Shalom to you — shalom to all
Rev. Mic McGuire
Friday, November 17, 2006
We see two fingers raised in the form of a “V.” We hear the slogans of “Make love, not war.” A bumper sticker proclaims “Wage peace.” People are asking “When are the troops coming home? What’s the exit strategy?”
All around the world we see and hear people’s desire for peace. Whether in Afghanistan, North Korea, Africa, South America or in the kitchen of our own homes, we hear the cry for peace.
For too long now, we have been working with a definition of peace that is defined as “the absence of war.” And for too long, we have only wanted to fight the battle with military options.
Whether or not one claims to be a person of faith, if humanity truly wants peace, humanity needs to address the issues that lead us into war — poverty, bigotry, greed, lust, abuse of power, and many others. If humanity truly wants peace, we need to quit justifying our wars. We need to quit accepting thoughts like “war is a necessary evil.” If humanity truly wants peace, we need to overcome all evil with all good.
As a person of faith, if we truly want peace, we need to seek God’s peace, a peace that God desires for all people, and a peace “which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) And though humanity may never fully understand the breadth, width, height and depth of God’s love, we do know God has a plan for us, a good plan for us.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, I give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29: 11)
If we truly want peace, we need to broaden our definition of peace. The Hebrew word “shalom” offers us a broader understanding.
Shalom is a faith offering of blessing. It is an offering from one to another. It is a faith offering of blessing that can be extended to an individual, to a community, to a nation and to nations. It is a blessing and a hope that one’s life will be filled with well-being, happiness, prosperity, safety, community, peace.
The peace of shalom includes food, shelter, clothing. The peace of shalom includes health and health care.
Shalom includes the joy that God, family and friends offer in life and the comfort that they bring in death. Shalom includes a sense of well being, of having enough, and knowing when enough is enough. The peace of shalom accepts cultural differences as a blessing rather than a threat to a way of life.
The peace of shalom is being accepted for the child of God we are. The peace of shalom is a state of wholeness. The peace of shalom offered by God is so much more, including the absence of war.
If we truly want peace, we need to understand that unless there is peace for all, there is peace for none.
Shalom to you.
Shalom to all.
- “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Mic McGuire, pastor at Emporia’s Grace United Methodist Church.