Light
June
Concert on the Green
Celibacy
Balls and Ball Games
Flag Day
Crosses/Swastikas
Hobo Social
Sushi
Fur/Fir/Fire
Korean War
Indians
Monarchies
Light
02/06/02
Japanese speakers of English find it difficult to distinguish between "r" and "l" sounds, so words such as "light" and "right", "rite" or "write" are often confused. In fact, there are two different English words spelled l-i-g-h-t and pronounced the same. As the opposite of "heavy", "light" denotes something of relatively little weight, but as the opposite of "dark", "light" is much more difficult to define. In the Chinese ideogram for "light" is the character for "fire", an ancient source of light. Along the sidewalks that link the homes of residents and meeting places on the spacious grounds of this Penney Retirement Community are a number of tall lampposts that provide light for those walking along the sidewalks after dark. A few weeks ago, the lamppost near our residence was knocked over by a pickup truck while backing up after making a delivery. Recently, the lamppost was repaired and is once again "enlightening" the neighborhood. Now, however, the light which is brighter than before, brightens up my bedroom at night and provided the inspiration for this message. How different dark areas become if there are sources of light available that enable us to see our surroundings more clearly and to find our way along dark paths. This is also true in regard to the dark areas of our lives, when we are confused, saddened or depressed and desire light along the way. An ancient poet called God's Word "a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" in Psalm 119:105 and in John 8:12, Jesus made this amazing claim: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (427)
June
02/06/05
This sixth month of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar, is called June. This English name is derived from the Latin name, which may be related to "juniors", a month dedicated to young people. But it may also be related to Juno, the wife of the chief Roman god, Jupiter. Juno, considered the "queen of heaven," was said to be the "protector of women" and the "guardian of marriages" and over the centuries, June has been a favorite month for marriages. My wife and I were both born in the month of December and we were both married in the month of June. Along with April and May, June is also used as a girl's name. In this retirement community of approximately 470 residents, we try to remember one another's name. Looking in the directory, I find that there are 4 ladies whose names are June. However, there are 4 others named Jane, 3 named Joan and 6 more whose names are Jean. Thus, it is not always easy to remember which name goes with which face. We have been reminded that this is the beginning of the hurricane season on the Atlantic Ocean. In Japan, although the "rainy season," lasting about a month, usually begins the middle of June, the traditional name of this month in the lunar calendar literally means "no water month." Depending on the Chinese character used, the rain that falls during the rainy season in Japan is called either "plum rain" or "mildew rain." Among Anglo-Saxons, this month was called "dry month" or "joy time." Whether the month is rainy or dry, windy or calm and engenders either plum blossoms or mildew, I pray that it will be a joyful time for you. (436)
Concert on the Green
02/06/08
Green is one of the three primary colors, along with red and blue. Because it is the color of grass and the leaves of plants, the word is found in many compound words or expressions. A "greenhouse" is a glass-enclosed structure used for cultivating plants that require controlled temperature and humidity; a "greengrocer" is a retailer of fresh fruits and vegetables and a "greenhorn" is an inexperienced or immature person. "Green" may also denote the closely mowed grass on a golf course. There is a golf course on the campus of Penney Retirement Community, but there is a larger, more exquisite one, called Magnolia Point, in a neighboring town. On this spacious golf course, surrounded by magnolia trees, a concert is held every spring called "Concert on the Green," which we recently attended. In the afternoon, people gathered on the golf course and sat at picnic tables, on folding chairs or on the ground and enjoyed eating or talking while listening to various musical groups, both instrumental and vocal. A special area of folding chairs was reserved for residents of this retirement community. At small tents around the golf course, art work was on display and food and drinks were sold. Before the main concert began at 8 o'clock, four skydivers jumped from an airplane that flew overhead and drifted under colorful parachutes to a landing point on the golf course. Then the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, sitting under a large tent, began its concert of both classical and modern music. As the performance drew to a close, fireworks were set off in a nearby location, bringing an end to a very enjoyable evening. (433)
Celibacy
02/06/09
In some religious traditions, ascetic practices are encouraged and considered beneficial. Such practices include the rejection of bodily pleasures through sustained self-denial with the aim of strengthening one's spiritual life and gaining enlightenment or salvation. Asceticism is the rule for those monks who live together in monasteries. Monks and monasteries are found in certain traditions of both Buddhism and Christianity and one of the ascetic requirements in those "brotherhoods" is celibacy--remaining unmarried and refraining from sexual intercourse. In the Roman Catholic Church, since the 7th century, celibacy has been a requirement for priests, whether they live in a monastery or serve as pastors of churches. There is no such requirement for pastors of Protestant churches, where it is emphasized that salvation is based solely on the grace of God and not dependent on any meritorious works of human beings. At the present time, in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America, there is a controversy regarding whether or not the requirement for priests to be celibate should be continued. Although not having family responsibilities permits priests to concentrate more fully on their religious activities, there is an increasing feeling that celibacy may stimulate unhealthy behavior. This is the result of the numerous accusations of priests engaging in sexual acts with young people in their churches which have been concealed by church leaders. In Matthew 19:10-12, Jesus gives various reasons why men do not marry, one of which is for a spiritual purpose.(434)
Balls and Ball Games
02/06/12
One kind of "ball" is a formal gathering for social dancing. As a slang term, "ball" may signify a very enjoyable time or experience. Some people have a "ball" watching ball games. The round, movable object used in many sports is called a "ball." There are a variety of sizes and kinds of such balls. Some are solid, others are hollow. Some are small and others are large. A ping-pong ball is hollow and is hit with a paddle on a ping-pong table. It is smaller than a golf ball, which is solid and hit with a club on a golf course. A billiard ball is a little larger and hit with a cue on a pool table. A tennis ball is hollow and hit with a racket on a tennis court. It is a bit smaller than a baseball, which is hit with a bat on a baseball diamond. Although a softball is larger and softer than a baseball, it is not "soft." Inflated balls are used in volleyball, football and basketball. Most balls are spherical, but those used in English rugby and American football are oval. Outside of the United States of America, the term "football" denotes what Americans call "soccer." At the present time, the attention of sports lovers around the world is focused on Japan and South Korea where the 2002 World Cup games are being held. Written records suggest that a kind of football was played in China in 300 B. C. Whatever the kind of sport involved, the words the Apostle Paul wrote to a young man in the 1st century remain relevant: "if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules" (II Timothy 2:5).(437)
Flag Day
02/06/14
A "flag" is a piece of cloth of a distinctive size, shape and design, used as a symbol or emblem. Countries have national flags which its citizens are expected to respect. In the United States of America, it is common for citizens to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance" which begins: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands." The most common color in national flags is red and the second most common color is white. Only one country has a flag of only one color; the flag of Libya is all green. Twenty-eight countries have flags with only two colors. Thirteen of them are red and white, including Japan. Twenty-four flags combine the colors of red, white and blue, including that of the United States of America. It was on June 14, 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted the following resolution: "That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union [the upper rectangle next to the staff] be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." Consequently, June 14 has been designated Flag Day in the U. S. A. The flag with 13 stripes and 13 stars was used until 1795, when two more states were admitted to the Union. At that time, two more stripes and two more stars were added, but later Congress determined that the flag should have only 13 stripes, symbolizing the 13 original states and that a new star is to be added when a new state is admitted. Thus the present flag on this Flag Day contains 13 stripes and 50 stars. (439)
Crosses/Swastikas
02/06/16
A cross is the basic Christian symbol, reminding believers of Jesus' death on a cross which demonstrated the extent of God's love for sinful human beings. There are many different shapes and sizes of this symbol. The most common one, called a Latin cross, has the vertical arm a little longer than the horizontal arm. In a Greek cross, both arms are the same length, resembling a plus sign. St. Andrew's cross is in the shape of an X, while a Tau cross has the shape of a T. A Greek cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction is called a "swastika." On some Japanese maps, Latin crosses represent Christian churches while swastikas identify Buddhist temples. This may be surprising to Westerners because the swastika was the despised symbol of Nazi Germany. In the Nazi swastika, however, the arms of the cross are bent in a clockwise direction while those representing Buddhist temples are bent in the opposite direction. In fact, this kind of swastika is an ancient symbol that is found among Greeks and Persians, Indians and Native Americans. The Sanskrit word has the meaning of "well-being, success, good luck." For the Aryans of India, it represented the motion of the sun across the sky, a symbol of goodness and regenerative power. Greeks and Persians considered it a symbol of prosperity and happiness and for Native Americans, it was a sign of peace. So it is that symbols can be imbued with different meanings and the Greek cross, the Latin cross and the swastika will inspire different feelings depending on the viewer. (438)
Hobo Social
02/06/19
During the hot summer months, a number of residents of this retirement community leave to take trips to cooler areas up north or elsewhere. Some of them visit relatives; others return to their home areas or go on excursions. Consequently during the summer season, some activities in the community are canceled but those of us who remain become busier as we continue the volunteer work of those who go away. There is one additional activity that is scheduled during the summer, however. It is a monthly summer social in the meeting hall. A "social" is an informal gathering of people for recreation or amusement. The June gathering was called a "Hobo Social." Those who attended were urged to dress like hobos and prizes were awarded to those considered special. A "hobo" is similar to a "vagrant" or a "tramp," who travels from place to place on foot doing odd jobs or begging for a living, but this word is especially used for migratory laborers who follow seasonal jobs such as crop picking or who work on construction jobs. It is different than a "bum," who does not work but seeks to live by begging. The origin of the word "hobo" is uncertain. It may be derived from "hoe boy," a migratory farm worker, or from a greeting "Ho! Beau!" used between the workers themselves, or from the call "Ho, boy" used by railroad mail handlers in the Northwestern United States in the 1880s as they tossed mailbags from trains. In the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, verses 19-31, Jesus told a story about a beggar and a rich man whose respective situations were reversed following their deaths. (444)
Sushi
02/06/21
In my American English dictionary, the definition of "sushi" is: "A Japanese dish consisting of thin slices of fresh raw fish or seaweed wrapped around a cake of cooked rice." In my Japanese-English dictionary, however, following the three different ways of writing that Japanese word, the definition is: "boiled rice and other food flavored with vinegar." There are many different kinds of the uniquely Japanese dish known as "sushi", but in American thought, raw fish is always included in it and most Americans cannot imagine eating raw fish and enjoying it. In our later years in Japan, it was the custom of my wife and me to eat at a nearby restaurant with our son, his Japanese wife and their children on Friday evenings. Usually, we let the children decide on the restaurant, which alternated between one specializing in Japanese flat noodles (kishimen), Chinese food, Italian pizza or sushi. In the center of the sushi shop, chefs made various kinds of sushi which they placed on small dishes on a conveyer belt that circulated around the diners seated at the counter or at tables who took off a dish they desired as it passed by. When a diner called out for a certain kind of sushi, a chef would make it and place it on the conveyor. When diners finished eating, a waitress counted the dishes they had taken and informed them of the charge. Recently, my wife and I visited a Japanese restaurant in a nearby town and enjoyed eating sushi. The problem of whether or not to eat certain foods and the attitudes of those who eat and those who refuse to do so is considered in chapter 14 of Paul's Letter to the Romans. (435)
Fur/Fir/Fire
02/06/23
One of the basic characteristics of the English language is the great irregularity in the spelling and pronunciation of words. There are two three-letter words beginning with f and ending with r that are pronounced the same even though they have a different vowel. The word spelled f-u-r denotes the thick coat of soft hair covering the body of various animals. The fur of some animals has been used to make garments for human beings. The word spelled f-i-r signifies a certain kind of evergreen tree that bears flat needles and erect cones. When an e is added to this word, the e is not pronounced, but the pronunciation of the vowel between the f and the r is changed and the new word denotes a chemical reaction that releases heat and light. Recently there have been extraordinary fires in the western part of the United States of America that have destroyed many fir trees and caused great upheavals among both the furry animals and the human beings who live those areas. Many homes have been destroyed and both people and animals have had to leave their habitats. Such fires become especially possible following very dry weather and are spread by gusty winds. The person who is found guilty of causing such a fire bears a great responsibility. In the 2nd chapter of the New Testament Letter of James, the human tongue is compared to a fire which must be kept under control for it can cause great harm if it is not. "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire." Reading of the destructive forest fires, let us resolve to keep our tongues under control. (447)
Korean War
02/06/26
The mountainous peninsula east of China that lies between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan is called Korea in English. The history of the Korean people extends for over two thousand years. Although the treaty that concluded the Sino-Japanese War in 1895 recognized its complete independence, Japan forcibly annexed Korea 15 years later. At the end of World War II, the area north of the 38th parallel was occupied by Soviet troops and the area south of it by Americans. As the so-called Cold War between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. developed, two different governments were organized and 22 years ago, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces launched an invasion across the 38th parallel into South Korea. The war between the Communist forces, which eventually included the Chinese army, and the United Nations forces led by Americans, lasted for three years. When an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, what had been accomplished? There was a minor change in the dividing line, but there were over 54,000 Americans killed and 103,000 wounded while North and South Korean casualties were over ten times as high. For the Japanese people, however, a startling example of democratic procedure was provided when General MacArthur, the American military commander in chief, who had been the actual ruler of Japan since the end of the Pacific War, was suddenly relieved of his military duties by President Truman for publicly disagreeing with the President, his civilian commander in chief. Such an action would have been impossible in Japan under the reign of the militarists which even the Emperor had to recognize. (445)
Indians
02/06/28
When Christopher Columbus made his historic trip across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492, he mistakenly thought that the land he reached was the Indies in Asia. Consequently, he called the natives of those islands "Indians." Later, when his mistake was recognized, the large group of islands between the continents of North and South America were called the West Indies, in contrast to the East Indies, which include India and other areas in southeast Asia. Thus, the word "Indian" now has two very different meanings. Nowadays, in the United States of America, it has become more acceptable to use the term "Native American" instead of "Indian" to refer to the native inhabitants of this land. There are a number of terms in American English that contain the word "Indian," including "Indian club," "Indian corn," "Indian file," "Indian giver," "Indian meal," "Indian pudding" and "Indian summer." One of the most embarrassing elements in American history is the way Native Americans were treated by the European invaders and colonists and how they have been dealt with over the years until the present time. There have been many treaties between native groups and government officials that have not been kept and the situation of many Native Americans on the reservations to which they were forced to move is even now pitiable and inexcusable. As we consider the state of affairs in our own and other lands, we can find many reasons for the frustration expressed by terrorists against authorities which have the power to effect changes that would alleviate unfair conditions of the past and present. (446)
Monarchies
02/06/30
A "monarchy" is an area over which there is a single ruler, or "monarch." If the ruler is called a "king" or "queen," the area over which the "monarch" rules may be called a "kingdom." In certain Arabic countries, rulers called "emirs" or "sultans" ruled over "emirates" or "sultanates." When territories extended over a wider area and included a variety of national units, the result was an "empire" ruled by an "emperor" or "empress." There have been many famous kingdoms and empires in the past and there are a number of countries called "kingdoms" today, but there is no longer an "empire" even though one country, Japan, continues to call its head of state an "emperor." Although the types of government in both Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are very similar, in the "World Almanac," Japan is said to have a "parliamentary democracy" while the United Kingdom has a "constitutional monarchy." In both countries, a clear distinction is made between the "head of state," (the "queen" in Great Britain, the "emperor" in Japan) and the "head of government." In both countries, the "head of government" is called a "prime minister." Article 1 of the Japanese Constitution clearly states that "The Emperor shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power." A basic element in the teaching of Jesus was related to the "Kingdom of God." He told many parables about it, but in Luke 17: 20-21, he made clear that this kingdom has a spiritual rather than a political or geographical meaning. (443)