Messages of other months can be read by clicking HERE

Frustration
A Memorial Service
May
Twins
Mother's Day
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
"Kimigayo"/"Hinomaru"
Pentecost/Whitsunday
Highways
Cane/Cain
Memorial Day
Middle East Muddle
Whose Land?

Frustration
02/05/03

This past week has been the most frustrating week in my life and I presume regular readers of "Timely Words" have also been frustrated. I repeatedly called AOL to find out why I could not view my homepage. After following the automated instructions, pressing the proper numbers on my push-button telephone and being informed that all service representatives were serving other callers and that I should call later--or that I could wait for "approximately 5 minutes" (which was greatly mistaken), I was sometimes able to speak to a living person. After replying to that person's questions, I was able to ask why I could not access my homepage. I also sent e-mail messages to AOL. Finally, the response was that there was a problem with the system and it was uncertain when service would be restored. Even after a message from Japan indicated the homepage was again accessible there, I could not view it. I am sorry that many readers have also been frustrated and I hope the problem has now been solved. The word "frustrate" is derived from a Latin word meaning "disappoint" and I found the following quotation of Stanley Rudin that appeared in "The New York Times" on August 22, 1963. Thankfully, it is not always true. "Frustrate a Frenchman, he will drink himself to death; an Irishman, he will die of angry hypertension; a Dane, he will shoot himself; an American, he will get drunk, shoot you, then establish a million dollar aid program for your relatives. Then he will die of an ulcer." Recalling the words of Romans 8:28, this American is asking God to bring about some good result despite the frustrations. (422)

A Memorial Service
02/05/05

The reason for the recent trip my wife and I took to the West Coast was to attend the memorial service for the wife of her brother, who had succumbed to cancer a few days earlier. As we attended the impressive service, I was reminded of the comment made by a Japanese lady while I was conducting research on what is called "ancestor worship" in Japan. I had contacted the Japanese relatives of passengers killed when an airplane crashed into a mountain in New Zealand who were permitted to perform traditional Buddhist rituals during the memorial service in a Christian Church in Auckland to ask their impressions of the difference between Buddhist and Christian memorial observances for the dead. She noted her amazement at the bright, joyful atmosphere in the church in contrast to the dark, gloomy atmosphere of Buddhist observances. At the memorial service in Walnut Creek, California, a solo was sung by a granddaughter, a duet by two daughters-in-law and choruses by the congregation. On screens in the front of the sanctuary, pictures of the deceased on various occasions were projected and meaningful, happy reminiscences were given by her two sons and her husband. The sadness of her departure was overwhelmed by the joyful faith that she is now enjoying fullness of life in the presence of her Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:20-23, that "to die is gain" and he desired "to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" than to remain on this earth. The exemplary, memorable and exuberant faith of Shirley Stevens was gratefully recognized by all who attended.(421)

May
02/05/08

This fifth month of the year is called May. In the North Temperate Zone in which the European Union, the United States of America, China and Japan are all located, it is springtime, a time of merriment and hope. There is a saying in the United States that "April showers bring Mayflowers." "Mayflower" is a common noun denoting pretty flowers that bloom in May, but as a proper noun, it was the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims from England to New England during a two-month voyage in the year 1620. According to an English ballad, "There are twelve months in all the year, As I hear many men say, But the merriest month in all the year Is the merry month of May." Edwin Way Teale, an American editor, writer and naturalist, has written: "The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May." The first day of this merry month of May, called May Day, is one of the oldest festival times in the West, dating back to the spring festivities of both the Romans and the Celts, rejoicing in the arrival of spring and the rebirth of nature. In England, on May Day, it is customary for people to dance around a decorated "maypole." In this Penney Retirement Community, May Day this year was a special day filled with various activities, including a parade, square dancing, dancing around a maypole and a general meeting at which the community band played, men's and women's choruses sang and community leaders spoke. It was the climax of a year of special events commemorating the 75th anniversary of PRC. May this month of May be a merry, hopeful and meaningful month for you. (423)

Twins
02/05/11

"Twins" denote two children born at the same time from the same mother, but two identical or similar animals or things may also be called "twins." The two similar towers of the World Trade Center in New York City which were destroyed in the widely publicized terrorist attack were called "Twin Towers." One of the constellations seen in the sky at night is called Gemini, from the Latin word for "twins". In it are the two stars named Castor and Pollux, who were the twin sons of Jupiter and Leda in classical mythology. Recently, my wife and I visited a couple who are also residents in this retirement community. We found out that the 77-year-old wife has a twin sister and that, from childhood, these two sisters resembled each other both physically and mentally. In school, their favorite subjects and their grades were the same. When their mother took them separately to the store, they were both attracted to the same objects and, after getting married and moving to another state, for the first three years, the birthday cards they chose to send to each other were identical. In a cute poem by H. S. Leigh, entitled "The Twins", we find these words: "In form and feature, face and limb / I grew so like my brother / That folks got taking me for him / And each for one another." "For one of us was born a twin / And not a soul knew which." In the latter half of the 25th chapter of the Old Testament book of Genesis, there is the story of a woman who gave birth to twin boys who were very different from each other and whose jostling began in their mother's womb. (424)

Mother's Day
02/05/12

The first sounds made by a newborn infant include a repetitive "ma-ma". This is probably the origin of the word "mama" or "mamma", which may mean either "mother" or the mammary gland that secretes milk found in all female mammals. This raises the question of what sounds are made by Japanese infants when they look at their mothers, called "haha" in Japanese--but I don't think the infant smiles when making its first sounds. The Chinese ideogram for "haha", also used in Japanese, originally portrayed a woman with visible breasts, or mamma. For over ninety years, the second Sunday in May has been celebrated as Mother's Day in the United States of America and now this special day is recognized around the world. The apostrophe in this term could be put either before or after the "s", but when put before the "s", the emphasis is on each individual mother rather than on all mothers together. On May 9, 1907, Anna Jarvis invited friends to her home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the second anniversary of her mother's death. There, she told of her plan to make her mother's dream of a nationwide day in honor of mothers, living and deceased, a reality. As a result of her efforts, within a few years Mother's Day services were held throughout the country and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, responding to a joint resolution of Congress, issued a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May the day to honor mothers. Although in the Bible, God is usually portrayed as a father, we also find these words in Isaiah 66:13: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you." (426)

Mother's Day
02/05/12

"The Star-Spangled Banner"
02/05/15

On March 3, 1931, the Congress of the United States of America designated a poem written 117 years earlier and set to a tune used as the anthem of amateur musicians' clubs in England as the nation's national anthem. The poem, written by a lawyer, Francis Scott Key, during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States, is called "The Star-Spangled Banner." A cloth with words or a symbol on it tied to a staff may be called a "banner." "Spangle" denotes a small, sparkling object but when used as a verb means "to sparkle." Mr. Key was on his way to a British ship to try to secure the release of an American citizen held by the British at the time of the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, near Baltimore. For 25 hours, the bombardment continued. More than 1500 shells were fired, each weighing as much as 100 kilograms, but the attack was unsuccessful. That night, September 13, 1814, Mr. Key wrote the poem that began with the question, "Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?" included mention of the flag's "broad stripes and bright stars," and ended with another question: "Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?" The flag that Mr. Key saw that night had 15 stars and 15 stripes for it was four years later that Congress determined that the national flag would have 13 stripes to symbolize the original 13 states with an extra star added for each additional state. Now, there are 50 stars in that "star-spangled banner" which continues to wave over this land. (409)

"Kimigayo"/"Hinomaru"
02/05/17

The Japanese national anthem is called "Kimigayo", which are the first words of that song. Although it had been sung at school ceremonies on national holidays for over a hundred years previously, it was not officially designated the national anthem until 1999. The tune for the ancient poem was chosen from ancient court music in 1880. My personal translation of the poem is as follows: "May your era (reign) last for thousands of generations, until a small pebble becomes a great rock covered with moss." In modern Japanese, "kimi" ("you") may be used for a close companion or a subordinate, but during the militaristic period it was associated with the Emperor, which, in the minds of many, makes this poem unsuitable as a national anthem in modern Japan. The national flag of Japan, consisting of a red disc in the center of a white field, is called "hinomaru", literally meaning "round sun". In 1854, this flag was approved for use on Japanese ships to distinguish them from foreign ships. It then was generally used as the national flag but was not officially designated such until August 1999, at the same time that "Kimigayo" was officially made the national anthem. Because of its association with the militarists during the war, some Japanese advocate changing the national flag as well as the national anthem. The national anthems of both the U. S. A. and Japan are dated, reflect the feeling of a certain period of the nation's history and are not the most suitable songs for these countries today, but it is difficult to change ingrained customs that generate a firm nationalistic feeling. (410)

Pentecost/Whitsunday

02/05/19
There are a number of English words beginning with the prefix "penta" or "pent" derived from a Greek word for "five." A "pentagon" is a plane figure having five side and five angles. When spelled with a capital P, it denotes the building in Arlington, Virginia, in the shape of a pentagon in which the offices of the United States Military Establishment are located. The first five books of the Bible, in which the Jewish Law is found, are called the Pentateuch. In the Jewish calendar, an agricultural festival, called the Feast of Weeks because it was held seven weeks after the Feast of Passover, was also called "Pentecost", from the Greek word for "fifty". On that fiftieth day after the consecration of the harvest season, the first fruits of the harvest were offered to God. According to the 2nd chapter of the New Testament book of "The Acts of the Apostles," it was on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and filled the followers of Jesus who were gathered together in Jerusalem. Consequently, Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Christian Church. After being empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus' apostles became his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" as Jesus foretold in Acts 1:8. This fiftieth day after Easter has always been an important festival in the Christian Church. It always falls on Sunday and it was customary for new believers in England to be baptized on that day, wearing white garments. From this custom, another name for this day was coined. It is called Whitsunday, for "White Sunday". (425)

Highways
02/05/22

Recently, while driving on a highway, I wondered why certain roads were called "highways". In the United States of America, there are local, state, national and interstate highways. Obviously, not all "highways" run on elevated strips of land, but "high" does not always mean the opposite of "low." It may also denote something or someone lofty in rank and considered superior as seen in such terms as "highborn," "high court," "high school" and "high priest." Highways are normally of better quality than regular roads. Local governments are responsible for the maintenance of local highways; state governments maintain state highways and the national government is responsible for national and interstate highways. There are no stop signs nor traffic lights at intersections on interstate highways. Thus once a car enters an interstate highway, there is usually no need to stop until one exits the highway. One interstate highway runs for almost 4700 kilometers from the east coast to the west coast, from Boston to Seattle and the Pan American Highway extends for some 26,000 kilometers from northwest Alaska to Chile. While some of the present highways follow trails first formed by people traveling on foot or on horseback, others were determined by factors related to motor vehicles. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, there is a reference to a "highway" to be prepared in the desert or the wilderness for the coming of God (40:3-5) and in the New Testament, this is said to have been fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus, the Christ (Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:1-4; Luke 3:1-6). (428)

Cane/Cain
02/05/25

About ten percent of the 470 residents in this retirement community have passed their 90th birthday. Some of them use a cane when they walk. The slender, hollow stems of certain plants are called "canes" and the tropical grass called "sugar cane" is the main source of sugar. Probably, the first canes used by people as an aid in walking came from canes such as bamboo or rattan. The stick used to beat another may also be called a "cane", so when used as a verb, "cane" means to "beat with a cane." But the slang expression "raise Cain," uses a different word which is spelled with a capital C. This expression is rooted in the Biblical story about the first human family, found in the 4th chapter of Genesis. There it is written that Cain was the name of the first son of Adam and Eve. Cain became jealous of his younger brother, Abel, who found favor in the eyes of God while Cain did not. As a result, Cain became angry and killed his brother, becoming the first murderer. The expression to "raise Cain" means "to create a great commotion, to cause much trouble." Part of Cain's judgment was that he would become "a restless wanderer on the earth." According to a poem, entitled "The Rebel Scot," by the English cavalier poet, John Cleveland, "Had Cain been Scot, God would have changed his doom, Nor forced him to wander, but confined him home." Today's message was stimulated by the question of a newcomer on campus: "Did you know a missionary in Japan whose surname was 'Cain'?" in fact, I did and I had just returned from taking a 90-year-old neighbor to the airport who was flying to Japan and used a cane.(429)

Memorial Day
02/05/26

It is customary in all cultures to remember relatives, friends or respected elders after their deaths in some way. In Japanese, it is interesting that the day of one's death is called "meinichi," which literally means "life day" and that day of the month or of the year is regularly observed in some way as that person's "death day." In Japan, three times a year all those who have died are remembered: the week centered around the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, when the sun sets directly in the west, the direction of "paradise" in Japanese Buddhist thought, and during the "Bon Festival" in the middle of July when departed spirits are said to return home. At those times, it is customary for people to visit graveyards. In the United States of America, it was following the Civil War, in the middle of the 19th century, that a special day was designated to visit the graves of soldiers killed in battle during that war. The first national Memorial Day in the U. S. A., was observed on May 30, 1868. Because decorations were placed on the graves on that day, it was also called Decoration Day. Originally, it was a day to honor those who had died during the Civil War, but later those who died serving their country during the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnamese Wars were also honored. Now, it is a day to honor the memory of all deceased persons, civilian as well as military, and the holiday has been changed from May 30th to the last Monday of May. As we remember those who have passed away, we should consider what kind of memories others will have of us after our demise. (430)

Middle East Muddle
02/05/29

In news reports these days, we often read or hear about the situation in the "Mideast," the area on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, published in 1960, however, that area is designated the "Near East" and "Middle East" denotes countries further east, but not as far as the "Far East" which includes China and Japan. In that dictionary, the term "Middle West," or "Midwest" denotes "that part of the United States between the Rocky Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains." Obviously, when we use such terms as "middle," "near" and "far," their meaning depends on the standpoint of the speaker, or writer, and it is from the European viewpoint that the terms "Near East," "Middle East" and "Far East" were determined. At the present time, it is not only the demarcations of the "Near" or "Middle East," that are indefinite, but the national boundaries of the countries of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Israel as well as the unofficial state of Palestine, are also unclear. To justify certain opinions or positions, relevant (or irrelevant) portions of the Bible are often quoted, but the Bible has been used over the centuries to support or justify many contrary positions and the diligent researcher can find Biblical support for any opinion--depending on his particular interpretation. Hopefully, national and world leaders will finally recognize the need to rationally and peacefully discuss the problems facing the area and find a way to solve this Middle East Muddle. "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding" (Proverbs 3:13). (431)

Whose Land?
02/05/31

The problem in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians, between Jews and Arabs, is not completely different from what has occurred in many other places in the world where earlier residents of certain areas were forcibly pushed out by immigrants from elsewhere. Land on the North American continent was forcibly seized by European immigrants from across the ocean as Native Americans were killed or forced to settle on reservations determined by the intruders with their superior weapons. And the ancestors of the present Japanese people pushed out the Ainu, the earlier inhabitants of the islands, who now live primarily on the northern islands. The British Isles also were inhabited by Celts and Picts before being overrun by the Anglo-Saxons from the continent. Even today, there is some confusion regarding the usage of the words "English" and "British". England is one of the three countries on the island of Great Britain, along with Wales and Scotland. Thus, "British" includes the Welsh and the Scots as well as the English. In fact, the "British Isles" include Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands as well as Great Britain and the official name of the nation that now governs the British Isles is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It would be very difficult to determine the original inhabitants of any place in the world who could claim to be the rightful owners of that land. In one sense, all people might be included in the expression found in the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 13-14: "strangers . . . on the earth . . . seeking a homeland." (432)