Congregation Sons Of Israel

 Saint Augustine, FL

April 7th, 2022

First Congregation Sons of Israel is the oldest Synagogue in St. Augustine. In the late 1800s, the congregation’s first families came from Russia and Eastern Europe to settle in St. Augustine. In 1908, the community was chartered with the State of Florida. Religious services were held in members’ homes until a Synagogue was constructed. Under the leadership of Rabbi Jacob Tarlinsky and his wife, Dora, the Synagogue was dedicated in 1923, with the completion and first service on March 30, 1924. It can be found in the beautiful historic district at 161 Cordova Street. They are a conservative, egalitarian congregation. Sabbath services are conducted weekly.

The Congregation Sons of Israel

Artifact #1

In 1958, the beautiful historic stained-glass windows were obtained and installed in the sanctuary by Rabbi Jacob and Mrs. Dora Tarlinsky’s three daughters (Sarah Bernstein, Florence Feiden, and Lena Lichter). In the summer of 2013, the windows underwent a much-needed restoration. Ken Hardeman, the great-grandson of the original window artist, did this. The leftover pieces of the original windows were used to create this mosaic piece that rests above the entrance to the synagogue.

Artifact #2

Torah, the same as Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses, is found in the ark cabinet located at the head of the synagogues chapel. The Torah teaches the Jewish about God and gives rules on how they should live their lives. For reading in the synagogue, the Torah is written on a scroll. The scrolls are written in Hebrew, from right to left, and are traditionally read four times a week. The importance of the Torah is shown in how the scrolls are treated.

Exterior #1

Exterior #2

In Conversation #1

This is a Hebrew prayer book, also known as a siddur. This book contains the entirety of the time-based order of daily prayers and the Jewish liturgy used on the sabbath and weekdays for domestic and synagogue rituals. I thought about this when we were granted the ability to see this institution's Torah, written script. 

Medieval Hebrew Prayer Book

In Conversation #2

The Jewish ghetto in Prague grew up in Josefov around the Old-New Synagogue (Staronová Synagoga), which was used as early as 1270. It has the distinction of being the oldest functioning synagogue in Europe, as of today is once more the heart of Jewish worship in the city. The Gothic oddity, the whitewashed temple is topped with brick gables, and its interior is simple with little changed since the 13th century. A wrought-iron grill encases the pulpit, and the Torah scrolls are contained in an Ark on the wall. Apart from a couple of chandeliers, the only embellishment is a tattered red flag bearing the Star of David hanging from the ceiling, given as a gesture of respect to the Jewish community by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1357; the red banner close by was a gift from Ferdinand III in thanks for Jewish help in repulsing a Swedish invasion in 1648. The building has survived fires, pogroms, and sieges down the centuries, giving rise to the legend that angels protect it.

Old New synagogue Image Link

Creative Component 

Literary Component 

This literary component comes from the first stanza in One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII by Pablo Neruda. "I don't love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz, or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as one loves certain obscure things, secretly, between the shadow and the soul." I chose this stanza because God is not just a ruler but a loving father of men in the Jewish faith. They say God's love is as strong as death; although one may die, God and Israel and the love between them live on. Their relationship is not just a loving one but a covenant. Just as Neruda has a special relationship with his partner, so do the Jewish and God. 

Castillo De San Marcos

Saint Augustine, FL

March 31st, 2022

Castillo San Marcos in St. Augustine is Florida's dominant Spanish Colonial landmark and is the oldest masonry fort in the United States. Construction of the fortress began in 1672 and took a quarter-century, completed in 1696. The Castillo was never taken by force, with walls 16 feet thick at the base and protected by a moat. In 1763, as a provision of the Treaty of Paris (1763), Britain gained all of Florida in exchange for returning Havana and Manila to Spain, captured during the Seven Years' War, and the fort was renamed Fort St. Mark until 1784. At the end of the American Revolution, the Second Treaty of Paris returned Florida to Spain. Spain signed the Adams-Onis Treaty in 1819, ceding Florida to the United States, and the fort was renamed, Fort Marion. In 1924, the regiment was designated a National Monument, and in 1933 it was transferred to the National Park Service from the War Department. In 1942, in honor of its Spanish heritage and construction, the fort was again given its original name of Castillo de San Marcos.

Castillo De San Marcos National Park Services

Artifact #1

These images show Castillo De San Marcos' main watchtower. The Spanish constructed the coquina stone watchtower to guard the Matanzas Inlet as the first alert to the much larger Castillo de San Marcos fort 15 miles north.

 

Artifact #2

The Spanish kept this moat dry and, during sieges, used it as a pen for domestic animals. Whenever the fort was under land attack, the canal could be filled with seawater by opening floodgates on the seawall. Around the outside of the defense is an artificial slope called a glacis. This embankment shielded and protected the lower fort walls from enemy cannon fire. The area between the glacis and the moat is called the covered (covert) way. This allowed soldiers to leave the fort and still be covered or protected by this wall.

Exterior #1

Exterior #2 

In Conversation #1

The Theodosian Walls are among the most impressive monuments of Late Antiquity. These land walls protected Constantinople for centuries while other cities like Rome,  Antioch, and Alexandria were sacked. These Theodosian Walls consisted of an inner wall, an outer wall with an inner terrace, and a wide moat, with a second outer wall in front of it. Attackers first had to cross the canal and its wall while being fired upon from both the outer and inner walls – the towers of the internal walls were equipped with ballistae and catapults. Even if some attackers could scale the outer wall, they would then be trapped on the inner terrace, facing a taller wall reinforced by massive towers. As Constantinople lies on a triangular peninsula surrounded by the sea on two sides, its land walls were frequently the primary defenses required. Then, the triple line of protection of the Theodosian Walls helped make Constantinople virtually invulnerable for centuries. The impenetrable idea of these walls reminded me of the coquina used to make Castillo De San Marcos.

Theodosian Walls Image

In Conversation #2

The Citadel of Aleppo is a masterpiece of medieval Islamic fortress architecture. Its oval shape and extensive defenses enclose an area of approximately seven hectares. The natural hill the Citadel was built upon has long been used as a stronghold. During the Hamdanid reign of Aleppo under Sayf al-Dawla in the 10th century, early constructions of a citadel took place. The Citadel's strategic importance was reactivated by the time the Crusades began. In the 12th century, Nur al-Din ruled Aleppo. He rebuilt its fragmented interior and fortified the remnants of the earlier fortress. However, the majority of the Citadel's surviving features date to the period of Saladin's son, al-Malik al-Zahir Ghazi, who ruled between 1186–and 1216 AD. Linking the Citadel to the city by a stately ramp, it also includes two massively constructed towers that conceal a U-shaped corridor that would force an attacking army to change direction six times while exposing them to projectiles and burning liquid from gaps in the vaults above. Most of the Citadel's construction, both military and the stately and religious buildings within, date to the Ayyubid al-Malik al-Zahir Ghazi. Aleppo was more exposed to Frankish attacks from nearby Edessa and the western coastlands than Damascus. 

Citadel of Aleppo

Creative Component 

I thought there was nothing I could do but sit here and wait for time to go by. I was tired and didn’t want to do anything. Therefore, I hid away to be left alone with my thoughts. Being here sucks, I thought. I don’t want to be in this place. I don’t like it here. My complaints got me thinking about the word place. What is place? How can an individual define it? The place is defined in the dictionary as “a portion of space available or designated for or being used by someone.” But I think there’s more to it. The place isn’t just an object or area; it’s a feeling. I think it’s a place you feel connected to, almost like your home but different. You feel attached despite obstacles, despite space. It feels like home more than home for some. It’s your safe space. A place can also be one you’ve never been to before. It’s something you feel a strong connection to, like an ancestral homeland—my space.

Literary Component 

On page 40, in the Parable of the Sower, there is a scene where an outsider shoots through Laurens communities gate. She says, "It's like an island surrounded by sharks. Except our land sharks are on their way in. It's just a matter of how long it takes them to get hungry enough." I chose this quote because it reminds me of The Siege of St. Augustine in 1702. When Lauren talks about the island surrounded by sharks, I think about when the Spanish town had to move into the Castillo to be safe from the impending English attack. The Castillo, throughout history, has been a very sought place, so I think of it as the Spanish are trying to keep their very own island away from all the hungry sharks at this point. 

Lincolnville

Saint Augustine, FL

March 25th, 2022

The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center (LMCC) is an African American history museum located in the Lincolnville neighborhood of Saint Augustine. The museum is housed in the historic Excelsior School Building, which served as the first public black high school in Saint John’s County in 1925. After desegregation, the school was closed, and the building housed government offices until the mid-1980s. After the offices were phased out of use, a group of former Excelsior students and community members rallied to save the building from demolition. 

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center Link

Artifact #1

These are Ceremonial knives with sheaths dating back to the Kuba People of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Kuba court and nobles had crafted for themselves prestigious objects of which reinforced their concepts of status and power. 

Artifact #2

This artifact has a lot of emotion attached to it. It is called an Obelisk, created by Joe Segal. The purpose of this design was to represent the chief and tribe. The nails and shards embedded symbolize the trials and hardships that tribes had to endure. This idea considers an image produced next to the obelisk, a power figure. The power figure represents a chief, and his posture is straight and proud; the obelisk also has a proud stance, but the challenges that it has to endure are often unseen or forgotten. A constitution represents the ideals of a group of people, and the document has to stand up to attacks on these principles. If Freedom, Democracy, Human Rights, and Compassion were not under attack, the constitution would be dismal. 

Exterior #1

Exterior #2

 

In conversation #1

This is a book called "Endangered"; the book's premise is that it's a story of a girl who must save a group of bonobos and herself from a violent coup in the Congo. The Congo is a dangerous place, so when Sophie has to visit her mother at her sanctuary for bonobos, she is not thrilled to be there. Then Otto, a baby bonobo, comes into her life, and for the first time, she feels responsible for another creature. But peace does not last long for Sophie and Otto. When an armed revolution breaks out in the country, the sanctuary is attacked, and the two of them must escape unprepared into the jungle. Caught in the crosshairs of a lethal conflict, they must struggle to keep safe, eat, and live. In "Endangered," Eliot Schrefer plunges us into a heart-stopping exploration of what we do to survive, the sacrifices we make to help others, and the tangled geography that ties us all, human and animal, together.​ I chose this book as a conversation piece due to the ceremonial Knives and sheaths found in the Lincolnville Museum and cultural center; they are from and made in the Congo. 

Endangered Book

In conversation #2

Although all the European colonies went through dark times in history, there's one that is rarely discussed. The Congo Free State only existed beginning from 1885 to 1908. In those 23 years, it was owned by the King Leopold II of the Belgians. 13 million people lived in this supposedly independent country whose king reigned cruelly. Having ruled the state, Leopold II believed that human lives were his property, which is why they suffered horrendous abuse. Leopold secretly hired people to support his colonial ambitions in disguise for charity. Thus began a period of inhumane and, in some ways, impossible labor work. In 1980, African American Baptist minister George Washington Williams traveled to the Congo Free State. He was stunned to witness the brutality and wrote a letter to the king, saying he didn't appreciate the inhumane treatment of the locals. Following the letter, public outrage soon followed. The European press brought awareness of Congo's reality to the rest of the world in 1904. While the Congo Free State existed, it saw the deaths of not less than 10 million people, half its population. Nothing at this point could cover up the crimes that were occurring openly in the name of the king. Hence, the Belgian government forced Leopard II to end his rule over the Congo Free State and give it to them. Ultimately, Congo became a Belgian colony on November 15th, 1908. I chose this image because I found it while researching to find the endangered book; it reminded me a lot of this book.

Image Article

Creative component 

Literary component 

On page 130 in the novel Parable of the Sower, a text box narrates the decimated environment.  "The neighborhood was wide open and crawling with scavengers." I chose this quote because it reminds me of King Leopold II and his conquest of the congo and its people. The king owned this land and its people, reigning cruelly- taking many citizens' homes and lives. I connected these two because the congo was "wide open," and the king took it, having his people dish out horrendous abuse under the disguise of charity "crawling with scavengers," who shared his colonial ambitions.

The Lightner Museum

Saint Augustine, FL

March 10th, 2022

The Lightner Museum is an iconic building in the heart of Saint Augustine. It is an extraordinary museum collection offering beautiful, curious, and intriguing artifacts.  This museum occupies the former Hotel Alcazar, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by Henry Flagler, and provides an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design.

The Lightner Museum Informational Link

Artifact #1

This is a statute of Cleopatra made by Raffaelo Romanelli in the late 19th century. Its imposing presence and effortless elegance define the sculpture. While the Cleopatra statue is not original to St. Augustine, its standard connection was Raffaelo himself, creating the lion sculptures that grace the Bridge of Lions. 

Artifact #2

This image depicts an Indian Maid with the United States Flag. It is speculated that this piece is from 1930 in the Chicago area. Due to many large mansions being demolished and the architectural features were sold. This door is assumed to have come from one of those victorian homes. 

Exterior #1

Exterior #2

In Conversation #1

The Pyramid of Khafre is also known as the Pyramid of Chephren because this name is called Khafre. It is known as the second tallest Pyramid in ancient Egypt and is located next to the famous Pyramid of his father, Khufu. The Pyramid may appear higher than the Pyramid of Khufu because of the higher bedrock it's built on. It is also the second-largest Pyramid located in the Giza necropolis and is made the same way as those of the other Pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty. It was brought into the limelight of the modern world in the early 19th century by the famous Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni. Still, unfortunately, the Pyramid was found to be empty of the mummy of Khafre, and many of the stone casings have seemed to have been stolen at a much earlier point in time, presumably during the reign of the Pharaohs of later dynasties. Due to the statue used to commemorate Cleopatra, I thought about how Egyptians mummified imperative people. That thought led me to think about Khufu; I wanted to learn something new, so I learned about one of his other sons, Khafre. 

Valley Temple of Khafre image link

In Conversation #2

Egyptian hieroglyphs were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements with 1,000 distinct characters. Cursive hieroglyphs were used for religious literature on papyrus and wood. Hieroglyphs consisted of three kinds of glyphs: phonetic glyphs, single-consonant characters that function like an alphabet; logographs, representing morphemes; and determinatives, which narrow down the meaning of logographic or phonetic words. The museum had a small section dedicated to a mummified figure. Upon the walls surrounding the individual, there were many of what I interpreted as some form of hieroglyphs. Therefore, being immersed in this world of Ancient Egypt, I felt it was a gratifying and vital topic to write about. 

Hieroglyphs image link

Creative Component

Literary Component 

My literary component comes from Pablo Neruda's One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII. The quote goes, "I don't love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz, or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as one loves certain obscure things, secretly between the shadow and the soul." I chose this because it reminds me of how people find joy and meaning in art, whether dark or realistic. For example, in the Lightner, a mummy is showcased. But most draw solace or some form of pleasure in dark art or themes, which reminded me of Neruda finding his love in the shadow and darkness. 

 

Tolomato Cemetery

Saint Augustine, Florida

February 24th, 2022

The Tolomato Cemetery is the oldest European-founded city in the United States and has been used as a cemetery from the 18th century until 1884. During the first Spanish period, before 1763, this site was occupied by the Christian Indian village of Tolomato. This village was then abandoned when Great Britain acquired Florida. In 1777 Father Pedro Camps, pastor of the Minorcan colonist, who had come to St. Augustine after the failure of Andrew Turnbull's settlement at New Smyrna, obtained permission from Governor Patrick Tonyn to establish this cemetery for his parishioners. 

Tolomato Cemetery Informational Link

Artifact #1

This memorial is in sacred memory of Mary Carmen Benet, erected by the husband and father the last of a once happy family.

Artifact #2

Here lies a vital plaque to commemorate citizens in past Saint Augustine. It strikingly is hidden behind a memorial of a well-known reverend. It states, "Unknown St. Augustine citizens reinterred from the site of the 16th-century parish church of Nuestra Señora De Los Remedios." 

Exterior #1

Exterior #2

In conversation #1

This is the Tolomato River. It is located on Florida's East coast just north of St. Augustine, where it meets the St. Augustine Inlet and the Matanzas River. I chose this because the Tolomato Cemetery is linked to the Tolomato Indians and this river. The initial Indian group was composed of Guale Indians coming from Georgia. The term Tolomato derives from the Tolomato River where they lived. 

Tolomato River

In conversation #2

On behalf of white settlers who wanted to grow cotton on the Indians' land, the federal government forced them to vacate their homelands and walk hundreds of miles to a specific land area designated "Indian Territory." The Indians owned valuable land, and the white settlers yearned to make fortunes by growing cotton. They resorted to violence to take the lands desired from their indigenous neighbors. I chose to use this heartbreaking story because it reminds me of all the unmarked and walked-over graves of the indigenous in Saint Augustine. I had the same feeling and reaction when I learned about the trail of tears and the unmarked and walked over graves; deeply saddened and was slightly offended. 

Trail of Tears 

Creative component 

This is a digital art piece that my friend Felix and I created together. We traded this drawing back and forth, depicting a native with a snake and wolf stemming from a deep conversation about our culture and ethnicity. 

Literary component 

My literary component comes from the collection of poems, Lukao, written by Craig Santos Perez. "In Chamorro birthing practices, a pattera (Midwife) and a surahana (healer) guided the pregnant mother. They offered amot (medicine) and lasa (massage). Family provided food, such as fresh chicken soup and eggs. Most families paid in meat and produce from their farms. After delivery, the was cleaned and massaged with coconut oil. The apuya' (umbilical cord) and pares (placenta) were buried beneath or near the house because Chamorros believe that doing so would keep children close to home throughout their lives. "(pg.21). The excerpt I choose to discuss is one of the sections Craig Santos Perez decided to strike through. The idea of strike through is the indication of deletion of error or obsolete information. This is seen in the collection of poems, Guam's history re-written through colonized lenses, becoming obsolete. This is imperative to my past conversation piece about the trail of tears. The action of colonization has taken away so many lives, cultures, and experiences. 

The Gonzalez-Alvarez House (The Oldest House Complex)

Saint Augustine, Florida

February 17th, 2022

The Gonzalez-Alvarez House, also known as a part of the Oldest House Complex, is Florida's oldest surviving Spanish Colonial dwelling. This house has been a national landmark and a museum since 1893. This complex is owned by the St. Augustine Historical Society, including Florida's Oldest House, two museums, a changing exhibition gallery, an ornamental garden, and a museum store. 

The Oldest House Complex Informational Link

Artifact #1

This artifact was Richard Twine's Camera, an 1886 Rochester Optical Co. Glass Plate Camera. Richard Twine was a professional photographer who captured scenes of Lincolnville, St. Augustine's Historic Black neighborhood in the 1920s. His career may have been short-lived, but he managed to immortalize the residents' diversity, pride, and grandeur, commemorating and celebrating their black heritage and lives. 

Artifact #2

These life-size statues are found in the Gardens of the Oldest House. The Gardens of the Oldest House has seen many seasons, so each statute represents "spring," "summer," "fall," and "winter." These statues were features in the formal planting of the 1890s after Dr. and Mrs. Charles P. Carver; then, the house owners brought them here from the 1893 Columbian exposition in Chicago. 

Exterior #1

This image was taken of one of the side gardens found inside the Oldest House Complex. A typical Spanish colonial residence was a one-story rectangular-shaped building. These homes had either loggia (an open-side room) or a porch. The main entrance was through either the loggia or patio, which opened into a walled garden in the rear. During the British occupation of saint Augustine, British settlers expanded porches and moved entrances from the walled gardens to the fronts of the houses facing the streets. 

 

Exterior #2

This house exhibits both Spanish and British colonial architectural details and styles. A visit to this house reveals a record of life in saint Augustine for over 400 years, throughout the British, Spanish, and American occupations of Saint Augustine. 

In conversation #1

This is Jericho es-Sultan or Tel Jericho, a UNESCO-nominated archeological site. This site lies in an oasis in the Jordan Valley north of the Dead Sea in Israel. Due to its old age, I connected the Gonzalez-Alvarez House to this image and this city. Hence, Tel Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world. 

Ancient Jericho (Tell Sultan)

In conversation #2

This is the Etruscan Gold Book. I chose this book because it is the world's oldest book, using 82 carat gold in six sheets of pages with text and illustrations of a horse-rider, a male horse with deer horns with a griffin.

The Etruscan Golden Book

Creative component 

Literature component 

The literature I chose to correspond with this site is poetry from Habitat Threshold. "We do not know which to fear more, the terror of change or uncertainty..." This line reminds me of how important conservation and preservation are to the city of Saint Augustine—keeping the oldest and wealthiest parts of the city's history alive and well. The constant thoughts of what-ifs and how's badgering their minds with uncertainty.  

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

St. Augustine, FL

February 10, 2022

Dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America, St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine was institutionalized as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. This shrine comprises exhibits showing the early life of Greeks in America. The museum is open to all the public and those of faith and can be found on St. George Street. 

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine Informational Link

 

Artifact #1

All three vestments were gifted to the St. Photios shrine by Archbishop Iakovos, the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, and Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos, and the estate of Bishop John of Amorion. These vestments are all referred to as Pontifical vestments or Episcopal vestments, which are the liturgical vestments worn by Bishops in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches. The fully vested Greek Orthodox Bishop is an imposing figure. The symbolism attached to each article of clothing is from the Old Testament; when worn, the Bishop is considered an icon or image of Jesus Christ. The style was developed in 321 A.D.-1453 A.D. during the Byzantine Empire's rule. The order in which the vestments should be worn is Tunic (sticharion), Stole (epitrachelion), Maniples (epimanikia), Genual (epigonation), Imperial Robe (sakkos), Small Omoforion, Cross, Engolpion, Mitre (Crown), Staff, and then Candlesticks. 

                                                                         

Artifact #2

The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed is a Christian statement of faith. The letters of this Creed were created by Flagler College students, conveying its powerful and inspiring message. This creed and prayer is dedicated to the Greek Orthodox religion, with the idea that there is one God who exist in three persons. 

Exterior #1

The entrance into the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is found on St. George Street. Despite how busy and chaotic St. George can become, this shrine is a tranquil and independent area secluded from all the multitudes of people traveling through.

 

Exterior #2

Built-in 1749 and restored in 1979, the Case Avero House serves as a museum today. The museum tells of the Greek settler's sacrifices and stories through the well-preserved artifacts, treasures, and written word. The Casa Avero house is a sacred house of worship, and services are still performed today. 

 In conversation image #1

This is the Naxian Sphinx of Delphi. It was initially dedicated to the oracle of Delphi by the state of Naxos in 560 BCE and can be found in the Delphi Archaeological Museum in Greece. This statue depicts a mythical creature with a woman's head, the chest and wings composed of the impressive feathers of a prey bird turned upward, and the body of a lioness. I chose this as my in-conversation piece because we saw a shrine to the Greek Orthodox religion when we went to this site—hearing the terms Greek and faith made me think of Greek history with idols or gods. This specific statue served as a guardian within the sanctuary of the Naxos islanders, as a reminder of Naxian power and influence. 

The Naxian Sphinx

                                                               

In conversation image #2

This is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, found in Athens today.  It was built several centuries ago, starting in 174 BCE and finished by Roman emperor Hadrian in 131 CE. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is one of the largest temples built in the ancient world. As per the last conversation image, I immediately thought of Greek gods upon hearing the terms Greek and religion. This is where I wanted to find something that related to but wasn't the everyday use of gods; hence I chose the Temple of Olympian Zeus. As the site we visited was built to commemorate and honor its history and people, this temple was created to honor the chief of the gods. 

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Creative Component 

Literature Component 

My choice of literature for this site is One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII by Pablo Neruda. "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you directly without problems or pride: I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love..." I chose this section of the poem because the Orthodox believe in the fullness of divine love. This divine love is found through those who believe in God, demonstrated through the Lord's sacrifice and resurrection, unconditional.