New Reminders: Shalom

According to Wikipedia: “Shalom is a sense of contentment, wholeness, and harmony.  It is the state or condition of being unbroken, uninjured, or undamaged. It is the state of including the full amount or extent of something, or all parts of something in place, with nothing missing.  It is the state or condition of being in one piece, without separation of parts.”

“Shalom” is one of the key words for well-being in the Bible.  It is often used as a greeting, meaning to wish someone a sense of wholeness and peace.  In Christian churches we might say “Peace be with you.”  In Jewish communities you often hear the Hebrew word “shalom”.  It is most often said as a greeting of departure meaning to wish the person to remain uninjured, safe, whole and sound.  Its implication is similar to the word “farewell” or to “God be with you” which is the origin of the term good-bye.  It is a shortened version of “God be with ye”, which has been further corrupted in casual speech where it sometimes comes out sounding more like: “g-by.”

In the New Testament, shalom is revealed as the reconciliation of all things to God through the work of Christ: “God was pleased . . . through Christ to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through Christ’s blood shed on the cross” Colossians 1:19.  Shalom is experienced as complete well-being—physical, psychological, social, and spiritual; it flows from all of one’s relationships being put right—with God, within oneself, and with others.

In the Bible, "shalom" means more than just the absence of conflict; it signifies wholeness, completeness, overall well-being, and deep peace with God and others.  This encompasses physical, economic, relational, and spiritual health, where everything is functioning in complete alignment with God's purpose.  It is a comprehensive state of flourishing.

The words "Jehovah Shalom" are found in Judges 6:24, where Gideon builds an altar to God and calls it "The LORD Is Peace" (or Jehovah Shalom) after God speaks to him.  This name, representing God as "The Lord is Peace," signifies peace, harmony, and completeness.  The phrase appears only once, but the concept of God's peace is found in scriptures such as John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Peace is something we should always strive for.  The world is filled with conflict, suffering, natural disasters, death, and many other negative things that impact our lives.  But we don’t just need peace in the world, we also need it internally when we find ourselves in conflict with our own thoughts and feelings, and when outside factors start impacting our well-being.  Peace is promised to us if we believe in God.  And so, we might wish each other peace with the more-inclusive term, using the word, “shalom!”