Awake!, June 8, 1969
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Building a Happy Family Life
Piracy in the Air
Down the Water Highway of the North
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Lofty Rulers of Ancient Tradition
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JUNE 8, 1969
THE REASON FOR THIS MAGAZINE
News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vital issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. "Awake!" has no fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ties; it is unhampered by traditional creeds. This magazine keeps itself free, that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
The viewpoint of "Awake!" is not narrow, but is international. "Awake!" has its own correspondents in scores of nations. Its articles are read in many lands, in many languages, by millions of persons.
In every issue "Awake!" presents vital topics on which you should be informed. It features penetrating articles on social conditions and offers sound counsel for meeting the problems of everyday life. Current news from every continent passes in quick review. Attention is focused on activities in the fields of government and commerce about which you should know. Straightforward discussions of religious issues alert you to matters of vital concern. Customs and people in many lands, the marvels of creation, practical sciences and points of human interest are all embraced in its coverage. "Awake!" provides wholesome, instructive reading for every member of the family.
"Awakel" 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 God's righteous new order in this generation.
Get acquainted with "Awake!" Keep awake by reading "Awake!"
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CONTENTS
Building a Happy Family Life 3
Appreciating the Relationship
of Husband and Wife 4
Rearing Children in a Godly Way 5
Settling Family Difficulties 7
Piracy in the Air 9
Down the Water Highway of the North 12
Is Low Blood Sugar Your Problem? 16
Ribs 20
Lofty Rulers of Ancient Tradition 21
A Catholic Priest's Recommendation 23
Known for Their Courage and Zeal 24
Mail That Flies 25
A Long Eclipse 26
"Your Word Is Truth"
Can the Dead Return as Ghosts? 27
Watching the World 29
Building a Happy Family Life
MAN has accomplished many amazing exploits. He has even traveled to the moon. But on earth he has been a failure in solving fundamental problems. For example, man has been unsuccessful, for the most part, in building happy, united families.
There has been a worldwide deterioration in family life. The situation has become so bad that some observers predict the dissolution of the family. The Toronto Daily Star of November 24, 1987, carried the headline "IS FAMILY DOOMED IN YEAR 2000?"
The article said: "Anthropologist Margaret Mead calls the contemporary family structure a 'massive failure' . . . Miss Mead sees as doomed the present life style that emphasizes marriage as the principal relationship between men and women."
Why has family life deteriorated so terribly in recent times?
The answer is clear. The sound counsel in God's Word the Bible has been neglected, or even ignored. What a terrible mistake this has been! For the Bible shows us how to cope successfully with the problems of everyday life. Actually there is no place where we could find better advice, because Jehovah, the Author of the
Bible, is also the One who originated marriage and arranged for family life.—Gen. 2:18, 22.
When God brought the first man and woman together as husband and wife, he purposed that the marriage should be permanent. He also emphasized the unity that should exist between the human pair. Jesus drew attention to this when he said: "Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh'? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh."—Matt. 19:4-6.
Note that marriage mates were not to be competitors. Nor were they simply to be acquaintances that shared the same dwelling place. No, they were to be "one flesh." So, marriage mates are to cultivate deep love for each other, and seek to be drawn together in unity of purpose.
But can this really be accomplished? Is it reasonable to expect family members to live together in peace and unity at all times? What counsel in the Bible can draw husbands and wives together in a happy union?
FOR married life really to be happy, both husband and wife must appreciate their respective positions. These are not set merely by local custom. Rather, they are outlined in God's own Word the Bible, and are in harmony with the qualities that God implanted in man and woman at the time of creation.
Knowing how he made man, and the purpose he had in view, Jehovah recorded in his Word that "a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation." (Eph. 5:23) This means that the husband is to take the lead in the home, planning family activities and shouldering the responsibility for making final decisions. But this does not authorize him to be a harsh or cruel ruler of his household.—Col. 3:19.
Though many men have exercised headship in an unloving way, Christian husbands should avoid this. They should study carefully how Jesus Christ has exercised headship over the Christian congregation, and then follow his fine example. At Ephesians 5:25 husbands are counseled: "Continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it." So doing, they will not be overly demanding of their wives, but will handle family affairs in a way that refreshes everyone concerned.—Matt. 11:28-30.
The wife, for her part, "should have deep respect for her husband." (Eph. 5: 33) Since he is the one authorized by God to take the lead, she can make a great contribution to family happiness by willingly submitting to his headship. (Col. 3: 18) If she is keener of mind than her husband, as is sometimes the case, then she can use this quality to support him in his role as head, rather than competing with him or belittling what he does.—Prov. 12:4.
There is much for the wife to do in connection with family life. The Bible fittingly urges married women "to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sound in mind, chaste, workers at home, good, subjecting themselves to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be spoken of abusively." (Titus 2:4, 5) The wife and mother who faithfully fulfills these duties will win the lasting love and respect of her family.—Prov. 31: 10, 11, 26-28.
In many homes problems arise when a husband fails to take into consideration the womanly temperament, the emotional makeup, of his wife. He needs to appreciate that she views things differently. Her emotions respond in a different way. Her strength is not the same as his. Thus the inspired advice to husbands is: "Continue dwelling... with them according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one, since you are also heirs with them of the undeserved favor of life."
(1 Pet. 3:7) When a husband does this, he helps to bring about a spirit of understanding and security in the home.
It is common among worldly people for the security of the home to be undermined by sex interests outside the marriage bond. But those who live in harmony with God's Word are protected against the heartache and grief that such conduct brings. In language that is easy to understand the Bible warns: "Let marriage be honorable among all, and the marriage bed be without defilement, for God will judge formicators and adulterers."—Heb. 13:4.
Thus the Bible makes no allowance for immoral conduct. Those who want to be servants of God must lead clean lives. (1 Thess. 4:3-8) They must limit their sex interests to their own legal marriage mates, and they are accountable before God to do so. (Prov. 5:15-21) It ought to
be the earnest desire of both husband and wife to help each other to avoid any temptation to wrongdoing. They can do this by showing unselfish consideration for each other in this intimate aspect of their lives.—1 Cor. 7:3-5.
However, if a marriage union is truly going to function in harmony with the godly principles that we have discussed, there must also be regular emphasis on spiritual matters. The worship of Jehovah God should be of first importance in the home. It should not be shoved aside in favor of efforts to obtain more material possessions or to have more time for the pursuit of pleasure. (Luke 8:11, 14, 15) Family prayer and regular sessions of family Bible study should be part of every family's way of life. Do you arrange for this in your home?
Of course, much of the trouble in families today centers around the rearing of children. Is it possible to avoid this trouble?
Rearing Children in a GODLY WAY
WHEN children are born, it is the earnest desire of loving parents to see that the lives of those young ones turn out well. But the task is not an easy one. There are many problems that arise along the way. These can be met successfully only by applying the counsel in God's Word.—Prov. 22:6; Deut. 11:18-21.
Much time and effort are usually required to see that there are proper food, clean clothing and a pleasant home in which to live. But the Bible repeatedly
shows that the responsibility of parents by no means ends there. It is also vital to include the children
regularly in the family's program of instruction in the Word of God.—Ps. 78:5-7.
Parents should talk to their children about Jehovah and his ways, not only during regular study sessions, but at other times too.
As God's law to Israel stated: "These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up." (Deut. 6:6, 7) When this is done, children learn to think of God in relationship to all the activities of life.
It is principally on the father, as head of the household, that the Scriptures lay the responsibility to see that this instruction is given. When he makes provision for it and personally takes the lead in giving it, the entire family is drawn more closely together. At the same time, the children are given the kind of training that they so greatly need. So it is important to take to heart what is recorded at Ephesians 6:4: "You, fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah."—See also Proverbs 4:1.
Part of the "discipline . . . of Jehovah" that must be taught involves the child's obligation to be obedient to its parents. This is not something to be treated lightly, because the child's prospects for eternal life are involved. God's Word says: "Children, be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is righteous." —Eph. 6:1.
God is the One who requires that children obey their parents. Therefore, parents are wise if they patiently and consistently impress this lesson on the mind and heart of their offspring.—Col. 3:20, 23.
There will be times when this calls for more than just telling the child what is right. When he deliberately does what he knows to be wrong, stronger action is required to impress the seriousness of the
matter on him. Wisely the Bible observes: "Foolishness is tied up with the heart of a boy; the rod of discipline is what will remove it far from him." (Prov. 22:15) Due to inherited imperfection children are born with a tendency to do what is bad, so they need correction. A loving parent will not neglect this. As Proverbs 13:24 says: "The one holding back his rod is hating his son, but the one loving him is he that does look for him with discipline."
Discipline that is administered in love has the lasting good of the child in view. It is not done in violent bursts of anger or with loud screaming of threats. That is not the Christian way. (Eph. 4:31, 32) There must be firmness, but soundness of mind should also prevail.
The parents themselves should be setting a good example, not just to put on an appearance of righteousness—children quickly see through that—but honestly, sincerely. And if they do so, the children will be helped to realize that God's righteous principles rule the household, and not just unreasonable whims or temporary moods. The young ones will not fear that they will be the victims of unjust punishment. Rather, they will associate punishment with the breaking of proper rules of good conduct.
Among the righteous principles from the Bible that deserve serious family discussion are those having to do with godly moral standards. Children need to be taught, for example, that "everyone liking and carrying on a lie" is detestable to Jehovah. (Rev. 22:15; Prov. 6:16-19) Theft, too, in all its various forms, should be seen as a violation of God's moral standard. (Eph. 4:28; Rom. 13:9, 10) These young folks need to be warned, in a way that they will understand, against sexual immorality and anything that may lead to it. —Eph. 5:5; Prov. 5:3-14.
Discuss together as a family the various problems that arise at home, at school and in play. Reason together on the scriptures that show the kind of conduct that is pleasing to God. In this way the children will learn to apply the Bible in their own lives. It will be a safeguard, so that even when children are away from their parents the admonition they have received will continue to guide them.—Prov. 6:20-23.
Careful thought also needs to be given to choice of companions. Associates deeply influence one's life. Wholesome companions have a good effect, but "bad associations spoil useful habits." (1 Cor. 15: 33) Time and again the Bible record illustrates this fact.—Gen. 34:1, 2; Num. 25: 1, 2.
Children may not appreciate the seriousness of bad associations, but parents should. So it is an evidence of wisdom on their part to keep a loving eye on their
children's choice of companions. These companions include, not only those with whom the children play, but also those about whom they read and those that they watch in motion pictures and on television. —Phil, 4:8.
For family life to be truly satisfying, however, more is needed than avoiding what is harmful. There should also be the enjoyment of doing wholesome things together as a family. The real joy of family life is lost when each one goes his own way without regard for the others. But when there is upbuilding family discussion, when plans are laid together and everyone works together to fulfill them, the family is drawn together in unity. (Prov. 15:22) This is not difficult when there is love in the home. And love is a normal thing among those who truly know God and have his spirit.—1 John 4:7, 8; Gal. 5:22, 23.
EVEN in homes that are normally happy, difficulties may arise at times. These are often due to human imperfection, or the pressures of the world in which we live. What should be done when friction develops between family members?
The solution is not too hard to find if we remember that all of us are imperfect. It is not only outside the home but also within the family circle that we need to apply the inspired counsel: "Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also. But, besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union." Col. 3:12-14.
By showing forgiveness a person imitates Jehovah God, to whom the psalmist said: "If errors were what you watch, . . . O Jehovah, who could stand? For there is the true forgiveness with you."
(Ps. 130:3, 4) The Bible also says: "Hatred is what stirs up contentions, but love covers over even all transgressions." "The insight of a man certainly slows down his anger, and it is beauty on his part to pass over transgression."—Prov. 10:12; 19:11.
When a problem appears to be of a particularly serious nature, there are steps that can be taken to prepare the way for loving forgiveness. For example, when a dispute arises between the children, one of the parents might sit down with them, listen to the problem, and then encourage fitting apologies and the needed forgiveness. On these occasions scriptures such as the ones that we have just read could be reviewed with benefit.
When the difficulty is between husband and wife, it is certainly best not to air it before the children. Nor will the situation be improved by broadcasting complaints to friends and neighbors. Though one may have been deeply hurt, shouting will not make conditions any better. As the Bible says: "A man given to anger stirs up contention, and anyone disposed to rage has many a transgression."—Prov. 29:22.
Also, the breach will only widen if husband and wife go for days without talking to each other. The Christian thing to do is to discuss the problem together, with a firm resolve to restore peace. Even if the other person is the wrongdoer, make reconciliation easier by your own kindness. If you are at fault, humbly ask forgiveness. Do not postpone it; handle the problem without delay. "Let the sun not set with you in a provoked state."—Eph. 4:26; see also Matthew 18:21-35.
Though divorce is common in the world, the Bible does not recommend it as the way to settle problems. Marriage is a lifelong tie, and is not to be regarded lightly. (Rom. 7:2) God's Word allows only one ground on which a Christian may get a
divorce that frees him for remarriage. What is that? It is adultery. In this event, it is up to the innocent one to decide whether to seek a divorce or not. (Matt. 5:32) However, divorce action should never be taken merely on suspicion; there ought to be clear-cut evidence.
In the past, before learning God's righteous requirements, some persons may have been hasty in getting a divorce, and now they have taken up living with another mate. What can they do about it?
They cannot go back and live their lives over. But, if they want to have a part in the service of Jehovah God, and they are living with a mate, they should make sure that their present marriage is legally registered with the government. They ought to go to God in prayer and seek his forgiveness for their past course. Then they should work hard at living from this time on according to God's requirements.
What if your marriage mate has declined to study God's Word with you, and you are not able to discuss problems together on the basis of Bible principles?
The Bible still encourages you to stay together and not to view separation as the easy way out of your problems. Do what you personally can to improve the situation in your home by applying what the Bible says in regard to your own conduct. In time, because of your Christian conduct, you may win over your mate. —1 Cor. 7:10-16; 1 Pet. 3:1, 2.
There is much that can be done in every home in building toward a happier family life. Apply Bible counsel, and there will be good results! Let each one in the household lovingly seek the welfare of the others, thus strengthening family ties. (Col. 3:14) Above all, share unitedly in true worship, so that all of you together will enjoy the rich blessing of Jehovah God, the One who can crown your happiness with eternal life.—Prov. 3:11-18.
iRACY IN THE AiR
During 1968 there were twenty-eight planes that hijackers forced to Cuba; some were small chartered planes, but most were airliners. It appears, however, that 1969 will be an even bigger year for the hijacker. By the middle of February fifteen airplanes had already been hijacked. One was an Ecuadorian plane en route from Quito to Miami and another was a Venezuelan plane. In fact, more than 18 Latin American planes have been hijacked since 1967. But what happens when they get to Cuba?
Hijacking has become such a frequent occurrence that pilots on commercial routes to the southeastern part of the United States carry maps of Havana's José Marti-International Airport, and the procedure on the ground has become routine. The Miami Traffic Control Center for the Federal Aviation Agency promptly notifies Havana of the hijacking, and an official of the Swiss embassy in Washington fills out a prepared form asking Cuba for the prompt release of the plane and its
ON December 11, 1968, the pilot of a TWA jet airliner flying from St. Louis to Miami radioed ground controllers: "A guy has a gun in my back. He is forcing us to go to Havana. We are proceeding there." For the past year this has become an increasingly familiar announcement as acts of air piracy have multiplied.
passengers. The Swiss embassy does this because it has handled United States diplomatic contacts with Cuba ever since the United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1960.
A person flying to Miami these days cannot be certain that he will not find himself in Havana. It appears that this is the reason why many officials of the United States government choose to go to Florida by train rather than by plane. They are not likely to be embarrassed by suddenly finding themselves in Communist Cuba.
What Happens to Passengers?
When the TWA jet landed in Havana at 12:30 p.m. the passengers were removed from the plane, and the hijacker was taken away by the Cuban authorities. There is uncertainty as to what becomes of the hijackers. It is believed that some are imprisoned and others are put to work on state farms.
Eight hours after the plane landed, the Cubans permitted it to return to the United States with its crew but not the passengers. They did not leave until 10 p.m. on another plane, a propeller plane flown from the United States for that purpose. In many instances passengers have had to wait until the next day. The Cuban authorities contended that the passengers could not return with their planes for reasons of safety.
When the passengers had to stay overnight to await a propeller plane to come and pick them up, the Cubans put them in a hotel and treated them well.
The hotel was usually the Havana Libre, which was formerly the Havana Hilton. Sometimes they were taken to the Varadero International, which is a thirty-five-minute bus ride out of town. It is more convenient to the Varadero Airport, where the propeller planes usually picked up the passengers for return to the United States.
Besides being an inconvenience to the passengers, the Cuban refusal to permit them to return with the jet that brought them has been costly to the airlines. Cuban landing fees for the jet and for the second plane, the cost of chartering the second plane, as well as the cost of meals and hotel rooms for the passengers, has, according to one estimate, amounted to about 8,500 for each hijacked plane. Other estimates have put it at15,000.
An understanding was finally reached in February with the Cuban government that has made it possible for the passengers to return with their jet. The Cuban Foreign Ministry stated that the government was prepared to allow the passengers to return with their plane on a caseby-case basis if the pilot and the airline assume full responsibility for the safety of the aircraft.
Why Not Resist?
On the surface it might appear that a simple solution to the problem would be to resist the hijacker. Perhaps an armed guard could be put on the plane, someone might say, or perhaps the crew could be armed. This is what the Israelis seem to have been doing since one of their airliners was hijacked to Algeria in July 1968. In fact, the United States Federal Aviation Administration has authorized American airline crews to carry guns.
a gun battle in midair. Although a bullet puncturing the pressurized fuselage may not necessarily cause an explosive decompression of the cabin, there is danger of a bullet penetrating a vital part of the plane and causing it to crash. Besides that, some of the passengers might be seriously injured from a gunfight.
But the pilots as well as the airlines think that a trip to Cuba is preferable to
To minimize the danger to passengers and to the aircraft, pilots and stewardesses are instructed by the airlines to obey the hljacker. This is usually done without hesitation. By following this general policy of not resisting piracy in the air the airlines have succeeded in preventing anyone from being injured.
Keeping the cockpit doors locked is not entirely effective, because the hijacker can threaten a stewardess with a weapon and force her to communicate his demands to the pilot over the plane's communication system. Searching all the passengers on every flight is not practical either. It would require too much time and be too disturbing to the passengers. It could disrupt good passenger relations and might involve legal problems.
Efforts are being made to develop a metal detector that could distinguish a gun or knife from other metal objects that people usually carry, such as keys and watches. If such a detector could be manufactured and installed without being too costly, it might reveal an armed passenger as he passes it. But it would not necessarily detect explosives that a person might be carrying.
In the hope of forestalling hijackings, the airline Pilots Association and the Air Transport Association have offered a combined reward of $25,000 for information leading to the conviction of persons attempting to hijack airplanes. The reward, however, is not payable to airline employees, law enforcement officers and passengers on a hijacked plane. This is to prevent possible injury to passengers by reward hunters on the plane.
Penalties
On January 21, 1969, a couple from New York city who hijacked an airliner to Cuba were charged with piracy in an arrest warrant issued in Federal Court. On the basis of a law passed in the United States in 1961 this couple would be in real trouble if they returned to the United
jackers have been Americans. In some instances they are criminals fleeing from the law. This was the case of the hijacker of a Delta Airlines plane in March 1968 who was being sought by the police for a payroll robbery. In other instances the hijackers appeared to be emotionally upset over the racial issues in the United States.
As might be expected with something that has been as well publicized as air-
States. Their minimum punishment would be twenty years in prison and the maximum would be death.
It is the desire of the International Air
Transport Association to have the various national governments of its members to enact legislation that would make the hijacking of civil aircraft subject to the
liner hijackings, there have been a few mentally unbalanced persons who have tried their hand at it. One was caught on a Delta flight when he suddenly dropped
ARTICLES IN THE NEXT ISSUE
Who Are the Criminals?
Spring's Chorus on Wings.
Understanding the Change in a Woman's Life.
An Outing with Grandpa.
some penalties on pinney. The Swiss gov. twenty-one-year old
his gun and began weeping. Two others were put in psychiatric hospitals after they reached Cuba. Still others appear to have been exhibitionists, such as the "bimini" and his girl
same penalties as piracy. The Swiss government appears to favor this because on February 19, 1969, after an Israeli airliner was shot at in the Geneva airport by Arab terrorists, it urged international acceptance of a proposal to outlaw acts of piracy in the air.
Until now few hijackers have actually been arrested. They appear to be safe from prosecution because Cuba has steadfastly refused to return the hijackers for punishment. If this Cuban policy were changed, the fad of hijacking airliners
twenty-one-year-old hippie and his girl friend who attempted to hijack a National Airlines plane on February 3, 1969. He was caught at gunpoint after he had permitted the plane to land for fuel and allowed the passengers to get off.
The hijacking of airliners is not likely to stop, despite the severe penalties, as long as there is no danger that the hijackers will be returned for prosecution. At a conference in Montreal, representatives of various nations expressed reluctance to do this because of fear that some
would most likely stop immediately.
Who Are the Hijackers?
Some of the hijackers have been Cuban exiles who wanted to return to Cuba. They chose this way of getting there because there are no flights between the United States and Cuba, although there are between Mexico and Cuba, as well as a few other countries. About thirty hi JUNE 8, 1969
bijackers might be prosecuted for political offenses, such as criticizing their governments.
As is so often the case, lack of international trust makes the solving of the hijacking problem difficult. But whatever is finally done, the fact remains that air piracy has become another indication of the growing breakdown in respect for law, order and the rights of others.
Down the WATER HIGHWAY of the North
By "Awakel" correspondent in Canada
WOULD you like to travel on a highway that has no pavement and no cars, yet takes you through some of the most fascinating country on the North American continent? Stretching for more than 1,500 miles through the vast Canadian northland runs the Western Arctic's only highway, the Mackenzie River. Flowing into the Arctic Ocean at a
rate of over 3,700,000 gallons per second, this great waterway drains almost one-fifth of the total area of Canada or about 700,000 square miles, a region two and a half times the size of Texas or more than thirteen times as large as England. Bearing the name of the man who first explored it, Alexander Mackenzie, this water highway is the last of its kind on this continent. It fulfills a role that all great rivers once played, that of serving as the major supply route between the outside world and its people.
However, before you accept our offer too readily, let us warn you that the journey will take eight weeks, and you will have to sleep under the invisible stars in the "land of the midnight sun." You will face the cool Arctic wind and fight hordes of pesky insects coming to life by the millions in the sun's warm rays. But you will also meet friendly natives living their simple but happy lives in this vast, untamed land. Also, be prepared to feel the
bone-chilling wetness from the spray of the 40-degree water as your canoe bucks and rocks through the wind-driven waves often reaching four feet in height.
Come along as we retrace a 1,500-mile canoe trip down this majestic highway for the purpose of bringing the message of Kingdom hope to its 9,000 inhabitants.
Preparing for the Trip
The first step in preparing for this trip is to find a suitable craft, one that will be light enough to be powered by a small outboard engine, yet stable and capable of carrying a relatively large load. In this case we choose a maneuverable twenty-foot freighter canoe because its flat bottom prevents tipping, yet allows it to carry over one ton of supplies. The flat stern of the canoe makes it easy to attach one of the two outboard motors that we take along, while the flat bottom provides ample space for the small drums carrying our 45 gallons of gasoline.
Also, into the boat go bedrolls, a tent, other camping equipment, 100 to 150 pounds of food and cooking utensils, medical supplies, a steel anchor with twenty feet of chain, sixty quarts of outboard oil, extra clothing, miscellaneous items and over 2,500 pieces of Bible literature.
Tarpailins, thrown over this heaped load and tied securely with a 50-foot rope, prevent waves from splashing in during stretches of rough water.
The River Valley and Delta
Our journey down this highway begins at Fort Providence, the first outpost along the Mackenzie River Valley. Even though it is early summer and the days are long, we must make haste as a strong east wind is blowing. At this time of year, an east wind could spell trouble, as it forces the breaking ice from the Great Slave Lake into the Mackenzie River. Already the air is filled with the tinkling sound of breaking ice as a steady silver stream of ice floes jams its way into the main current. To get trapped amid these chunks, some ranging up to four feet thick and fifteen to twenty feet across, would mean disaster. To wait until the ice stops flowing could mean a delay of perhaps two weeks. Navigating carefully along the less congested edges of the river, we glide smoothly past countless islands, swamps, and low banks lined with willow trees. Averaging a speed of about ten knots, we soon come to a large river that spills its brown sediment-filled water into the clean, cold Mackenzie. This is the Liard River, which flows through the wild, but beautiful and mysterious Nahamni Valley. When these waters finally merge, the Mackenzie is stained for the remaining thousand miles of its journey.
In the river valley the little settlements are situated from 50 to 200 miles apart, with no human habitation between. Often
it takes several days to travel from one settlement to the next. But there is no monotony, for there is much to do, see and learn about the marvelous wonders of creation. Of never failing interest is the smooth gliding river as it winds past steep, heavily wooded banks. How peaceful it is to listen to the lonely sound of the northern loon as it hunts for its evening meal!
Upon arriving in one of the villages, we are usually greeted by curious glances from its inhabitants. In a short while the whole population, 90 to 95 percent of which is comprised of native people of the Slavi or other Indian tribes, is aware of our visit, since strangers in this land are uncommon. However, upon talking to them about God's purposes we remain strangers for only a short period of time. Generally leading simple lives, these folk provide for their families by fishing in summer, trapping and hunting in winter. It is not uncommon to find complete families moving from their winter quarters to a favorite stream in the wilderness. Here for a few weeks they can find and smoke a good catch of fish for feeding themselves and their dogs during winter. These humble people listen intently to us, since they desire to enjoy the marvelous blessing of living in peace and happiness in the Paradise earth now so near at hand.
The country along the valley offers us a panorama of ever-changing beauty. As we journey along, the low banks between Fort Providence and Fort Simpson give way to the 3,000-foot-high Mackenzie Mountains. A few hundred miles downstream we find the lower Franklin Mountains. Sometimes it is possible to see a refreshing stream cascading down a steep bank providing fresh, clean water for us to drink. How interesting it is to pass by Fort Norman and the area called 'the Everlasting Fires' where lignite beds have been burning since the days when Alexander Mackenzie first went down the river in 1789!
Beneath the forest wilderness lies an untold wealth in the form of minerals and crude oil.
The community of Norman Wells, approximately 500 miles down the river, has tapped part of this wealth, as the most northerly oil refinery in the Western Hemisphere is located there. However, the land does not yield its riches easily. In the summer the marshy countryside or muskeg threatens to swallow any heavy machine that moves over it, while hordes of mosquitoes, blackflies and other insects render life almost impossible for man. In winter the whole land becomes enveloped in the icy grip of sub-zero temperatures.
Below Norman Wells we travel through the most spectacular stretch of the entire waterway, for here are the most dangerous and largest rapids of the Mackenzie, the Sans Sault. Alexander Mackenzie aptly described them as 'seething with a noise like a kettle.' Even above the noise of the outboard motor, the hiss of the white water can be distinctly heard. Reaching speeds of 12 to 15 knots, they swirl downward, then roll back on the surface in an awesome display of whitecaps. Small craft are warned to stay in the less violent water left of the mainstream, as the rapids have claimed the lives of several persons, caught in their grip and unable to escape.
After making it through safely, we next come to the Ramparts, where the river narrows down from over one mile in width to approximately one-quarter of a mile and flows smooth and fast through a canyon seven miles long, with high limestone cliffs on either side. A short distance from here we truly enter the "land of the midnight sun," because, on passing above the Arctic Circle, we are neither to experience darkness nor see the sun dip below the horizon for the next five weeks. Several more days of travel bring us to Point Separation, where the river widens out and separates into the Delta area.
The Mackenzie Delta is one of the most enormous in the Western Hemisphere, a region of half-submerged islands, numerous channels, and low banks slimy in summer from several hundred feet of permafrost. Here we enter the domain of muskrats, ducks and geese, swans, an occasional eagle and the ever-present mosquito. Bound on the west by the Richardson Mountains and the east by the low Caribou Hills, the Delta spreads for seventy miles, while north and south it extends for 100 miles. Two of the largest towns along the river highway lie within this area, Aklavik and Inuvik. From here we come to Reindeer Depot and the last lap of our journey.
The Land of the Pingos
As we come near the end of the water highway, we notice one of the most extraordinary phenomena of the Western Arctic, the pingo. It may be described as an ice volcano. The mound varies in size from a height of twenty to 200 feet and may have a diameter of 100 feet to almost a quarter of a mile. This ice formation is caused by an upheaval in the permafrost or frozen earth below. The solid blue ice has an outer covering about two feet thick, consisting of earth, grass and flowers. It is delightful to look at the flowers growing on these pingos, especially the purple one, called the saxifrage, which takes only one month to commence growth, flower and mature seed. As we walk away, the ground in this Arctic tundra region is swampy and broken up, reminding us of a soft green carpet. Because of the permafrost, we find no bush or trees in this area. We see many lakes since it is impossible for the melted snow and surface water to seep away through the frozen subsoil.
From here we travel a few more miles to a whaling station near the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Notice the great deal of activity in this Eskimo camp in preparation for the whaling season that lasts for about six weeks during July and August. The Eskimo father takes his whole family with him and sets up a temporary tent home in a quiet bay. Upon our arrival,
ing in the morning's catch of fish that must be cleaned and prepared for the coming winter. The tool that the Eskimo woman is using is called an "ulu," a razor-sharp semicircular knife. From the men we learn that they spend much of their time in fishing, trapping and hunting.
We find that the settlement here, like most northern ones, consists of small, simple, wooden houses, a Hudson's Bay store, a small school and a few government
we are greeted very warmly and invited to have a cup of coffee. One of the men is willing to explain to us just how the white or beluga whale is hunted.
Since the whales cannot sound, or dive, in the shallow water, they must stay close to the surface. When they are spotted, the Eskimo follows them in his powered speedboat, and when close enough, he shoots to wound the beluga, thus slowing him down. This gives the hunter just enough time to harpoon his prize and then throw an attached rope and float into the
buildings. But where are the igloos, you ask? The Eskimo igloo, which at one time was the family accommodation, is now very seldom used, perhaps on hunting trips only.
Everywhere along this water highway progress is evident, but along with progress come problems. Lack of moderation in drinking habits is causing many to come to poverty. Better educational facilities seem to be solving some problems, but not all. To many of the natives the future is not very encouraging. Their
water. After the fatal shot he will be ready to bring the whale into camp. All the blubber is cut off, laid on the shore to sun-dry, and later is cut up into small pieces and boiled to extract the oil. The meat is sliced off and hung over racks to dry. A friendly atmosphere is noticed as different families work together to obtain their winter food.
After thanking the Eskimos for their hospitality, we prepare to leave for an eighteen-mile trip across the open water. The Buffalo, Calif., boaters will
knowledge of the Bible and its principles is very limited, even though religious institutions have been present for a long time. How happy many of them are to hear and learn of the wonderful conditions that will shortly come on the earth. They are eager to accept Bibles and Bible literature to increase their understanding of God and his purposes.
This brings us to the end of the great river highway. Our canoe, with our food, oil, fuel supplies and all our Bible litera-
of the Beaufort Sea to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic coast.
The Natives and Their Way of Life
Upon docking the canoe, we are once again greeted by warm smiles from the Eskimos. We notice they are busy bring-
ture gone, is much lighter now. As once again we admire the golden "midnight sun," we are very happy that we were able to help the people of this water highway of the north to learn about their Grand Creator and his wonderful purposes.
LOW BLOOD SUGAR
IN 1961 a twenty-year-old girl living in Ballston Spa, New York, decided she would have to go to a doctor to see why she was having attacks of palpitation of the heart, shortness of breath, tenderness on the left side of the abdomen, severe headaches, great fatigue, depression and a ravenous hunger. Doctor after doctor could find nothing organically wrong that would explain these disturbing symptoms. Finally a doctor decided to test her blood sugar. When he did he found the reason for her troubles—hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
This is an ailment with which many doctors are not very familiar because information about it is rather sparse as compared with other ailments. As might be expected, there are differences of opinion among medical men as to how widespread the ailment actually is. Some prefer to consider it as a rare malady, whereas others contend that it is much more common than is generally recognized.
The symptoms are not unusual and can be indications of a number of ailments. This may be one reason why some doctors overlook low blood sugar as a possible cause of trouble. But when it is the cause, proper treatment can bring a marked improvement.
What Is Blood Sugar?
When you eat starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, spaghetti, macaroni and
noodles or foods with sugar in them such as candy, pastries, ice cream, and so forth, you are eating carbohydrates. During the course of digestion they are converted to glucose, which is a form of sugar. The glucose passes from
the small intestine into the bloodstream and is carried to the liver, where most of it is converted to a complicated chemical substance called glycogen. This insoluble substance is stored there until needed.
Glucose is the energy fuel needed by body cells. If the amount of it in the blood is insufficient, the cells will be starved and not operate properly. The brain and nervous system in particular are adversely affected. In the event that a drop in the level of glucose, or blood sugar, is severe, a person may go into a stupor and experience convulsions. If the condition continues, irrevocable damage can be done to the brain, and the person will finally die.
On the other hand, if the level of blood sugar exceeds its proper level, the person will suffer from diabetes. A severe rise in blood sugar can cause him to go into a coma that can lead to death. The level of glucose, or blood sugar, must be just right, neither too low nor too high. Your marvelous body has regulating mechanisms that maintain just the right level, about five grams of blood sugar in the entire blood supply.
Now, what does your body do for blood sugar when it may have to wait hours or days for the next meal? To carry you over, the liver will draw upon its stores of glycogen and convert enough to glucose so as to maintain the proper level in the circulatory system. Glycogen is also stored in the muscles and the kidneys and can be used when needed.
The Need for Insulin
For blood sugar to be maintained at the proper level, insulin is needed. When the concentration of blood sugar is high, insulin causes some of the glucose to be absorbed by the liver and changed to glycogen. When the concentration is low, insulin is withheld, causing the liver and the other cells to reduce their absorption of glucose. If there is too much insulin, however, the level of blood sugar will drop too low. On the other hand, if there is an insufficient supply the level becomes too high and the body suffers from diabetes. Thus insulin is the most important regulator of the mechanism for maintaining the proper balance of blood sugar.
Insulin comes from the pancreas, which is an organ that is about six to eight inches long and resembles a bunch of grapes. Within the pancreas are isolated cells called the islands of Langerhans. These cells secrete insulin, which is carried by the blood to the liver, where it causes the liver to remove enough blood sugar so the level is just right. Some of it circulates throughout the body, enabling each cell to utilize the blood sugar. To help maintain the delicate balance, there is another hormone known as glucagon that opposes the effect of insulin.
A need for more blood sugar triggers the adrenal glands to pour hormones into the bloodstream. They cause the liver to change some of the stored glycogen back to glucose, or blood sugar. There is also a
reduction in the secretion of insulin. In this manner the proper level of blood sugar is maintained at all times, even during periods of fasting.
Causes of Low Blood Sugar
Oversensitivity of the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas is thought to be a cause of low blood sugar. It is thought that they overreact to a sudden rise in blood sugar. In such cases they apparently secrete too much insulin, and this makes the liver remove too much blood sugar from the bloodstream. The level of circulating blood sugar then drops below the normal level, causing headaches, extreme fatigue and other unpleasant symptoms of hypoglycemia. This sensitivity usually causes a feeling of tenderness on the left side of the abdomen where most of these cells are located near the tail of the pancreas.
A method of detecting this ailment is the glucose tolerance test. After a period of fasting, such as overnight, a small amount of blood is taken from the patient's arm and analyzed for the amount of blood sugar in it. Then he is given a solution of glucose to drink, and other blood samples are taken at hourly intervals. The test ought to last for five or six hours because mild forms of hypoglycemia may not show a drop until then. He must not eat any food until the test is completed.
Normally blood sugar will rise after taking the drink of glucose solution, and then the level will fall back to normal. This indicates that the blood sugar control mechanisms in the body are operating properly. But when they are not, the level of blood sugar, as in the case of hypoglycemia, will drop below the normal level instead of leveling off.
Another test that is often used is the tolbutamide tolerance test. It is especially effective if a tumor of the insulinproducing cells is involved.
Such tumors in the case of organic hypoglycemia appear to be the principal reason for too much insulin being produced by the body.
Other organic causes of this ailment can be tumors in other parts of the body, a diseased liver and diseased adrenal and pituitary glands. Even an inflamed pancreas can cause a drop in blood sugar.
Emotional Stress
What might be termed functional hypoglycemia cannot be traced to any specific physical cause, such as tumors and diseased organs. Emotional stress appears to be one of the reasons for this more common form of low blood sugar. This seems reasonable in view of the delicate balance that must be maintained in the level of blood sugar. If any of the various organs that have to do with maintaining that level are upset by emotional stress the level of blood sugar could be affected.
On this point Dr. Charles Weller, in his book How to Live with Hypoglycemia, states: "Because it can be triggered by emotional stress (as can some milder forms of diabetes and, many physicians believe, certain heart and blood disorders), it may be a significant key to the as-yet-unknown role of the emotions in physical health."
There is a very close relationship between blood sugar and the nervous system. According to the book Pharmacology in Medicine, edited by Victor Drill, the "central nervous system is exceedingly dependent upon a proper concentration of glucose in the blood for proper oxygen utilization and reacts quickly to depressions of the blood glucose below 70 to 80 mg per cent. . . . Prolonged, unrelieved hypoglycemia may even lead to irreversible damage to the nervous system, followed by death in hypoglycemic coma." It
is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that emotional stress could trigger a cycle of problems by upsetting the level of blood sugar, which in turn affects the nervous system.
In his book How to Live 365 Days a Year, Dr. John Schindler observes: "The unpleasant emotions can stimulate any or all of the many hormones. What is more, a very acute emotion will produce immediate, profound effects to a much greater degree than will any other type of stressor." Since adrenaline and insulin are hormones, emotional stress may stimulate the secretion of them to an extent that they upset the blood sugar balance in the body.
Brain Affected
As with the nervous system, the brain is especially sensitive to fluctuations in blood sugar. If, for example, a baby fails to manufacture the enzyme needed for converting galactose, which results from digesting milk, into glucose, the supply of blood sugar reaching the brain will be insufficient. The result will be brain damage and mental retardation.
Since the brain, of all the tissues in the body, is the most dependent on blood sugar, it is reasonable to expect the brain to manifest symptoms when blood sugar is low. One of these is severe headaches. In an examination of thirty-five persons suffering from migraine headaches, it was found that during the periods when they had severe headaches their blood sugar was low. The lower it dropped the more severe the headaches became. When they adjusted their diet so as to keep their blood sugar level more normal they ceased to have difficulty with headaches.
Mental problems such as depression, anxiety and irrational behavior can also be caused by low blood sugar. In the medical publication Diseases of the Nervous System, issue of July 1967, a case is related of a man who manifested the symptoms of schizophrenia and was diagnosed as schizophrenic.
But when a reevaluation of his case was later made, hypoglycemia was revealed. It was found that he had a tumor mass on his pancreas that was pouring too much insulin into his blood and caused him to have low blood sugar, which affected his mind.
In The Journal of the Iowa Medical Society of June 1968, hypoglycemia was identified as the cause of "behavioral abnormalities such as stupor, tremor, clumsiness, confusion and irrational behavior" in the several cases that the article considered. The observation was then made: "The physician should suspect hyperinsulinism in all patients with unexplained, intermittent neurologic symptoms, especially when attacks increase in frequency and tend to occur during a period of fasting." Hyperinsulinism means too much insulin is being produced. This results in hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
Another publication that links low blood sugar with mental disturbance is the book Body, Mind and Sugar by Dr. E. M. Abrahamson. It states: "It has been recognized that manifest hyperinsulinism can be accompanied by many psychic phenomena—depressive states, anxiety, and other symptoms that have been lumped together as 'neuroses.'" This does not mean that all mental problems are due to low blood sugar but rather that it is sometimes a factor that should not be overlooked.
Treatment
made in The Journal of the Iowa Medical Society of June 1968.
There are drugs that can be used for treating hypoglycemia, but they have undesirable side effects. A commonly used one is diazoxide. It appears to elevate the blood sugar level by arresting insulin production. While it can reduce the frequency of hypoglycemic attacks, it seldom eliminates them. This observation was
When the problem is not caused by a tumor, which can be remedied by surgery, a change in diet has often proved effective. The objective in such a change is to cause the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas to cease being overly sensitive. Until that is accomplished the person with low blood sugar must be careful of what he eats, and he must eat small amounts at frequent intervals.
Frequent small meals prevent wide swings in the level of blood sugar. Instead of the level surging upward after a meal and then plunging downward to a point below normal, it will tend to swing more moderately.
The diet usually is high in proteins and low in carbohydrates. Sugared foods are in most instances completely eliminated so as to prevent sudden rises in blood sugar that may trigger the release of too much insulin in a person suffering from low blood sugar. That includes pastries, ice cream, puddings, grapes, raisins, honey, dates, and so forth.
Because coffee contains caffeine, which stimulates the adrenal cortex, it is forbidden. As you will recall, the adrenal glands produce hormones that cause the liver to raise the level of blood sugar by converting glycogen to blood sugar. Such a sudden rise in blood sugar is too stimulating to overly sensitive insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Although a cup of coffee may give a person a momentary lift and may temporarily ease a headache by raising the level of blood sugar, it keeps up the cycle of undesirable swings in the blood sugar. So all coffee and strong tea is usually stopped in order to get the delicate balance of blood sugar back to normal. Soft drinks that contain caffeine, such as cola beverages, are also forbidden.
Alcoholic drinks such as cocktails, wines, cordials and beer are also usually discontinued while a person is on the diet because alcohol can cause a drop in blood sugar. This is especially so when a person has gone without food for several hours or days.
In the magazine Aerospace Medicine of September 1966 the role alcohol plays in lowering blood sugar was pointed out as a possible factor in airplane accidents. It observed that a person who drinks alcohol while in a fasting state, having missed one or more meals, "may experience severe hypoglycemic symptoms including convulsions and coma."
Some persons with low blood sugar might think it would be all right to use sugarless, artificial sweeteners, but it seems that these too ought to be avoided. According to Science News Letter of April 29, 1961, these sugarless sweeteners stimulate the insulin-producing cells because "the sweet taste alone becomes enough to set in motion the physiological events that ordinarily follow eating sugar. Insulin is released in the body. There is greater utilization of glucose and decreased glycogen breakdown. The end result is a lowering of blood sugar."
The special diet for persons with hypoglycemia may last for about three months. Eventually the person can go back to a more normal selection of foods with possibly a few restrictions. One of those restrictions will undoubtedly be moderation when eating sweets in order to avoid getting the islands of Langerhans overly sensitive again. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and soft drinks might be forbidden entirely or put under strict
limitations. Of course, such a diet and the restrictions following it will likely vary according to the physician prescribing them.
Since emotional stress is a factor in bringing on hypoglycemic attacks, a diet cannot entirely solve the problem if nothing is done to relieve such stress. In some cases it may be just a matter of exercising self-control by not permitting things to upset one.
A person may tend to meet situations in life with such emotions as anxiety, fear, apprehension, discouragement, disappointment and frustration, all of which can cause emotional stress. It would be much better to learn how to meet situations with less disturbing emotions. When something happens about which a person can do nothing, he might as well resign himself to the situation and make the best of it.
For low blood sugar to be accurately diagnosed it is best to go to a physician and have him test for it. This is more advisable than for one to try to diagnose the trouble oneself. Then if low blood sugar exists, the physician can explain the diet that is best for treating it. If it is due to a tumor he will be in a better position than the patient to determine this and to recommend an effective treatment.
Low blood sugar is a problem with many people and has caused them much distress. If you have severe headaches, extreme fatigue, feel very hungry shortly after eating a meal and have tenderness on the left side of the abdomen, do not overlook the possibility that low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, may be your problem.
Ribs
An average person, man or woman, has twenty-four ribs. However, it is reported that one person in twenty has an extra rib.
Lofty Rulers of Ancient Tradition
By "Awakel" correspondent in Ghana
"WAIT until tomorrow before you leave, Jim. There is going to be a formal reception of chiefs, and it is interesting. You'll see the traditional rulers gorgeously dressed in the best native attire. They'll wear golden crowns, have bracelets of gold from the wrist right up to the elbow, and each chief will sit under a brightly patterned state umbrella."
"Really? I would like to see it. But when I decided to come to visit I read up a bit on Ghana. One book gave me the impression that you don't have traditional chiefs anymore."
"Oh, but we do! It's true that the chief today does not exercise the degree of power he did before our present century. Before the establishment of the colonial regime in this country the chiefs were the dominant figures. They were responsible for the maintenance of law and for the administration of their respective localities. But the political government now largely has taken over these duties, greatly reducing the chiefs' political strength. However, the traditional institution of chieftaincy still exists because there is a religious aspect to the office that is considered even more important.
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