The word "Zion" showed up a couple of times in recent Sunday readings. It's appearance led to a young man asking me what it means or to what it refers.
"Zion" appears some 154 times in scripture. It refers to Jerusalem, and, by extension, to the land of Israel. "Zion" more specifically refers to a high hill (Mt. Zion) which became the location of Solomon's temple. In that usage it comes to also refer to the place where God dwells.
The young man later asked if "Zion" is also figurative. Yes, it is. it has been a metaphor for a Promised Land, an ideal place or a distant or much longed for goal.
More recently we've heard the word used in the context of "Zionism",a largely secular movement to establish a state of Israel. It can also have a negative or pejorative meaning.
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