Seeking Peace

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 When things turn chaotic, when life becomes messy, loud and tumultuous we seek desperately for stillness or calm and above all, peace.  The stillness of the early morning, quiet waters like lakes or estuaries, the gentle lapping of the sea, or the hush of night.

Peace took on a deeper meaning for me this morning as I read Psalm 34. Verse 14 encourages us to  “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” I switched translations and read the same passage in the Passion Translation. “Keep turning your back on every sin, and make “peace” your life motto. Practice being at peace with everyone.”

Down in the footnotes for the word “peace” I read;

“Twice the Hebrew uses the word shalom. This word means much more than peace. It means wholeness, wellness, well-being, safe, happy, friendly, favor, completeness, to make peace, peace offering, secure, to prosper, to be victorious, to be content, tranquil, quiet, and restful. The pictographic symbols for the word shalom (shin, lamed, vav, mem) read “Destroy the authority that binds to chaos.” The noun shalom is derived from the verbal root shalam, which means “to restore,” in the sense of replacing or providing what is needed in order to make someone or something whole and complete. So shalom is used to describe those of us who have been provided all that is needed to be whole and complete and break off all authority that would attempt to bind us to chaos.”

Shalom – what a rich, deep, concept.  How good is it to seek “shalom” for ourselves, for our families, and communities. Shalom is what God wants for us.  Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in Babylon to seek the peace of the city they found themselves in. Imagine what “shalom” peace would look like in our city right now - in this chaotic, anxious time called COVID.  We can pray “Shalom” using these multiple words of meaning for ourselves, our communities, our city and nation. 

We pray for wholeness, wellness, -well-being, safety, happiness, friendliness, security, prosperity, tranquillity, contentment and rest for every family, business, school, household, and break off the chaos that binds us.

May you seek and experience “shalom"!

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