The Power of Prayer

On the afternoon of June 5th (2011), I was hurrying toward central London in a cold rain. Soon, more and more of the people I passed were Japanese people in formal dress, a somewhat unusual thing to see in a foreign city. The line of Japanese people crossed the busy road and entered the famous Westminster Abbey. We had come to join in the Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Service being held in the abbey. When I mention Westminster Abbey, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the magnificent royal wedding that recently took place there.At the same place where the people of Britain prayed for the happiness of the newlyweds, we Japanese people were going to pray for the victims of the earthquake, and for the restoration of our homeland. The Japanese flag flown high above the abbey signified that this service was being conducted for the people of Japan. As a student living in London, I heard about the Tohoku Earthquake at dawn on March 11. Even now, I vividly remember turning on the BBC news and instantly snapping out of my sleepy state. At first, I didn't understand what had happened.But as I watched images of the events, I got goose bumps all over my body, and was at a loss for words. When a horrific photo of the disaster-struck area covered the front page of the next day's newspaper, I once again felt the gravity of the situation. People in Britain were quick to take action. They immediately set up various charities, and collected relief funds and donations for the affected areas. On the front page of one newspaper was the red sun of the Japanese flag with the Japanese words â€Å"‚ ªÃ¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ªÃ¢â‚¬Å"à ºÃ¢â‚¬â€œ{ A‚ ªÃ¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ± ‚΂à ªÃ¢â‚¬Å"Œ–k (Ganbare Nippon, Ganbare Tohoku: Don't give up Japan, Don't give up Tohoku).†People I did not know were giving me encouragement. I think this kindness of the British people was the driving force behind the service I was attending. Th e ceremony was carried out with solemnity. Passages from the Bible were read; hymns and pipe organ music echoed from the high ceilings of the sanctuary. As the program proceeded, to my surprise, Kenji Miyazawa's poem Ame ni mo makezu (Be not Defeated by the Rain) was read aloud. The power of its words struck me deeply. It dawned on me that this, too, is a form of prayer. Up until then, I had thought of prayer as putting one's hands together or kneeling down in devotion to God.I realized, however, that there are other forms of prayer as well. Surely, anyone listening to this reading must have prayed for the advent of a safe and peaceful world, and envisioned a vigorous rebuilding of Japan. I felt the poem quietly guiding our spirit, and uniting the hearts of all those in attendance. I think what is meant by prayer is ‘the power of thought. ‘ Even Japan's restoration and rebirth cannot begin without thoughts. It is through thoughts that action takes place. People say that prayer alone will not change anything, but in times of crisis, I think it is what we need most.Indeed, all I can do at present is pray, but it seems to me that this is by no means an insignificant force. When all of us who had gathered at Westminster Abbey united our hearts and prayed together, I believe that our thoughts became a great force that reached the areas affected by the disaster. Another thing that moved me was the international cooperation. I could feel intensely the kindness of the British people toward Japan, and their strong desire to help. Many people are praying for the restoration of Japan and the happiness of its people.Amidst this, I feel that I have caught a glimpse of the true warmth of international cooperation. This great disaster has brought about changes in me. It led me to reconsider the meaning of prayer, which I had only experienced in form, and to learn what true prayer really is. I was also able to understand the spirit underlying the words ‘inte rnational cooperation,' which I had previously understood as merely a political term. In the future, I hope to use this ‘power of thought' that I keenly felt during recent events to reach out to the international community. The ‘power of prayer' and ‘power of thought' are infinite. The Power of Prayer On the afternoon of June 5th (2011), I was hurrying toward central London in a cold rain. Soon, more and more of the people I passed were Japanese people in formal dress, a somewhat unusual thing to see in a foreign city. The line of Japanese people crossed the busy road and entered the famous Westminster Abbey. We had come to join in the Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Service being held in the abbey. When I mention Westminster Abbey, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the magnificent royal wedding that recently took place there.At the same place where the people of Britain prayed for the happiness of the newlyweds, we Japanese people were going to pray for the victims of the earthquake, and for the restoration of our homeland. The Japanese flag flown high above the abbey signified that this service was being conducted for the people of Japan. As a student living in London, I heard about the Tohoku Earthquake at dawn on March 11. Even now, I vividly remember turning on the BBC news and instantly snapping out of my sleepy state. At first, I didn't understand what had happened.But as I watched images of the events, I got goose bumps all over my body, and was at a loss for words. When a horrific photo of the disaster-struck area covered the front page of the next day's newspaper, I once again felt the gravity of the situation. People in Britain were quick to take action. They immediately set up various charities, and collected relief funds and donations for the affected areas. On the front page of one newspaper was the red sun of the Japanese flag with the Japanese words â€Å"‚?‚n‚I‚eâ€Å"u–{?A‚?‚n ‚I‚eâ€Å"?–k (Ganbare Nippon, Ganbare Tohoku: Don't give up Japan, Don't give up Tohoku).â€Å"People I did not know were giving me encouragement. I think this kindness of the British people was the driving force behind the service I was attending. The ceremony was carried out with so lemnity. Passages from the Bible were read; hymns and pipe organ music echoed from the high ceilings of the sanctuary. As the program proceeded, to my surprise, Kenji Miyazawa's poem Ame ni mo makezu (Be not Defeated by the Rain) was read aloud. The power of its words struck me deeply. It dawned on me that this, too, is a form of prayer. Up until then, I had thought of prayer as putting one's hands together or kneeling down in devotion to God.I realized, however, that there are other forms of prayer as well. Surely, anyone listening to this reading must have prayed for the advent of a safe and peaceful world, and envisioned a vigorous rebuilding of Japan. I felt the poem quietly guiding our spirit, and uniting the hearts of all those in attendance. I think what is meant by prayer is ‘the power of thought. ‘ Even Japan's restoration and rebirth cannot begin without thoughts. It is through thoughts that action takes place. People say that prayer alone will not change anyth ing, but in times of crisis, I think it is what we need most.Indeed, all I can do at present is pray, but it seems to me that this is by no means an insignificant force. When all of us who had gathered at Westminster Abbey united our hearts and prayed together, I believe that our thoughts became a great force that reached the areas affected by the disaster. Another thing that moved me was the international cooperation. I could feel intensely the kindness of the British people toward Japan, and their strong desire to help. Many people are praying for the restoration of Japan and the happiness of its people.Amidst this, I feel that I have caught a glimpse of the true warmth of international cooperation. This great disaster has brought about changes in me. It led me to reconsider the meaning of prayer, which I had only experienced in form, and to learn what true prayer really is. I was also able to understand the spirit underlying the words ‘international cooperation,' which I ha d previously understood as merely a political term. In the future, I hope to use this ‘power of thought' that I keenly felt during recent events to reach out to the international community. The ‘power of prayer' and ‘power of thought' are infinite.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the role of the social media Essay

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the role of the social media or social news sites in reporting the Arab Spring in Egypt - Essay Example Within the context of the social media, the Arab Spring has become a more significant phenomenon, especially as the social media has propelled the issues preceding the Arab Spring into the very forefront of both the national and the international political discussions. However, the social media has also engaged the political discussions towards a less truthful direction, one swayed by public opinions which are not necessarily based on facts or contextual discussions. These conflicts indicate that there are strengths and weaknesses relating to the impact and role of the social media or social news sites in reporting the Arab Spring in Egypt. As such, these conflicts will now be discussed in this paper. First, a discussion of the strengths will be presented, followed by its weaknesses. A conclusion will summarize and restate the important points for this discussion. Body The social media has taken on a life on its own, especially in recent years with the entry of Facebook and Twitter i nto the electronic fray. The easy accessibility of electronic devices as well as the affordability and widespread use of the internet has also spurred the social media phenomenon into even greater heights and greater power. The momentum of social changes has now shifted from the political leaders to the general public who have discovered their power to bring down governments, political personalities, and other influential individuals with a simple click of their mouse. On the other side of the social media spectrum is the fact that the social media has become a rabid and non-contextual social tool which has taken on a dangerous life all on its own. Inasmuch as its strengths for the purposes of public welfare have become apparent, its weaknesses also represent the fickleness of a public eager to point any finger on perceived political failures. Strengths In the case of Egypt, protests started on the 25th of January 2011 and went on for 18 days (Aday, et.al., 2012). During such time, the protesters were spurred on by encouraging posts from the social media, not just from local users, but from different parts of the globe as well. Some of these encouraging posts were seen in the Facebook page Kullena Khaled Said allowed anonymous posts about the Egypt unrest from any interested individual anywhere across the globe (Scott, 2013). At one point, the government sought to curtail the internet use in the country in order to control the protests and limit the impact of the social media (Aday, et.al., 2012). This attempt proved to be unsuccessful and eventually the protests would result to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak who was a political power in the country for close to 30 years. In the above case, the social media was a vital cog in the Egyptian movement, and it was also further pushed further by the new generation of technology-savvy Egyptians (Chebib and Sohail, 2011). Facebook pages like â€Å"We are all Khalid Said† represented groups of individuals who were united in their cause and sentiments against the violence and oppression from the Egyptian government (Eltanwany and Wiest, 2011). These protestors were also widespread and active internet users, especially of the social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, allowing for the coordination of their activities. Facebook and Twitter helped the protesters anticipate when and

Marketing - crises and problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing - crises and problems - Essay Example These factors, which may be supportive or constraining to the future development of the organization, provide the backcloth' against which the future strategies and plans must be formulated (Bennet, 1996). The model analyses the environment into four areas of focus. It should be used flexibly to reflect the nature of the relevant country/market environment. This means that for a large corporate, with a significant spread of operations, it is appropriate to separately map the different environments in which the various parts of the organization operate (Howe, 1986). The facts are normally identified by the senior management of the business from their personal knowledge and experience. Naturally this assumes that they have sufficient background in the environment to generate accurate data. If this experience does not exist external information sources would need to be used to supplement the existing knowledge of the business (Aaltonen and Ikavalko 2002). Even where knowledge is strong' it is prudent to validate key facts/assumptions and to compare alternative views of the future. The analysis should be used to identify: The issues that are dominant and are likely to exert the most pressure or influence on the future direction and prospects of the corporate. This is often achieved by using H/M/L (High/Medium/Low) categorization of each factor. Five Forces Model Industry mapping is a model that enables the competitive environment in which the organization operates to be analyzed. It was developed by Michael Porter and is often referred to as the Porter 5 Forces' model. It helps to identify the strength of the competitive forces that impact on the industry (Kotler and Armstrong 2005). Environmental Mapping' examined more generally the wider commercial context affecting all industries, this approach is focused on the specific industry in which the organization operates. Competition among existing firms - this is the natural competitive rivalry which exists between the various businesses operating within the industry marketplace (Bennet, 1996). Threat of new entrants - this is the potential likelihood of, and ease of, entry for new firms into the market. An example would be the entry of Japanese contractors into the UK construction market. Threat of substitute products or services - this is where a product or service, perhaps produced through a different technology, enters the market. An example would be the entry of compact discs into the audiotape/record market - providing the same product, music', through a different technology. Bargaining power of suppliers - this examines the relationship between businesses in the industry and the suppliers to those businesses. Where suppliers have a unique or restricted availability product they can exert a strong influence over prices and conditions of supply, therefore potentially putting pressures on the businesses purchasing their product/services. Bargaining power of buyers - this examines the relationship between businesses in the industry and the customers of those businesses. The purpose is to identify the relative strength of the business in the customer relationship (Bowman 1998; Porter, 1980, Appendix

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Changing our lives - Essay Example Moreover, establishing of goals indicates how much progress has been made and how far one is from his destination. Thus, like millions of people, I have also established few goals to be achieved in my life. One of my primary goals is to seek higher professional education from the USA. Since I belong to the Middle East, proceeding to the USA for acquiring Masters Degree in International Relations is my prime ambition. It would be a token of great honor, respect and prestige when my family members, friends and relations would introduce me with others as a foreign qualified young man. It would certainly boost up my morale and I would experience the bewitching fragrance of pride and respect in my mind. Proceeding to the western societies for seeking professional education is really a pleasant dream for the Arab youth, because lucrative jobs and rapid promotions are in wait of such qualified persons on their return in their native country. During my stay in the USA, I will be able to lear n many things related to culture, civilization, society, religion and politics of the world. It is reality beyond suspicion that the USA is a multicultural society, where people belonging to divergent racial, ethnic, regional, religious and cultural groups and communities live together.

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Discussion board reply - Assignment Example Hence, if the applicant is eligible and fulfills all the vital criteria of recruitment of the job, he or she should get the job, irrespective of class, race, culture or nationality. Another important issue raised is the role of advertising in recruitment. Indeed, advertisement promotes inclusion as people coming from diverse background become aware of the job opportunities and they have the option to apply for the advertised jobs. Moreover, internet has become a powerful medium of communication that greatly facilitates direct interaction between people or between the organization and the people. Thus online applications for recruitment not only saves time and money but it also helps recruitment managers to vet the applications and gives opportunities to job seekers to apply for the job online. The recruitment officers can then whet the applicants as per the job specifications and call only those who fulfill the basic job criteria. Thus, open advertisement for job should be favored against target recruitment and provide people from different background with equal opportunities to apply for the

Geared to Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geared to Success - Essay Example One of the things I love to do is playing rugby. It is physically demanding but I love to engage in the sport because of the values such as sportsmanship, teamwork and health benefits I gain from it. Music is another passion that I have engaged in. I can play the guitar drums and keyboard. Looking back to how my parents encouraged me to do a variety of activities in addition to the demands of schoolwork, I now understand that they always wanted me to be exposed to different activities for me to discover my talents and interests. Their efforts paid off because I found out what kind of person I am which affects my planning and decision-making these days. When I went to service trips to Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, I found out how blessed I am to have a supportive family who sends me to school and provides me with my necessities. I have seen a lot of less fortunate children who need to work at a tender age only to help their family eat a meal. I have seen starving babies whose parent s either cannot work or have no work at all because they do not have any skill or means. In the aforementioned countries that I have visited, I have seen a lot of poverty but I also saw how people strive to live decently. Some worked hard to survive the day but they still continue to do their tasks despite their difficult situations. These situations opened my eyes to the realities of life. They have left such an impression to me that I learned to think about my own life, what I am doing about my situation and the things I plan in order for me to have a better life and continue to impact the lives of other people. The realizations did not come to me in a dramatic manner. At first, the impressions did not sink in my mind but after a number of service trips that I attended, slowly, I have come to see more of other people. I became observant of how they lived and then I compared the life that I am living to their lives. Looking back to my familial background, I then came to an understa nding of why my parents reiterated the value of education to me from time to time. I realized that my former attitude of taking things for granted will definitely bring me to a similar state that the people we visited in the different countries were experiencing. It was then that I resolved to do not just what I can in my studies but that, I will exert my best efforts to excel and succeed. As I continued to think about my future, I decided that business is what I would like to engage in as a professional. I know that there are a lot of good jobs and opportunities for me in the business world. However, I am also aware of the difficulties waiting for me. The world is becoming smaller, so they say. With the internet and other technological advancements, the business world is also becoming smaller and expanding at the same time. Businesses are going global nowadays. This means tough competition among businessmen who come from different parts of the world, with different experiences and ideas that could change global economy and their personal paths to success. Therefore, in addition to the lessons I learned, I also have come to understand the value of graduating from a school with good reputations. I believe that when good things are said about a school, it would be because of the quality of services being offered. I know that schools are a great factor in how a person is molded and informed.

Careers in Math Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Careers in Math - Essay Example Multifarious are the careers in which a sound knowledge and grasp of Mathematical subjects and principles find practical daily relevance. â€Å"These range from Mathematics teaching careers, at all levels of education, to those of engineers, architects, and astronauts.† (Donald, 1995, p.58). I interviewed a few professionals on their on-the-job, daily application of mathematical knowledge. These professionals are engaged in solving pre-calculus problems connected with their businesses. One of them was a participant in the project of salvaging the famous Pisa Tower, in Italy, which had begun to tilt dangerously for a long time. He told me that trigonometrical calculations were needed to determine the least angle of deviation from the perpendicular to which the tower had to be yanked to prevent it from toppling. The other professionals are sets of archeologists, one of whom was graphing asymptotes to illustrate the data generated from carbon-14 half-life dating of fossil specimens. The equation relating the original amount of carbon-14, A, in the fossil specimen to the amount, A(t), observed at time t is an exponential one which can be written thus This equation is an exponential relationship whose graphs are asymptotes. There are two possible asymptotes for the graph. The first is produced when A is plotted against t. The other is produced when the reverse is done, that is when t is plotted against A. Both asymptotes arbitrarily approach the x and the y-axes, and both have negative gradients except that the gradient of one is greater than that of the other. The difference in both asymptotes thus lies in the size of gradient.