A beautiful absolutely marvelous word

But first, did you know that each and every day 21,500,000 people in this world celebrate birthdays? It's true. The population of the world is estimated to have been 7,868,000,000 as of January 1, 2022, and there are 365.25 days in a year. Do the math.

The same article told me that the world had grown by 74,000,000 people since the preceding January 1st, and that every single second 4.3 people are born and 2.0 people die.

I do hope someone out there finds such data interesting.

Stated differently, if the population of the world is A, the number of days in a year is B, and the number of people celebrating birthdays each day is C, the formula for determining C is C = A over (divided by) B. Just remember, when it comes to numerators and denominators, there is a fine line between them.

Well, enough of that. Onward and upward.

Way back in 1969, during the first season of the children's television series Sesame Street, Big Bird saw a sign containing the whole alphabet and said, "Boy, look at that beautiful absolutely marvelous word". He tried to pronounce it as one word and it came out (this is an approximation) "Abka-def-ghi-jekyl-min-op-quer-stuv-wik-siz". Then he launched into what became an iconic song sung several times over the years:

ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ
It's the most remarkable word I've ever seen
ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ
I wish I knew exactly what I mean
It starts out like an "A" word, as anyone can see
But somewhere in the middle it gets awful "QR" to me
ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ
If I ever find out just what this word can mean
I'll be the smartest bird the world has ever seen!

What can that strange looking word possibly mean?
Funny word

It might be kind of an elephant
Or a funny kind of kazoo
Or strange, exotic turtle
You never see in a zoo
Or maybe a kind of a doggie
Or particular shade of blue
Or maybe a pretty flower

Nah, not with a name like that, uh-uh

ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ
It's the most remarkable word I've ever seen
ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ
I wish I knew exactly what I mean
It starts out like an "A" word as anyone can see
But somewhere in the middle it gets awful "QR" to me
ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ
If I ever find out just what this word can mean
I'll be the smartest bird the world has ever seen!

Whenever I think of that song, I do not think of Big Bird. I think of Mr. Snuffleupagus, who actually fits the bill as "kind of an elephant".

I also think of four places in the book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian New Testament. In chapter 1, verse 8, and chapter 21, verse 6, we read "I [the Lord] am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." In chapter 1, verse 11, and chapter 22, verse 13, we read "I [the Lord] am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last."

As you probably know, the New Testament was written in Greek nearly 2,000 years ago. In the Greek alphabet the first letter is called Alpha and the last letter is called Omega. To my way of thinking, the Lord is not only Alpha and Omega (the first and last, the beginning and the end, the A and Z, as it were) but also all the letters in-between, everything that is needed to describe anything, the Greek version of Big Bird's absolutely beautiful marvelous word.

Here's the Greek alphabet:

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to step into your Big Bird costume (you know you want to) and devise a pronounceable word out of the Greek alphabet and report back here with the result. I'll even start you off:

Abga-dez-huh-thikl-minx-op-... and you take it from there.

The same person who wrote Revelation also wrote in another place, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God....and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

Words are important. Use them wisely.

One of these things is not like the others.

My friend Snowbrush out in Oregon (way beyond the Central Time Zone) wrote a post entitled “Who would you like to go back in time and kill?” and included his own list. You can read it here if you like.

I am shocked that Snow includes Jesus in his list. I can’t get it out of my mind.

Hitler, Stalin, George W. Bush -- and Jesus.
Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan -- and Jesus.
Columbus, Ted Bundy, serial killers, mass murderers -- and Jesus.

If I may be so bold, something does not compute, and I don’t mean Columbus.

I know Snow is an atheist and all, but still.

In case you didn’t click on the link, here’s more from his list.

Torturers, drug lords, child molesters, slave owners -- and Jesus.
Mohammed, Jim Jones, David Koresh, union busters -- and Jesus.
Rapists, murderers, druggie moms who have multiple babies that are taken away by Child Protective Services -- and Jesus.

One of these things is not like the others.

People who breed animals to fight, people who dump their pets on the side of the road, men who beat women -- and Jesus.
Rich persons who became wealthy off the backs of others (including Queen Elizabeth II), profoundly retarded persons who are kept alive at taxpayer expense, Sarah Palin -- and Jesus.
Pol Pot, Kim Jong-Il -- and Jesus.

Really?

I think one reason Snowbrush included Jesus in his list is that people who have claimed to be followers of Jesus but probably were not have done some terrible things over the centuries. Some atheists like to mention this. Frequently. (I know this blog has some readers who are atheists. Present atheists excepted.)

Maybe everyone is afflicted with a little megalomania, as it is a very human trait to think moi could do a better job than vous. As well-intended as Snow probably thinks himself to be, however, I do not think he would be a good substitute for God. The God I believe in loves and forgives. Even when we kill him.

Snow began his post with a picture of Hitler as an infant. So I will end mine with Big Bird.

In the race to see who is more insane, I think I’m winning.