"Segullah" – סְגֻלָּ֔ה – in the Hebrew Bible is a valued possession or belonging, a special treasure. A few years ago I included a brief word study when my adult Sunday School Class considered Exodus 19. Six of the eight times segullah occurs in the Hebrew scriptures, it refers to God's people Israel: Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 26:18; Psalm 135:4; Malachi 3:17.
Writing for five:
To read scripture and take even a cursory look at history shows how God holds the people and all creation close to his heart as a special possession, precious treasure. But what do I treasure? Conventional wisdom might suggest what a person spends their time on, expends their money to buy, could be most important to them, yet an individual doesn't need to have achieved much chronology to realize circumstances sometimes prevent a person from pursuing their interests, so I won't go the elapsed time or budget line time route.
What do I especially treasure or hold dear? What passions have moved me so much I've consistently focused my hopes and whenever possible invested hours and sometimes dollars? If you've recently met me or if you knew me way back when, you'd reply "cities and the city." The overall well being of the city. The people of the city. Urban diversity and well-functioning infrastructure. As a little kid I determined I'd spend my life beautifying especially the inner city. I haven't done a whole lot of public art, but I've done a lot of creating and designing on the micro level.
• Header image is natural glory in a nearby Los Angeles community garden.
• I'm watching Major League Baseball Playoffs, so won't write more about my urban-focused education and experience that's already scattered throughout this blog and elsewhere on the interwebs.
That photo is spectacular. It must be a lovely garden.
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