21 Get along well with God and be at peace;
from this something good will come to you.
Reflection
What is Peace? My concept of the word has evolved over time. I think I started using PEACE as a closure on letters and cards when I was in college, a habit I continue today. In the ‘70’s we even used the peace sign with our hands. It was during the Vietnam war and Civil Rights struggles, and each time I wrote or said the word I felt like I was in solidarity with soldiers and peace activists doing my part to manifest peace as an end to war. As I matured my under-standing of the word and concept took on deeper meaning. Peace is so much more than the
absence of war. I understand the meaning of PEACE as WHOLENESS for all of Creation. I am thankful that Pastor Joe suggested reading Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from the Birming-ham Jail” written in 1963 as a foundation for his current sermon series.
In reflecting on today’s scripture from the book of Job, I looked at the context of verse 22:21. To be at peace with God is so much more than “getting along with God” as translated in the CEB version. When we “get along” we often compromise rather than giving our whole self. Job is full of excuses when his friend, Eliphaz, confronts Job in this chapter. He tells Job that he must put God’s words in his mouth, in his mind constantly. “Get all thoughts or actions of sin out of your mind and actions”, his friend Eliphaz says. Job doesn’t want to do that. He doesn’t want to change anything about his lifestyle. I guess he was a lot like most people.
The Young‘s Concordance translates PEACE as SHALOM. To be at peace = to be whole. In Hebrew the word shalom carries broad meanings including completeness, welfare, harmony, and prosperity. In Hebrew, Shalom is not a passive state of calm but an active pursuit of spiritual balance, justice for all of God’s creation, and spiritual fulfillment. The word appears throughout the Hebrew Bible as both a divine blessing and a human aspiration. It is this reference to peace in today’s verse from Job that is at the heart of all relationships with the
Divine Creator. Shalom or Peace emphasizes the importance of justice, mutual respect and social harmony. Judaism also teaches that true Shalom comes from God. The pursuit of Shalom is seen as aligning oneself with divine will and working to bring God’s peace into the world.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
You may find it interesting to note that both Muslims and Jews have the same basic religious greeting based on the concept of peace; Muslims say “Assalamu alaikum” or “salam” and Jews say “Shalom aleichem” or “shalom.” Both mean the same thing: “Peace be with you”. Shalom aleichem became part of Christian liturgy based on Christ’s greeting on Easter Sunday night (John 20:19) On his day of Resurrection, Jesus uttered this greeting: “Peace be with you.” True biblical shalom means an inward sense of completeness or wholeness that only the Spirit can provide when we work together.
*As you ponder today’s verse think about how you have used the word
“peace” or “shalom” in your life?
*Are these words part of your daily vocabulary or do you utter them
infrequently?
*How has the concept of “peace” been included in your life?
*How has peace among people impacted your life?
Prayer: (with thanks to John Philip Newell)
Recall the events of the day and pray for peace with justice.
Peace between nations, and neighbors.
Peace between man and woman, parent and child, brother and sister.
Peace on the earth, its land, its water and its sky.
We pray for the Peace of Christ above all peace.
Let my eyes bless all they see with the peace of Christ. Amen
