Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:2 ESV)
Shalom--it is Hebrew for 'peace'. But this Hebrew word means much more than just peace in the way we think of it. It means well-being. It means wholeness. It means blessing. It means prosperity in a holistic sense.
Of course Paul is not writing in Hebrew when he writes his letter to the Philippians. He writes in Greek. But Paul still thinks in Hebrew. He may be Hellenized (influenced by Greek culture) but he is still very Hebrew. In fact, in this very letter, in chapter three, he refers to himself as a "Hebrew of the Hebrews" as he touts his Jewish credentials. And his greeting is Hebrew as well. Peace. Shalom.
Shalom is what we have very little of in this life. We are tossed about by worries and cares, frustrations and fears. We constantly hear of strife and war, terrorism and calamity. Our politicians feed off of all of this, of course. Fear-mongering is how agendas are advanced. Our news media makes a living, a good living, selling it to us. Crisis is the status quo of the day. It defines us and guides us. And all of this is the opposite of shalom.
All I have to do is look at my newsfeed on Facebook. There are wars and rumors of wars. There is disease and the threat of pandemic. There is imminent global financial catastrophe and the reality of actual human suffering in the form of a catastrophic earthquake. There is rioting in an American city, racial tension, political scandal and on and on and on. All this in a fairly typical day in our modern world.
Add to that the lack of peace in our own lives. Drama is the buzzword and some people seem to wallow in it. Anger with neighbors, fighting at the school board meeting, road rage, sibling rivalry, quarreling with a lover, quarreling with a spouse, quarreling with a parent, quarreling with a child.
Most of all there is a lack of peace with God. We have sinned and we know it and we don't know what to do about it. We have offended God. Our conscience is wounded. We are guilty and we know it. Where is the peace?
Shalom.
There it is again. Healing. Wellness. Wholeness. Rest. Peace.
Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is what Paul wishes for you, his readers. That is what is offered you in Christ. That is what is available to you in the gospel. Hear the good news, Christ came to make shalom. He is the Prince of Shalom. Not only did he reconcile us to God through his sacrifice on the cross, but according to Ephesians 2:14 he is our shalom that reconciles the disparate groups of society, making us one in him.
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