Fog
Importance of Religion
Bones of St. Nicholas
Play and Plays
Bridges
Movable Holidays
Janus
Cycles
Jury Summons
Gold Rush
Perfection/Maturity
Plans
Mechanization

Fog
03/01/02

It is my custom to play tennis with other aging residents of this retirement community for a couple of hours a couple of times a week. We meet at the tennis courts at 7 o'clock in the morning throughout the year. At this time of year, it is still somewhat dark when we begin playing and recently, our visibility was lessened further because of fog. Fog is condensed water vapor. The clouds in the sky consist of such water vapor, but when such clouds are just above the surface of the earth, the result is fog, or mist. Fog lessens the visibility of car drivers and has been a factor in highway accidents. It is difficult to see clearly in fog so this term may also denote "a state of mental confusion or bewilderment." The person who is "in a fog" is mentally confused and is not sure what is happening. In our retirement community, there are many old people, some of whom are "in a fog," but in a poem of the English poet, Robert Browning, entitled "Christmas Eve," there is a reference to "the natural fog of the good man's mind." And Carl Sandburg, an American poet, wrote the following poem entitled "Fog."

                The fog comes 
                on little cat feet. 
                It sits looking
                over the harbor and city 
                on silent haunches 
                and then moves on. 

Importance of Religion
03/01/04

Recently the results of an international poll on the importance of religion in the lives of citizens of various countries were published. According to that poll of 38,000 people in 46 languages last year, religion is more important to Americans than to citizens of other industrialized countries. In the U. S. A., 59 percent of the respondents said that religion is "very important" in their lives, compared to 33 percent in Britain, 30 percent in Canada, 27 percent in Italy, 25 percent in South Korea, 21 percent in Germany, 12 percent in Japan and 11 percent in France. But religiosity in the United States was exceeded by that in all 10 African nations that were polled, by six countries in Latin America and by six in Asia. The most religious country was Senegal, on the west coast of Africa, 97 percent of whose citizens replied that religion was "very important" in their lives. Other Muslim nations also ranked high in religiosity while France and the Czech Republic ranked lowest. Religion has played an important role in what became the United States of America since before that country was officially established. Native Americans followed the traditional religious rites of their ancestors and many of the early settlers from Europe came to this land with deeply held religious beliefs which influenced the social, educational and political spheres of life. For many people, "religion" is related to rituals, but Jesus repeatedly emphasized the inner, spiritual element and the first chapter of the Letter of James ends with the assertion that true religion is seen in helping those in need and in purity of life. (526)

Bones of St. Nicholas
03/01/08

In the New Testament letters to churches, all believers are included in the designation "saint," literally meaning "holy one," but now in Catholic and Orthodox churches in particular, certain individuals considered to have lived extraordinary exemplary lives have been given the special title of "Saint." Each of the men and women who have been canonized (officially recognized as "saints") have been given a certain day as their "feast day," when they are especially remembered. One of the most popular saints is St. Nicholas and his feast day is December 6th. Early Dutch settlers in New York brought with them their traditional customs related to the feast day of this saint, who became known as Santa Claus in English, and various legends related to him became associated with the Christmas season. A recent newspaper article reported that The Santa Claus Foundation, based in Turkey, which is mainly Muslim, is requesting Italy to return the bones of St. Nicholas to the Turkish city where he was born and served as bishop. These bones are said to have been stolen by pirates in the 11th century and taken to Italy, where they have been enshrined in the St. Nicholas Basilica in the city of Bari. Hundreds of Orthodox believers gather in the church built in his honor in the Turkish city of Demre on December 6th, but his bones remain in the church built in his honor in Italy. If his bones were returned to the church in Turkey, they would certainly attract more people to that church, but in my understanding of true worship (which should be directed to God alone), such physical elements are unnecessary. (527)

Play and Plays
03/01/11

Some English words have a great variety of meanings which makes accurate communication difficult and precise translation almost impossible. Consider, for example, the word "play." In The American Heritage Dictionary I regularly use, there are 13 definitions of this word as an intransitive verb, 15 as a transitive verb and 10 as a noun. A number of these definitions are subdivided yet further. Some residents of this retirement community play musical instruments. Others play golf. Personally, I enjoy playing tennis a couple of times a week. I have also played in a play on a stage in front of an audience and regular readers of these messages are also aware that I like to play with words. There are also a number of expressions that include the word "play." To "play up" means to call attention to and to "play down" means to give less emphasis to. In the middle of the state of Illinois is an industrial city named Peoria, located about midway between the more important cities of Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. The expression "play in Peoria" signifies acceptability to the uncritical masses of ordinary people. This expression comes from the custom of new plays or performances being tried out in a city like Peoria before larger cities to determine the reaction of ordinary people. Nowadays, Washington politicians are concerned about how their policies "play in Peoria." Sincere statesmen must realize that the world is not a "playground" and that weapons are not "playthings" and that how their decisions rate in the eyes of God are more important than how they "play in Peoria." (522)

Bridges
03/01/12

There are various meanings of the word "bridge" and many different kinds of "bridges." One kind of "bridge" is a card game. In this case, "bridge" is the Anglicization of a Russian game called "biritch." Bridge has become a popular game and international championship tournaments are held. But the primary meaning of "bridge" is a structure spanning and providing passage over a waterway. The double-deck road-railroad suspension bridge connecting the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku, which is over 3-and-a-half kilometers long is the longest such bridge in the world. The world's highest bridge is in the U. S. state of Colorado. It spans the Arkansas River and is about 320 meters above the water level. There are some English expressions that include the word "bridge." To "burn one's bridges" is to make a decision that you cannot change, to leave yourself no way to return. And the proverb "Don't cross a bridge till you come to it" means that we should not worry about something before it has happened. Other meanings of "bridge" include the upper bony ridge of the human nose, the thin, upright piece of wood in a stringed instrument that supports the strings above the soundboard and a fixed or removable replacement for teeth. Figuratively speaking, people also may serve as bridges across various kinds of divides. During my years in Japan, while trying to present a Christian witness there, I also tried to serve as a bridge between Japan and the United States of America and Christians believe that Jesus Christ was a kind of "bridge" between heaven and earth, between God and human beings. (529)

Movable Holidays
03/01/14

In the past, most holidays were designated on a certain day of a certain month and would be celebrated on the same day every year. In the case of holidays being determined by a lunar calendar, however, the day of celebration in the solar calendar now being used varies with the year. So it is that certain Christian or Jewish festivals, such as Easter and Hanukkah, fall on different days depending on the year. In 1968, U. S. President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation shifting the dates of certain holidays to provide Americans with an increased number of three-day weekends. In recent years, Japan has also changed certain holidays for that purpose. When my wife and I resided in Japan, January 15th was a holiday called "Seijin no Hi" ("Adults Day") on which those people who had reached the age of twenty during the previous year were officially recognized as adults and invested with all the rights of citizens. Now, that holiday has been moved to the second Monday of January. On the other hand, the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the movement for racial equality through peaceful civil disobedience, is on January 15th, but the holiday in his honor is celebrated on the third Sunday of January. There is a certain correspondence between the meaning of these two holidays for Martin Luther King's efforts were aimed at assuring the same rights be granted to all citizens regardless of their race. As mature people, let us all work to eliminate the barriers faced by some because of their place of birth, gender, race, occupation or other hindrances. (530)

Janus
03/01/18

In present-day English, the term "two-faced" does not have a good meaning when used of people. It means they are hypocritical, double-dealing or deceitful. That was not the case with the Roman deity named Janus, however. He had two faces which faced in opposite directions. He was thus able to look ahead and behind, at both the past and the future at the same time. His name is also related to the Latin word for "gate" and he was considered the god who watched over gates and doorways. He was also thought to be the god of new beginnings and the name of this first month of the year is derived from the name of this Roman god. Another English word related to "janus" is "janitor". Although now, the common meaning of this word is one who attends to the maintenance or cleaning of a building, this word may also denote a doorman or doorkeeper. The God who is revealed in the Bible is the Creator of all that is and is thus the true God of beginnings. The first words of the Bible are "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth". And the first words of the fourth Gospel are "In the beginning was the Word" followed by the assertion in verse 14 that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". Here, the Word is clearly identified with Jesus Christ, who in the last chapter of the last book in the Bible is called "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End". From the Christian/Biblical viewpoint, the beginning, the end and all the time in between is in the hands of the Almighty God who was revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus, the Christ. (073)

Cycles
03/01/20

There are a number of ways residents in this retirement community engage in physical exercise. There are exercise machines in the Fitness Center. There are a golf course, tennis courts and shuffleboard lanes as well as a swimming pool on the grounds. Some residents regularly take walks around the community which has a variety of large and pretty trees and others make use of cycles, whether bicycles or tricycles. "Cycle," derived from a Greek word meaning "circle," may also denote a time interval in which a regularly repeated event occurs. There are cycles of the moon and of the sun. The Metonic cycle, named after the 5th century B. C. Athenian astronomer who discovered it, is a period of 235 lunar months, at the end of which the phases of the moon recur in the same order and on the same days as in the preceding cycle. The cycle of the sun is a period of 28 years, after which the days of the month fall on the same days of the week as they did 28 years previously. A series of poems or songs on the same theme may also be called a "cycle." And nowadays, we often see the term "recycle." To "recycle" is to put through a cycle again, to extract and reuse useful substances found in garbage or waste. Behind the Post Office in this retirement community are a number of large containers into which waste materials are put. One is for newspapers. Another is for other paper or cardboard materials and a third one is for plastic materials. Residents are encouraged to recycle waste materials that can be reused rather than discard them with garbage that will be destroyed. And I encourage you to do the same. (528)

Jury Summons
03/01/22

One kind of "summons" is "an order issued to a person summoning him to report to court as a juror or a witness." Recently, I received such a summons from the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county in which I live here in Florida. Called a "Jury Summons," it informed me that I was being summoned to appear before the Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court in this county on a certain date in February to serve as a juror in that court. A "jury" is a body of persons, called "jurors," who are ordered to be present in a court during trial proceedings. After carefully listening to the accusations of the prosecuting attorney, the argument of the defense attorney and the testimony of witnesses, they are expected to hand down a verdict based on their appraisal of the evidence presented. Included in the letter was the following statement: "The right to trial by jury is one of the fundamental American rights guaranteed by the State and Federal Constitutions. It is the duty of every citizen to help preserve this right by serving as a juror when called upon to do so." Because I have lived most of my life in Japan, I have never before been called to serve as a juror. There are various conditions which are recognized as legitimate reasons for being excused from jury duty, including being over 70 years old. Although I could be excused on that basis, I would be happy to have the experience of serving as a juror. Unfortunately, I will be unable to appear on the stated date for I expect to be in Japan on that day where the jury system is not in effect. In Japan, verdicts are determined by judges rather than by juries. (533)

Gold Rush
03/01/23

Gold is a precious metal that has become a symbol of riches. It is found both in veins in the earth and in water flowing from areas where such veins exist. One hundred fifty-five years ago, on January 24, 1848, a carpenter overseeing the construction of a sawmill on a riverbank in northern California happened to see some gleaming pieces of metal in the river. He took some of the golden flakes to a specialist who confirmed his presumption that they were really gold. News of this discovery in a California river could not be kept a secret. When the news reached the settlements in the eastern part of the nation, what has been called the "Gold Rush" began. During the next year of 1849, an estimated 100,000 persons went west to try to "strike it rich" by digging in the surrounding hills or panning in the rivers and streams. Some "forty-niners" traveled from the east coast to the west coast by boat, sailing around South America. An estimated 55,000 made the difficult trip by horse and wagon across the Rocky Mountains. Some of those who panned in the rivers became "panhandlers," but others were successful. In 1849, 10 million dollars came from the California mines, but three years later, 8 times that amount was realized. Many of the "forty-niners" who did not become rich also settled in California instead of returning to the east. Many seekers realized the truth of William Shakespeare's statement that "All that glistens is not gold," and the ancient words of a wise man written in the 16th chapter of Proverbs, verse 16 should be remembered today: "How much better to get wisdom than gold." (531)

Perfection/Maturity
03/01/26

The Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Florida was established in 1926 as a retirement community primarily for ministers, missionaries and other Christian Church workers. Among approximately 480 current residents, there are almost 100 ordained ministers of about 25 different denominations. Many of them are called upon to preach at worship services of the Penney Memorial Church which is at the heart of the community. Recently, it was my turn to preach and my wife served as the liturgist at that service. Because it was in the middle of January, I chose a theme that was related to the Japanese holiday now celebrated on the 2nd Monday of that month, Adults Day, when those who celebrated their twentieth birthday during the preceding year are officially recognized as adults. Because of my experience in Japan, where I regularly preached sermons in Japanese, I realized the difficulty, or impossibility, of making an exact translation of words from one language to another and in my sermon preparation, I discovered that the Greek word which may be translated "mature" or "adult," was usually translated "perfect" in the classical English translation of the New Testament. I chose "Perfection/Maturity" as my sermon title and in the sermon, I cited verses that indicated characteristics of mature people, who were called "perfect' in the King James Version. Among them were: not making mistakes in what we say (James 3:2) and perseverance until our goal is attained (Philippians 3:12-16). All of us who are on the way to perfection, or maturity, should be manifesting such characteristics. (534)

Plans
03/01/29

As noted in the "Introduction" to this webpage, I began writing these "Timely Words" messages in response to the request of former listeners to/readers of my "Daily Word" telephone messages in Japan. During the 18 and a half years that telephone service continued, from September 1, 1980 to February 28, 1999, 6290 different messages were transmitted. Since beginning this "Timely Words" webpage on September 1, 1999, 535 different messages have been transmitted. Since a new message is not added daily and since previous messages can also be read or heard, there is no need for readers or listeners to activate this webpage every day. Also, there are now many other webpages available for those who desire to read interesting messages in English and the number of those who read or listen to these messages has decreased. Consequently, I am considering discontinuing this service, but I do not plan to do so until after my visit to Japan next month, when I hope to meet with former "Daily Word" listeners. While in the Nagoya area, I will be involved with church business, primarily in the city of Kariya. At the present time, I am not certain of our schedule after our arrival in Nagoya on February 7, but our son and his family should know our schedule and how we can be contacted. His telephone number is: 052-806-3404. Before arriving in Nagoya, we expect to spend a day in Sapporo at the Snow Festival which my wife had hoped to attend for many years while we lived in Japan but was unable to do so. Thus, for various reasons, we are looking forward to this visit. (536)

Mechanization
03/01/31

A fundamental change in human history occurs when a society changes from agriculture to industry. Most nations in the modern world have experienced such a change and the economic and political powers today are all industrial societies. Furthermore, the more advanced industrial societies are becoming more and more mechanized and computerized, more impersonal. My wife and I are planning to make a trip to Japan next month and to Thailand the following month. Our son and family live in Japan and our daughter lives in Thailand, so we are looking forward to spending time with them as well as visiting churches, organizations and friends we knew in Japan during our years of service there. While making plans, procuring tickets for our trip and arranging for some services to be discontinued or changed during our absence, I became very conscious of how impersonal, mechanized and computerized American society has become. Very often, when I call offices to get information or to make orders, I hear recorded messages and am asked to press a certain number on my push-button telephone rather than speaking with a human being. Often, this process of hearing recorded voices and following the instruction to push the relevant number on the telephone continues through three or four stages. Sometimes, at the end of the process, I may speak with a human being, but much of the business is carried on with recorded messages. Likewise, much information is obtained and business is being conducted on the internet. Whether or not this is considered progress depends on one's perspective or faith. (535)