pure." --Clark Offner (3726)
New "Face Cream" (91/10/11)
Among the various cosmetics that women use to beautify themselves are face creams. One aim of such creams is to make facial wrinkles less obvious. Now, a new concoction has been developed to smooth out the cracks of aging faces, the main ingredient of which is silicon. It is not for use on human faces, however. It is being applied to the faces of the four American presidents which have been carved on a mountain cliff in South Dakota. The main attraction of Mount Rushmore National Memorial are the huge faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, which can be seen for almost 100 kilometers. Until now, the cracks that developed in the faces were filled with a mixture of white lead, granite dust and linseed oil, but moisture continued to seep into the crevices. In conjunction with the memorial's 50th anniversary this year, a major project is under way to seal the cracks with the new "face cream" to slow down further deterioration. In the case of human beings also, the effect of cosmetic applications is temporary, but in II Corinthians 4:16, the Apostle Paul affirmed the effect of a healthy faith when he wrote, "Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day." -- Clark Offner (3727)
Factory Worker (91/10/12)
In the city next to my hometown there was a large factory that produced various kinds of asbestos products, including brake linings, the material fastened to the brakes of vehicles to create the friction necessary for braking. During the Second World War, that factory was very busy and needed many workers. I spent the summer before my senior year in high school as a fulltime worker in that factory. My jobs varied from day to day. Sometimes, I worked at a press which pressed the material into the appropriate shape. At other times, I worked at an oven in which the material was baked. Frequently, I operated a grinder, grinding the brake linings to the proper widths. Working hours rotated each week around three different shifts: daytime, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; evening, from 4:00 p.m. to midnight; and night, from midnight to 8:00 a.m. During the hot summer, the night shift was, in some ways, the most enjoyable since it was quieter and cooler than the other shifts. Following the night shift, I returned home and slept in the basement of our house, which also was cool. Although I value that experience as a factory worker, I realized that I didn't want to spend my life doing such work and continued to set aside my earnings for future college expenses. -- Clark Offner (3728)
Salvation through Faith (91/10/13)
The religious revolution that occurred in Europe in the 16th century is known as the Reformation. It was sparked by a Roman Catholic priest named Martin Luther who was deeply concerned about how weak and sinful people can become accepted by a holy God. He concluded that good works and religious rituals can never make a bad person good in God's sight. It is only by trusting in God's merciful love that one can hope to be saved from judgment. He reached this conclusion through studying such new Testament letters as Romans where it is taught that new life, or salvation, is the result of a person's faith in God rather than meritorious works. In Romans 1:16-17, the Apostle Paul wrote that salvation is granted "to everyone who has faith." He then quoted from the Old Testament prophet, Habakkuk [2:4]: "'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" The way to find present and future happiness is an important teaching of all authentic religions and a basic emphasis of Protestant churches in particular is that salvation is based upon God's character rather than human effort. Faith in the merciful love of God, our heavenly Father, brings spiritual peace in the present and hope for the future. Such a faith also provides the inspiration and power to perform good deeds of love and mercy on behalf of others. -- Clark Offner (3729)
Mi Kara Deta Sabi (91/10/14)
The Chinese character pronounced 'mi', meaning one's self or one's body, originally depicted a pregnant woman with a large belly in which is a fetus. This character may also signify one's heart or mind and even the blade of a sword. So, how should we translate 'mi' in the proverb 'mi kara deta sabi'? Is it the rust that comes from the blade or from within one's self? Evidently the proverb teaches that the person himself or herself is responsible for the misfortune that person suffers. The English proverb with a similar meaning, "As you sow, so shall you reap," comes from the Bible. In Galatians 6:8, it is written, "A person will reap exactly what he sows". Also, in Hosea 8:7, it is written, "When they sow the wind, they will reap a storm." Each of these sayings emphasize individual responsibility. We must be careful of both our words and our actions. --Clark Offner (3730)
Seaweed (91/10/15)
Since "weed" denotes a plant considered undesirable, unattractive or troublesome, the word "seaweed" does not stimulate a positive image in American minds. The Japanese term, "kaisō", sea grass or sea plant, sounds better. Japan is not the only country that cultivates seaweed. Up to 50,000 tons of more than 500 species of seaweed are harvested annually from the shores around Ireland. Seaweed is not only used as a nutritious food. It is used as a thickening agent in custards and pet foods. It is found in lipsticks, face creams, toothpaste and salad dressings. In Japan, Korea and Taiwan, it is used in cotton floral design prints to stop smudging, to get the colors to hold fast. It is even an ingredient in stout beer. Dentists use it in molds when taking impressions for dentures, horticulturists use it for fertilizer and, in Scandinavia where sunlight and grass are not so plentiful, it is used as fodder for cattle. Seaweed is used in a variety of ways in Japanese cooking. What do you think about seaweed? You are invited to write an essay on this theme and send it to me. I will correct it and publish it in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3731)
"Blue" and "White" Books (91/10/16)
As you may know, employees of some companies are divided into two categories given the descriptive titles of "white collar" workers and "blue collar" workers. Clerical workers, men in management positions and other salaried employees whose work is not essentially manual traditionally wore white shirts and ties to work while workers involved in physical labor traditionally wore tougher blue shirts. I wonder, however, if you know the difference between a "blue book" and a "white book". Both denote government publications and are designated according to the color of their bindings In Britain, parliamentary publications have a blue cover and are called blue books but in Japan, official government reports are bound in white and thus are called hakusho. In the United States, a document setting forth the government's position on a certain topic may be called a "white paper", but the term "blue book" has a completely different meaning. It is used to designate the official list of governmental officeholders. In an informal sense, a "blue book" may mean a listing of socially prominent persons. Although the color of the book's cover is not indicated, according to the vision recorded in the book of Revelation, there is a Book of Life in heaven and only those whose names are written therein will be able to enter that holy place. --Clark Offner (3732)
Gobbledygook (91/10/17)
To "gab" means to chatter and a "gabber" is a person who gabs. A gabber may also "gabble", which means to talk rapidly or incoherently. Such a person may be called a "gabbler". One meaning of "gobble" is to devour food quickly, but this word is also used to indicate the sound made by a male turkey, which is sometimes called a "gobbler". These various related words are in the background of the term "gobbledygook" which denotes wordy, obscure, involved language that often characterizes the speeches of government officials. Such language may also be called "officialese". The term "gobbledygook" became popular after it was used by Maury Maverick, a United States Congressman, after attending a wordy committee meeting in 1944. He then issued a memo to members of his department to be concise and to make clear what they were talking about without using bureaucratic jargon. He said that the term may have been inspired by the sounds made by turkey gobblers in his native Texas while strutting so pompously. The term reminds me of the words in I Timothy 1:7, regarding people who want to be teachers but who "do not understand their own words or the matters about which they speak with so much confidence." --Clark Offner (3733)
"High" Attributes (91/10/18)
My Japanese-English dictionary includes eight different words pronounced "hai." My English-English dictionary includes three different words with that pronunciation. The shortest one, spelled h-i, is an informal greeting. If an "e" is added, another word with the same pronunciation is formed, meaning hasten. A more common word pronounced "hai" is spelled h-i-g-h and my dictionary lists 17 different meanings for that short word plus about seventy additional words that begin with "high". A recent news item indicated that one reason the number of marriages in Japan is decreasing is that women are becoming more selective. A group of three words related to "high" was composed to describe the attributes in prospective bridegrooms that modern Japanese young women look for. They want their future husbands to have physical height, a high income and higher education. I am sure they would want to avoid men who are highhanded, highfalutin or highstrung, but I am sorry that high-mindedness was not included in the list. In fact, I am disappointed that the list is limited to external features and ignores the inner, spiritual qualities which are of greater importance in achieving a genuinely happy married life. (3734) -- Clark Offner
Senior Year Work (91/10/19)
Following the summer vacation, I continued working at the brake lining factory in the city next to my hometown on Saturdays even after classes began in September, the beginning of my final year in high school. During the previous three years, I often took more courses than required, so in my senior year, I had enough credits to graduate without taking a full course load. During my final term in high school, I was able to arrange all of my classes in the morning so I could go to work in the factory every afternoon. The factory was located about ten kilometers from my home. Although there was a bus that ran along the highway between the two communities, it was my custom to hitchhike to the factory rather than spending money for the bus. In those days, it was not difficult to get a ride by standing on the roadside and motioning to drivers that I desired a lift. The recognized hitchhiking sign was the thumb protruding from the closed hand of the extended right arm. Sometimes, drivers from my hometown stopped to pick me up because they recognized me, but often the drivers were strangers. That hitchhiking experience as a high school student proved very helpful for, until my marriage, that was the way I traveled to and from college and seminary, which were hundreds of kilometers away. -- Clark Offner (3735)
Forgiveness of Others (91/10/20)
The Bible contains many stories related to the number seven, which is considered a sacred number among the Hebrew people, signifying completeness. According to the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, when Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgive a person who sins against him, Peter himself suggested a limit of seven times. Jesus, however, gave the answer, "not seven times, but seventy times seven." Jesus' answer should not be interpreted literally to mean "490 times." It means there should be no limit to our forgiveness of others. He then told a story to illustrate this teaching which is called a parable. In the parable, a servant who had just been forgiven a huge debt of millions of pounds by a king refused to forgive the small debt of a fellow-servant of just a few pounds. When the king heard of the servant's unforgiving attitude, he became very angry and put him in jail until he paid the entire debt he owed. In this way, Jesus taught that we who have been forgiven all of our many sins by God must likewise forgive all the sins of others against us. If we have truly experienced the mercy and forgiveness of God in our own lives, we will manifest that same mercy and forgiveness to others. -- Clark Offner (3736)
Time is Money (91/10/21)
Benjamin Franklin, one of the most famous Americans of the revolutionary era, was a noted printer, writer, scientist, statesman, philanthropist and moralist. A yearly almanac he published in Philadelphia from 1732 to 1757 under the name of Richard Saunders was called 'Poor Richard's Almanack'. It contained many maxims related to such virtues as thrift, industry, honesty and moderation. One of the most famous sayings proclaimed by this "Poor Richard", "Time is money", has been translated into many other languages, including Japanese. The saying 'toki wa kane nari' seems to fit well into the business life of modern Japan, but there are still places where meetings begin later than scheduled and where much time is wasted in fruitless discussion. We need to remember that time is a valuable resource which should not be squandered. --Clark Offner (3737)
5-Day School Week (91/10/22)
Japanese people are known for being dedicated, industrious workers. This must be the result of both natural inclination and social influence. The importance of diligent effort is impressed upon the minds of children from the time they begin attending school for 5 1/2 days a week throughout a long school year. Beside their regular school courses, many children and young people receive training in extra-curricular subjects outside of school. In recent years, questions have been raised about the lack of free time for pupils and a movement is under way to reduce the school week to five days, which has long been the custom in the United States and other advanced countries. What do you think of this? Is it good for both the pupils and their families for the children to have both Saturday and Sunday off every week? What problems will this raise? What benefits will it bring? Do you think the positive or negative factors are greater? Will the result be more wholesome children or more frustrated parents? The 5-day school week is the suggested theme for essays this week. Essays sent to me containing comments of listeners will be corrected and printed in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3738)
The Smoking Habit (91/10/23)
People who begin smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products should realize that they are beginning a habit they will find difficult to give up. The nicotine found in tobacco is not only a temporary stimulant; it is an addictive drug. Many people who have been smokers for many years have tried to give up the smoking habit without success. Now a new way to achieve that result is being promoted in China, the home of "kanpōyaku", using a "mystical scent" which is produced from the combined extracts of 36 different plants used in Chinese herbal medicine. It is said that sniffing a vial exuding this scent a few minutes daily for three days will cause one to lose the urge to smoke. Continuing this for one week longer, it is reported, will enable most people to completely break away from the smoking habit. Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu nationalist leader, said: "Smoking is a habit which is difficult to get rid of when once it seizes hold of a person. It is an expensive vice. It fouls the breath, discolors the teeth and sometimes even causes cancer. It is an unclean habit." "I can say let those who can, give it up and set the example." --Clark Offner (3739)
Peace of Westphalia (91/10/24)
In the German province of Westphalia, an event of historic significance took place 343 years ago today, on October 24, 1648. On that day, treaties signed by Sweden and France on the one side and Spain and the so-called Holy Roman Empire on the other officially brought an end to the long period of conflict in Europe known as the Thirty Years War. As a result of that Peace of Westphalia, the Holy Roman Empire came to an end, the modern European arrangement of individual states was inaugurated and France became the dominant power in Europe. The fate of the Holy Roman Empire, which was really not very "holy", should be remembered by those powers seeking to hold on to crumbling "empires" in our day. In the democratic atmosphere pervading the world today, political units that do not have the support of their citizens face a bleak future, indeed. Incidentally, although I'm not sure when or why the English word "emperor" was chosen as the translation of the Japanese word 'tennō', it is certainly an anachronism in the present day. When the present Japanese Constitution is revised to reflect changed circumstances, I suggest that consideration be given to finding a more appropriate title for that symbolic individual. --Clark Offner (3740)
Shimabara Revolt (91/10/25)
In recent months, the city of Shimabara in Nagasaki prefecture has often been in the news because of the eruption of a nearby volcano which has caused much suffering to many inhabitants. A different kind of eruption that caused greater suffering and many more deaths occurred in Shimabara on this day in the 14th year of Kanei. Do you know when that was? In many ways, Japan is a very modern country but, to my way of thinking, continuing to maintain its own peculiar system of identifying years according to names of eras (nengō) is a confusing, obsolete custom that should have been discarded along with the traditional system of measurements. The 14th year of Kanei is equivalent to the year 1637 of the so-called Gregorian calendar used by most countries throughout the world. Sometimes, the Shimabara Revolt that erupted 357 years ago today is considered a religious conflict, but like many current conflicts in certain areas between Jews and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, Protestants and Catholics, it had a mixture of religious, economic and political causes. Nevertheless, as a result of that Revolt, Christianity was eradicated or driven underground in Japan for the next 250 years. (3741) -- Clark Offner
Wielding a Sledgehammer (91/10/26)
Students in the United States have three-month-long summer vacations. Throughout my college career, I regularly found employment with a construction company which paid high wages for unskilled workers during the summers. As a common laborer, there were various kinds of heavy work I was assigned to do, but most of the time I was working outdoors in the fresh air, which I enjoyed. I remember well the job I was given on my first day with that company. A large hole had been excavated where a house with a large basement was to be built and the concrete foundation walls had been erected. As a result of much rain, water pressure behind the walls had caused one wall to collapse inward. Heavy sledgehammers were given to me and one other laborer and our job was to break that fallen concrete wall into small pieces and throw the pieces out of the hole. For that whole day, except for a break for lunch, I was wielding a sledgehammer on that thick wall and then heaving the concrete hunks out of the hole which was as deep as I was tall. It was a sudden initiation into the tiring life of a laborer. That night I experienced the truth of the verse in Ecclesiastes 5:12, "Sweet is the sleep of the laborer whether he eats little or much," but my body ached for the next few days. -- Clark Offner (3742)
Light of the World (91/10/27)
The Christian Bible is divided into an Old Testament and a New Testament. The Old Testament begins with the story of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. According to this account, the first words spoken by God were: "Let there be light." My dictionary lists 17 different meanings of the word "light" from "electromagnetic radiation" through "spiritual awareness" to "the divine presence in each person" and the Bible teaches that God is the source of light in every sense. The first chapter of the New Testament Gospel According to John speaks of the Word of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us human beings. That Word was also called "the true light that enlightens every man." Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the Living Word of God, the Light of the World who brought light and life to all who believe. Jesus not only taught his disciples about the true character of God, he demonstrated that character in his sacrificial life and death. He also called his disciples "the light of the world" and told them to let their light shine by doing good works that bring glory to God [Matthew 5:14-16]. It is the will of God that the world be a place of light and through deeds of love and kindness, rooted in justice and truth, God's light continues to shine in a world of darkness. -- Clark Offner (3743)
Minoru Inaho wa Kōbe o Tareru (91/10/28)
Kobe is the name of a famous port city in Japan. For some strange reason, the Chinese character meaning "head", which is usually pronounced 'kashira', is sometimes pronounced 'kobe' when found in old proverbs. One such proverb reminds us that the heads of rice plants filled with grain hang down, 'minoru inaho wa kōbe o tareru'. In English, we may say that the boughs that bear most hang lowest. The implication is that people who are most productive are also the most unassuming: the more noble, the more humble. One mark of a truly great person is modesty. Jesus taught his disciples that true greatness comes through serving others. In Mark 10:43, he said, "If one of you wants to be great, he must be [a] servant". Not only did Jesus teach this principle, he illustrated it when he lowered himself to wash the feet of his proud disciples [John 13]. --Clark Offner (3744)
The Stock Market (91/10/29)
Today is Tuesday, October the 29th. Seventy-two years ago, in 1929, October 29th was also a Tuesday. It is now known as "Black Tuesday" for it was on that day that the "stock market crash" occurred on the New York Stock Exchange as the world entered a period of prolonged depression. Personally, I am not well acquainted with stocks and bonds, but I presume that some listeners to or readers of these messages know about such matters and have bought and sold securities. Therefore, I am suggesting "The Stock Market" as the theme for essays this week. What experiences have you had related to the stock market? What do you think of the various market irregularities that have been revealed this year and of the government's attempt to remedy the situation? Is there a relationship between the stock market and Japan's economic prosperity? Have you ever attended a stockholders meeting? If you have never purchased stocks or bonds, why have you not done so? I will correct essays on this subject sent to me (insofar as I can understand them) and include them in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes, but if you wish to write on a theme related to another message instead, you may do so. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3745)
Reading in the Bath (91/10/02)
SOS (91/10/03)
Rutherford Hayes (91/10/04)
Desk Clerk (91/10/05)
A New Earth (91/10/06)
Kinship (91/10/07)
Doctor-Patient Relationship (91/10/08)
Leif Ericson Day (91/10/09)
Ten (91/10/10)
New "Face Cream" (91/10/11)
Factory Worker (91/10/12)
Salvation through Faith (91/10/13)
Mi Kara Deta Sabi (91/10/14)
Seaweed (91/10/15)
"Blue" and "White" Books (91/10/16)
Gobbledygook (91/10/17)
"High" Attributes (91/10/18)
Senior Year Work (91/10/19)
Forgiveness of Others (91/10/20)
Time is Money (91/10/21)
5-Day School Week (91/10/22)
The Smoking Habit (91/10/23)
Peace of Westphalia (91/10/24)
Shimabara Revolt (91/10/25)
Wielding a Sledgehammer (91/10/26)
Light of the World (91/10/27)
Minoru Inaho wa Kōbe o Tareru (91/10/28)
The Stock Market (91/10/29)
Chonmage Club (91/10/30)
Nevada (91/10/31)
Typhoons (91/10/01)