Samuel (92/03/01)
The Hebrew of Old Testament is traditionally divided into three sections: Law, Prophets and Sacred Writings. The first five books of the Bible comprise the first section. The two books of Samuel are found in the second section and the interesting story of the prophet Samuel's birth and childhood is found in the first three chapters of I Samuel. Samuel's mother dedicated her son to God before he was born so, from his early years, Samuel lived in the temple with an old priest and served the Lord there. One night while Samuel was sleeping, he heard a voice calling his name. Thinking it was the voice of Eli, the old priest, he ran to him, but he found out that Eli had not called him. The same thing happened two more times until Eli told him it must be the voice of God and that, if he should heard the voice again, he should answer, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." Samuel did as he was told and thus began his long ministry as a prophet, which in the Old Testament means a spokesman for God. This story is a favorite of Church School children but it contains truth for all people. It is important for us to distinguish the voice of God who may speak to us in various ways and we should be willing to listen humbly as God's servant and to obey. God's voice is usually heard in our hearts rather than through our ears. -- Clark Offner (3869)
Neko ni Katsuo-bushi (92/03/02)
Both "bonus" and "bonbon" are derived from a Latin word meaning "good". And so is the Spanish word 'bonito', which means pretty. Bonito is also an English word denoting the pretty fish called 'katsuo' in Japanese. Dried bonito, or 'katsuo-bushi', is an important element in Japanese cooking, especially in soups. It would be very foolish for a housewife to let a cat guard the 'katsuo-bushi'. So the saying, 'neko ni katsuo-bushi no ban' denotes a worrisome or dangerous situation. In English, we may say "set a wolf to guard the sheep" or "set a fox to keep the geese". In either case, the guard is obviously unreliable. In any organization, it is important to find honest people to handle finances. It is likewise important to make sure that government leaders are trustworthy people who will guard public funds and policies without seeking personal, selfish benefits. --Clark Offner (3870)
Territories (92/03/03)
The basic meaning of the word "territory" is an area of land. In a more particular meaning, land under the jurisdiction of a state or nation is called a territory. In the United States, a distinction is made between a territory and a state. Territories are a part of the U.S.A., but have not achieved the status of a state. Many present states were territories before they were admitted as states. The most recent territories to become states were Alaska and Hawaii, both of which gained statehood in 1959. At present, the territories of Puerto Rico and Guam are self-governing, but a number of other island territories are under direct control from Washington. The Territory of Mississippi in the southern United States, was organized in 1798. On March 3, 1817, 175 years ago today, that Territory was divided into the Territory of Alabama and the state of Mississippi which was admitted to the Union as the 20th state nine months later. Two years after that, Alabama became the 22nd state. In a number of places in the world today, control of certain territories is in dispute between different nations, but the words of Thomas Huxley over a century ago are still true: "Size is not grandeur, and territory does not make a nation." --Clark Offner (3871)
Kawa (92/03/04)
Two common Japanese words pronounced 'kawa' have very different meanings and a variety of English translations depending on the specific reference. One kind of 'kawa' denotes a "stream", a body of running water. A large, natural stream of water emptying into an ocean or lake is called a "river". A smaller stream may be called a "streamlet" or "rivulet", a "brook" or "creek". A different word with the same pronunciation signifies the outer covering of something. If it is the covering of an animal, including human beings, we call it "skin". Tough skin is also called "hide" and when covered with hair, fur or wool, may also be a "pelt". The outer covering of a tree, we call "bark" and the tough outer layer of certain fruits is "rind" or "peel", but the covering of an ear of corn is a "husk" and the hard covering of an egg or nut is a "shell". The Japanese 'kawa' could be used for all of these particular meanings. The interesting expression, "by the skin of one's teeth", comes from the older translations of the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 19, verse 20, and means "just barely" or "by the smallest margin". Students may pass examinations "by the skin of their teeth". Another saying reminds us that "Beauty is only skin deep". --Clark Offner (3872)
Shōyu (92/03/05)
In Japanese, a "large bean" is called 'daizu' while, for some reason unknown to me, a "small bean" is called 'azuki'. "Daizu", or soybeans, are an important element in Japanese diet. Not only do many people eat roasted soybeans after they have cast out the demons from their homes on 'setsubun'. These beans are also used in making such peculiar Japanese foods as 'tōfu' and 'nattō' and seasonings such as 'miso' and 'shōyu'. In fact, it is impossible to imagine Japanese cuisine without soybeans products. It is reported that 1.2 billion liters of 'shōyu', or soy sauce, is consumed each year in Japan. That amounts to about 10 one-liter bottles per person. Even though soybeans are an indispensable Japanese food, they are now imported from the United States. To make Japanese soy sauce, these soybeans are steamed and mashed and then mixed with roasted and crushed wheat, imported from Canada. After a yeast has been added, the mixture sits for three days and forms a dry mash called 'kōji'. A wet mash, formed after a salt and water solution is added, is then allowed to ferment for about eight months. Then the 'shōyu' is pressed out of the mash, pasteurized and bottled. While production today is done by machine, the actual process has remained unchanged for over 400 years. -Clark Offner (3873)
Frozen Foods (92/03/06)
Modern housewives in Japan have a much easier time preparing meals than their grandmothers did. Now it is possible to purchase frozen foods in the supermarket and, with the aid of a microwave oven, a meal of a sort can be prepared in a few minutes. Even men who are not so handy around the kitchen can prepare such meals very simply. How long do you think frozen foods have been around? It may be longer than you think. In fact, it was 62 years ago today, on March 6, 1930, that frozen foods were first put on sale in Springfield, Massachusetts in the United States. They had been developed by Clarence Birdseye, an inventor who established his own Birds Eye Frosted Foods Company to produce and market them. The waterless process of freezing foods he perfected reduced the time needed for freezing from 18 hours to an hour-and-a-half. Actually, frozen foods have been used by peoples in northern climates for centuries. Eskimos throw fresh-caught fish on the ice to freeze them and weather-frozen fish have been commonly sold in the Great Lakes region of the United States since the middle of the 19th century. Frozen foods have certainly made meal preparation simpler for some people but I'm not sure they have made a contribution to a happier, more wholesome family life. -- Clark Offner (3874)
In a Chinese Church (92/03/07)
It was Sunday morning in Shanghai, the only Sunday my wife and I would spend in China during our July 1986 trip there. Although our plane was scheduled to leave at 11:25 that morning, we wanted to attend a worship service in a Chinese Church during our visit. We had been informed of a large Protestant Church a few blocks away from our hotel that held an early morning service so we arranged for a taxi to take us there. In simple English, accompanied by gestures, I asked the driver to wait for us on a side street near the church to take us back to the hotel after the service in time for us to catch our reserved car to the airport. In the church, we sat in the gallery from which we had a good view of the proceedings on the main floor. A few minutes after the service began, a middle-aged lady sat down beside us and began speaking to us in English. She kindly explained to us about church affairs and interpreted for us so we were able to understand the gist of the sermon of the lady preacher. We recognized certain hymn tunes and spiritually participated in the worship even though it was in a foreign language. Following the service, we would have liked to have talked with the pastor, but we had to rush to catch our taxi. When we got to the place we expected to find it, however, it was not there. (To be continued in next Saturday's message.) -- Clark Offner (3875)
Christian Ministry (92/03/08)
The 9th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew ends with an account of Jesus visiting towns and villages, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God and ministering to the needs of people. Looking at the crowds, "his heart was filled with pity for them because they were worried and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." He then urged his disciples to pray that God would inspire more workers to carry on this ministry. The following chapter contains his instructions to those twelve disciples to go out and preach and minister to people in the same way that he did. Because these men were sent out by Jesus, they were called "apostles", from a Greek word meaning one sent out on a mission. In this sequence of events and in Jesus' instruction to his disciples, we find some important truths. Genuine Christian ministry is not motivated by a desire for personal gain but by a heart of love for people. Those who have God's love in their hearts will be concerned about the crowds of troubled men and women they see around them. They will not only pray for workers to minister to human needs; they will be willing to go themselves in response to Christ's call and seek to carry on his mission. This is the true motivation and aim of Christian missionaries or witnesses in all times and places. -- Clark Offner (3876)
Taizan Meidō (92/03/09)
You are probably acquainted with the Shakesperian drama, 'Much Ado About Nothing', but do you know the origin of this expression? According to one of 'Aesop's Fables', "A mountain was once heard to make loud groans and noises, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the matter. While they were anxiously expecting some terrible calamity, out came a mouse." The fable ends with this moral: "Don't make much ado about nothing". In Japanese, this fable is compressed into the phrase: 'taizan meidō, nezumi ippiki'. A French proverb has been translated into English as: "Much bruit, little fruit". "Bruit" is an archaic word meaning din or clamor. Some people make much noise to attract attention but often it is the big talkers who do the least. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus taught that it is not words but deeds that are important. --Clark Offner (3877)
"Daily Word" (92/03/10)
In 1980, I began this "Daily Word" telephone service in the expectation that it would help callers improve their comprehension of spoken English. Later, I began providing written copies of the messages to those requesting them so callers could identify words or expressions they did not catch on the telephone. Following newspaper and television reports of this service, the number of calls has always increased temporarily. Now that the written messages are also available on NTT's Captain System terminals and on the Nifty-Serve computer network, many people who read the messages do not call on the telephone to hear them. Some who used to call regularly no longer do so for various reasons. As a result, recently, the number of calls has dropped to less than 100 per day. Other than newspaper and television reports, the only way this service has been publicized has been by word of mouth and distributing small cards with the telephone number on it. I would like to ask callers and readers to publicize this service in any way you can and encourage others who might be interested to call. I will supply cards to those who can make use of them. I also welcome suggestions or advice on how to make the service more effective. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3878)
Guy (92/03/11)
One meaning of the word "guy", spelled g-u-y, is a rope or cable used for steadying, guiding, or holding something. As a masculine name, it may mean leader. In English History, a man with this name became famous, or infamous, for his attempt to blow up the British Parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was executed for his part in that conspiracy now known as the Gunpowder Plot and in commemoration of that attempt to assassinate King James I, Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated by burning effigies of this man. The grotesque figures made of old clothes stuffed with straw or rags are called "guys". Thus, the word came to mean a person whose appearance or dress was odd and then it became an informal term for any man or boy, similar in meaning to "fellow". Nowadays, when used in the plural form, it may denote persons of either sex, so we may say, "What are you guys doing" even when addressing girls in an informal way. In American English, the term "a regular guy" may be a compliment, but there is a big difference between a "wise man" and "wise guy". The former is a respectful expression for a man having wisdom, while the latter is a derogatory term denoting an offensively self-assured person. Wise men are admired but wise guys are despised. --Clark Offner (3879)
Undōkai (92/03/12)
Chinese characters make the Japanese language complicated but they are interesting to analyze. The character meaning "wheel", pronounced 'kuruma' in Japanese, originally was a simple picture of that object. When a roof is drawn over this wheel, the meaning of the new character changes into "army". If the character for "run" is added alongside, the meaning is not a running army but "destiny" or "fate". Likewise, when 'chikara', the character for "force" or "strength" is added to 'omoi', the character for "heavy", the resulting character signifies "motion". Furthermore, when the character for "fate" is followed by that for "motion", the combination, pronounced 'undō', means "exercise". Physical exercise is an important element in maintaining good health and Japanese schools have yearly athletic meets, called 'undōkai', in which students actively participate in various sports events. Eighty-eight years ago today, on March 12, 1904, the first 'undōkai' was held in Japan at the Naval Academy in Tsukiji. Events included ball-throwing, a foot race and high jumping. In I Timothy 4:8, we read: "Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future." -- Clark Offner (3880)
Fear of Thirteen (92/03/13)
Today, once again, superstitious people residing in Japan have a difficult decision to make. Are they going to follow the Oriental superstition that this 'Tai-an' day is a lucky day and confidently begin some new venture or the Western superstition that this Friday, the 13th is an unlucky day and be apprehensive? Listeners to or readers of these messages frequently find new words to add to their vocabularies. Most of those words may be useful, but today I will inform you of a word that you will probably never have occasion to use. In fact, it will not be found in most dictionaries because it is so rare. My unabridged English dictionary, however, contains the word triskaidekaphobia, spelled t-r-i-s-k-a-i-d-e-k-a-p-h-o-b-i-a derived from Greek words meaning "fear of thirteen". Some people have an irrational fear of the number thirteen even as others have other kinds of superstitious fears. One benefit of a healthy faith in God is deliverance from such fears. Personally, I aim to begin every day with a faith similar to that of the poet who wrote in Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." -- Clark Offner (3881)
The Wrong Place (92/03/14)
My wife and I rushed out of the church in Shanghai immediately after the early Sunday morning worship service and hurried down the main street to the corner where we expected to find a taxi cab waiting for us. We thought the driver that had brought us to the church had agreed to wait for us there, but we were disappointed not to find him. Irritated, we started for our hotel on foot although we knew it would be difficult to get there before the airport bus was scheduled to leave. Alternately walking fast and trotting, we found the bus with passengers aboard awaiting our return, but we still had to go to our room and get our suitcases so the bus had to wait yet longer. Returning to the bus, we found the taxi cab driver talking to an English-speaking guide who told us that he wanted money from us because he had waited for us and we did not show up. I informed the guide that we were angry with him because he was not at the appointed place and we had to rush back to the hotel on foot, so I refused to pay any money. On the plane, however, I realized what had happened. The taxi driver had let us out on the opposite side of the street in front of the church and we had to cross the street to go in. When we left the church, we had forgotten we were on the other side of the street and looked for the taxi in the wrong place. Thus we were at fault and we felt ashamed, but it was too late to make amends. -- Clark Offner (3882)
Conversion (92/03/15)
There are two different English words spelled c-o-n-v-e-r-s-e. The one is related to conversation and the other to conversion. Conversation denotes oral communication between persons while conversion signifies a change and is often used for a change of faith or religion. The great example of religious conversion in the Bible is that of the legalistic Pharisee named Saul who became the Christian evangelist known as Paul. Before his conversion, Saul sought salvation through keeping the ritualistic rules of the Old Testament law and was frustrated when he realized that he could not keep them perfectly. His conversion occurred when he gave up trying to save himself by legal obedience and accepted God's gift of salvation through faith. He described his experience in Galatians, chapter 2 where he wrote: "So far as the Law is concerned... I am dead .... I have been put to death with Christ on the cross, so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith...." [19-20] Christian baptism symbolizes death to the old way of trying to save oneself by rituals or good works and being united with Christ in a new life of love for God and others which is based on faith. -- Clark Offner (3883)
Yōtō Kuniku (92/03/16)
A recent editorial in a Japanese newspaper included the interesting expression, 'yōtō kuniku', literally meaning: sheep head, dog meat. Since I did not recognize the Chinese character for "dog", I had to look it up in the dictionary and found out that it is used for a small dog in particular. As you may know, that expression is used critically of people who engage in deception -- publicizing a good product but selling an inferior one, like a person who cries wine but sells vinegar. The editorial emphasized that the present Japanese government should be serious about political reform and not profess to be doing something great but actually accomplishing very little. Unfortunately, it is very common for politicians to make grandiose promises which they never intend to keep, but we should remember the English saying that "Actions speak louder than words." --Clark Offner (3884)
Camp Fire Girls (92/03/17)
When children or young people go on an overnight outing, eating, talking or singing around a campfire is often one of the highlights of the excursion. The campfire provides heat and light and encourages a feeling of warm fellowship. Eighty-two years ago today, on March 17,1910, an organization called Camp Fire Girls was formed in the United States. The stated aim was "to perpetuate the spiritual ideals of the home" in its activities for girls and "to stimulate and aid in the formation of habits making for health and character." Younger members of the organization, aged 7-10, were called Bluebirds. Those 10-15 were called Camp Fire Girls and Horizon Clubs were for the older members, aged 15-18. Luther Gulick, one of the educators who founded the organization, was the brother of Sidney Gulick, a missionary to Japan who lectured for a number of years at the Imperial University in Kyoto and wrote a number of books on Japan and the Far East. As is our custom, we will hold a meeting of listeners to these telephone messages on the afternoon of the 5th Sunday of the month, March 29th, beginning at 1:30, at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sōzō Center. The theme for our discussion will be: Baseball and Sumo. -- Clark Offner (3885)
Rudolf Diesel (92/03/18)
Most automobiles today are powered by engines that use gasoline for fuel. Such engines require an electric spark to ignite them, so they need spark plugs. A few cars and many trucks and buses, however, are powered by engines that use cheaper crude oil for fuel. These engines ignite the fuel by air compression rather than an electric spark. Although such engines use less expensive fuel, they are larger and heavier than gasoline-powered engines. They are called diesel engines. Can you guess where this name came from? It is another example of a product that was named for its inventor. Rudolf Diesel was a German mechanical engineer who was born in Paris 148 years ago today, on March 18, 1844. He received a patent for his new-type engine in 1892 and the first such engine was produced a few years later. Unfortunately, both gasoline engines and diesel engines cause pollution, so engineers are continuing to work at developing an economical, non-polluting electric-powered engine. We can be thankful for the work of engineers who have made the world a much more convenient place in many ways, but Marcel Pagnol, a French playwright has warned, "One has to look out for engineers--they begin with sewing machines and end up with the atomic bomb." --Clark Offner (3886)
Lese Majesty (92/03/19)
These days, 'fukeizai' means simply uneconomical or wasteful, but during the war it also denoted a serious charge of lese majesty, an offense against the emperor. Citizens of countries having monarchs must be careful how they speak or act toward their royal rulers. Accusations of lese majesty were made during last month's visit of Queen Elizabeth to the Commonwealth of Australia which harbors republican tendencies. First, Australia's prime minister made a controversial speech stressing his country's independence from Great Britain. Then, his wife failed to curtsy to the queen. A "curtsy" is "a gesture of respect or reverence made by bending the knees with one foot forward and lowering the body." It is the polite way for subjects or citizens to greet the queen. But an even greater affront, it seems, was the prime minister's rudeness in coming into physical contact with the queen by putting his arm around her while introducing her to local dignitaries. In the minds of conservative people, an aura of divinity is still connected to royalty, but in I Peter 2:17, the same word is used to describe the right attitude toward the emperor and all people. There it is written: "Respect everyone, love your fellow-believers, fear God, and respect the Emperor." --Clark Offner (3887)
Vernal Equinox (92/03/20)
Today is a holiday in Japan, which means the number of phone calls to this "Daily Word" number will be fewer than usual for the number of calls always decreases on Sundays and holidays. This 'Shunbun no hi' is called vernal equinox in English. "Vernal" is an adjective used to signify something related to spring and "equinox" comes from the Latin word for "equal night" for on this day, when the sun crosses the equator, the length of day and night are equal. Usually, the vernal equinox falls on March 21st, but in leap years, when February has an extra day, it occurs on March 20th. In Japan, this 'Shunbun no hi' is the important middle day of the 'higan' season when it is customary for Japanese people to visit cemeteries and perform memorial rituals for their departed ancestors. Whether we speak of Buddhism adopting Japanese ancestral veneration customs in order to gain acceptance among the common people or of the ancient Japanese folk faith assimilating Buddhist forms into its tradition, there is now an inextricable mixture of the two contrasting strains of thought. It is because the sun sets directly in the west on this vernal equinox that memorial rites are conducted on this day, for according to the teaching of certain Japanese Buddhist sects, that is the direction of the Buddhist Pure Land, or paradise. -- Clark Offner (3888)
Xian (92/03/21)
From Shanghai, my wife and I flew to Xian, now spelled X-i-a-n. There, we visited a silk-dyeing workshop and viewed the remains of a stone age village where a primitive clan lived some 6000 years ago. At another site, we saw hundreds of life-sized ceramic figures of warriors and horses in marching order which are still being uncovered and which had been erected over 200 years before Christ. But what remains most clearly in my memory was the conversation we had with a young man in that city. One evening after dinner, when we went out to take a stroll, people were gathered outside the gate of our fancy hotel gazing through the fence at the foreigners who were coming and going. As we walked out the hotel grounds, a university student approached us and asked if we spoke English. He wanted to practice his English and we were happy to have an opportunity to converse with a common Chinese citizen, so we invited him to accompany us on our stroll. As we took a circular route around a large park and part of the city, we carried on a meaningful conversation which lasted about an hour. I questioned him about Chinese Communism and he asked me about Christianity and the teaching of the Bible. I think it was a useful dialogue for both of us and I'm sorry I did not get his name nor give him my name card. -- Clark Offner(3889)
Transfiguration (92/03/22)
The dictionary I use regularly has over a hundred listings of words beginning with the prefix "trans", meaning across, beyond, through or over. In some cases, this prefix signifies changes, as in translate, transform and transfigure. When the noun, Transfiguration, is spelled with a capital T, it denotes a strange experience of Jesus recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (chapter 17), Mark (chapter 9) and Luke (chapter 9). It is stated that while Jesus was praying in a mountain with three of his disciples, a change came over him. "His face was shining like the sun and his clothes were dazzling white." Two men, representing the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament, appeared and talked with him "about the way he would soon fulfill God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem." He also heard the voice of God which gave him the assurance that the way of self-sacrifice he had chosen had divine approval. During this Lenten season in the Christian church calendar, many Christians spend time in meditation and prayer which may result in a transformation or transfiguration in their lives as they come into closer communion with God and consider the meaning of his Word and of following Jesus on the path of self-sacrifice leading to a cross. -- Clark Offner (3890)
Neta Ko o Okosu (92/03/23)
There are a couple of Japanese proverbs about sleeping children. The one suggests that children who get much sleep will develop well: 'neru ko wa sodatsu'. The other implies that waking a sleeping child, 'neta ko o okosu', will cause unnecessary trouble. It is interesting that English proverbs related to causing unnecessary trouble are related to waking sleeping animals rather than sleeping children. We say, "Let sleeping dogs lie" or "Wake not a sleeping lion". If we awaken sleeping dogs or a sleeping lion, we are asking for trouble. However, if the sleeping child, dog or lion symbolizes a problem of justice or truth related to suffering people, we should courageously confront the problem and seek to solve it rather than simply ignoring it. Solutions to such problems should be sought quickly rather than permitting them to fester and get worse. --Clark Offner (3891)
Sequoias (92/03/24)
What do think is the largest living thing in the world today? In fact, that same entity is thought to be the world's oldest living thing as well. Found in the American state of California, it is called the General Sherman Tree. This huge sequoia is 83 meters high and has a diameter of 11 meters at its widest point. It is estimated to be about 3,500 years old. It was named after the famous Union general during the American Civil War. Sequoias are evergreen trees and because they have a reddish color, they are also called redwoods. Redwood's resistance to decay makes it especially valuable for outdoor building purposes. Although sequoias were formerly found in many areas of the Northern Hemisphere, they are now limited to a narrow strip near the Pacific Coast of the United States. Sequoyah was the name of the man who created the Cherokee writing system which enabled Native Americans to read and write their native language and this tree was named for him. On this coming Sunday afternoon at 1:30, we will hold a meeting of listeners to or readers of these "Daily Word" messages at the Nagoya City Geijutsu Sōzō Center north of the Shinsakae subway station. You are invited to attend and contribute your thoughts on the subject of Sumo and Baseball. --Clark Offner (3892)
Arturo Toscanini (92/03/25)
The English word "virtue" signifies moral goodness and a person having this quality is virtuous. Virtuoso, however, denotes a musician having great technical skill. One hundred twenty-five years ago today, on March 25, 1867, a virtuoso conductor was born in Italy. He began his musical career as a cellist, but while serving as a substitute conductor when he was 19, his superior conducting ability was recognized. He became a conductor of orchestras in Italy and the United States and, in 1937, when he was 70 years old, the National Broadcasting System created the NBC Symphony Orchestra especially for him to conduct. His name, Arturo Toscanini, is well-known by symphony music lovers throughout the world. An ardent anti-Fascist, Toscanini once stated, "Liberty, in my opinion, is the only orthodoxy within the limits of which art may express itself and flourish freely." On Sunday afternoon, March 29th at 1:30 at the Nagoya Geijutsu Sōzō Center, we will hold a meeting of "Daily Word" listeners, after which I will preach at the English language worship service of Nagoya Union Church. You are invited to these meetings. --Clark Offner (3893)
Robert Frost (92/03/26)
Robert Frost, one of the most popular American poets of the 20th century was born 118 years ago today, on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California. Following his father's death, when he was ten years old, he accompanied his Scottish mother to New England where he grew up. After studying at both Dartmouth and Harvard, getting married at 20 and trying various jobs, he settled on a farm in New Hampshire and taught in local schools. It was when he went to England in 1912, that his poetic ability was recognized and encouraged. Returning to the United States, he taught at various universities while writing poetry and received the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times between 1924 and 1943. Frost wrote lyrically of the people and landscape of New England, but his poems are filled with symbolism that transcends regional boundaries. For example, the importance and lasting effect of a brave, if seemingly minor, choice is made clear in his poem, 'The Road not Taken';
Kanpa (92/03/27)
Among the many words that have entered Japanese from other languages and are frequently used these days is 'Kanpa'. What language do you think this word comes from? It does not come from English, German, French nor Portuguese. Rather, it comes from the Russian word 'Kampaniia', which I presume has the same Latin root as the English word "campaign", for it also denotes political activity. In Japanese, 'kanpa' is used for raising money by appealing to the general public and thus is a shortened form of 'shikin kanpa'. There are other Japanese words with the same pronunciation. One has to do with weather and literally means cold wave. Another, composed of Chinese characters meaning look and break, signifies seeing or breaking through the barrier hiding another's motive, that is to say, reading another's mind. You are invited to attend the "Daily Word" Fellowship meeting at the Nagoya Geijutsu Sōzō Center on Sunday afternoon at 1:30. I hope there will not be a climatic 'kanpa' that will keep people from attending. Since I am not so good when it comes to the psychological 'kanpa', those who attend will have to verbally elucidate their thoughts about the theme for the meeting, which is Sumo and Baseball. And we will have a small monetary 'kanpa' to pay for the room rental and my wife's homemade refreshments. -- Clark Offner (3895)
Missed Boat (92/03/28)
From the interior city of Xian, my wife and I flew to the Chinese capital of Beijing. There, we joined other tourists in group tours of famous sightseeing spots. We walked around Tiananmen Square, where pro-democratic, anti-government protests were mercilessly suppressed by government troops a couple of years later. We visited famous temples and toured the Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City. A bit of unprogrammed excitement for the two of us occurred on our visit to the beautiful Summer Palace. We went with a tour group on a bus, which was parked in the parking lot while the group members dispersed to go on their own to various sites on the huge palace grounds. This group was scheduled to board a boat at a certain time to go across a small lake back to the parking lot. My wife and I thought we had enough time to make the climb through various corridors and staircases to the topmost building in the palace and return to the pier to board the boat with the other members of the tour group. The only problem was that too many other people were in the narrow passageways at the same time and it was impossible to move as fast as we had planned. As a result, we missed the boat by a couple of minutes and had to walk and run around the lake to the parking lot. Fortunately, we arrived there before the bus had left. -- Clark Offner (3896)
Keeping the Law (92/03/29)
The basic core of the Old Testament is the Law of Moses and conservative Jewish teachers of Jesus' day considered strict obedience to that Law as the only way to gain God's approval. In the first part of his so-called Sermon on the Mount, found in chapter 5 of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus gave his interpretation of that Law. He stated that he did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it [17]. He also said that people needed to be yet more faithful in keeping the Law than the religious leaders of his day [20]. He then indicated how his interpretation of the Law and Jewish tradition differed from the popular understanding [21-48]. Whereas teachers of the Law were content to follow the letter of the Law in an external sense, Jesus emphasized the inner implications of true obedience. He taught that not only killing people is wrong, but the inner anger that incites the act of murder is sinful. Not only the outward act of adultery, but the inner lustful thought is wrong. Instead of the Old Testament doctrine of retaliation, he advocated love, even for enemies. While some religious people are content if formal, ritualistic traditions or rules are observed, Jesus insisted that the inner attitude of a person's heart is of primary importance. -- Clark Offner (3897)
Neko ni Katsuo-bushi (92/03/02)
Territories (92/03/03)
Kawa (92/03/04)
Shōyu (92/03/05)
Frozen Foods (92/03/06)
In a Chinese Church (92/03/07)
Christian Ministry (92/03/08)
Taizan Meidō (92/03/09)
"Daily Word" (92/03/10)
Guy (92/03/11)
Undōkai (92/03/12)
Fear of Thirteen (92/03/13)
The Wrong Place (92/03/14)
Conversion (92/03/15)
Yōtō Kuniku (92/03/16)
Camp Fire Girls (92/03/17)
Rudolf Diesel (92/03/18)
Lese Majesty (92/03/19)
Vernal Equinox (92/03/20)
Xian (92/03/21)
Transfiguration (92/03/22)
Neta Ko o Okosu (92/03/23)
Sequoias (92/03/24)
Arturo Toscanini (92/03/25)
Robert Frost (92/03/26)
Kanpa (92/03/27)
Missed Boat (92/03/28)
Keeping the Law (92/03/29)
A Drop in the Bucket (92/03/30)
Sumo and Baseball (92/03/31)
Samuel (92/03/01)
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference."
It takes courage to choose the road less travelled, but that may be the road to a genuinely more satisfying life. --Clark Offner (3894)