The Weekly Encourager – January 1, 2021 – Shalom Peace

“May the peace of Christ be with you.” How often have you heard this phrase? It’s a regular part of the liturgy of many churches around the world. Often there is a specific time in the service to “pass the peace” by repeating this greeting to those around you. Pre-pandemic, this may have included smiles, hugs, handshakes, small talk, inquiries after one’s health, etc. But since the Covid-19 lockdowns, many churches have been meeting online only. Although my church now has limited in-person worship with masks, rigorous cleaning, social distancing, etc., we continue to offer online worship for those who must stay home. Therefore, our leaders regularly encourage us to “pass the peace,” even if we are not able to meet in person, by calling, texting, or emailing someone to wish them peace on the Lord’s Day.

As you may know, the phrase “peace be with you” originated with the Hebrew phrase “Shalom.” Shalom שָׁלוֹם‎ occurs 237 times in the Old Testament, and the similar Greek EIRENE appears 91 times in the New Testament. Shalom is still used to say hello or goodbye, but its meaning is far richer than a simple greeting. As I understand it, the concept of shalom means wholeness, intactness, and completeness. It includes safety, prosperity and well-being with delight in God’s gifts and universal flourishing forever. Adam and Eve knew shalom in the Garden before the Fall. Everything was good and very good, for people had right relationships to God, themselves, and all other creatures. God’s world was in complete harmony and fulness, each one playing its proper part to contribute to the benefit of the whole. Love, joy, and peace characterized the world as God created it. All needs were met in abundance. No one was sick, lonely, poor, depressed, or at war.

I want to express this concept of peace to all of you. I want to use the Hebrew shalom because it embodies so much more than the temporary worldly peace we mean in English. I wish shalom for all of you, for everyone I know, and for the whole world. But, since the Fall, there is only one way any of us can have this kind of shalom peace. Due to our rebellion against shalom, God sent His Son to redeem us from sin; only the Prince of Peace makes any whole or lasting peace possible again. Christ’s peace means being reconciled to God, ourselves, and other people, in that order. Shalom is linked with salvation and sanctification. Even in this broken world which is clearly not whole and at peace (look at 2020), we can experience an inner harmony and wholeness through trust in God.

“Great,” you say, “I’ve trusted in Christ.” But we can’t just sit there and expect peace to arrive without any effort on our part. This life requires an active seeking of God’s face on a regular basis. We must spend time with Him in His word, prayer, and worship. It’s our daily bread. We must turn over every aspect of our lives to Him, including private sins and struggling (or severed) relationships. We are hurting, but He is wholeness. We are lazy, but He is motivating. We need to step forth in faith, and a new year is just the time to begin again. We fail, but He forgives. Run to the Lord, and beg for peace. He will answer.

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal." - Isaiah 26:3-4

Wishing you the true shalom peace of Christ in 2021. שָׁלוֹם‎

God is faithful,
j