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Storm Synonyms?
George
L. Faull
A funny thing happened at the end of Sunday
School. Either I or someone else had
mentioned the great storm in Florida and called it a cyclone. It was suggested that it was a hurricane and
not a cyclone. We all got into an intense
discussion of the difference between a cyclone, hurricane, tornado or
typhoon. It was suggested that some are
over land and some are over the sea, some in the Atlantic, some in the Pacific. Some went clockwise and some
counter-clockwise. It was fun. It ends up we were all right. At least we are according to the two volumes
of World Book Dictionaries that are in my office.
It says of a “cyclone”
that typhoon and hurricane are synonyms and the second definition is any
violent windstorm such as a tornado.
It says of a “hurricane”
that it is a wind with velocity of 74 or more mph. The second definition is a tropical cyclone originating in the
West Indies.
It says of a “tornado”
after telling how it comes from a dark cloud and whirling funnels in a narrow
path, that it is any extremely violent windstorm. The second definition says it is a squall from the West Coast of
Africa and violent thunderstorms of the tropics of Atlantic areas with
torrential rains.
It says of a “typhoon”
that it is a cyclone or hurricane in Western Pacific. The second definition is a violent storm or tempest occurring in
Asia. The third definition is any
violent storm.
So the conclusion is that it is a violent storm and
you do not want to be out in it no matter what you call it. The terms are used pretty much
synonymously. Looking at other
dictionaries only makes it more difficult and contradictory and less clear.
Why do I bring this up? It is a perfect example of “striving about words to no
profit.” It doesn’t matter if you call
it a “cyclone” “hurricane” “typhoon” or “tornado” it can be deadly.
Now what if one of us who were in this discussion
had their emotions tied to this discussion?
What if it really mattered to one of us so much that he would get mad
and quit and start a new Church? Maybe
the “it’s not a cyclone, it’s a hurricane” Church. Wouldn’t that be silly?
What if I got my feelings hurt because someone
corrected my use of the term?
Ludicrous, right?
People do this all the time on religious issues. They get their pride involved, their feelings
hurt and they feel rejected because someone disagreed with them. They
strive about words to no profit. They
do not build one another up, but tear one another down – separate themselves
and split the Church.
Remember this from me, if you do not remember
anything else. You are not your
idea. If I reject your idea or your
politics or your definition of a word or your music, I am not rejecting
you. I am rejecting your idea or
politics or music, not you. Nor are you
rejecting me if you reject my idea.
Realizing this truth is liberating knowledge. It allows me to be me, and you to be
you. This is freedom at its best. No need to have feelings of inferiority or
worthlessness or hostility.
I took my son, Kendall, to a recording studio years
ago to check out prices for recording a rock song. The man said to me, “Mr. Faull, I’m surprised you like rock
music.” I said, “I hate it. I hate rock music but I love my son.” After all he was not my enemy because he
liked music that I don’t like.
The cyclone discussion was fun; it never hurt
anyone. To be honest, if a fellow’s
pride was involved, he could no doubt find a dictionary definition to prove his
stance. But he’d have to look somewhere
else than the World Book Dictionary.
The lesson to learn is, “don’t strive about words to
no profit and the one who disagrees with your idea is not rejecting you. His idea is no more him, than your idea is
you.”