Ancient Jews knew about harmony

We had a visiting preacher in church today Alexander Shaia http://www.quadratos.com/alexander/ Amazing presence with great insightful reflection. He made two passing comments that we thought were imminently bloggable.

The Star of David is made of two triangles ( this was not the insightful part - we taught you to draw stars based on this) but anthropologists and Jewish writers agree that the original symbolism has the downward pointing triangle as representing woman and the upward pointing triangle representing men. Joining of the triangles represents the harmony that occurs in the joining of opposites. Note that neither triangle is dominant - they are totally intertwined.

The other Jewish historical piece he added was that when David (the one who as a boy killed a giant with a slingshot and as a man slept with the wife of one of his generals) wanted to create a city that would become the capital of the Jewish nation he needed to find a name that represented the nature of a capital. Jeru- shalom. Jeru means place/ city. Shalom he said means more than peace - it embodies respect and a willingness to listen and consider the point of the other until reconciliation can occur. In Middle Eastern custom that would never be quiet discussion - but passionate argument seeking resolution. Jeru shalom. Seems like there could be a need for some of that right now between Israel and Palestine.