Friday, May 8, 2009

The Star of David and the East wind.

This last week has felt like a month but a great month. I still have so much to learn and I love it. The more that I experience here, the more I want to learn. I am so glad that I get to actually live here. It is interesting because every time we all go into the old city we look and act like tourists who are so temporary, but we are not tourists. I don't like acting like a tourist or looking like one, but the only way to not look like a tourist here is to either 1. grow a long beard and get a head wrap and get a little dirty with the street mess and start selling beans and lettuce, 2. buy a kippa for my head and grow out my sideburns super long and curl them and strap a philactery to my head and wear a black robe suit. Or I can dress up like a franciscan monk. Other than that, pretty much everyone looks like a tourist (in the old city where we spend most of our time). I hope I can get past the point of feeling like a tourist and just be present here. We do leave quite a bit, but it will be good leaving.


I do not have much time to write now, but I wanted to enter something on here and not fall out. I have been learning the most interesting things. Tonight we are going to the Western Wall to bring in the Sabbath (Shabbat) and we will have our Sabbath tomorrow (Saturday). I am excited to see Manache (the Chilean Jewish Israeli Mormon who I translated for last week at church who only speaks Hebrew and Spanish).


I only wanted one thing while I came here to bring home and I found it this week. It was a ring that had the Star of David engraved in it. I found it in a shop on Jewish Quarter Rd in the old city between the Jewish and Armenian Quarters of the city. I wasn't looking for it deliberately, but I saw it and got it for a pretty good price after talking the guy down a little. I love it for many reasons. The star of David is so meaningful to me and will be more meaningful I think the more I learn here. Here is why:

  1. It is on the flag of Israel and it will make me think of this place and the great memories made here.


  2. It is a symbol of Revelation (found on some temples) and when the Urim and Thummim came together it formed a star (the Star of David). So it represents how the light came unto Joseph Smith and how the revelations are now available to us.


  3. It is a representation of David who was a Prophet-King. Helps me remember that I was born to be a King and to be careful to be strong so that I do not fall like David.


  4. My patriarchal blessing mentions the Lord expecting me to be like David except for his fall.

So it is like my own personal CTR ring. I love it and just try not to flash it around much when I am in the Muslim quarter of the city.

The east winds have been blowing and it is neat to experience except for when it blows you so hard you have to hold on to the street signs! (see picture).

2 comments:

  1. I love your reflections on the Star of David. What a wonderful token of your time there! Smart about keeping it under wraps, though!

    Cool picture!

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  2. I'm finally getting to read your story in Jerusalem bit by bit. This is my favorite so far. I LOVE memorable keepsakes like your Star of David ring. To everyone, it is just a very detailed ring, but to you, it contains your entire potential to become a king through revelation! VERY cool!

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