This Week’s Two New Articles

Answer to the travel picture on Home Page: Shimizu, Japan (with a view of Mount Fuji)

During my recent trip to Japan, I visited two castles, both of which were the tallest structures in the surrounding plains. One of them was Osaka Castle, of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (16th century), surrounded by a moat, walls, and various fortifications. The main building, standing on a high platform, has six floors. Due to the large number of visitors, I didn’t wait in line to climb to the top.

When traveling, I always aim to visit the tallest structure on the first day to get a bird’s-eye view of the city. It gives me a sense of the city’s layout. As I remember, I’ve visited landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Empire State Building in New York, and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. There were also mountain tops, observation decks of cable car terminals at the summits, and castles. Castles in the past were built on high ground, not only for defense, but also to allow rulers to see their domain in a tangible way.

“Climbing high to see far” is a law of physics. Looking down from a height often reveals that the construction of a city follows a certain pattern. In some cities, streets intersect at 90-degree angles, forming a neat grid. Other cities have a central point from which roads radiate outward like a spider’s web. Certain cities clearly distinguish between commercial, industrial, and residential areas, while others have numerous parks with densely planted trees. In older places, there’s usually a river running through the city center. If a city is near a river running into the sea, you can appreciate the fertile land and the bustling commercial activity in the delta area

The discipline of city/urban planning has been gradually developed in universities since the early 20th century. By this century, city planning is no longer limited to studying land management and public policies but is actively applied to the creation of cities. A few countries, including Egypt and Indonesia, faced overpopulated capitals. Unable to solve housing and transportation problems no matter what they tried, the government made a bold move and built a new city from scratch. After completing the infrastructure and buildings, they relocated their capitals. Seeing how places like Las Vegas and Dubai have developed into bustling cities in the desert over just a few decades, “city-building” is feasible.

The question is whether the pace of population migration can keep up with the speed of city construction. Roads and buildings are not difficult to complete, given sufficient funding and the right climate. But population migration and community-building involve many factors, as the quality of living is more than just physical space. That’s why some “ghost cities” have emerged around the world, where they were designed to house hundreds of thousands of people, but in reality, less than one-tenth of the projected population moved in. This is something city planners cannot foresee.

Looking down from a height allows us to appreciate the surrounding scenery and assess the city’s development. However, this is a macro view. As tourists, we must remember that it only shows one side, and we cannot judge the city’s developments from it alone. To truly know a city, we must also consider the micro view. For example, we need to live there and interact with the local people. Only after that, we’re qualified to judge whether a city is good or bad.

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Years ago, I started the practice of reading the whole Bible once a year. This year was no exception. A few days ago, my daily reading was Isaiah 43 and 44. As I read the first few verses of Isaiah 43, an incident sprang to mind.

In 2009, I was pondering about whether to quit my job in a major pharma to start a biotech venture with some colleagues. For 20+ years, I worked for the same company. The pay was good, and I enjoyed what I did.

As I sat at my desk, watching the familiar rhythm of the office unfold around me, fear and doubt began to creep in. The very thought of leaving behind a stable job, with its predictable paychecks and well-worn routines, was daunting. I’d be stepping into the unknown, a vast and uncharted territory where the stakes were high and the guarantees were few. The new endeavor provided the possibility of making a meaningful impact, but it also meant entering a competitive landscape riddled with challenges and uncertainties.

What if the venture failed? What if the risks outweighed the rewards, leaving me with regret? My mind raced with images of setbacks and obstacles as I wrestled with the potential consequences of such a bold move.

For weeks, I prayed about my decision every day. Then, on an October morning during my daily reading of the Bible, Isaiah 43:2 came alive for me. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Lord, are You speaking to me? Please give me a confirmation.

That night, I called a dear sister in Christ. Before I said anything, she told me, “I was praying for you, and a Bible passage came to me. I want to share it with you.”

She read from Verses 1-6 in Isaiah 43. 

Was it a coincidence?

Goosebumps crawled all over my body.

Still, doubts haunted me. I jotted down a list of questions for the Lord to answer. Amazingly, He answered them one by one.

Later that year, I submitted my request for early retirement and embarked on a new journey.

Ten years passed. The new company has developed smoothly. After a new drug achieved excellent results in the initial human trials, our board of directors sold the program to another company at a good price.