agrarian – Black and White

day of rest

broad steepled churcg — Shiloh Baptist Church, Palmyra, Virginia

Based on the prevalence of biblical names and the size of the U.S. church population (approximately 500,000 churches), a conservative estimate suggests there could be several hundred to a few thousand churches with “Shiloh” in their names.

The term “Shiloh” has multiple layers of meaning in scripture, which contribute to its appeal:
•Geographical Place: Shiloh was an ancient city in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Jerusalem, where the Israelites set up the Tabernacle after entering the Promised Land (Joshua 18:1). It was the central place of worship during the period of the Judges, where figures like Hannah prayed and Samuel received his prophetic calling (1 Samuel 1:3, 3:1-10). Its role as a sacred space makes it a symbol of God’s presence among His people.
•Prophetic Figure: In Genesis 49:10, “Shiloh” is widely interpreted by Christians as a Messianic title. The verse suggests that a ruler from Judah will hold authority until “Shiloh comes,” to whom the nations will gather. Early Jewish and Christian scholars, including the Targum Onkelos and Church Fathers, saw this as a prophecy of the Messiah. The term may derive from Hebrew roots meaning “peace-giver,” “he to whom it belongs,” or “messenger,” all of which Christians apply to Jesus.
•Symbol of Peace and God’s Presence: Shiloh’s association with rest and tranquility reflects God’s promise of peace. In the New Testament, this is fulfilled in Jesus, who offers spiritual rest (Matthew 11:28-30) and is the ultimate dwelling place of God’s presence (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9). The fall of Shiloh due to Israel’s disobedience (1 Samuel 4; Jeremiah 7:12-14) also serves as a warning against spiritual complacency, a theme Baptists often emphasize in preaching repentance and faithfulness.

Relation to Jesus
The connection between Shiloh and Jesus is primarily rooted in the Messianic interpretation of Genesis 49:10, which is significant for Baptist theology:
•Fulfillment of Prophecy: Christians, including Baptists, believe Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Shiloh as the descendant of Judah who holds eternal kingship. He is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5) and the ruler to whom the nations are gathered (Philippians 2:9-11). The scepter (symbolizing authority) remains with Judah until the Messiah, Jesus, establishes His eternal kingdom.
•Bringer of Peace: Shiloh’s meaning as “peace-giver” aligns with Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and the one who brings reconciliation between God and humanity (Ephesians 2:14). Baptist churches often emphasize salvation through Jesus, who offers rest for the soul, mirroring Shiloh’s connotation of tranquility.
•Spiritual Temple: In the Old Testament, Shiloh housed the Tabernacle, where God’s presence dwelt. In the New Testament, Jesus is seen as the ultimate temple (John 2:19-21), and His Spirit dwells in believers, making the church the new “temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16). For Baptists, naming a church “Shiloh” may symbolize the church as a place where believers encounter Jesus, the true source of God’s presence.
•New Covenant: The fall of Shiloh and the departure of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:22) foreshadowed the rejection of the old system and the establishment of a new covenant through Jesus. Baptists, who emphasize salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), see Jesus as the fulfillment of Shiloh’s promise—a new, eternal place of rest.-Mr. Grok

Monacan Bulldozer

Bulldozer in the foreground, Monticello in the background, floodplain in between.

There’s lots of things that we can do with engineering, with big machines and modern equipment. I mean, there are lots of things that one could do.
And so we do have the ability to build up the soil and help create an island, an elevation that will then put a structure that is out of the 100 year floodplain. That’s true.
We also could pipe the creek and pave it over and then we wouldn’t have to have a buffer. You could actually get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to do things like that.

But should we?

That’s where I’m coming from. The 100 year floodplain has a very important hydrologic function in allowing, during a storm, as a water is rushing down, because it has this area it spreads out and dissipates the energy of the water and then some of that sediment load actually drops out in that slower water at the margins. That’s why floodplain soils are so rich, that’s why people like to farm them, because it’s some of the best soil, because that’s where those floodwaters dissipate and lose their energy.
When you constrict the area that the water is flowing through it goes faster. So on a large scale, looking at the whole area, I understand what Mr. Pohl is saying and I understand what Timmons has said, that this will not raise the elevation of the flood overall.

But I’m also looking at this from two perspectives; one is death by 1000 paper cuts, which is all the little fills cumulatively altogether, I don’t have the confidence that we’re looking at it from that perspective.
The other aspect is, again, what I just said about floodplains. They have a purpose and we really should not build in the floodplains. Albemarle County is actually more restrictive; we don’t let you put subdivisions in the floodplains.

You know, our neighbors in Charlottesville allowed a development of housing in the floodplain through an area which I used to kayak when the water was up.
And too bad for those folks when we get another big storm.
I believe very strongly and I have a 35 year career in floodplain and watershed management, and so I’ve spent my whole life trying to keep people out of floodplains.

I would also suggest to you that the zoning, yes is from 1997. But in our comp plan, never mind the park thing for a moment to my commissioner at the other end of the dais, they’re not suggesting this become a park necessarily, but it’s designated as green system because the county did go along and say all of these floodplains, we’re going to call them green systems.

Don’t always think of the Earth as just a place where we are going to recreate or not recreate. There are other ecological functions that are going on there for biota, for salamanders, for all kinds of other critters that are also under our stewardship.
Where I’m coming from is I’m not in favor of allowing fill in the floodplain.

I think that zoning can be old, zoning can be wrong. Zoning can be a bad idea. I think this zoning is outdated. I agree with Lonnie. There are a lot of a lot of reasons why we developed along rivers, that was because that was a transportation system. We had to move goods on the Rivanna. We put goods on batteaux on the Rivanna and sent them down to Richmond. So you know, there’s a lot of reasons why people develop near rivers, also for water supply.

But today, putting industrial along our rivers is also a bad idea. So I don’t think the zoning is good. We’re not here tonight to decide about the zoning, we are here to decide whether you think it’s OK to fill in the floodplain. And I’m going to stick with the comprehensive plan. I think it was wise to say that this is a green system and I don’t care if no one ever recreates in it. So that’s where I’m coming.

I have a lot of hydrologic reasons and ecological reasons for the way that I am presenting my position tonight. I don’t think we’re getting a huge return for allowing this site to become this industrial use by getting it out of the floodplain. That’s it.
I will now step down off my soapbox and yield to my colleagues.–Karen Firehock April 22, 2025 Albemarle County Planning Commission