The Original Zionist

(Psa 87:2 KJV)  The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

There are ideas expressed in the Bible that make no sense to me.  This is one of them.  Why would God be specifically attached to one point of geography?  What is the big deal about Zion (6726)?  Zion can be used as a figurative label for the nation of Israel.  It can refer to the mountain top.  Here it refers to a city, which encompasses the other two ideas.  

The word itself comes from a root meaning “dry or parched”.  That is not much of a recommendation of an explanation.  

Is there some mystical force that is centered there other than the presence of God?  Is there a mystical force there because God chose it as the place to build His temple?  I remember years ago on a trip to Europe I woke up on the train as we were approaching Rome.  I saw aqueducts arrayed outside the windows.  I am not known for my sensitivity but I felt an almost physical force as we approached.  I wonder if I would feel the same about Jerusalem.

So?  Mysteries abound.  Enjoy them.  Research and think about them.  Don’t let them distract you from the hope that is already in you.