Salem, founded in 1766, was envisioned to be an earthly model of the Heavenly Jerusalem - as described in Scripture.
It was to be marked with peace and harmony. The will of God was to be the governing principle.
The original plan for Salem put forward a circular city similar to Washington, D.C., which was built shortly thereafter.
Another idea was to have a twelve sided Salem reflecting the Heavenly Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation.
Alas, geography determined in the end the layout of the town. Rather than a circle - or twelve sides - it had parallel streets with a center square.
This final product lacked the utopian symbolism but the town of Salem worked diligently to live for the glory of God. For the most part it was a peaceful town in the early years. They worked, worshiped and sang together to the glory of God.
The taka-a-way is that no matter the physical attributes of our home town - it is meant to be a place of harmony and peace. We might all ponder how we fit into that truth.
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