According to Kruglanski and Freund's interesting article, the notion of “need for closure” refers to “the need to have some knowledge on a given topic, any knowledge as opposed to confusion and ambiguity” (450; emphasis mine). What they claim is nothing new because we human beings, by default, tend to avoid ambiguity. The authors' contribution … Continue reading A Need for Closure, Paul, and Judaism
When We Are in Profound Distress (BWV 641)
https://youtu.be/3gLsEt3sEIk?feature=shared&t=8 To many (I believe), it is almost indisputable that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) marks the apogee of the Baroque period (seventeenth to mid-eighteenth centuries). His organ chorale titled "Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein" (When We Are in Profound Distress) (BWV 641) is from the Orgelbüchlein, a collection of his chorale preludes (1712-1717). The … Continue reading When We Are in Profound Distress (BWV 641)
就任式礼拝 (2023年7月23日)
On July 23, 2023, in the presence of God, I entered into a covenant relationship with グレーストロント日本語教会 (Grace Toronto Japanese Church). I don't have words that can describe the ruthless grace God pours upon me, a hideous wicked sinner; he judged me faithful and has appointed me to his service (1 Tim 1:12). So, when … Continue reading 就任式礼拝 (2023年7月23日)
Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atomic Bomb
The photo above (Getty Image) is the view of the mushroom cloud from the atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. This was taken from almost 10 km away on August 9, 1945. The American theoretical physicist of German-Jewish descent J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) led the Manhattan Project (1942-) as the director of … Continue reading Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atomic Bomb
Thanks and Prayers
Our son, Kyum, is starting his college life in the Engineering Science program at UofT (Class of 2027) this fall. Since our daughter, Sue, is going back to Rhodes for her junior year next Sunday, we had family time after church to celebrate Kyum for beginning a new chapter of his life. We took a … Continue reading Thanks and Prayers