Shalom

SHALOM שָׁלוֹם

This term has become to mean so much to me over the past 7 months. In it I find the GOSPEL. What it means to be a human. What it means the the Pslamist says, "My delight is in the law of the Lord." What it means to flourish. What it mean to be a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother,a friend and a child of God. What it means to find vocation. In it find the true definition of freedom and love. In it I find an answer to the question, "Why did Christ come?" What did Christ do PERFECTLY that we could not do? What it means to be in the process of sanctification. And so much more.
 What does it mean? Most people know it to mean peace, it is used as a way of saying hello and good bye; but it means much more then that.

SHALOM:
THE WAY THINGS
OUGHT TO BE

Ok, so maybe it sounds really simple. But what does that mean? "The way things ought to be." Well first it points to absolute truth. Meaning there is meta-physical truth, truth outside ourselves that we have as a foundation. In it we also see the classical definition of freedom: the freedom to pursue a virtuous life, the freedom to live the way one ought to live; to shalom. 

If we go back the Garden of Eden we see that a beautiful picture of Shalom. God created and he called it good. He created the world, everything in it and then he made man. 

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”"- Genesis 1:26

God created man to function in a certain way. He gave them authority over the earth to work it, to Shalom it. God created us in His own image therefore he created us to be creative authoritative beings. God also created us to be in relationship with people and Him. We see perfect relationship in God; the triune God. In God you have the father, son and holy spirit. The Son submits to the father and the Holy Spirit to the Son. God had perfect relationship in himself before he created. We also see how relational God is by the relationship between Christ and the Church, which God says should be the example of what a marriage relationship should be like. Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.(Eph. 5:25-26) Husbands are called to love there wives and wives are called to respect their husbands.(Eph. 5:28) Why would God call us to these things? Because he knows that in them we will flourish. He designed it that way. 

Know to this word love. What is love? Is it something we feel?Is it the same thing as loving tacos? No. We are grown put in a culture that uses language so flippantly that we have deluded the meanings of so many words. 

For example, you google love and this is the first definition you get is:

"love"-An intense feeling of deep affection: "their love for their country". Or "Feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone): "do you love me?". 

^ That is not love, that might be what we have made love but thats what love is.

Agape- Love as used in the bible. This is not a feeling (because feelings are fleeting) But a love that is unconditional, sacrificial, a willing of someones good. To spur someone on in Shalom. (John 15:13)

The Psalm 1 man understood that God created us for good, to do good, to created and to flourish and he knew where and how he could flourish or Shalom. His delight was in the law of the Lord. Why? Not just to keep the law, it was not a burden to him, but he knew that it was the greatest good. He knew he was created to Shalom.

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

The most glorious thing under heaven is this:

That God sent his Son in the fulness of time to live a holy and righteous life. To live a life we could not, in our fallen nature live. He lived the human life we were created to live in Shalom. Then he died the death to pay the debt we could not pay in order that we might Shalom.