Whensday: Mathematics, Politics and Moby Dick

Today (November 20) is someone’s birthday. I do not have any friends or acquaintances with a birthday, but history tells me that two interesting people were born on this day. The first is Belgian lawyer Victor D’Hondt in 1841. He was a lawyer at the University of Ghent in the 19th century and discovered a method for distributing seats in parliament in a proportional manner. Some would say he rediscovered it, as a similar method had also been presented by Thomas Jefferson at the end of the 18th century. The D’Hondt method helps to apportion votes in a fair manner and is used by countries around the world, including Belgium and the Netherlands. If you know anything about the complexity of Belgian politics and political parties, you will understand the importance of this method. 

In the Netherlands Willem Jacob van Stockum was born on this day in 1910. He was a mathematician who worked on the general theory of relativity. He died as a bomber pilot in fighting at the end of WWII. But his discovery of CTC’s (Closed Timeline Curves) showed that the possibility of traveling back in time might be possible. Just what some might want to do considering certain outcomes of voting in years past or present or the results of some wars. 

But on this day in 1820 (after Thomas Jefferson had figured out his method but before Victor D’Hondt had rediscovered it) a sperm whale attacked and sunk a whaling ship from Massachusetts. This became the basis of one of my favorite books from Herman Melville called “Moby Dick”. And anyone can travel back in time to this period, even today, simply by picking up the book and reading the story. 

Whensday: 1637 - The Statenvertaling

We of course use our Bible every day. We are extremely thankful not only that there are Bibles readily available (thanks to the invention of a printing press), but that we can read God’s word in so many languages. Just as in English, the Dutch language has many different translations. As a language changes, so the translation needs to keep step in order to be understandable by its readers. 

I remember coming to faith using an NIV English Bible. I am an English teacher by training, so reading the KJV (King James Version) later was not only possible, I enjoyed it and still do enjoy it. But I understand that many people would have a difficult time reading something from the 17th century - just as they might struggle with Shakespeare. The same is true for the Dutch translations. 

When I first came to the Netherlands, I learned my Dutch by reading a Gideon New Testament which had English on one side and Dutch on the other. This way I could figure out what I was reading, seeing and knowing it already in English. This translation was a fairly old version, as was the one I came to use the most - translated in 1951. But it was the version that has become my heart version. All of the texts I know from heart come from this version. 

But the original translation, the first official translation of the Bible from the original languages into Dutch, was completed in 1637 and so is very like the KJV. It was commissioned by the Staten Generaal - the States General of the Netherlands, which is the governing body (Senate and House of Representatives) of the Netherlands. The abbreviation used is SV. 

The NBG-1951 is the translation that I came to know the most. It is an official translation from the Dutch Bible Society (NBG), presented in 1951. In the 1970’s there was a modern language version presented called “Good News” and most recently there has been a NBV (New Bible Version). But those who loved the SV also wanted a linguistically updated version and brought the HSV or Revised Statenvertaling. 

As at all times I find it most important that people read their Bible. The words need to get into their hearts and minds. If someone has a different version (there are also two Catholic versions that many people would have if they have a Bible in house), then I am more than willing to help them read it. The most important thing is that they are reading and applying what they read in their lives. 

We also have various foreign language Bibles in our building, including one in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and even in English. We have a regular visitor who is a Syrian refugee. She has her Bible on her phone (as so many do these days - and what a blessing that is), but we have a version for her if she needs it. 

What is your favorite translation of the Bible? When did you first start reading your Bible? 

Wild wonderful Wednesday

Once again, I am going to do something a bit different om this Wild Wonderful Wednesday. It is the first 5th Wednesday of the year (try saying that five times quickly!). And while we often have taken a walk somewhere, even if it is through our personal history (like this time), this month I would like to take you on a walk through our reading habits. 

Shirley and I both like to read or watch detective stories. Sherlock Holmes (in all versions, classic or modern), all of Agatha Christie’s characters (although the Belgian Hercule Poirot has a special place) and many other detectives make for fun and educative reading. We do not mind what the setting is. We have read Brother Cadfael mysteries set in the 13th century, Inspector Monk mysteries set in London of the 19th century, or Inspector Pitt mysteries set a bit later in the same city. 

On our last Home Assignment, David Cron took us downtown Los Angeles and mentioned a series with Detective Bosch which is set in LA (and we visited a building from one of the books). It was interesting to me that detective Bosch’s first name is Hieronymus. He is named after Jheronimus of Aken or Hieronymus Bosch, who was a Dutch painter from Brabant in the 15th century. The detective is not a painter, but the painter’s works are rather grotesque - which types of scenes detective Bosch often has to deal with. 

Last year I read a whole series about Owen Archer who is - can you guess - an archer who becomes a detective of sorts (or spy or apothecary) in the 14th century. It is wonderful how books can take you anywhere at all. The Foundation series from Isaac Asimov will even take you into outer space in the future. It’s science fiction, but it is basically a detective story. 

And these books have taken me to Canterbury, York and London. They have taken me to Shrewsbury and over the border into Wales. I have traveled with Maigret to Paris of the past or with Bosch to Los Angeles. Ray Bradbury has even taken me to Mars. Truly wild, wonderful destinations, all from the comfort of a nice, dry couch on any wet, dreary Belgian day. 

Where have you traveled in your reading? What do you like to read?  

Where Oh Where Wednesday: Redu

Years ago, when Stephan was a baby, we visited our friends who lived in Nottingham, England and together we traveled to Hay-on-Wye. This is a beautiful little village that has basically been turned into an antique book store. The whole village is full of houses which sell antique and second-hand books. We still have a copy of “Pilgrim’s Progress” which our friends purchased as a gift for us. 

Years later I read that there was the same kind of set-up in Belgium. We visited the town of Redu with my best friend when he came to visit. Most of the books are in French, of course, since Redu is in the French-speaking region of Belgium. Still, it is a beautiful, picturesque village - even if you don’t care about books. There are places to sit and drink a coffee or enjoy a pastry and the surrounding area is also beautiful. If you are not into books, the Euro Space center is just down the road. 

We have not been back to Redu in many years and I have always wondered if it is still the same. The landscape of books and reading has, after all, changed dramatically. These days we have e-readers and audio books. Do people still purchase second-hand books. I imagine that the market for antique books has remained the same, but what about books that are simply old? 

We still love the smell of books. We both still read real books (as opposed to e-books or audio books). We know plenty of people who fully enjoy their e-books and our son (who was present in Hay-on-Wye at that first acquaintance with this place) listens regularly to audio books. What do you do? If you are looking for a nice holiday destination and you are a book lover, consider either Hay-on-Wye (Wales) or Redu, Belgium.