Peace. Peace. There is no peace. No peace in our messed up world. There is no peace in our broken lives either. Peace is an elusive concept that taunts us with impossible demands. To be at peace is to be void of conflicts and in right relationships with everyone. Everyone. To have peace of mind means that we are in harmony with our surroundings, thoughts, and life. Impossible.
It gets even more challenging when we consider the Hebrew word for peace; Shalom. Shalom goes beyond an absence of conflict within us and with others. To possess Shalom means to be whole, complete, flourishing, connected, and fully engaged with all creation. It is a spiritual state where we are nothing more and nothing less than our beautiful and created selves. Here is a true and lasting delight. Meaning.
I have heard it said that the Talmud maintains that the entire Torah is for the sake of Shalom. Shalom is the way of God’s being. For Christians, we find Shalom lived out in real time in the life of Jesus Christ. Shalom is both divine gift and expectation. Those who follow the paths of both Judaism and Christianity are expected to seek Shalom – it is in ‘the holy book.’ Even though both traditions have a history of not always living up to this grand idea, we are commanded to employ an ethic of love in all of our relationships. Love is the action that emerges from and leads to Shalom.
When there is shalom, there is balance and justice. No longer is there a separation among people. Violence ends. No longer are there cycles of abuse and addiction. Everyone has enough to eat and a place to live. Tensions dissipate. The captives are set free. As a community, we pass through the threshold of our darkest fears, our most insidious actions, and have laid aside our self-centered machinations. What we find on the other side of the threshold is truly a dream state. The very state of God’s dream.
And it is seemingly beyond our reach. Beyond any one’s reach for that matter.
Less we become discouraged and slip into a spiritual depression where all we can do is bundle up and go back to bed; our sacred story itself whispers into our ear. “Fear not.” Don’t be immobilized by the seeming impossibility of it all. With God, nothing is too great or overwhelming. The one who brought light and life out of darkness and chaos can bring restoration and create anew. It is a matter of time before the trumpets shall sound and God will raise the dead. Faith shouts from the pinnacle of the summit of our doubts. Faith claims the hope that we find in the glimpses of shalom that we see from time to time.
There may be no overarching experience of shalom, no “all is well” in our life or the world. But to say that there is NO peace/NO shalom isn’t accurate either. In the course of our daily struggles and journeys, if we train our heart to see them, then we can catch visages of Shalom. Perhaps it is a moment of clarity or purpose in the midst of confusion and meaninglessness. Perhaps it is a calm that passes our understanding or expectations. Maybe it is an “A-Ha” or spark of inspiration. Shalom comes in a kind word or a simple caring gesture from a stranger or a loved one. When we all of a sudden know what we must do and where we must go – shalom has entered our life.
In themselves, these moments are threshold times. Times of passing from past to future, from confinement to freedom, from death to life. Hope emerges in our being. Against all reason and the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we can claim the Shalom of God that passes all understanding and keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Silent Prayer:
Find a comfortable place to sit. Set your phone or watch for twenty minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. As thoughts come to your mind – push them aside. Now is not the time. Trust in God to hold your life without needing to control it with our thoughts or actions. At the end of your time – say a simple “thank you” or “Amen.” Tomorrow, we will build on this spiritual practice by adding more time. Consider the time spent in silent prayer as an Advent gift – an opportunity to enter into God’s shalom/peace.
Today’s Silent Prayer Goal – Twenty minutes
If the challenge of twenty minutes of silence seems to be just too much, an alternative might be to continue with seven or eight minutes of daily, prayerful silence for the remainder of this Advent season. The length of time spent in silent prayer is not as important as the practice itself so give yourself the permission to do it for as long as works for you.
Scripture: Psalm 85:8-10
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Thank you for reading the twentieth blog of this Advent series. If it was meaningful to you, please feel free to like it below or share it with your friends. You may also leave a comment. Blessings on the journey as we head through this season of Advent together. In Christ, Walt.