A u g u st 22, 2001

,682,000
P u b lish e d in 86 L a n g u a g e s

Coping With Post-

traumatic Stress 3-10
W hat is p o st-trau m atic stress,
and w hat can be done to help
those w ho suffer from its
devastating sym ptom s?
Will it ever be elim inated?

When Terror Strikes 3

Changing Attitudes Post-traumatic Stress What Is It? 4

Toward Old Age 11
Common assumptions re- Traumatic Stress Will End! 7
garding the aged are chang
ing. What can older ones do M eteora-Towering Rock Pillars 15
to stay active and enjoy life?
My Life as an Artist 18

'an II Make
How Can Make The Co,or*ul Kermodes 26
Bible Reading
le Reading Watching the World 28
More Enjoyable? 23
souths have come
Some youths From Our Readers 30
to enjoy reading the Bible.
der what can also
Consider The Vital Role of Fathers 31
ake Bible reading
make
enjoyable for you.
enjoyable The Challenge of Caring for Children 32

Awake! August 22, 2001 War scene: U.S. Signal Corps photc

W
 A
W h e n T e r r o r S tr ik e s
Ive gota knife1Shut up, or Ill

T WAS a lovely summer afternoon, and which kept me from sleeping. After several

I 17-year-old Jane,* one of Jehovahs Wit

nesses, had been roller-skating in a pub
lic park in Virginia, U.S.A. Suddenly the
park seemed deserted, and she decided to
leave. As she sat near her familys minivan
removing her skates, a stranger approached
her. With the chilling words above, he de
manded sex, grabbed Jane, and tried to
shove her inside the minivan. She screamed
as loud as she could, but that did not stop
weeks of this, I was unable to study or to fo
cus mentally. I also had panic attacks. At
school a classmate who looked a little like
my attacker tapped me on the shoulder to
ask the time, and I almost went to pieces.
She says: I was so miserable. I lost con
tact with my friends, and the loneliness only
added to the depression. I blamed myself
for allowing the attack, and I grieved for the
happy, trusting person I had been before it

the attack.
happened. I felt as if that person had died.
I felt so utterly helpless, Jane recalled
Jane was experiencing some of the classic
later. Like a bug versus a giant. But I kept
symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
screaming and struggling. Finally, I called
(PTSD). What is PTSD, and what can be
out to God, Jehovah, please dont let this
happen to me! That seemed to startle the done to help those who suffer from its dev
attacker, who suddenly released her and astating symptoms? The next article will an
fled the scene. swer these questions.
As the would-be rapist got into his car,
Jane locked herself in her van, trembling.
Grabbing the cell phone, she forced herself
to be calm. She called the police and gave
an accurate description of the suspects car
and its license number, which led to his ar
rest within minutes.
A Happy Ending?
Yes, but not immediately. Janes ordeal
had only begun. Although the police and
newspapers praised her quick thinking and
clearheaded response to the attack, after
the initial shock wore off, Jane felt any
i thing but clearheaded. After a few weeks, I
began to fall apart, she recounts. My
body was in a continual state of panic,
* The name has been changed.
 P o s t-tra u m a tic S tre ss
What Is It?
'EARS AGO, post-traumatic stress was in the past, but the terror of those mo

Y disorder (PTSD) was usually called

shell shock or com bat fatigue
and was studied prim arily in connec
tion with military veterans.* Today much
ments seemed to be trying to take up per
manent residence in Janes mind, like an
unwelcome tenant who ignores an eviction
notice.
has changed. You dont have to be a soldier If you have survived a trauma and are
to be diagnosed with PTSD. You only have experiencing similar aftereffects, it is im
to be a survivor of some traumatic event. portant to realize that you are not alone,
The event could be anything from a war in a book she wrote on rape, au th o r
to a rape attempt to a car accident. A fact Linda E. Ledray explains that PTSD is a
sheet from the National Center for PTSD, normal reaction seen in normal people who
in the United States, puts it this way: To be have been through a terrifying situation
diagnosed with PTSD, an individual must in which they could not control what was
have been exposed to a traumatic event. happening.
And this event must involve some type of Yet, calling PTSD normal doesnt mean
actual or threatened PHYSICAL injury or that every survivor of a trauma will devel
assault. op it. Ledray notes: A 1992 study found
Jane, mentioned in the preceding article, that, one week after a rape, 94 percent of
relates: I have learned that sudden ter the survivors evaluated met the criteria for
ror causes certain hormones to surge, and PTSD and at twelve weeks 47 percent con
these hormones cause the senses to become tinued to do so. Fifty percent of the women
hyperalert to danger. Ordinarily hormone seen at the Sexual Assault Resource Service
levels fall back down to normal after the in Minneapolis in 1993 met the criteria for
danger has passed, but in the case of PTSD PTSD one year after rape.
sufferers, they remain elevated. The event Such statistics reveal that PTSD is com
* See the articles Do They Come Back the Same? and
mon, far more common than most people
He Came Back a Stranger, in Awake! of August 8, 1982. realize. And all sorts of people are sufferers,
---------------------------------------------------------------- A w ake!----------------------------------------------------------------
Why A w a ke! Is Published Awake! is for the enlightenment of the entire family. It shows how to cope with
todays problems. It reports the news, tells about people in many lands, examines religion and science. But it does more.
It probes beneath the surface and points to the real meaning behind current events, yet it always stays politically neutral
and does not exalt one race above another. Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creators promise of
a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.
Unless otherwise indicated, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures With References is used.

(ISSN 0005-237X ) is published sem im onthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; M. H. Larson, President; G. F. Simonis,
Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483. Periodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, N.Y., and at additional m ailing offices.
C h a n g e s o f a d d r e s s should reach us 30 days before your moving date. Give us your old and new address (if possible, your old address label).
P O S T M A S T E R : Send address changes to Awake!, c /o Watchtower, W a llk ill, N Y 1 2 5 8 9 .
Vol. 82, No. 16 Printed in U.S.A. 2001 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Sem im onthly ENGLISH

4 Awake! August 22, 2001

following many types of incidents. Authors es of violence against others. One out of
Alexander C. McFarlane and Lars Weisaeth five of the exposed adolescents developed
observe: Recent studies have shown that PTSD. This suggests that approximate
traumatic events frequently happen to civil ly 1.07 million U.S. teenagers currently suf
ians during peacetime, as well as to soldiers fer from PTSD.
and war victims, and that many survivors of If the statistic is accurate, that means
such frequent events develop PTSD. Even there are a lot of teenage sufferers in just
medical procedures or heart attacks have
triggered PTSD in some individuals.
PTSD has turned out to be a very com
mon disorder, explain the above-quoted A variety of traumatic events
can trigger PTSD
authors. They further say: A random sur
vey of 1,245 American adolescents showed
that 23% had been the victims of phys
ical or sexual assaults, as well as witness

Would you w elcom e m ore inform ation? W rite W atch T o w e r at the appropriate address.
Publication of Aw ake! is part of a w orldw ide Bible educational w o rk supported by volu n ta ry donations.
S em im o n th ly Languages A vailable by Mail: Offices o f the W atch T o w e r S o c ie ty in s e le c te d co u n trie s
Afrikaans, Arabic, Cebuano, Chinese, Chinese (Simplified), Croatian, Czech* America, United States of, New Zealand, P.0. Box 75-142,
Danish* Dutch, English* Estonian, Finnish* French, German* Greek, Wallkill, NY 12589 Manurewa
Hungarian, lloko, Indonesian, Italian* Japanese* Korean, Latvian, Lithu Nigeria, P.M.B. 1090, Benin City,
anian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slo Australia, Box 280, Ingleburn, NSW 1890
Edo State
vak, Slovenian, Spanish* Swahili, Swedish,* Tagalog, Ukrainian, Zulu Britain, The Ridgeway, London NW71RN
South Africa, Private Bag X2067,
M onthly Languages A vailable by Mail: Canada, Box 4100, Halton Hills Krugersdorp, 1740
Albanian, Amharic, Bulgarian, Chichewa, Cibemba, Ewe, Georgian, Hebrew, (Georgetown), Ontario L7G 4Y4
Hiligaynon, Igbo, Macedonian, Malagasy, Malayalam, Maltese, Myanmar, Ne Zambia, Box 33459, Lusaka
Ghana, P. 0. Box GP 760, Accra 10101
pali, Papiamento, Sepedi, Sesotho, Shona, Sinhala, Tamil, Thai, Tsonga,
Tswana, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, Xhosa, Yoruba Jamaica, P. 0. Box 103, Old Harbour, Zimbabwe, P. Bag A-6113,
* Audiocassettes also available. St. Catherine Avondale

Awake! August 22, 2001 5

 S y m p to m s o f P o s t-tra u m a tic S tress

Many trauma survivors find themselves re An emotional shutdown or emotional

experiencing the trauma in their mind. Survi numbness
vors usually cant control this or stop it from oc Trouble having loving feelings or feeling any
curring. The consequences may include: strong emotions
Flashbacksfeelings that the trauma is The feeling that surroundings are strange or
happening again unreal
Loss of interest in things that were previously
Bad dreams and nightmares
enjoyable
A tendency to be very startled by loud noises
Trouble remembering important parts of what
or by someone unexpectedly coming up to happened during the trauma
them from behind
A feeling of being disconnected from the
A shaky feeling and sweatiness world around them and the things happening
A pounding heart or trouble breathing to them
A feeling of upset when reminded of the
trauma by something seen, heard, felt,
smelled, or tasted
Anxiety or fearthe feeling of being in
danger again
Trouble controlling emotions because
reminders lead to sudden anxiety, anger,
or upset
Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Agitation and a constant state of being on
the lookout for danger

one country! What can be done for such

persons, as well as for the many millions of
other sufferers worldwide?
What Can Be Done?
If you believe that you or someone you
know may suffer from PTSD, the following
are some suggestions.
Strive to maintain a spiritual program. I
always attended the meetings at our local
Kingdom Hall, explains Jane. Even when
I could not concentrate on what was be
ing said, I knew that that was where Je
hovah God wanted me to be. Those in
the congregation were extremely loving
and upbuilding, and the love and person-
6 Awake! August 22, 2001
al interest shown meant a great deal to
me throughout the whole ordeal. Jane
adds: It also helped me when I read the
psalms. Somehow the prayers of afflict
ed ones seemed to speak for me. When I
couldnt say what I wanted to in prayer, I
could just say Amen.
Dont hold back from encouraging the suf
ferer. If you have a loved one dealing with
the horrible memory of some traum atic
event, understand that he or she is not over
reacting or deliberately being difficult. Be
cause of emotional numbness, anxiety, or an-
ger, he or she may not be able to respond as
you would wish to the efforts you are making
to be supportive. But dont give up! As the
Bible says, a true com panion is loving all
the time, and is a brother that is born for
when there is distress. Proverbs 17:17.
The sufferer needs to recognize and avoid
unwise coping strategies that cause further
harm. These include use o f illicit drugs and
overindulgence in alcoholic beverages. Al
though alcohol and drugs may give promise
o f tem porary relief, they soon make m atters
worse. They usually contribute to social iso
lation, rejection o f the people who want to
help, workaholism, uncontrolled anger, un
controlled or overcontrolled eating, or o th
er self-destructive behavior.
Tra u m a tic Stress
W ill E n d !
ERHAPS you are a war veteran and
P you suffer from nightm ares and flash
backs that make it seem as though the
war has still not ended for you. Perhaps you
are a victim o f heartless violence such as
rape and feel th at a part o f you died in the
horror of the experience. O r it may be that a
loved one died in a natural disaster or acci
dent and continuing w ithout that one is ex
trem ely painful.
Do you w onder if such feelings can be
changed? We can answer with confidence:
Yes, they can! In the m eantim e, all who suf
fer traum a can find com fort in G ods Word,
the Bible.
Awake! August 22, 2001
Consult with a com petent health profes
sional. It may tu rn o u t th a t the sufferer
doesnt have PTSD, but if he or she does, ef
fective therapies exist.* If you are receiving
professional help, be honest with th at per
son and ask for help to overcom e any o f the
above behaviors.
Rem em ber: Physical w ounds are often
the first to heal, but people suffering from
PTSD can be w ounded in m any ways in
body, mind, and spirit. The next article will
discuss fu rth er ways th at the sufferer and
those around him can take p a rt in the heal
ing process and will also discuss the hope
for all sufferers o f post-traum atic shock.
* Jehovahs Witnesses do not officially promote or recom
mend any specific form of therapy, be it medical or psychiat
ric.
H elped to Endure Traum a
N e a rly tw o th o u sa n d years ago, th e
a p o stle P aul u n d e rw e n t te rrify in g , life-
threatening experiences. His descriptions of
some of these are preserved in the Bible.
We do not wish you to be ignorant, Paul
wrote, about the tribulation that happened
to us in the district of Asia, th at we were un
der extreme pressure beyond o u r strength,
so that we were very uncertain even o f our
lives. In fact, we felt w ithin ourselves that
we had received the sentence o f d e a th .
2 C orinthians 1:8, 9.
W hile it is not known exactly what hap
pened on th a t occasion, it was c e rtain ly
7
 tra u m a tic . (2 C o rin th ia n s
11:23-27) How did Paul cope?
Reflecting on his ordeal in
Asia, he wrote: Blessed be the
G od and Father of our Lord Je
sus Christ, the Father o f tender
mercies and the God o f all com
fort, who com forts us in all our
tribulation, th at we may be able
to com fort those in any sort of
trib u la tio n th ro u g h the com
fort w ith w hich we ourselves
are being com forted by G od.
2 C orinthians 1:3,4.
Yes, help for tra u m a survi
vors is available from the Fa
th er of tender mercies and the
G od o f all com fort. How can
you obtain such comfort?
H ow to R eceive Help
First ask fo r help. If you feel
em otionally paralyzed, rem em ber that oth perienced something very traum atic, for he
ers have felt th at way too. Those who have wrote: Unless Jehovah had been of assis
overcome such feelings are usually glad to tance to me, in a little while my soul would
assist others. Like the apostle Paul, they of have resided in silence. W hen I said: My
ten feel th at the com fort they received from foot will certainly move unsteadily, your
G od during their trial needs to be shared own loving-kindness, O Jehovah, kept sus
with those in any sort o f tribulation. Do taining me. W hen my disquieting thoughts
not hesitate to approach one o f Jehovahs became many inside o f me, your own con
W itnesses any one o f them w ith whom solations began to fondle my soul. Psalm
you feel com fortable and request assis 94:17-19.
tance in obtaining help from Jehovah, the Some sufferers of traum atic stress are es
G od o f all com fort. pecially troubled by disquieting thoughts,
Persevere in prayer. If prayer is difficult be which can become at tim es an overwhelm
cause you have feelings o f anger, ask some ing torrent of panic or rage. However, heart
one spiritually qualified to pray with you. felt prayer can help s u s ta in you u n til
(James 5:14-16) W hen you speak to Jehovah those feelings pass. Think o f Jehovah as a
G od, rem em ber to throw all your anxiety loving parent and of yourself as a small child
upon him, because he cares for you. (1 Pe whom he lovingly protects. Remember the
ter 5:7) Over and over the Scriptures em Bibles promise that the peace o f G od that
phasize the personal concern that God has excels all thought will guard your hearts and
for each of his servants. your m ental powers by m eans of C hrist Je
The w riter o f Psalm 94 may well have ex sus. Philippians 4:7.

8 Awake! August 22, 2001

 H ealingw h eth er physical, m ental, or
spiritualis a gradual process. So it would
be u n realistic to expect th a t prayer will
bring instant peace to those seriously dam
aged by traum atic experiences. Yet, persis
tent prayer is vital. It will help keep the
can help sustain you
sufferer from being overwhelm ed
and driven to d esp air by post-
traum atic emotions.
R ead an d m e d ita te on G ods
Word. If concentration is difficult,
ask som eone to read c o m fo rt
ing Bible accounts with you. You
m ight choose passages th a t re
veal the depth o f Jehovahs ten
der concern for his faithful ones,
no m atter how depressed or de
spairing they may feel.
Jane, m entioned in the preceding articles,
drew com fort from m any Bible passages in
the Psalms. They include Psalm 3:1-8; 6:6-8;
9:9,10; 11:1-7; 18:5, 6; 23:1-6; 27:7-9; 30:11, 12;
31:12, 19-22; 32:7, 8; 34:18, 19; 36:7-10; 55:5-9,
22; 56:8-11; 63:6-8; 84:8-10; 130:1-6. Do not try
to read too m any Bible passages at one time.
Rather, take tim e to m editate on them and
pray.
U n p re ced e n te d D istre ss Now
Sadly, it sh o u ld be no s u rp ris e th a t
rap es, m u rd e rs, w ars, and n e e d le ss vio
lence abound today. Why? Because Jesus
C h rist c h a ra c te riz e d o u r tim e as one in
which there would be an increasing o f law
lessness. He added: The love o f the greater
number will cool off. M atthew 24:7,12.
In recent years traum atic stress has be
com e all too com m onoften as a result
of the very events th at Jesus foretold. As
rec o rd e d in th e Bible in M atth ew chap heart. Although the psychological scars of
ter 24, M ark chapter 13, and Luke chap past traum a may seem perm anent, this scrip
ter 21, Jesus said that in this worlds time ture assures us that someday their power to
o f the end, th ere w ould be intern atio n al disturb will be entirely gone.
wars, natural disasters, and increased law Today, over one year after the a tte m p t
lessness and lovelessness. Yet, as Jesus also ed rape, Jane is serving as a pioneer m inis
observed, relief is not far off. ter (full-time evangelizer) o f Jehovahs W it
A fter describing a worldwide epidem ic nesses. It was not until the trial was over
o f traum a and the start o f great tribula and my attacker had been convicted m ore
tion to follow, note what Jesus said peo than eight m onths after the attack th at I
ple should do: Raise yourselves erect and really felt like m yself again, she said re
lift your heads up, because your deliver cently. T his tim e last year, I co uld n o t
ance is getting n ear. (M atthew 24:21-31; have imagined the peace and happiness I
Luke 21:28) Yes, as world conditions wors now enjoy. I thank Jehovah for the beauti
en, we can be sure th at great tribulation ful hope of everlasting life and the chance
upon this distress-causing system of things to share th a t hope w ith o th ers. Psalm
will culm inate in the end o f all wickedness 27:14.
and the ushering in of a righteous new sys If you are struggling with the despair and
tem . 1 John 2:17; Revelation 21:3,4. paralyzing em otional num bness of PTSD,
We should not be surprised that our de that hope can help sustain you as well.
liverance will come only after
w ickedness and violence have
reach ed th e ir zen ith . G o d s
judgm ents in the past against
the world of N oahs day and the
vile inhabitants of Sodom and
G o m o rra h follow ed a sim ilar
pattern. Those past executions
o f divine judgm ent show what
will happen in the future.2 Pe
ter 2:5,6.
The End of Tra u m a tic S tre ss
If you su ffe r from post-
tra u m a tic stre ss d iso rd e r
(PTSD), you may wonder if your
painful m em ories will ever be
laid to rest. Yet, the answer sure
ly is: Yes, they will be! At Isaiah
65:17, Jehovah G od declares: I
am creating new heavens and a
new earth; and the form er things
will not be called to mind, nei
ther will they come up into the
 Changing
O ld A g e
A T WHAT age are you old? The answer
/ \ seems to depend on whom you ask.
J- \ . Teenagers will happily banish any
one over 25 to this category.
On the other hand, opera singers do not
reach their prim e until m uch later in life.
And a report in A ustralias newspaper The
Sun-Herald claim s regarding those intent
on climbing the corporate ladder: Todays
truth is that if you havent made it by 40, you
never will.
Com m on A ssu m p tio n s
Some may assum e th at people who are
older are accident prone and slow to learn
and are rapidly declining physically. Is it fair
to make such assum ptions? Well, according
to statistics of the W orld H ealth O rganiza
tion, in the whole European region, one in
every three road traffic deaths involves peo
ple younger than 25 years o f age. F urther
more, the m ost rapid rate of physical de
cline happens betw een ages 30 and 40, and
there is no evidence th at a healthy persons
intellectual ability decreases with age.
W hat a b o u t the assum ption th at older
people are necessarily sick? A com m on
myth is th at ageing and disease are synony
m ous, says The Medical Journal o f Austra
lia. The fact is, m any older ones are enjoying
a reasonable m easure o f health and dont
consider them selves old. Some feel as did
the A m erican statesm an Bernard Baruch,
who said: To me old age is always fifteen
years older than I am .
Awake! August 22, 2001
W hy, th e n , do o ld e r
p eople often suffer d is
crim ination and, at times,
even outright prejudice?
The answer revolves to a
large extent around a tti
tudes toward aging.
A ttitu d e s Tow ard Old A g e
Am ericans are drunk on youth and have
warped the m edias view o f the old, claims
Max Frankel in The New York Times Mag
azine. Old-timers have been virtually ban
ished from the m edia business, he laments.
This may help explain a m odern paradox ob
served by The UNESCO Courier: Never . . .
has a society done so m uch for its oldest
members. They benefit from econom ic and
social protection, but the image society has
of them is deeply negative.
Even the m edical profession is not im
m une to this prejudice. According to The
Medical Journal o f Australia: M any d o c
tors, as well as the general com m unity, be
lieve th at for people over 65 years o f age it
is too late for preventive care___The nega
tive attitude . . . has m eant th at older peo
ple have been excluded from m any im por
tant studies.
This sam e jo u rn a l asserts: A negative
a ttitu d e tow ards o ld er p eo p le, lab ellin g
them as geriatric, can be used as an ex
cuse to provide inferior m edical care. M any
com m on, but m inor, functional problem s
such as re d u c e d vision a n d h e a rin g a re
11
 overlooked or accepted as a norm al part of
ageing___A change in attitude towards old
er people is central to an effective preven
tive program .
Perhaps the tim e has come to revise up
wards the traditional definition of what con
stitutes old age, at least in developed coun
trie s , reco m m en d s th e B ritish m edical
journal The Lancet. Why is this im portant?
The journal explains: An altered definition
m ight lift the gloom, doom, and dire pre
dictions that are all too often used to bol
ster prejudices about 'tidal waves of elderly
people consuming 'unfair shares o f scarce
health resources.
A G ray Tid al W ave
The tru th is that the gray wave is already
hereand it is not ju st a wave but a ris
ing tide. W orldwide, the num ber o f p e r
sons aged 65 and over will have increased
fourfold between 1955 and 2025, and their
percentage of the total population will have
doubled, reports The UNESCO Courier.
The num ber of aged people in India is
already greater than the entire population
of France. And it is said that in the Unit-

They Stay Active I appreciate the

importance of
and Enjoy Life regular

SOUTH AFR IC A : Piet W entzel, 77, is a full-tim e

volunteer worker.
I realize that to remain physically fit, regular exercise is im
portant. For the past number of years, I have tended a small
personal garden. I feel like a different person after such exercise.
To get the most done, I have tried to be motivated by the princi
ple, Indecision is the thief of time; procrastination is its chief I try not to
accomplice. look for
others' faults
JAPAN: Yoshiharu Shiozaki, 73, works as a real- Yoshiharu
estate consultant.
I have lumbago, high blood pressure, and Menieres disease.
I use a bicycle to commute from my home to the office four days a
week; the round trip is seven miles. This is good exercise for me,
as it doesnt cause stress to my back yet strengthens the muscles
of my legs. I endeavor to maintain peace with others, including
neighbors. I try not to look for others faults and mistakes. I have
come to realize that people respond more quickly when encour Having many
aged than they do when criticized. Bible studies
keeps me
FRANCE: Leone Chalony, 84, is a full-tim e evangelizer. mentally
When I retired in 1982, it was hard because I loved my work as active."
a hairdresser. I had no obligations, so I became a pioneer, as full Leone
time evangelizers of Jehovahs Witnesses are called. Having many
Bible studies with interested people has helped me to stay mental
ly active. I dont have a car, so I walk a lot. That keeps me healthy."
 ed States, 76 m illion so-called baby boom
ersthose born in the 18 years following
World War IIwill retire over the next half
century. While this trend toward an aging
world p o p u latio n is causing concern for
many economists and health-care workers,
it is also putting pressure on some of our
preconceived ideas about aging.
R e w ritin g th e S c rip t
Som e may co m p a re life to a three-act
play. Youthful excitem ent and education are
expected to dom inate the first act. The re
sponsibilities o f raising a family and the re
lentless pressure of work set the m ood of
the second act. For the th ird act, the ac
tors are encouraged to retire to a chair away
from the spotlight and wait dispiritedly for
the final curtain to fall.
However, for various reasons, including
rem arkable advances in health care and hy
giene during the 20th century, the length of
time actors now spend offstage during the
third act has increased by up to 25 years.
M any are no longer content to be relegated
to idle retirem ent. The swelling
ranks of these active older ones

BRAZIL: Francisco Lapastina, 78, is a full-tim e volunteer worker. I try not to

I do not usually get offended when someone hurts or ignores me. I as hold a
sume that the person may be suffering pressures and problems. All of us grudge."
have days when we are not very sociable. I try not to hold a grudge and to Francisco
keep in mind that people have to put up with me. This has helped me to
make many true friends."
AUSTR ALIA: Don M acLean, 77, still works a 40-hour week.
Four years after bypass surgery on my heart, I continue to have excellent
health. I did not view this operation as a permanently disabling chap
ter in my life. I continue to go for walks each day, as I have been
doing for years. When I was young and observed others getting Dont get
old before their time, I always resolved not to allow myself to old before
adopt that frame of mind. I find real pleasure in getting to know your time.
Don
people and promoting conversation. If we have a spiritual dimen
sion to our lives, then we will experience what is described at Psalm
103:5: [Jehovah] is satisfying your lifetime with what is good; your
youth keeps renewing itself just like that of an eagle.
JAPAN: Chiyoko Chonan, 68, is a full-tim e evangelizer.
The key to maintaining good health is to avoid building up I think it is
stress and getting exhausted. I try not to take things too serious good to start
ly and find that having a change of pace from time to time helps new things.
me. Recently I started learning the abacus to exercise my fingers Chiyoko
and my mind. I think it is good to start new things."
FRANCE: Joseph Kerdudo, 73, is a full-tim e volunteer worker.
An important way to age gracefully is to stay active as long as possible.
Working leads to satisfaction, and you need to keep an eye on your diet and
make necessary adjustments. I think that when life has a purpose, it
makes you different. I think that spirituality is very important in help
ing us stay in good health. Before I became one of Jehovahs
Spirituality is
Witnesses, I was very indecisive and pessimistic. Knowing Bible
very important.
truths is an extraordinary force that gives a person mental Joseph
strength to cope with different situations."
 are starting to dem and that the script be re
written.
A H uge C o n trib u tio n
The widely held notion that m ost older
people are dependent on others is simply
not true. The New York Times Magazine re
ported that in the U nited States, the m ajor
ity o f the old are self-sufficient, middle-class
consum ers w ith m ore assets th an young
couples . . . and [that] sociologists discern
the em ergence o f a p o ten t cohort of . . .
well-off older people. Philip Kotler, profes
sor of m arketing at N orthw estern Universi
ty in the U nited States, com m ented in this
regard. M arketers, he said, will soon con
sider the juiciest dem ographic target to be
affluent consum ers aged 55 and up.
The c o n trib u tio n m ade by active older
people goes well beyond m onetary influ
ence. The Sunday Telegraph of Sydney noted
that in A ustralia grandm others now pro
vide half of all inform al work-related child
care, with m ore than a third of employed
w om en having a g ran d m o th er look after
their children when at work.
In su ch p lac e s as th e F re n ch city o f
Troyes, the accum ulated wisdom of the el
derly is co n sid ered a valu ab le resource.
This wisdom is being tapped when older
ones are used outside school hours to teach
children such skills as carpentry, glassmak
ing, stonecutting, construction, and plum b
ing. In addition to teaching, older ones are
also going to school in great num bers to ac
quire various skills.
According to The UNESCO Courier of Jan
uary 1999, the Paris-based In te rn a tio n
al Association of Universities o f the Third
Age says that there are m ore than 1,700
senior citizens universities worldwide. Re
garding these universities, the jou rn al re
ports: Although their structures and m an
agem ent m ethods differ widely from one
country to another, universities for the el
14 Awake! August 22, 2001
derly usually share a desire to help older
people play a full part in cultural and social
life. One such institution in Japan was re
ported to have 2,500 students!
The net contribution o f older persons to
their families and com m unities is vast, al
beit difficult to quantify since m uch o f it
is unrem unerated, says Alexandre Kalache,
group leader of the World H ealth O rgani
zations Ageing and H ealth Program me. He
claims: C ountries . . . should see their age
ing populations not as a problem but as a po
tential solution to problems . . . , first and
forem ost as a resource to be used.
Undeniably, our ability to enjoy our ad
vancing years can be influenced by the per
ceptions and prejudices of others, but to a
large extent, it is also determ ined by our
own attitude toward life. W hat can you per
sonally do to keep active, both m entally and
physically, even if your body is growing old
er? Please read the box on pages 12 and 13,
and note what some older ones say is their
secret to staying active and enjoying life.
S trive to M a in ta in an A c tiv e Life
You will observe th at a com m on charac
teristic o f these active older ones is their
m aintenance of a m eaningful work sched
uleeither for secular work or as volun
teer workers. They also exercise regularly,
keep an active interest in people of all age
groups, and satisfy their fundam ental spiri
tual needs. As you may notice, these secrets
to a happy, active life will benefit young and
old alike.
At present, the uncom fortable tru th is
that even as you read this article, you too
are growing older. (Ecclesiastes 12:1) Wise
ly, though, you will pay heed to the sum m a
tion in the Bulletin o f the World Health Orga
nization: Just as health sustains activity, it
is an active life th at stands the best chance
of being a healthy one.
Mountain High Maps Copyright 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.
"Nothing can be more
strange and wonderful
than this romantic
region, which is unlike
anything I have ever
seen either before or
since. I n . . . any other
mountainous region
where I have been,
there is nothing at all to
be compared to these
extraordinary peaks."
Robert Curzon, 30 monasteries built on them.
English traveler, 1849.
Towering Rock Pillars
E ARE totally unpre
W pared for the amaz
ing spectacle we see
as we approach the
Kalabaka and the nearby vil
lage of Kastraki on the plain
o f Thessaly, G reece. Here is
a stone forest of more than
20 enorm ous rock pillarsa
jungle o f detached p recip i
tous rocks reaching hundreds
of feet into the sky. Their sum
mits are crowned by monaster
ies with wooden galleries and
corniced rooftops.
T his is the M eteo ra o f
G reece, w here unique n a tu
ral rocks are com bined with
in cred ib le hum an en deav
or. M eteorafrom a Greek
w ord m eaning raised up
above the e a rth refers to
th is g ro u p o f iso lated rock
pillars and to the m ore than
The average height o f these
rocks is 1,000 feet, with the
highest rising about 1,800 feet
from the ground.
As we draw closer, the shad
ows o f the towering rocks are
lengthening. T he lan d sc a p e
tow
o f nthis
o f strange world is ever
changing as the sun casts dif
fe re n t shadow s am ong the
rocks. In the w inter the huge
rocks rise stark and black out
o f a white carpet o f snow.
H ow Th ey W e re Form ed
There has been much spec
ulation about how the rocks
o f the M eteora were formed.
M any believe that millions of
years ago, the plain on which
the M eteora stands was sub
merged beneath a vast inland
lake. According to one theo
ry, a gigantic geologic upheav
al in some way caused these
rocks to protrude upward. Ex
perim en t m agazine explains
th a t som e geologists believe
th a t these rocks m ust have
been given the form they have
today between the years 2000
and 1000 B.C.E.
 R o b e rt C u rz o n , q u o te d at the o u tse t,
wrote about M eteora: The end of a range
o f rocky hills seems to have been broken
off by some earthquake or washed away by
the Deluge, leaving only a series of . . . tall,
thin, sm ooth, needle-like rocks. Interesting-
ly, ancient Greek mythology also attributes
the form ation of the m ountains of Thessa-
ly to a flood, or deluge, caused by the gods,
__Genesis 6:1-8:22.
M o n a s te rie s in th e A ir
W hatever the geologic explanation for
M eteora m ight be, since the ninth centu-
ry C.E., these rocks have attracted attention,
M odern m ountaineers, who climb the Me-
teora with special climbing equipm ent, can
perhaps best appreciate the feat of early reli-
gious herm its who settled in the caves and
Background: Y. Yannelos/Greek National Tourist Organization
fissures of the rocks. How the m onasteries
were built on the top o f these virtually inac-
cessible rocks is still being debated,
How did those in early times get up to and
down from their lofty monasteries? Well, as
stated by the book Meteora The Rock
tcries o f Thessaly, they could either clamber
up wooden ladders let down from the top of
the cliff's or allow themselves to be hauled up
in a net lowered from a windlass in the m on
astery above. In either case the visitor had to
rely on ^ g00(j fa ith and the doubtful engi-
neering of the monks. Asked how often the
rope that held the net was changed, a former
abbot is reported to have said: Only when it
breaks. It was not until 1925 that steps were
hacked out of the rock to make access much
easier.
The first religious herm its who climbed
up the pillars were Varnavas, sometime be-
from Crete, in 1020. Other monks from all
over Byzantium followed, swelling the num
ber of the m onastic houses on top o f the
rocks to 33. By the 16th and 17th centuries,
the communities had reached their greatest
importance, but they have been in decline
ever since.
Look at us now! cried the abbot of one
of the monasteries. A h ,. . . the young dont
want us any more! Indeed, only six of the
monasteries, two inhabited by nuns, are still
open. Abandoned m onastic complexes can
be found on various M eteora rocks.
A R ich C u ltu ra l S h o w ca se
Today the rock m onasteries form one of
the m ost interesting spots on the c u ltu r
al map o f Greece. According to the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and C ultur
al Organization, they are a unique treasure
chest o f cultural heritage. A recent concern
Monastery of the Holy Trinity
of the Greek State is that the cultural wealth
o f the M eteora be preserved. R enovated
buildings and m useum s have been opened
for visitors. W hat do they contain?
Well, apart from such things as portable
icons, ecclesiastical robes, and m usic co-
dices, they c o n ta in rare h isto ric a l Bible
manuscripts. Among them is the parchm ent
Codex 591, dated 861-62 C.E., which con
tains interpretative discourses on the Bible
book of Matthew.
Pow erful n a tu ra l fo rces have indeed
formed a unique spectacle. If you ever vis
it Greece, why not include M eteora in your
itin era ry ? A nd m ake su re th a t you take
along an am ple supply o f film because you
will have the urge to use your cam era often.
Contributed.
Monastery of the Great Meteoron
 J IS.W I v A W A D A 1A

s Witnesses, the Beautiful People

Declaring the Good News
was the title of one of my pictures on display at an
art exhibition in Versailles, France, in 1999.

ESS than a week before the exhibition, M any artists try to convey sensations and

L Je h o v ah s W itnesses in F rance had

. d istrib u ted th ro u g h o u t the co u n try
12 million tracts that drew attention to the
governm ents unfair treatm ent of them. For
my p ictu re praising the W itnesses, I was
given a special award. Later, the person in
charge of presenting it said: You have cour
age, but I have courage too. T hat is why I am
awarding you the special prize.
18 Awake! August 22, 2001
emotions in their pictures. This is what I try
to do. I paint what I feel, and my pictures
are bright, reflecting my joy and happiness.
During my childhood I discovered the joy of
combining creativity and painting.
W h y I S ta rte d P a in tin g
I was born in 1920 to well-to-do parents in
Morioka, Japan. My older sister and I had tu
tors who taught us Japanese dancing, flower
arranging, the tea ceremony, the koto (Japa graphs of young women o f m arriageable age,
nese zither), piano, singing, and so on. I hat a man had selected me as a possible wife. I
ed all of it. W hen the tutors came, I often ran later learned that his m other and her friend
off and hid. The servants had to search for had visited our neighborhood to take a se
me and drag me back. cret look at me. Afterward, their family sent
It was the rigidity of the lessons that 1 de a formal proposal of m arriage to our family,
tested. People I had never before met de and I was talked into accepting it. I met the
cided how I should dance, arrange flowers, man just once before our wedding.
and serve tea. I felt cram ped, as if there were After we were m arried, massive air raids
no way to think up things for myself and threatened our lives daily, and finally our
set personal goals. W hen I painted pictures, home went up in flames with the rest of the
though, no one looked over my shoulder. No city. Survivors sought refuge in the m oun
one told me what to do. Here was the free tains, but even there we could hear the si
dom I craved. rens and see the warplanes. It was terrifying.
Since I had no tutor for art, I could be cre Everyone suffered. The ten years after the
ative and improvise, and nobody criticized war were also truly bitter.
me. G radually I becam e bolder. At about the Besides our three children, my mother-in-
age of 12,1 began taking my fathers silk ties law and six of my husbands brothers and
and painting directly on them. Soon after sisters lived with us. Although we employed
that, we made dresses at school. The teacher servants, we all had to work in the fields in
was shocked when she saw that I had cut out order to eat. During that time I was very sad
half of the front and replaced it with white and forgot how to laugh. But I was afraid
material. Like my father, though, she made that putting my feelings into words would in
no comment. vite misunderstanding. G radually, though, I
found I could express my feelings through
D ream s and R e a lity
my art.
As early as elem entary school, I said that 1
would grow up to be an artist. My goal did G a in in g R e c o g n itio n as an A r tis t
not change, and I wanted to go to a universi Even a person with an artistic flair m ust
ty to study art; but my parents would not al expend a trem endous am ount of effort be
low this. They said that in Japan an arts grad fore w o rth w h ile re s u lts are realized . I
uate would be considered unacceptable as a bought books on art, and I studied under a
bride. So I took a course in domestic skills. num ber of Japans top artists. N one of them
I liked foreign poetry and foreign books
and read them a great deal. At the time, how
ever, these were criticized as enemy litera
IN O UR N E X T I S S U E
ture. Even owning such literature was dan
gerous. At school I had studied French for Help for Depressed Teens
five years under a French teacher, but condi
tions changed in Japan so that even interest
The MayaYesterday and Today
in foreign languages was viewed with suspi
cion. Freedom o f speech was denied us.
In 1943, as World War II raged, I was flat Did God Condone the Slave Trade?
tered to hear th at after looking at 40 photo
Awake! August 22, 2001 19
recom m ended that I change the style that I
had already developed as a youth.
A rt c ritic s began tak in g n o tice o f my
w ork, yet I p ain ted for my own satisfac
tion, not to show my paintings to others. In
time, though, I began to wonder what peo
ple thought of my pictures. So in 1955,1 held
my first exhibition in Tokyos Ginza. It was
entitled Silent Struggle, Silent Speech, My
Diary, and it expressed everyday life in pic
ture form. The exhibition was a success.
M e e tin g th e W itn e s se s
In 1958 our family moved to Tokyo be
cause my husband and I wanted our chil
dren to enter good schools and have the best
education possible. My life revolved around
painting. It had become my custom to spend
about five hours a day painting. At night I
would go out with my artist friends, and my
husband went out with others. We had no
idea how to bring up our children.
My husbands work took him away a good
deal, so rearing the children became my re
sponsibility, and I lost confidence. As a child,
I had attended a Catholic mission school, and
I wondered if some kind of Bible education
would help. Across the road from our house
in Omori, Tokyo, was a Lutheran church, and
I suggested to the children that we go there.
But we never made it to the church.
In stead , the very next dayearly in
1959one of Jehovahs Witnesses called at
our house. I quickly assembled the children,
and we all sat down to listen. The Witness
explained from the Bible that we are living
in a marked time when G od will soon rid
the earth of wickedness. I ordered four Bi
bles along with Bible literature and readily ac
cepted her offer to call each week to teach
us. I asked how much the monthly tuition
fees would be and was amazed to learn that
Jehovahs W itnesses do not accept
payment for their teach
ing. How different from all the tutors I had
known!
My d au g h ters readily a c cep ted Bible
truths, and we even began having a regular
group study in our home each week. But af
ter a few studies, I began to feel uneasy. For
me it was a painful period, so sometimes I
would try to hide or go out when it was time
for my personal Bible study.
My problem was th a t I could see th a t
everything the Bible said was correct and that
I should conform to its guidance. At the same
time, though, I was determined to become a
good artist, and I believed that I had to m ain
tain free thinking to be creative. As a result
of the turm oil I was feeling, my painting suf
fered. My pictures were being relegated to
back corners at exhibitions.
M y Trip to P aris
I felt that a visit to Paris would help me im
prove my pictures. So in 1960,1 went there,
since a m ajor exhibition to introduce Jap
anese art to France was being held. I was
the only fem ale a rtist from Jap an to a t
tend. In Paris the difference in living con
ditions, clothes, conceptions, colorevery
thingthrilled me. T he exhibition lasted
four days, and to my surprise, the countrys
leaders attended the exhibition. Yet another
surprise was that women were fascinated by
the kimonos I wore. I was determ ined to stay
longer.
N ot understanding how to have m oney
sent from Japan, I began selling my kimo
nos. Thus, I was able to spend the next three
m onths studying works on display in art gal
leries. Often I recalled the words o f the artist
whose picture had hung next to mine at the
exhibition. He said: I paint the brightness
of the sun. Your painting is naturally dark
and black because you are influenced by Ori
ental philosophers.
A m arried couple from the Paris branch
office o f Jeh o v ah s W itnesses visited my
a p a rtm e n t. A fte r several visits, I finally velous qualities, the happiness th at comes
agreed to accom pany them to a Christian from praising him, and the proper standards
meeting. W hen I arrived, I was stunned by by which to live. As my feelings changed, so
what I saw. One lady was wearing a beau did my pictures.
tiful red broad-brimmed hat. A nother wore I now spend a lot o f time sharing the Bi
a dress of brilliant green. The clothes worn bles message with others, doing this on a
reflected a sense of style and good taste, so regular basis. Talking with people about the
that my view of the W itnesses underwent a qualities of G od, as well as his wonderful
complete change. purpose to make this earth a paradise under
The program also impressed me. Seeing the rule of his Son, Jesus Christ, brings me
the same procedures being followed on both great joy and contentm ent. This Bible-based
sides of the globe, with the same teachings, activity stim ulates me, and I just have to pick
made me realize that this group and its ac up my paintbrush and give expression to my
tivity were far from ordinary. My heart was feelings. And as my happiness has continued
deeply touched, as I realized that I was asso to grow over the years, my pictures have be
ciating with people led by God. come brighter.
M a k in g D e c is io n s E m phasis on th e B ib le
Upon returning to Japan, I began to study I receive requests to exhibit my paintings
the Bible seriously. I discovered th at our from all over the worldfrom Sydney, Vien
C re a to rs guidelines allow for m ore free na, London, New York. But it is Europeans
dom than I had imagined. Lovingly, he has who admire my pictures the most. Experts
given us individual personalities as well as of the Louvre Royal Academy of Arts in Par
individual talents and the freedom to culti is have asked: How is it that a Japanese can
vate them. So I came to realize that becom be so moved by the Bible and C hristianity
ing one of Jehovahs W itnesses did not mean
giving up ones love for the arts.
W hen I was in Paris
My daughters and I progressed with our
Bible studies. One daughter symbolized her
dedication to Jehovah by water baptism in
1961, and the other in 1962. To this day, both
have rem ained faithful servants of God. Yet,
I still held back. In 1965, Lloyd Barry, who
then had oversight o f the preaching work of
Jehovahs W itnesses in Japan, encouraged
me by saying: Just think what wonderful
pictures perfect people will paint in Para
dise! The following year I was baptized.
The E ffect on M y P a in tin g
Looking back, I can see how the chang
es in my life and personality have affected
my painting. My earlier pictures were dark
and gloomy, reflecting the pain, suffering,
and hopelessness I felt. But then I learned
from the Bible about our C reator, his m ar
that her pictures express a joy never seen in D u rin g th e p a st 35 years, I have also
centuries of religious art? served on a com m ittee to judge the work of
T he Bible psalm ist David expressed his other artists. Pictures that I like express em o
feelings through music, and he used his m u tion. To me a picture is good when it leaves
sical talents to teach others the wonders of me with a good impression, causing me to
God. My aim is the same. 1 want to praise feel inner peace. I greatly adm ire the pic
Jehovah. I strongly desire that people sense tures that appear in the publications o f Je
in my pictures the joy that can be had from hovahs Witnesses, which accom plish their
knowing Jehovah and his wonderful quali purpose of faithfully representing the mes
ties. An art critic said about my titles: The sage of the Bible.
artists own words are cleverly avoided, and
B le ss in g s as a S e rva n t of God
she objectively gets the Bible to talk. It
thrills me that people recognize the power As a result of my painting, I have enjoyed
of the Bible in my pictures. unique opportunities to give a witness about
Jehovah G od and his grand purposes for
In 1995 the World Council o f Arts, which
the earth. This has been true during inter
is an in te rn atio n a l a rt o rganization with
views for magazine articles and on television
h e ad q u arters in Tokyo, aw arded me first
programs. In fact, no m atter where I go or
place among the worlds top-ranking artists.
whom I talk to, I try to let people know that
The council reported regarding my paint
ings: The artist quotes words from the Bible it is the faith, joy, and happiness that comes
for title s... All of her pictures have the Bible from serving Jehovah G od th at enables me
depicted in them, but this is exactly what life to produce my pictures.
is about for an artist who walks with G od. I am convinced that if I were to give up my
The above was a reference to the fact that faith, I could not paint as 1 do. But because I
I often include an image o f an open Bible am one of Jehovahs Witnesses and because
in my paintings. Recently, I have combined the truth of G ods Word fills me with joy and
printed pages of the Bible with my pictures. happiness, for these reasons I can paint.
So the eye of a viewer is drawn to my se
lected title as well as the words in the Bible
and then to the way that I depict these in my
paintings.
In 1999 some of my pictures were exhib
ited in Bangkok, Thailand. One was called
How W onderfully Je h o v ah G o d M ade
the Earth, Giving It to M an as a Dwelling
Place, and another, Prayer of King Da
vid: Jehovah, Let the H eart of This Peo
ple Be One With You. I was invited to the
palace of the king of Thailand along with
a few other artists. The king wanted to dis
cuss my pictures with me, and he asked me
many questions. I was able to talk with him
at length and include com m ents about my
Bible-based beliefs. Afterward, I made a gift
to him of a picture.
22 Awake! Au 22, 2001
At times the Bible is hard to
understand, and that can be discour-
aging.-Annalieza, 17 years old.

I found the Bible boring.

-Kimberly, 22 years old.

ANY people do not enjoy

M reading an y th in g . So a
book as large as the Bible may
seem overwhelmingeven for
avid readers. To me, the Bi
ble was a thick book that con
How Can I Make Bible
tained m any big words th at
were hard to understand, says
Tammy, who is 17 years old.
Reading More Enjoyable?
Reading the Bible requires a lot of concen
tration and endurance.
In addition, homework, household chores,
and recreation may consume much of your
time and energy. This too can make it hard to
concentrate and enjoy reading the Bible. Ali
cia, who is one of Jehovahs Witnesses, also
takes time to prepare for and attend Christian
meetings and to share her beliefs with others.
She admits: Bible reading can be difficult be
cause there seems to be an endless am ount of
things to do.
Yet, Alicia, Tammy, and many other youths
have met the challenge. Now they read the Bi
ble regularly and take pleasure in it. You can
too! Consider three things that you can do to
make Bible reading more enjoyable.
M ake Tim e fo r B ib le R e a d in g
I think young people say that Bible read
ing is boring because they havent done it
enough, says Kelly, who is 18. Just as you en
joy a sport or a game that you play often, you
will enjoy Bible reading as you do it regularly.
But what if you have very little free time?
The apostle Paul advises: Keep strict watch
that how you walk is not as unwise but as
wise persons, buying out the opportune time
for yourselves, because the days are wicked.
(Ephesians 5:15, 16) You can buy out time
by spending less time on nonessential activi
ties like watching TV. The term Paul used for
time can mean a time that is appointed for
a specific purpose. W hat could be your ap
pointed time to read the Bible?
M any read the Bible in the morning, af
ter considering the Scriptural text and com
ments found in the booklet Examining the
Scriptures Daily* O thers prefer reading be
fore going to bed at night. Choose a real
istic time that works for you, and adapt as
needed. Alicia observes: Flexibility is really
* Published by Jehovahs Witnesses.

Awake! August 22, 2001 23

the key to my keeping a regular schedule for
reading.
Some Christian youths schedule 10 to 15 min
utes daily to read the Bible. By doing so, they
have been able to finish the entire Bible in a year
or two! Even if that seems beyond your reach,
make it your goal to read a portion of the Bible
every day. By resolutely sticking to your appoint
ed time for Bible reading, your love for Gods
Word will grow.Psalm 119:97; 1 Peter 2:2.
P ray fo r W isd om
Admittedly, even regular Bible readers find
portions of G ods Word difficult to grasp. The
Bibles Author, Jehovah God, wants you to un
derstand his Word. The book of Acts tells of an
Ethiopian traveler who could not fully compre
hend a prophecy in Isaiah chapter 53. The man
was willing to ask for help, and Jehovahs angel
sent the missionary Philip to explain the proph
ecy to him.Acts 8:26-39.
Effective Bible reading, then, does not begin
w ith reading at all, b u t w ith prayer. Before
opening their Bible, some make it a practice to
pray to Jehovah for the wisdom to understand
and take to heart the lessons in their reading.
(2 Timothy 2:7; James 1:5) G ods spirit can even
bring back to your mind Bible verses that will
help you to answer questions or cope with trials.
One young Christian man remembers: W hen
I was 12, my father left our family. One night I
was praying in bed, begging Jehovah to make my
father come back. I then picked up my Bible and
read Psalm 10:14: To you [Jehovah] the unfortu
nate one, the fatherless boy, commits himself.
You yourself have become his helper. I paused
for a minute. I felt that Jehovah was talking to
me and letting me know that he was my helper;
he was my Father. W hat better father could I
have than him?
Could you make it your habit to pray each
time you sit down to read the Bible? Adrian sug
gests: Pray before readingand after, for that
m atterso that it really becomes a two-way
conversation with Jehovah. Heartfelt prayer
will deepen your resolve to stick to your Bible-
reading schedule and will strengthen your rela
tionship with G od.James 4:8.
M ake It Live
Kimberly, quoted at the outset, found the Bi
ble to be boring. True, the Bible is a very old
bookwritten far before the advent of the com
puter, the television, or the airplaneand Bible
characters died thousands of years ago. Never
theless, the apostle Paul wrote: The word of
God is alive and exerts power. (Hebrews 4:12)
How can such an ancient book exert power?
In the days of the copyist Ezra, thousands
of men, women, and all in-

Prayer and
research
enhance your
Bible reading
and help you to
unlock the
meaning of the
Scriptures
 telligent enough to listen were
gathered together in Jerusalem
to listen to a reading of the Law
of Moses. At that time the Law
was already over 1,000 years
old! Yet, Ezra and his assistants
continued reading aloud from
the book, from the law of the
true G od, it being ex p ound
ed, and there being a putting o f
meaning into it; and they con
tinued giving understanding in
the reading. When these men
explained the Scriptures and
put life into the reading, what
resulted? All the people went away to eat and
drink and to send out portions and to carry on
a great rejoicing, for they had understood the
words th at had been made known to them .
Nehemiah 8:1-12.
How can you put meaning into your Bible
reading? Cathy, who finds reading a challenge,
reads aloud to focus her attention. Nicki tries
to put herself in the setting of the account. I
imagine how I would feel in that situation, she
says. My favorite story has always been the ac
count of Ruth and Naomi. I can read it over and
over again. When I moved to a new city, I drew
comfort from this story because I could imagine
how Ruth felt going to a strange place and not
knowing anyone. I saw how she put her trust in
Jehovah, and it really helped me to do that too.
Ruth, chapters 1-4.
For the Bible to exert power, meditation is
needed. Each time you read, take time to reflect
on the scriptures you read and to consider how
you will use what you have learned. You may
want to refer to Bible study aids published by Je
hovahs Witnesses to enrich your reading.*
P erse ve re !
Sticking to a Bible-reading schedule is not
easy. Even the best Bible-reading program may
*The October 1, 2000, issue of The Watchtower, pages 16-17,
gives a number of practical suggestions to help you dig deeper
into the Bible.
Awake! August 22, 2001
need to be adjusted from time to time. How can
you persevere in your goal to read the Bible
daily?
Your friends and family can help. Fifteen-
year-old Am ber says: I share a room with my
sister. Some nights I am so tired that I just want
to go to sleep, but my sister reminds me to do
my reading. So I never forget! If you find a
particular scripture or passage to be interest
ing, talk about it with others. This will heighten
your appreciation for G ods Word and may even
stim ulate their interest in Bible reading. (Ro
mans 1:11,12) If you neglect your Bible reading
for one day or longer, dont give up! Pick up
where you left off, and be more determined than
ever to stick to your schedule.
N ever forget th e rich benefits th a t com e
from daily Bible reading. By listening to Jeho
vah through his Word, you can enjoy a close
relationship with him. You will come to per
ceive his thoughts and feelings. (Proverbs 2:
1-5) These precious tru th s from our heaven
ly Father will prove to be a protection. How
will a young man cleanse his path? the psalm
ist asked. By keeping on guard according to
your word. (Psalm 119:9) So beginand stick
toa Bible-reading routine. You may find it to
be far more enjoyable than you ever thought it
could be!
25
 W 3

T he Colorful Kermodes
b y A w a k e i w r i t e r i n C a n a d a

" They stand on their h in d feet, they sit on their rear ends
they even snore when they s l e e p . T. hey' r e intelligent,
they're curious, they learn fast and adapt well, and they
seem to experience the same sort o f m oods we do.

ILD LIFE biologist Wayne McCrory said the above about one

W of the rarest bears in the w orldthe w hite black bear o f

C anadas northw est coast. The scientific world was first in
troduced to this bear in 1900 by William Hornaday, a m em ber of the

Pf ...
p ti> . "
i*>V. tt m -t -. r
1 |# -
J P

^4
i'V
9
IS
Safe;
 New York Zoological Society. He was catalog
ing bearskins from Victoria, British Columbia,
and came across an unusual pelt. It was creamy
white with a light-golden tint and was similar in
shape to the pelt o f the black bear.
Intrigued by the finding, Hornaday invited
Francis Kermode, the director o f British Co
lumbias Provincial Museum, to assist in col
lecting more inform ation on what Hornaday
thought was a new species o f bear. In 1905, in
recognition of Kermodes efforts in obtaining
specimens and inform ation, Hornaday named
the bear Ursus kermodeiKerm odes bear.
Kermodes are members of the black bear fam
ily, yet they are not always the color that their
name suggests. The native Indian Tsimshian-
speaking people, who live in K erm ode-bear
co u n try , call the b ear M oksgm ol, or w hite
bear. There have also been sightings of orange,
chestnut-red, gold, bright-yellow, blue-gray, and
even patchy black-brown-white bears.
Biologists are still not sure why there are
white Kermodes. One suggestion is that a ran
dom genetic m utation may be responsible for
the distinct color. Actually, only 1 in every 10
Kermodes sighted is white. Kermodes of Cana
das Pacific northwest coast are certainly unique
and deserve more than a casual look.
V is itin g K erm ode T e rrito ry
Howie Garber/www.wanderlustimages.com
Kermodes can be seen in an area of approx
imately 29,000 square miles along the north
coast of British Colum bia. If you travel north
w est from V ancouver som e 400 m iles, you
come to Princess Royal Island and the Doug
las Channel area near Kitim at. Some 100 miles
inland, to the northeast, is the logging com m u
nity o f Terrace, located along the Skeena River.
This region is the heart of Kermode country. It
a
has been described as the wildest and richest
wilderness of C anadas West.
An experienced wilderness guide who knows
the behavior of the Kermode is needed if you
are to get even a glim pse o f this white wan
derer. The best time to sight one is in Octo
ber, when the stream s o f British Colum bia are
Awake! August 22, 2001
alive with thousands o f spawning salmon. D ur
ing this annual event, Kerm odes come down
from the highlands to feast on a banquet o f sal
mon. Describing the banqueting bears eating
ritual, one eyewitness said: Selecting the speci
men they want, they pu t one paw on the head,
then strip the skin off from the gills back, ex
posing the flesh on which they feast.
W h a t Th e y A re Like
Kermodes may appear to be friendly, cuddly,
and playful, but in actuality, like all bears, they
can be unpredictable and dangerous. Reported
ly, they have poor vision. Their small tapered
nose and long nostrils are designed to maxi
mize their sense of smell. A lthough they seem
to move awkwardly, they are very fast. Some
have been clocked at speeds o f over 30 miles an
hour for short distances!
F ull-grow n fem ales are from fo u r to six
feet in length and w eigh b etw een 100 and
400 pounds. Males are larger and occasional
ly exceed 500 pounds. W hen Kermodes stand
on their hind legs, they tower at eight to nine
feet. They are also good swimmers. A fisheries
patrol officer, in fact, observed one swimming
from a nearby island to the m ainland. As he
m aneuvered his boat near the bear, it surprised
him by diving and swimming underwater, sur
facing only for air.
E n co u n te rs W ith H um ans
W hen bears com e to associate u n n a tu ra l
food sources with people, they frequently lose
their wariness of man and can become overly
aggressive and dangerous. Such bears are often
destroyed. So the next time you see a bear in
the wild and it is begging for food, rem em ber
that if you feed it, you may be not only inviting
danger to yourself but also contributing to its
early death.
Reflecting on this intriguing bear, we cannot
help but be impressed with the variety th at ex
ists in the bear family. How wonderful and de
lightful are G ods creative works! And what a
responsibility m an has to care for such fasci
nating creatures!
27
 2
Fake Fossil
For 116 years it graced
the halls of the N ational
Museum of Wales at Cardiff
the fossilised skeleton of a
200m[illion]-year-old predator
that once cruised the Juras
sic seas, says Britains newspa
per The Guardian. Then cu
rators at Cardiff decided the
remains of the ocean-going
carnivore ichthyosaurus need
ed a brush upand realised
that they had been taken in.
When we stripped off five lay
ers of paint we found it was an
elaborate forgery, said conser
vator Caroline Buttler. It was
an amalgam of two types of
ichthyosaurus plus a clever at
tempt at fake parts. Instead
of disposing of it, the museum
will put it on display as an ex
ample of a fake fossil.
Contaminated Mountain Lakes
Mountain lakes are not as
clean as they are thought to be.
Even the highest lakes, such
as the Schwarzsee above Sol-
den [Austria], are full of pol
lutants, reports the German
magazine natur & kosmos. Fish
in high-altitude lakes have a
DDT level that is as much as
1,000 times higher than fish
found at lower altitudes. Why?
In tropical countries the poi
sonous chemical becomes air
borne through evaporation
and is carried away by air cur
rents to other parts of the
world. Over cold spotslike
m ountain lakesthe DDT
particles condense and fall
as precipitation. The ice-cold
mountain lakes work like cold
28
traps, says the magazine, and advises a Health Canada re
snatch the DDT from the at port. Laboratory tests of inex
mosphere. DDTan insecti pensive costume jewelry typ
cide toxic to humans and an ically purchased for children
imalshas been banned in revealed that most samples
Europe for over 20 years, but it had a lead content of between
50 and 100 percent. Absorb
is still being used in developing
ing even low amounts of lead
countries.
may have harmful health ef
Personalized Tombs fects on the intellectual and be
havioural development of in
fants and young children, says
the report. Lead content is, of
course, difficult to determine
without a testing kit. So in
view of the normally low cost
of childrens jewelry, the best
strategy might be that recom
mended in the National Post
Eccentric graves are the newspaper: When in doubt,
new funeral fashion, reads the throw it out.
French newsmagazine L Ex-
Natural Habitat
press. Tomb producers offer to
erect personalized monuments
Key to Conservation
in 25 different colors, in new Habitat protection [is the]
designs, and in materials such key to wildlife conservation,
as stained glass or metal. Mon says the Times of Zambia news
uments already made include paper. The report states that
sculptures of a parachute, a the greatest factor influencing
dog and cow, a train wreck, the decline of wildlife popu
and a huge barrelordered by lations is habitat destruction.
a wine merchant. One major Overgrazing, fires, soil ero
company states that it makes sion, [and] cultivation are
at least 80 replicas of motor among the culprits. Obvious
bikes a year to decorate graves. ly agriculture is important and
According to the article, lo there is no way we can do
cal regulations may only al away with it, the article ex
low for a headstone and a slab, plains. But in areas where ag
but French law gives support riculture is not so beneficial
to individual beliefs and grants due to poor soils, natural hab
owners of a cemetery plot itats could be preserved, says
freedom of construction. the Times. When domestic an
imals are brought into these
Beware of Lead in Jewelry
areas, they have difficulty cop
If your child is likely to ing with parasites such as ticks
chew or suck on jew ellery and mites, but wild animals
which may contain lead, dis have a natural way of dealing
card the items immediately, with such pests, from wallow-
Awake! August 22, 2001
 ing in mud and rolling in dust organizations that collect the Disappearing Languages
to being pecked clean by birds. clothes sell them to commer
A joint Brazilian and Ger
cial enterprises, making donat
Witnesses Gain man project plans to document
ed clothing a business worth
Court Victory in Russia
several hundred million Ger native B razilian languages
threatened with extinction, re
The New York Times of Feb man marks. Often the collec
ports Brazils newspaper Folha
ruary 24, 2001, reported: Je tors do not know what happens
de S. Paulo. Researchers hope
hovahs Witnesses won a po to the donated items. The arti
to preserve the Trumai, Aweti,
tentially far-reaching victory cle states: If you want to make
and Cuicuro tongues by creat
today [February 23] in a Mos sure your clothes really benefit
ing a digital data bank of texts
cow court over prosecutors the poor, you will have to pass
and sounds. According to lin
who had sought to ban the them on to the needy yourself
group under a 1997 law that or send them to trusted per guist Aryon Rodrigues, only
prohibited religious sects that sons in the crisis area. 180 of Brazils original 1,200
incite hatred or intolerance. native tongues have survived.
The trial had been suspend
Why Children Have Trouble Of these, at least 50 are spo
Communicating ken by fewer than 100 people.
ed on March 12, 1999, and
five experts were appointed to In the case of one language,
study the beliefs of the Wit Maku, the only speaker is a
nesses. The case was in recess 70-year-old widower living in
for nearly two years. After it the north of Brazil. Rodrigues
was convened on February 6, says that the preservation of
2001, it took less than three native languages is vital to con
weeks for the court to find serving the traditional knowl
the prosecutions charges to be edge of a people.
groundless. However, the pros Trash Troubles in Mexico City
ecution asked the Moscow City According to the Berliner
Court to order a retrial. On Morgenpost newspaper, the Thirty percent of Mexico
May 30 that request was grant spokesman for a pediatricians Citys trash stays on public
ed, and the case was remand association in Berlin puts roads to become potentially
ed back to the trial court to the blame for communication harmful pollution, said a re
try the case again. The Rus problems of the young on ex cent report in the Mexico City
sian Orthodox Church, which cessive television viewing and newspaper El Universal. Aaron
bitterly opposes missionary ac computer usage. He said that Mastache Mondragon, secre
tivities, said the Los Angeles children, especially preschool tary of environment, indicated
Times, was one of the main ers, should spend less time that only 10 percent of Mexico
proponents of the 1997 reli watching TV or sitting in front Citys trash is recycled and that
gion law, which forced many of a computer and more time about 48 percent is not biode
denominations to go through a communicating with and being gradable. Based on data from
difficult registration process. stimulated by real people. Ad the National Institute of Recy
ditionally, new research, says clers, a cardboard ticket takes a
Making a Profit From The Sunday Times of Britain, month to break down; a bam
Donated Clothing suggests that growing num boo branch, from one to three
Only a tiny amount of do bers of people in their twen months; a cotton towel, from
nated clothing actually reach ties and thirties are suffering one to five months; a wool
es those in real need, says from severe memory loss and en sock, a year; painted wood,
the German newspaper Siid- the inability to distinguish a little over a year; a tin can,
west Presse. In Germany each between important and unim 100 months; an aluminum can,
year, over 500,000 tons of portant facts because of an from 200 to 500 years; and a
clothing are donated to help increasing reliance on com glass bottle, more than a mil
the needy. But, in general, the puter technology. lion years.

Awake! August 22, 2001 29

 F R O M O U R
E d u ca tio n I am w ritin g to express my
thanks for the series Education That Leads
to a Better Life. (Decem ber 22,2000) It tru
ly showed how Jehovah, through his organi
zation, is trying to reach all who are right-
hearted. I was moved when I read how the
local television station and newspapers cov
ered the release of Awake! in the Samoan lan
guage. It illustrated the fulfillment of Jesus
words at Acts 1:8: You will be witnesses of
me . . . to the most distant part of the earth.
J. D., United States
Runaway Dads I am 15 years old and would
like to thank you from the bottom of my
heart for the Young People Ask . . . articles
Why Did Dad Leave Us? (November 22,
2000) and How Can I Cope Now That Dad
Has Left Us? (Decem ber 22, 2000) I have
had feelings varying from anger to grief and
despair. The articles showed that 1 am not
alone in this situation and that my feelings
are quite norm al. Please continue writing
such wonderful articles.
S. L., Germany
I am 10 years old, and I feel as if I have
been waiting for these articles my whole life!
I suffered so much when Dad left us. The ar
ticles came at the right time.
M. D., Germany
Life Story Thank you for the article Pro
vided With a Hope T hat Sustains Me. (De
cember 22,2000) I have harbored hatred for
my father because from the time I was a
child, I have watched him abuse my mother.
I knew in my head that hatred was wrong, but
the feelings were very difficult to control. But
then I read of how Tatjana Vileyska tried to
overcome hatred for the man who had m ur
dered her mother. I would like to imitate her.
A. K., Japan
30 Awake! August 22, 2001
R E A D E R S
Reading of Tatj anas traum atic experience
in losing her parents moved me to tears.
Such personal experiences are a constant
reminder to me that many people all over
the world are enduring trem endous difficul
ties with success and finding joy despite their
personal struggles.
J. R., United States
I have just finished reading the gripping
story of Tatjana Vileyska. Her story is one
that I wont soon forget. To go through what
she experienced before learning the truth
from the Bible and still survive with a smile
on her face is nothing short of a spiritual
miracle.
S. S., United States
Saving Marriages Thank you from the bot
tom of my heart for the series in the Awake!
of January 8, 2001, Can We Save Our M ar
riage? A year ago my wife and I were hav
ing marital problems. We were both raised in
homes where anger was unleashed regularly.
So we would say words that really hurt each
other, and things would get out of hand. But
we have begun to apply Bible principles, and
we are now very happy.
R. O., United States
As a congregation elder, I have found that
one of the most challenging situations I face
is trying to assist those who feel that they are
trapped in a loveless marriage. To be sure, we
have had more than enough Scriptural coun
sel through the publications over the years.
However, by looking at the cover of the mag
azine, I could see that it was going to be just
what we need to provide more direct assis
tance to such ones. The articles did not disap
point me!
L. R., United States
 The Vital Role of Fathers
u INCREASING numbers of young men want to
I take an active role in raising their children.
Eighty-two per cent of men aged 21 to 39 chose
to have a work schedule that allowed more time
with their families, says Canadas Toronto Star
newspaper concerning a recent Harvard Univer
sity study. According to the study, in which 1,008
U.S. men and women ages 21 to 65-plus were
surveyed, 71 percent of young men said that they
would give up some of their pay for more time
with their families.
Why do many fathers want to be more involved
with their children? David Blankenhorn, one of
the founders of the National Fatherhood Initia
tive, which promotes responsible, committed fa
therhood, noted that in a 1994 survey of 1,600
U.S. men, 50 percent said that
their fathers were emotion
ally absent during their
childhood. Many of to
days fathers do not want to see this pattern
repeated.
Fathers who are actively involved with their
children can be a wholesome influence. Refer
ring to research published by the U.S. Depart
ment of Health and Human Services, The Toron
to Star said that when fathers eat meals with
their children, go on outings with them, and help
with homework, there are fewer behaviour prob
lems, higher levels of sociability and a higher lev
el of school performance among children and ad
olescents.
The foregoing highlights an arrangement for
raising children that is as practical today as when
first penned over three thousand years ago. The
Originator of the family specifically instructed fa
thers to be actively involved in raising their chil
dren. (Ephesians 3:14, 15; 6:4) Fathers were
counseled to inculcate a love for God in the
hearts of their children and to speak to them
of Gods regulations and commandments. God
told them to do this when they sat in their
house and when they walked on the road and
when they lay down and when they got up.
Deuteronomy 6:7.
Parenting is a shared responsibility. The
Bible admonishes children: Listen . . . to
the discipline of your father, and do not for
sake the law of your m o t h e r (Proverbs 1:8)
The role of the father is vital. It includes sup
porting and respecting the mother and shar
ing in child-rearing tasks. It also requires
spending time reading to and talking with
the children. This fills a vital emotional
need of children.
Unquestionably, the Bible is the most
reliable source of counsel and sound
principles for a well-adjusted family. A
father who actively provides for the
spiritual, emotional, and materi
al needs of his family is ful-
filling his God-assigned
responsibility.
 Britain is a prosperous Western country. Yet, it
is estimated that every year more than 100,000
of its children twice as many as previously be
lieved run away from home. As a result, 1 in 7
suffers violence or sexual assault.
When children feel alienated and rejected, run
ning away can seem a sort of solution, says Ian
Sparks, chief executive of the Childrens Society,
adding: This issue cuts across class boundaries
children are almost as likely to run away from a