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Personal from...
Cospel
to
Japanese Leaders
F
or sorne 20 months, dueto total heart failure in
August 1977, 1 was prevented from proclaiming
Christ's gospel in person in the far-flung nations
ound the world.
But God has been with me. There has been NO
diminishing of the vital faculties, especially of mind.
And while 1 was having for the time to defer the
ORDEAL of physically demanding worldwide travel, 1
have been able to WRITE and to continue
FULL
LEADERSHIP of God's Work here on earth.
1 want to menÚon a point we were discussing here in
the hotel suite yesterday afternoon. I have not realized it
before. Probably
you
have not rea lized it. But the United
States is the ONLY nation on earth that retires people at
age 60 or 65. In the United States most have come to
suppose that people naturally begin to lose their mental
faculties even as early as 55.
WHY?
This general national assumption is NOT TRUE! Many
large corporations have adopted a RETIREMENT POUCY
that all employees, and even executives,
must
retire at
age 65- and sorne at age 60. The same is true of
school teachers.
1 even retired one man at age 55 on his urgent
request, although in a manner that did not increase the
Work's expenses, even though we had to hire another to
take his place. But he had worked for us 25 years.
r
remember he wanted to travel- not to other parts of the
world- but to see other parts of the United States, as he
phrased it, " before 1 have to meet my Maker." In other
words, even at age 55 this man was THINKING, in bis
mind, that he was approaching "the age of
de~th."
WHY do Americans think that way? Here in Japan,
where 1 am writing this "Personal," a man of 65 is just
coming into the age of the BEGINNING of wisdom! A man
in his 80s is not regarded as old or senile, but as more
mature-of higher stature-of having a BETTER mind, of
attaining to the "age of wisdom."
But 1 remember one of my grandmothers at age 55. In
those days, when 1 was probably 5 or 6 years óld, al!
women wore hats outdoors. Young women had rather
The
PLAIN TRUTH August 1979
decorative hats, with artificial roses, or objects of bright
colors and with a sophisticated STYLE. Hats were not
intended to cover or keep warm the head- but to be an
added DECORATION. But by 55 or maybe younger, a11
women wore "old ladies" bonnets. They were shaped like
an old covered wagon and always black, as were their
clothes. They dressed in the style that a11 ' 'old women"
dressed. By their dress as well as their manner, they
proclaimed loudly, l am OLD. 1 expect to die right away.
My days of usefulness are over. ·
But times did change. Although I remember that both
my grandmothers wore old-ladies bonl)ets and dressed
like old women, my mother did not. My mother was 95 Y2
when she died, and right up to the day of her death she
dressed like a younger woman (or at least like a
middle-aged woman). Many of our readers will
remember her. And at age 95 she was sti11 happy, jolly
and had a good sense of humor.
Somehow, between the generation of her mother and
her own generation, women had at least begun to dispose
of the custom of wearing old-ladies bonnets and somber
and unattractive clotbes.
But back to what I started. There must bave been 250
or 300 or more at the banquet last night.
lt
was held in
a large banquet room at this hotel (T he Imperial), and
this is a large hotel with severa! prívate dining rooms.
Many of the elite congressmen (members of the
Diet- the Japanese congress or parliament) who call
themselves my "Japanese sons" were there. The
speakers' table seated at least a dozen, sorne of whom
spoke briefly, all of whom stood one at a time to be
introduced. AH others, including wives, were seated at
many round tables- 10 or 12 seated at each table.
All who spoke were saying complimentary things
about me. During the evening a few other members of
the Japanese Diet said they wanted to be counted as one
of my Japanese sons, all of whom are important Diet
members-the number of my Japanese sons in the Diet
is now 12.
All speeches were translated.
lf
a Japanese official
spoke briefiy, he spoke,
(Continued on page 44)-
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