Ewwouu-wah Feuu-wah Pwouah Paae

Have you ever come across words that you thought were just plain silly?  Traveling around the United States, I would come across a few, like Lake Okeechobee in Florida, or La Jolla, California (pronounced luh-HOY-uh). Or how about Boise, Idaho?  I used to think it was spelled BOYS-ZEE based on its pronunciation.  Then go down a little south in the America’s to find Lake Titicaca between Peru and Bolivia.

But then when I visited Thailand, I found words that not only sounded silly but also were impossible to pronounce for me.  Ever try saying the full name for the city of Bangkok?  Here you go: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit.

Phew!  I understand that word is in the Guinness World Records for its length.  Then there’s this one phrase in Thai which means “to be generous,” that always makes me smile because it has this kind of fun, musical rhythm to it in the Thai language - Ewwouu-wah Feuu-wah Pwouah Paae.  I’m sure my phonetic description may not do justice to the phrase but believe it comes close.

I’m sure to other folks, these same words or phrases do not sound fun or silly.  Everyone has their own perspective.  I find the same is true when it comes to the belief that Jesus Christ, who is God, loved us humans so much that He died in our place to redeem us from sin, and then was raised from the dead. And if we humans simply have faith in and believe in Jesus as our lord and savior, we too will be with him in heaven one day.  Does that sound silly or foolish to you? Or is it something you believe and have faith in?

As you’re pondering those questions, here’s what God says on the matter for your further contemplation:

·       For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:18-30)

·       And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So, you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:6-10) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Never Happened Here Before

The Asian community was struck by an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.7. In other words, huge. The date was March 28, 2025, and the location of the epicenter was near the center of Myanmar, very close to Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay. It was felt more than 600 miles away in the large, urban city of Bangkok, Thailand, which saw devastation never seen before – collapsing skyrise building, roads buckling, water from penthouse skyrises sloshing over the sides like a giant waterfall. For the people of Thailand, who have never felt an earthquake before, this was a generational event.  Yet another example of things happening on this terrestrial ball that have never happened before. Seems like Global Warming was just the start. Or maybe this world is just starting the process of winding down. Like an elderly person’s bones creaking and cracking, loss of senses like hearing, and perhaps the twinkle of dementia forming.  Besides earthquakes, there have been more and mo...
Read more

Rice or Noodle?

What is your favorite food?  Wow, that’s a big question, isn’t it?  You may have a list of “favorite” foods and trying to narrow it down to one is no easy task.  So, let’s make it easier and go with the supporting food teams.  There’s always a lesser support food to compliment your main dish:  Steak and potatoes , Teriyaki chicken and rice , pork stir fry with noodles , salmon and brussel sprouts (okay, so add your favorite vegetable here, zucchini maybe?).  But even then it gets tricky, doesn’t it because any one of those supporting foods can flip to become the primary star (okay, maybe not brussel sprouts), like spaghetti and meatballs. Since I’m currently overseas, I do notice there are certain types of food that are more dominant as well.   In the United States, potatoes could be arguably the most commonly served food, whether as the primary, supporting, or combined food on your plate.   I love my French fries to accompany my hamburger but ...
Read more

Faith and Fruit

Wh at’s your favorite food group?   Are you more of a meat person? Fish, pork, cow or chicken? Or how about some lamb? If you’re a vegetarian, that doesn't narrow things down. Vegetables, legumes, potatoes, and all their variations?   I do enjoy a nice, juicy steak with some scalloped potatoes and stir-fried veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, or asparagus (though this last gives me gas). No, I haven’t forgotten fruit which is probably my favorite food group (though that juicy New York steak, medium-rare, does compete very closely).   I normally would have said something like cherries, oranges, and watermelon were my top fruit choices.   Strawberries and blueberries (oh, yes, blackberries and mulberries, too) also are in the top contenders.   But now that I’m out of the United States and living overseas, I have discovered so many more fruits (and vegetables) that are delicious.   I can honestly say I finally have a top, no-contender fruit t...
Read more