Awake!, December 8, 1962
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Bible Principles in Business
PAGE 5
Will This Eye See Again, Doctor?
PAGE 8
Care for the Aged
PAGE 16
Those Incredible Edibles
PAGE 20
DECEMBER 8, 1962
THE MISSION OF THIS JOURNAL
News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vital Issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. '‘AwakeI" has na fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It Is not bound by political ambitions or obligations; it is unhampered by advertisers whose toes must not be trodden on; It Is unprejudiced by traditional creeds. This journal keeps itself frte that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
"AwakeI" uses the regular news channels, but Is not dependent an them. Its own correspondents are on all continents, in scores of nations. From the four corners of the earth their uncensored, on-the-scenes reports come to you through these columns. This journal's viewpoint is not narrow, but is international. It is read in many nations, in many languages, by persons af all ages. Through its pages many fields of knowledge pass in review—government, commerce, religion, history, geography, science, social conditions, natural wonders—why, its coverage is as broad as the earth and as high as the heavens.
"Awake!" pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of a righteous New World,
Get acquainted with "Awake!" Keep awake by reading "Awake!"
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New World Translation of the Holy Scriptires, 1961 edition.
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CONTENTS
Straining Out the Gnat but Gulping
Down the Camel!
Bible Principles in Business
Will This Eye See Again, Doctor?
Life and Travel of Birds
Terror Strikes in Barcelona
What Is Wrong with the Churches?
Care for the Aged
Not a Good Companion
Those Incredible Edibles
Witnessing to the Gypsies
Porcelain—Stability of the Ceramics
Mental Firmness
"Your Word Is Truth"
Baptism in Whose Name?
Watching the World
Volume XLIII London, England, December B, 1962 Number 23
ifTJENNY wise and £ pound foolish.” That saying, coined some 350 years ago, well expresses the human failing of
Straining out the gnat
ttowft the ta/netf
was ceremonially unclean, and they would take no chances on swallowing anything unclean. Yet they were, as Jesus put it,
being concerned about trifles while ignoring weighty matters. And an apt saying it is, for in English currency it takes 240 pence to equal a pound. A similar adage is, “Save at the spigot and waste at the bunghole.”
However, more than nineteen hundred years ago the great Teacher, Jesus Christ, uttered the most expressive comparison of ail on this subject when he said to certain religious leaders: “Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel!” (Matt. 23:24) The force with which this metaphor must have struck his listeners becomes apparent when we note that, just as the gnat was very tiny, so the camel was one of the largest creatures with which they were familiar. Depending upon their size, it takes from fifteen million to more than a hundred million gnats to equal the weight of an average camel.
Nor would we overlook another reason why Jesus’ statement on this occasion was so forceful. He knew that his religious opposers carefully strained their wine and vinegar with a cloth sieve lest they swallow a gnat, not for health or esthetic reasons but for religious reasons; the gnat gulping down the gigantic camel, which was just as unclean as the gnat!—Lev. 11: 4, 21, 23.
Why did Jesus charge the religious leaders of his day with straining out the gnat but gulping down the camel? As he said: “Because you give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cummin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness. These things it was binding to do, yet not to disregard the other things.” From these words of Jesus we can see that what Jesus meant by straining out a gnat and gulping down the camel was to be concerned about the smallest obligations while neglecting the most serious ones,—Matt-23:23.
What causes one to make the mistake of straining out the gnat and gulping down the camel? It could be any number of things: pride, greed, hypocrisy, ignorance or misguided zeal. But, regardless of the cause, the course is folly, for it brings neither honor to God nor happiness to man.
Today many of the religious leaders of Christendom make the same mistake the leaders of religion did in Jesus’ day. They stress fine manners and doing acts of charity, yet wink at dishonest business practices and sexual immorality.
Christendom manifests a similar common failing when it comes to obeying Jesus’ words at Mark 12:17: “Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” Religious leaders keep stressing the need of paying back Caesar’s things to Caesar, yet show little concern about paying back God’s things to God. In doing so are they not also straining out the gnat while gulping down the camel?
Not that this failure is limited to the religious leaders. Pride of family causes many to come short in this regard. Witness the difference between the way some mothers view the shortcomings of their own children as compared with the way they view those of their neighbors’ children. Or the way some mothers-in-law remind their daughters-in-law of the slightest infractions as compared with the way they gloss over the glaring errors of their own sons.
Racial prejudice is another thing that causes some to strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel. The petty shortcomings of one whose skin color is different are judged harshly, while the gross misdeeds of those of one’s own race are often viewed indulgently—a weakness, let it be noted, that is not at all the peculiarity of any one race.
Misguided zeal at times makes a loving housewife guilty of straining out the gnat but gulping down the camel. Her great concern to have her house spic-and-span causes her to ignore the comfort and convenience of her family. Spill something on the tablecloth and the meal is spoiled. Would it not be better for both her and her family if she gave more thought to happiness and contentment, yet not neglecting neatness ?
The same must be said about her who is overly concerned about her appearance. She may go to great lengths to strain out the gnat as regards her looks but gulp down a camel by neglecting her personality. Would she not be wiser to put the emphasis on a mature, well-furnished mind and an understanding and generous disposition?
The underlying principle Jesus gave at Matthew 23:23, 24 can also be applied to dedicated Christians and their ministry. God’s Word contains many instructions for them, even as it did for the Israelites in olden times, and, reasonably, Jehovah God has an organization on earth to help Christians to apply these, even as he did in the days of the prophets. As in their day so in ours, not all instructions are of equal weight. Thus at times a presiding minister may let himself become so busy keeping records that he has no time left for ministering to those in need of his help. Then again, a Christian minister may be keenly concerned about his appearance; he would never think of venturing forth without looking neat and presentable. Yet at the same time he may be neglecting proper preparation so as to be able to give effective sermons and an answer to whoever may demand a reason for his hope. Accurate knowledge and unselfish love are of far greater importance. These should always be given due attention, yet one’s appearance should not be neglected.—1 Pet. 3:15.
So be careful that you never become blind to the situations that confront you. Let both love and the wisdom from above help you to see your obligations in proper perspective. Be faithful in little things, but give first attention to the more important ones.
iN HIGHLY competitive businesses the struggle for existence can become so acute that
many persons feel compelled to resort to unethical ways of doing business. Even those who are prominent church members and who are respected in a community as being of high moral caliber often have two sets of moral codes—one for business and one for nonbusiness relations. They reason that, since other businessmen are unethical, they have to be unethical in order to stay in business.
ln/eirner case, the Pittsfield churches’ impotence is a sign of the widening of the distance be
tween ‘religion of the parish’ and the pressing problems of today’s workaday world.”
Religious leaders are looked to as the ones to teach Biblical moral principles and as the ones to exercise a moral influence on a community. When they fail to express themselves about celebrated members of their churches for disregarding those principles, they fail to be a moral force in the com
In 1961 executives of some American electrical firms were arrested and tried for violating a Federal law against price fixing. This was a shock to the communities where they lived and where they were honored church members and civic leaders. It put their churches in a position where a defense of Biblical moral principles was expected from them.
Commenting on the silence of the churches to which some of these men belonged, The Christian Century of November 8, 1961, stated: “It must be acknowledged that the silence of the churches created one of two impressions: that no moral issues were involved, or that moral issues were involved but that guidance on those issues was not to be had. If the first impression is true, one must conclude that the churches do not know enough; if the second is valid, it is apparent that they do not care enough. munity. This failure to uphold Bible principles is general and undoubtedly contributes to the fact that bad business ethics are commonplace in the modern business world.
Are they impractical for the business world? Does an employer have the right to require his employees to be unethical in business?
Rather than permit Bible moral principles to be the guiding standard for business conduct, many businessmen let questionable corporation ethics or popular practice guide
them. A survey among 1,700 businessmen revealed the general feeling that corporation ethics have come to dominate personal ethics. Time magazine said: “Many otherwise ethical employees in lesser jobs find it difficult to defy company policies that violate civil laws or moral codes.” From big corporations down to the operators of small businesses can be found a general disregard for Biblical moral principles, and that among businessmen who profess to adhere to them by being regular church attenders.
Who Can Be Trusted?
Shoppers are constantly confronted with the problem of finding a businessman that can be trusted, one who lives by good moral standards. They have to be alert for butchers who may try to cheat them by short-weighing their meat; they have to watch grocery clerks who may try to charge customer after customer for a food package that is kept on the counter; they have to watch cashiers who may try to short-change them; they have to watch building contractors who may try to cheat them by using inferior materials; they have to watch radio and television repairmen who may try to charge for replacement parts that are not needed or for parts that are not actually replaced; they have to watch auto mechanics who may try to charge for work they do not do and for parts that are not needed; and so it goes for many forms of business. People are constantly confronted with dishonesty.
At Colossians 3:9, the Bible stresses the principle of being truthful. It says: “Do not be lying to one another. Strip off the old personality with its practices.” This principle is not out of place in business. It does not endanger business profits. By following it a businessman can build up a reputation that will attract customers to him. Usually people want Lo deal with businessmen they can trust, especially when a large sum of money is involved. The businessman who tells the truth inspires confidence in his customers, and they will recommend him to their friends. Thus by sticking to the Bible principle of being truthful, a businessman helps his business as well as sets a good moral example for the community.
Honesty
A person in business might feel that it is difficult to be honest when many of his competitors are prospering by being dishonest. But their dishonesty does not mean he should forsake moral principles. How can he if he has love for righteousness? If he claims to be a religious man who lives by Bible principles, he cannot be like a pig and jump into the miry wallow of unethical business practices because others are prospering there. He must be honest in all his business dealings, not because honesty is the “best policy,” but because it is right and just.
If a businessman sells merchandise that requires weighing, he will use accurate scales if he is one who is endeavoring to live by Biblical moral principles. He will give his customers full measure for their money, not trying to cheat them by shortweighing or short-measuring. The principle of being honest in business is stressed in the Biblical law regarding weights and measures. “You should prove to have accurate scales, accurate weights, an accurate ephah and an accurate hin.” (Lev. 19: 36) This divinely given law to the nation of Israel expresses the principle of being honest with other people. It obligates Christians who are not under the Law to. use honest scales and to weigh merchandise honestly. To do otherwise would incur the displeasure of God. “A cheating pair of scales is something detestable to Jehovah.”—Prov. 11:1,
The Bible principle of honesty is not out of place in the business world. It belongs there, especially among persons who make a claim of living by Biblical moral standards. Those who practice it raise public respect for businessmen, and at. the same time encourage, by their example, employee honesty. Since there is a great loss to business firms because of employee dishonesty, they would gain much by encouraging honesty among their employees. This they can do by setting a good example of honesty in their dealings with their customers. Very often employees who steal from an employer rationalize their dishonesty by the knowledge that their employer steals from customers by unethical business practices.
Cheating people in business transactions is a form of stealing. The unethical businessman takes from customers what does not belong to him when he cheats them. How can any person who claims to respect moral principles in private life condone business practices that amount to stealing? The Bible sets the policy on this by saying: "You must not defraud your fellow, and you must not rob.” (Lev. 19:13) The person who may have done this before he decided to live by the moral principles of the Bible certainly cannot do it anymore. "Let the stealer steal no more.” —Eph. 4:28.
Neighbor Love
The basis for the moral principles of the Bible is neighbor love. When a person exercises neighbor love in his business dealings, he cannot become involved in unethical practices, whether he is an employer, an employee or someone conducting a private business" transaction. Exercising neighbor love requires him to follow the good advice at Luke 6:31, "Just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them.”
When there is neighbor love, selfish advantage is not taken of other persons. Their ignorance of mechanics, electronics, house building, and so forth, will not be taken as an opportunity for getting more money than should be taken. Love requires you to be concerned with the interests and welfare of persons with whom you are doing business. It is not in their best interests to pay more for something than they need to pay or to buy something that will not be serviceable to them. Their trust in you, if you are a businessman, should not cause you to regard them as “suckers” for bad merchandise or for exorbitant prices. Out of neighbor love you will not violate their trust for selfish advantage. Neither will you put profits ahead of their wellbeing by selling them something that might be potentially dangerous.
Much unnecessary grief and suffering could have been prevented among the 10,000 Moroccans who ate adulterated cooking oil in 1959 if neighbor love had guided the merchants who sold the oil rather than greed for profits. Their selfish disregard for the welfare of their customers caused these people to be stricken with paralysis. It is not showing neighbor love when a merchant knowingly markets adulterated foods, injurious drugs, electrical appliances with dangerous shock hazards and defective mechanical devices that could cause injuries. And his employees are not innocent when they do as he does.
The Christian who works for an unethical businessman is not obligated to shortmeasure, short-w'eigh, deceive and make false promises to customers because he is told to do so. The wages the employer pays entitles him to an employee’s time, energy and abilities, but they do not entitle him to require the employee to lay aside moral principles. A Christian will refuse to violate Bible principles to help an employer gain profits.
Bible principles are practical and can be exercised by businessmen despite unethical practices by competitors. The person who truly respects them will not have a double code of morals—one for business and one for nonbusiness activities. He will follow the instructions of the apostle Peter, w'ho said: “Maintain your conduct fine among the nations.”—1 Pet. 2:12.
TIE day was beautiful. The sunshine beamed down from a blue sky spotted with puffy white clouds. The mountain atmosphere was cool and dry. But the peaceful delight of the day was suddenly shattered by tragedy! Not worldshaking—a very personal one, but still tragedy.
Marcos, a serious boy, twenty years old, had been working on a construction project in Tegucigalpa. The building was completed—only a few details remained. A fence was being installed. A wire had to be cut. At arm’s length the pliers closed. Snap! The end whipped around and got imbedded in the pupil of his eye! The head jerked back instinctively; a fluid ran down his face.
I looked up at him standing there in front of me, every muscle in his body tensed, pallor showing through the deep tan of his clean-cut face, his one eye wide with concern. His voice came, husky but controlled: “Se rompid el ojo” (“My eye is broken”).
The San Felipe General Hospital was only two blocks away. “Emergency” quickly sent us to the ophthamological service, section for men, where a young assistant checked the vision of the injured eye. Marcos could see light but distinguish no shapes, no clear outlines.
Checking the Damage
Dr. Luis Callejas Z., trim in his white jacket, glanced at us with serious brown eyes. Briefly he studied the assistant’s report, then made his own practiced examination. The wire had made close to a perfect bull’s eye, penetrating right into the pupil. Emergency treatment was given to ward off infection and allow time to make a more thorough examination.
The doctor explained to us that he could not continue treatment in the San Felipe hospital because it was a beneficiary hospital and Marcos was privately employed, but he would be happy to care for the case privately. Forty-five minutes later we were in the well-appointed waiting room of Doctor Callejas’ clinic. The young nurse invited us to sit down near the table with the usual stack of well-known news magazines.
Marcos said very little. When he spoke his low voice indicated the thoughts that must have been racing through his young mind. What about the future? Would the injured eye see again? Thoughtfully he commented: “It could have been worse. I still have the other eye left regardless of what happens. Through it much Bible truth will yet enter to go out again through the mouth. How true it is, despite all your plans, you don’t know what will happen tomorrow or even in the next five minutes.” His emotions were under close control.
The doctor entered with a quick, businesslike step. He cleaned the eye again and had the nurse administer eye drops every five minutes for half an hour to dilate or expand the pupil of the eye.
In the office modern equipment stood ready. Methodically and almost automatically the doctor manipulated complicated devices, studying how to save the sight of the eye. The eye could now distinguish shapes. But it was too soon to be confident.
A Decision to Make
While Marcos awaited us in the reception room, the doctor drew me a diagram of the eye, illustrating how the wire had penetrated clear into the crystalline lens. My heart sank. Was there any chance of using the eye again? Yes. An operation would have to be performed to sew the damaged cornea, or clear cover of the eye, and to remove the crystalline lens and its capsule so as to avoid future destruction of eye functions in the healing process. That being successful, sight could be restored if a contact lens could be fitted to the eye. What were the chances for success? Eighty percent, the doctor informed me.
I explained the situation to Marcos, drawing him the same diagram. He quickly grasped the situation and accepted calmly the 20-percent chance of failure. He agreed to the operation.
I followed Marcos down the narrow, rocky path to his small, wooden house on the hillside to pick up his belongings. He walked quickly, testing his reactions to sight with one eye. Mother was not home. We entered his small room, and he began gathering the things he would need. The bed took up about a third of the space in the room. There was a radio, a table, a tiny closet, a small suitcase. By the door tacked to the wall was his personal, daily study schedule: the Bible, ministerial texts, grammar, mathematics.
Mother arrived—a slight woman, long, black hair combed tight to her head and falling to the middle of her back; she almost stumbled in. The neighbors had told her what had happened. The care lines deepened in her distraifght face and tears filled her dark-brown eyes. She was almost frantic with concern for her son. Marcos took her into his arms, comforting, minimizing: “I just got hit in the eye, Mamma.”
Marcos was soon settled in the Viera Hospital, high on the mountainside overlooking Tegucigalpa. He was still taking it bravely. The operation was for three o’clock the next day.
The day had arrived. Another patient with both eyes bandaged was in the same room. The three of us talked about the wonders and humor of Jehovah's animal creation. Momentarily injured eyes were forgotten. At three o’clock a nurse came in to give Marcos an injection. One could not help but be impressed with the conscientiousness and warmth of the care the nurses give their patients. But I flinched at the size of the hypodermic needle. Marcos did not, even as it plunged into his shoulder. Very soon he was sleepy. He listened to us, but no longer replied.
Doctor Callejas came in to make a preliminary check of his patient. He granted my request to watch the delicate and exacting operation. I waited while Marcos was prepared and given a local anesthetic, and then a nurse called me in, gave me a white gown to slip on and helped me tie on the white cap and surgical face mask.
A Delicate Operation
The operating room was spotless. Marcos was completely covered with a sheet except for a round hole over the eye. The lid was tied back and the eye stared unmoving at the ceiling. A table over his chert presented an array of sterilized, carefully arranged tiny scissors and instruments of various shapes. The doctor and nurses always seemed to know exactly where each one was, almost without looking.
Doctor Callejas sat at the head of the operating table on a high stool; the nurse stood at the side, very dose. He motioned ma to the best spot where everything would be visible. The eyes that looked at me over the rims of double-lensed magnifying glasses were calm, the hands in the rubber gloves steady.
First, with a tiny, curved needle called a “point” attached to an incredibly fine and tough thread, he pulled together the wounded cornea or transparent cover of the front part of the eye, and tied it with an almost invisible knot. The nurse broke off the corner of a sterilized razor blade in a tiny, plier-shaped clamp and handed it to the doctor. Poised to begin, he explained where he would make the first cut. After that he said little. The concentration was Intense. Doctor and nurse worked as a team, mostly in silence, an occasional whispered request, instruction or report, but mostly as if reading each other’s minds. The doctor evidenced the mounting tension only in the sweat that gathered on the back of his neck. From time to time another nurse gently, softly, dried away the perspiration with a towel. But the steady hands never faltered, never trembled, never hesitated. Unhurried, methodically, he made a small incision in the conjunctiva, a clear membrane that covers the front of the eyeball and the inside of the eyelids, right at the top of the eye where the colored iris joins the white sclera. Imagining the eye as a clock with numbers on it around the iris or colored part, he made the cut on an arc between eleven and one o’clock. A small plier-like instrument was used to separate it from the white beneath and lay it back over the pupil.
As he worked, the nurse, with a small pencil-Hke piece of cotton, cleared away the small amount of blood and other liquid, and cleaned the eye with drops. Now began the crucial part. The limbus corneae, that is, the white part of the eye where it joins the iris, had to be cut without puncturing into the inside of the eye itself. Carefully he drew a tiny line with the tip of the razor. The eye bulged inward with the pressure. The tool was handed to the nurse, who broke off another corner of the razor blade in the clamp and handed it back. The doctor retraced the invisible line—again and again. At last I could see the tiny opening beginning to form. A small, heated bar was applied and seemed to prevent bleeding. At last the opening was to the doctor’s satisfaction. Before continuing, two curved needles were used to put into place sutures of virgin silk thread in preparation for the closing of the wound. Now a small, bent-sclssorlike tool was slipped through the incision and the wounded parts were separated. Tiny scissors slipped a sliver clear through the iris. The channel was now open for the work to be done. I could see the movements of the tiny tools inside the eye. Next a tiny, elongated spoon was slipped in, and little by little a clear, jellylike substance was spooned out. The clear cover of the eye became slightly wrinkled.
The spoon was removed. “The wire penetrated clear through the lens into the eye,” said the doctor, his voice tight for the first time. I tried to keep the alarm out of my own voice. “Is that bad news?” But he sensed it. Very softly, kindly he replied, ‘'We’ll see.” But Marcos, unknown to me, had heard the exchange.
A hypodermic with a bent needle was used to flush out the cleared area with a saline solution. The front of the eye returned to its normal shape. Now the threads, already in place, were pulled tight, cleverly tied and clipped. The nurse leaned back, stretched the muscles in her face, and for the first time the Latin eyes above the mask showed weariness. But more was to be done. With renewed concentration she assisted the doctor in sewing, again with a curved needle and heavier thread, the original incision in the conjunctiva. The operation was finished, at least. The eyelid was untied. Salve was put into the eye. The face was uncovered. The doctor removed the special glasses and the rubber gloves. Bandages were applied to both eyes. The doctor finally relaxed, stood up, removed his mask, put his hands on his hips and stretched briefly. It seemed impossible that half an hour had passed from the time the first stitch was taken.
In the dressing room the doctor gravely concluded, "Now it remains with God."
The Outcome
I was waiting in his room for him when Marcos was wheeled in. He was put in bed. It was five o’clock. He was very thirsty. His mouth felt odd. Now for the first time he spoke, with some despair in his voice. He had heard all the comments made during his operation. When the time finally came to leave him it was hard to go. But despair , did not get a grip on him. The next day we found him cheerful and eager to tell us of the lessons to be learned from his experience. “Material things are so unsure and can be taken away so quickly,” he said, “but if one is putting Jehovah first and doing His will, even if one is suddenly faced with tragedy he has hope and can face it with confidence.”
The doctor arrived while a group was visiting, and seeing all the friends Marcos has, the first big smile I had seen softened his serious face. Kindly, he asked the group to wait in the hall while he examined the eye and changed the bandages. I was allowed to stay.
The doctor gently pulled back the eyelid. Marcos announced, “I can see the outline of your face, doctor." We all felt a flood of relief.
Under the doctor’s daily care the eye healed as expected. Finally, one month after the operation, an examination proved that Marcos could already read the letters of the charts with the aid of lenses. There is every reason to expect that with a lens he will once again have practically normal vision.
How marvelously the Creator has formed the eye, that, even when damaged, if given proper care, it can heal and see again!
Life and Travel of Birds
< Every year Some 500,000 birds in North. America are banded, and there has been a total of over eleven million of them banded over the years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports some interesting information gathered as a result of some one million recovery and return records on these birds. For example, birds banded in North America have been recovered in such distant places as Siberia, Africa, Portugal, France, England, South America, Japan, the mid-Paciflc Islands and New Zealand (Cook Islands). The pintail, a famous traveler, was once taken in England only eighteen days after it had been banded in Canada. A Caspian tern was recovered twenty-six years after banding, a ringbilled gull and osprey after twenty-one years, and It was learned that a mallard and a pintail had lived more than twenty years. Among the,small birds, a purple martin and a blue jay were taken fourteen years after banding and a chimney swift after thirteen years.
By “Awake!1 corretponden in Spain
HRQELO IM A
BARCELONA’S celebration in honor of its patroness, the Virgin of Our Lady of Mercy, had just begun when tragic disaster struck. A devastating downpour of water turned streets into veritable canals, and through bone-dry valley riverbeds surged floodwaters seventy-five feet wide, sluicing homes, factories, animals and 380 human victims to watery graves.
The entire Spanish peninsula had endured one of the hottest and driest summers on record. Water reservoirs had lowered 5,000 million cubic meters, almost double the normal loss during the three summer months. One thousand and seventeen forest fires had been reported. The peninsula was in dire need of rain.
But Barcelona was in a festive mood, and great throngs lined the streets to watch parades. Marking the religious nature of the festival, on September 23 and 24 long lines formed outside the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy in order to venerate and to kiss the hands of the image of the “Virgin.” City and provincial officials along with the populace participated in religious processions and acts to “implore the protection and help of Our Heavenly Lady.”—La Vanguardia Espanola.
The Storm Strikes
Then on September 25 dark clouds started forming about noon, and a light rain began to fall. Many ran up to the roofs of their houses in order to greet the welcome sight. Yet long before sunset the black clouds had made it necessary for cars to turn on their headlights, and from above thundered a drenching cloudburst that lasted more than an hour.
Unlike most thunderstorms, the clouds did not break up. Tempestuous winds began to lash the city with cyclonic force, breaking windows and paralyzing traffic. The speedy TAE train coming in from Valencia was held up at the edge of Barcelona province. The airport was closed, and telephone service was interrupted. As the downpour continued, parked cars were washed along city streets until they piled up against trees or other obstacles. Manhole covers were blown off as if by dynamite because of the tremendous pressure of the water, causing geysers of water to spurt from the openings. Trees were uprooted. Electricity failed, leaving the city in darkness, and the city’s water supply was interrupted. Before midnight firemen had received more than a thousand calls for aid, and throughout the night sirens of official cars could be heard.
Nevertheless, it was not until sunrise the following morning that it was possible for Barcelonians to appreciate that a disaster of tremendous proportions had taken place. Seemingly inexplicably, mountains of all types of debris littered the city’s Barceloneta beach, located on the shores of the Mediterranean. Barrels, furniture, bales, doors, timbers, balconies and trees were strewn about, together with the bodies, of cows, pigs, and of men, women, and children, most of whose clothes had been mercilessly torn from their bodies by rampaging currents.
Where had they come from? Barcelona itself is built on h slope that sweeps gradually down to the sea from Mount Tibi-dabo, thus allowing the torrential downpour to flow off into the Mediterranean with a minimum of damage. However, the city’s suburbs and adjacent towns, located in the valleys on each side of and behind Mount Tibidabo, had been hit by a flash flood that washed everything in its path to destruction.
Destruction came so suddenly that it was not even possible for Tarrasa’s mayor to call to the capital for aid. Highways were covered with mud and water, telephone and telegraph lines were down, and railroad fills over dry creeks were washed out, leaving the still-connected rails dangling in space.
Said one observer: “It was as though the very floodgates of the heavens were pouring out all of their contents.” Stated another: “It wasn’t like a rain at all, but more as though some kind of fantastic liquid metal were being poured out over everything.” “It was the noise,” declared another, “a sickening roar, mixed with cries for help from somewhere out there in the darkness.”
In just forty-four minutes, between 10:38 and 11:22 p.m., the city of Sabadell registered much more rain than the province had received in the previous three months! The rivers Llobregat, Ripoll and Besos, as well as creeks where it had been impossible to catch more than a cupful of water, were converted into rampaging torrents.
Palau creek runs down the main street of Tarrasa, a city of more than 92,000, by means of a subterranean conduit. Not being able to enter the overworked pipe, the swirling overflow surged down the wftle tree-lined avenue, inundating stores and buildings to a height of over two and a half meters (about eight feet). Housefronts were sheared away and huge trees were ripped up by the roots and deposited in shop windows. Lampposts and park benches disappeared. Almost one hundred cars, trucks and wagons were tossed about like matchboxes, smashed beyond description as they came to rest at the end of the avenue in what was once an athletic field.
Piles of smashed alarm clocks among the ruins at Rubi indicate that a wall of water slammed into the city at 10:55 p.m. The district of Escardivol was so completely razed that nothing remains to indicate that there once existed more than one hundred homes in the area, not only those of inexpensive construction, but also buildings of several stories, including two large factories and the city slaughterhouse.
Bridges Dam Flow
Bridges crisscrossing the riverbeds added to the catastrophe, for as trees and other debris piled up against them, choking off the free passage of water, they served as makeshift dams. Then when the bridges gave way, the wall of water thus released wiped out everything in its path.
Every bend and eddy of the riverbed was turned into a virtual cemetery, collecting cows, pigs, chickens and the bodies of human victims. Of the 380 who were washed away, 109 were children, for a large number of big families lived in the disaster area. Some families lost five to six children, and of one family of eleven, only one member survived the cataclysm.
Men returned from working the nightshift in the textile factories to find their wives, children and homes washed away. Other workers situated in factories located in the path of the flood were unable to get out in time and perished in the swirling waters.
Economic Losses and Aid
The flood left thousands homeless, end thousands more without employment. Crops intended for export were ruined in the fields.
Reaction to the disaster by the entire nation was fast. Barcelona’s Municipal Sports Palace was converted into a great warehouse to receive donated clothing and food for the flood survivors. In city after city in the disaster area it was announced that the articles donated by the public exceeded their immediate needs.
A day after the disaster Captain General Munoz Grandes, who serves as vice-president of the nation, was on hand to direct operations. Spain’s Chief of State, Francisco Franco, also flew to the disaster area.
The Causes
But why were such a large number of people living in such an obviously dangerous area? Some pointed out that the old Catalonian dream that the affected rivers and creeks would one day have levees built on their banks was yet to be realized, and that they would have saved many lives. Yet few really thought that even this precaution, though badly needed, could have coped with the extraordinary storm.
A more basic cause was that of over-confidence on the part of many in building homes and factories at the edge of, and often on the very beds of the dried-up streams, as well as indifference on the part of officials who permitted such construction. Even factories had been built right on the riverbeds.
The catastrophe forced the cancellation of the remaining days of the festival in honor of the “protector of Barcelona,” and the entire province entered into mourning.
Yet thinking persons asked: "Why was such a calamity allowed to take place, especially during the festival in honor of the Virgin of Our Lady of Mercy?” The explanation by Doctor Modrego, Archbishop of Barcelona, that God does not permit great evil if from this same evil no great good should come, was more philosophical than satisfying. And his assertion a few days later that all the dead, “because of the circumstances which produced their death, enjoy heaven,” carried with it no confirmation from the Holy Scriptures nor did it offer much hope of relief for the survivors.
While none of Jehovah's witnesses were adversely affected by the floods personally, all immediately swung into action to aid and comfort the mourners throughout the nation. Special Bible sermons were prepared to show what the “Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort” has to say on the matter. The disaster could not be attributed to the disfavor of any “saint,” nor was it an act of God. Both good and bad die in such disasters, because, since Adam chose the course of sin, “time and unforeseen occurrence befall” all of-us. It is Satan that led men into sin, and it is because he knows that his time is short that he brings increased woes upon mankind. Yet this increase of distress fulfills the Bible prophecies showing that God’s new world is near at hand where "death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be any more.” In that new world God will raise from the dead those who loved him and who are kept in his memory, and he will provide everlasting security for all obedient mankind. It Is to that new world that we can all look In hope.—2 Cor. 1:3, 4; Eccl. 9:11; Rev. 12: 12; 21:4.
Wljat Wrong with tho (Ehurrljrs?
SLERGYMEN everywhere recognize that a> something is wrong with the churches, ft "The soul has gone out of the church," ft Lennard Helle explained to his New York ft city congregation last year, ft
Episcopal bishop Daniel Corrigan gave an a honest appraisal of the trouble: “Broadly ft speaking most people do not find much in ft the average church that reminds them of T Christ. , , . Every church,” he said, “ought ft to turn a flshy eye on its own program and |> ask itself honestly what difference it would ft make if the church wasn't there.”
Danish minister J. V. Sorensen spoke in ? a similar vein. "Even from people who reg- ft ularly attend church complaints are heard X that they do not get anything out of going | to church. It is as if there is nothing to kindle ft their interest,” he said. ?
After a frank analysis as to what is wrong ft with the churches, United Church of Canada X minister D. R. Keating concluded that they ft no longer practice Christianity. As reported ft in the February 18,1961, issue of the Winnipeg | Tribune, he invites: "Consider some of the ft evidence to prove that this is not Christian- ft ity you see in the churches—assuming of ft course that you would compare it with the ft New Testament in order to find out, g
"In the New Testament the church is a ft community of people turning the world up- ft side down. Today the church is a community ft of people struggling to maintain the status ft quo. ®
“In the New Testament the church ap- ft pears to be a people so caught up in some ft great task that they carelessly throw their ft lives into it—at all costs. Today we see a ft church determined to perpetuate the Instltu- & tlon In its old forms—at all costs, ft
"In the New Testament the experience of ft worship is described by saying that the wor- ft shippers were shaken by the power of what ft they called the Holy Spirit. Today the ex- & perience of worship is described most often ft by saying that the worshippers were soothed, ft comforted, or felt peaceful. ft
“In the New Testament, you can’t miss the ft fact that when the message is being pro- I claimed something revolutionary is happen- ft ing—men’s lives are being disrupted. Today ft you can’t help but feel that the message is ft calculated bo It will not disrupt lives. It is ft designed rather to be palatable, pleasing, and often flattering.
“In the New Testament the marks of the Christian are usually persecution, poverty, humiliation and faithfulness. Today the marks of the churchgoer, not omitting the clergy, are usually respectability, middle class, honor, and success. It pays to be a Christian modemstyle.
"In the New Testament the Christian life undoubtedly meant self-sacrifice, living under threats, and in danger. Today you can be sure of the opposite: self-indulgence, security and safety.
“In the New Testament the new members (followers) were told they could expect to be hated by the world. Today becoming a member of the church is the sure way to win acceptance in the world, approval among men.”
Keating asserted that "from this general evidence there can only be one conclusion: it is true that this is not Christianity you see in the churches. Here you see Instead the very opposite to New Testament Christianity. Yet in spite of this the leaders of the spectacle, the clergy, take their ordination vows on this same New Testament and then become the chief administrators of institutions that are the opposite to the New Testament church.
“They know it needs renewal, they talk about its sickness, and they work at it here and there. But they are reluctant to do anything about it really, because they dimly sense that the sickness is not like a chest cold but like a cancer and that the work of renewal therefore amounts to the removal of the very thing they presently make their living at—namely, something that is not Christianity.
“What church am I talking about?” Keating asks. "Well, I am a minister of the United Church of Canada but I wouldn’t dare presume to say that this is not also true of the whole church—Catholic or Protestant—at least In this basic way.”
Perhaps you also suspected that the churches had drifted a long way from true Christianity. It is interesting to note that clergymen themselves confirm such suspicions. Yes, the trouble with the churches is that they are not Christian.
CARE for
ONE of the f\ £/
most bitterly f J rTSf^
disputed issues in I / fj/j'A
recent years in x' the United States has been the sub-
ject of medical care for the aged. Several bills were presented before the Second Session of the 87th Congress and one of these, the King-Anderson Bill, highly favored by the president, was recently rejected by the Senate in a closely fought race. Unfortunately, those caught in the middle of this political arena have been the very ones for whom these bills were designed—the aged themselves.
There are estimated to be approximately 17.3 million persons in the United States sixty-five years of age and over. In 1960 this represented one out of every eleven persons, as compared with one out of twenty-five in 1900. Obviously, there are more older people alive today, with a giant spotlight being focused upon their problems and how they are being handled. This issue is of more than national proportions; every country is faced with the problem to some extent.
The Aging Process
None of us can be completely detached from the problems of the aged, for with each passing year more join their ranks, and one day their problems become ours. As children and youths have problems incidental to their circumstances, so too have the aged. Their resources of health, as a rule, diminish as does their status as wage earners. Those who have reached sixty-five in sound health can be truly grateful, for it is estimated that more than half the people over sixty-five have chronic diseases, the most prevalent of which are
heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. Their independ-r ence, once held with pride, now
gives way to dependence on chiJ-fJF dren, relatives and, in too many X/ instances, strangers.
Psychological, as well as physical, factors play a great role in the life of one who is aged, due to the difference in the mental attitude each one has toward the aging process. One man considers himself old at sixty; another young at seventy. An eighty-year-old woman was asked how it felt to have most of her life behind her, what it really felt like to be “old.” She replied: “You'll have to ask somebody 'older' than I am.”
Not all of these “elder citizens,” as some like to be called, share the same problems. Many enjoy good health and a means of support, adding to their sense of security; while others are completely dependent on children or on whatever aid their government may provide.
One important factor is the feeling of well-being that the aged must derive from life if their declining years are not merely to be lived out but enjoyed. If they are made to feel unwanted, unloved, discarded and of no use, no amount of medical attention can counteract the damage done.
Medical Care
Although old age is not a disease, it is often accompanied by signs of deterioration in certain body functions, such as impairment of sight, hearing and memory, making medical attention a most important feature in caring for the aged.
Each country has certain facilities for caring for the sick, infirm and aged. In the United States, if a person is destitute, application can be made to the Department of Welfare for relief. There are also homes for the aged. Most of these are segregated according to religious affiliations, but for others there are nondenominational homes. There have been many exposes in the press recently depicting the deplorable conditions in some of these homes and, although they do not reflect on all of them, there is still a crying need for more facilities for the aged and better conditions within the present institutions.
In contrast to the United States, many countries in Europe have adopted plans whereby the government operates and runs various health plans, particularly for the aged. In England socialized medicine under the National Health Service, which has been in effect for fourteen years, is deep-rooted and quite popular. Everything, from minor cuts to cancer, is treated free of charge, with a nominal fee of only two shillings for each drug prescription. However, employers and employees pay in certain amounts weekly.
France’s medicare system differs from most in that patients pay all medical bills and are then reimbursed for 80 percent of their expenses.
Under Italy’s plan, in which employers foot much of the bill, the majority of the population of fifty million are covered. There is no charge for most medical supplies, and convalescent homes for victims of serious illnesses are provided.
Denmark’s health insurance plan requires that everyone over the age of sixteen who is not covered by an approved health insurance fund be at least a passive member contributing 24 kroner ($3.47) annually. The amount paid by active members, who are the ones that benefit from the fund, is several times that paid by passive members. Provision is made for modest pensions to disabled and aged persons. There are also special housing projects for the aged, which provide small low-rent flats within the community.
Dependence on Children
There are various situations that may make it necessary for an aged man or woman to look to the children for aid and care. For instance, a widow, whose husband may not have been covered by social security, may not be eligible to receive any funds from the government, so, upon his death, she may have to turn to her children for care and support if she is not able to support herself. Even those widows whose husbands were covered and are eligible to receive funds may still h^ve to seek aid from their children if those funds are insufficient to provide the necessary support.
Some have had their savings wiped out by prolonged illnesses or hospitalization, while others may become almost destitute from fire and other damage to an uninsured home. There are many circumstances that might make it necessary to lean on one’s children. But more important than the reasons for such aid is the attitude of both parent and grown child toward the aid given.
Those parents who have lovingly reared their children into Godfearing men and women can now graciously and warmly accept a i willing hand from 2? their offspring when in need of it. They is- will not be forsaken.
If the children are appreciative of the time, money and love showered upon them when they were the recipients, this will aid them to have the proper attitude toward their aged parents. Daughters will not utilize their mothers solely as baby gitters, but will appreciate their need for occasional entertainment and privacy; while sons will not regard their fathers* ideas and opinions as old-fashioned, but will frequently seek out their advice, thus drawing from their wisdom and long years of experience. If parents are made to feel useful, it can promote peaceful home relations, particularly if an aged parent is brought into the home on a permanent basis.
Aged parents are not forgotten by godly children who keep in mind the fifth of the Ten Commandments, which says; “Honor your father and your mother in order that your days may prove long upon the ground that Jehovah your God is giving you,’’ (Ex. 20:12) In 1 Timothy 5:4 encouragement is also given to Christians to care for their aged parents. It says: “If any widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to practice godly devotion in their own household and to keep paying a due compensation to their parents and grandparents, for this is acceptable in God's sight.”
Years ago the responsibility of children toward aged parents was unquestioned until the governments started to make provision. Now the inclination is to leave care for the aged to the government. While its provisions can properly be utilized, parents are not to be forgotten.
In much of India the aged parent traditionally has a most unique and prominent position, as opposed to most Western cultures. Many generations live together in the home. The oldest woman of the house is looked upon with respect. Also, in other places in the Orient and in some parts of Europe children are raised and trained with a sense of deep respect and honor toward not only their parents but other elders as well. That attitude, while not completely missing in other lands, is usually not as prevalent.
Various Means of Support
Many parents, of course, want to maintain a feeling of independence, even in later years. Some avail themselves of government provisions, feeling that the government should give them the assistance provided by law, since they have paid taxes for many years.
Others took steps in their youth to provide for their future by taking out life and health insurance policies. The higher the premiums they had to pay, the greater the rewards when they no longer are able to seek employment and make a living.
Some prefer to deposit their savings in banks or trust companies over the years, reaping in old age the interest these give in return. Others invest in stocks and bonds.
There is yet another means of support to be considered seriously. Practically everyone has some interest that he considers to be a “hobby.” Many turn theirs into money-making ventures.
Some men and women who live by the sea and on islands frequented by tourists make the collecting of rare sea shells not only a hobby but a living. These shells are painted, decorated with various ornaments and sold to tourists and specialty shops. Others who have talent for drawing supply greeting-card concerns with,their work. Those talented in music, whose hands may not be as deft as in the past, now turn to teaching others and pouring into them the enthusiasm they once possessed. A man who is a lover of the outdoors can engagi in part-time gardening as both a health; and a productive pastime. Many home owners and apartment dwellers who have extra rooms rent these to help them supplement their income.
Every housewife has some talent that is put to practical use for her home and family, and in an emergency it can be a means of support. A part-time dressmaker can support herself very well. Many women in their seventies and eighties are still knitting scarves and sweaters, and making rugs, blankets and spreads. Few husbands or children have not at some time bragged about “Mom’s cooking.” Baking pies, cookies and cakes for special occasions can, not only enhance a woman’s feeling of sufficiency, but make her a real “breadwinner” in more ways than one.
Most women, no matter what age, cannot resist a cuddly baby. Caring for children at certain times, or even on a fulltime basis-ae- a foster parent, can be both enjoyable and financially rewarding. All these things have been done successfully by many, and take note that there is no traveling involved. They can be done right at home.
Regardless of your age, there is much that can be done. Age should never be a barrier to those who have an interest in doing things. You are as old as you want to be.
Hope for the Future
One of the factors that can do much to enhance the mental health of most older people is a hope for the future. Most men and women tend to remember things of the past, because that was the time when they were most active and things seemed to be happening to them. As the activities slow down, the interesting things to remember do also. It is usually the ones active in their old age that have a vital interest in someone or something and that can be heard to speak of the future with interest and enthusiasm.
True, the world at present offers very little hope for the future; in fact, many question whether we will have a future at all. But the Bible offers a hope that man cannot duplicate, because it directs us to the source of all life, Jehovah God. And' what hope does he hold out? One that is due for fulfillment in this generation—a hope so wonderful that only He can bring it about, and that he will. (Matt. 24:32-34) Under the rule of his kingdom, earth will be transformed into a paradise. Sickness and death, even the infirmity of old age, will be things of the past. Those in the memory of God will be raised from the tombs. Mankind will be revitalized, to live forever with the vigor of youth. Care for the aged will be a thing of the past.—Isa. 33:24; Acts 24:15; Rev. 21:1-4.
With such a prospect before them, many older folks as well as younger ones find great delight in a study of the absorbing promises contained in God’s Word. They are not thinking about dying; their minds are on living, and they are using their energies to help others to take hold of . God’s provision for eternal life in his new world.—John 17:3.
A/ot a (jood Companion
Rage not only robs a man of his reason, but separates him from his friends. Therefore, “do not have companionship with anyone given to anger; and with a man having fits of rage you must not enter in, that you may not get familiar with his paths and certainly take a snare for your soul.”—Prov, 22:24.
WHEN Duncan Hines, the
American authority on tasty food, made his first trip to Europe in 1954, he announced, bravely, that he would try anything but snails. Though an exquisite delight to many Frenchmen, to him snails as food were incredible. Later he admitted that he found more than snails incredible, for this intemational-ly known gourmet described his despair at being served baby octopus in an oil sauce with the eyes staring up at him. “Couldn’t choke the thing down,” he was quoted as saying.
Yes, food is an oddity in a way: What foods may be delectable to many persons may be called by others “incredible.” But a dish of baby octopus is not out of the ordinary at all in Italy. The French also enjoy tasty octopus and squid tentacles, along with snails in vinegar. Yet other persons, even gastronomically adventurous ones, may view such items as incredible.
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