Looking Back Mississippi by Cooper Forrest Lamar;

Author:Cooper, Forrest Lamar;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Published: 2013-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

the star

of creation

Churches, by their very nature, are about being the center of the community. Most are identified by a sign attached to the building or placed upon the lawn. However, even without a denominational sign, Mississippi’s churches that were built prior to World War I, were, in most cases, easily identified by architectural enhancements in the form of symbols. To quote Andrew Young, owner and operator of Pearl River Glass Studio, Inc., in Jackson: “The Bible is a treasure trove of symbolism.” It is this truth that for generations has prompted architects and religious leaders to utilize emblematic Christian symbols to encourage fellow believers in the faith.

Although there are quite a number of churches throughout the state that can be cited for their architectural symbolism, few employ as many different traditional Christian symbols as the First Baptist Church of Lexington once did. This simple house of worship, designed by an unknown architect in 1890, enhanced a mood of reverence for all who saw it for two generations. The east-facing façade was a veritable “sermon in wood and glass.” The most striking feature (as depicted on a postcard made by the M. L. Zercher Postcard Company of Topeka, Kansas, in 1914) is the large, six-pointed star placed over the circular stained glass window. This design, when used on Christian churches, is a Trinitarian: the Christian symbol for a person who believes in the doctrine of the Trinity. This ancient symbol, which many believe predates the beginning of recorded history, is known as “the Star of Creation.” The points recall the six days of creation, and it is based upon scripture found in Genesis 1:6: “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’” In Judaism, this symbol dates from the third century A.D. and is called “the Star of David,” “the Shield of David,” or “the Seal of Solomon.” According to Jewish tradition, King David’s shield was this shape. About thirty years ago, a senior Jewish rabbi from New York City visited Jackson’s Temple Beth Israel, and shared his knowledge of traditional Hebrew writings about David’s shield. He said the warrior David and his soldiers used the uniquely designed shields. They were made of metal and were highly polished, almost to a mirror finish. In battle, the glistening shields were used to reflect the sun into their enemies’ eyes. In addition, the ability to see one’s opponent by looking between the six points as opposed to seeing over or around the edge of a round, oval, or rectangular shield gave David and his soldiers a decided advantage.

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