Shalom is What Make Life Meaningful: Exploring Its Biblical Concept

Shalom is a word that holds a lot of meaning and can be interpreted in many different ways. To better understand the word Shalom we must first diffuse the idea that it only means “peace”. Peace is only a small part of the meaning. Shalom (being a Hebrew word) goes beyond its obvious pronunciation, it conveys feeling, intent and emotion. Not only does it translate to peace, it is complete peace. Shalom can also mean completeness, wholeness, health, hello and goodbye, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, full, rest, harmony, and the absence of agitation or discord. To clarify, Shalom further exceeds its straight translation, not only does it bring peace, but it restores what was broken and creates a platform for reconciliation and restoration (which is a direct verb of the word Shalom). In this essay I will explore what makes life meaningful through the practice of Shalom. Also I will share my Biblical understanding of the word Shalom.

Biblically, Shalom is seen as a word used to declare all the wonderful things that it means. As seen in Luke 2:13 “Glory to Elohim in the highest, and on earth peace and good hope to the sons of men.” Notice that “peace” in this context is used to express all the things that Shalom means; wholeness, completeness, fullness, contentment and so on. In addition, It’s like in the story of Job “You will know your tents are Shalom when nothing is missing. I found 3 main ways I believe the Bible better uses the word Shalom. First, Shalom with God, second Shalom with others, and third Shalom with (in) oneself.

Three Ways of 'Shalom'

Shalom with God essentially means reconciliation with God. God has the power to grant us peace with himself and/or to remove it. For instance, due to Phinehas turning away God’s wrath on sin, he and his family are given a “covenant of Shalom with God.

Peace in the Bible can refer to the absence of conflict with others but it also points to the presence of something better in its place. When David visited his brothers in the battlefield he asked about their “Shalom”, in this context it’s used to greet others. In another light, Shalom with others can be referred to offering something better or to restore. For example, if my child damages your child’s toys, I shalom you by giving you a complete repayment for the toy. You take what is missing and you restore it to wholeness.

Besides the outward peace with others – Shalom is also strongly focused on peace within. “Those who trust in the lord have inner security; therefore, they can sleep well. To find Shalom with oneself you must find that which is a burden, cast it to God and he will give you “Perfect Shalom” as described in Isaiah 26:3 “God gives perfect peace to those who steadfastly set their minds on him”.

Personal Understanding of Biblical 'Shalom'

My understanding of the Biblical word Shalom is rather focused more on Jesus’s teaching about Love. Mainly the passage of Jesus saying “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you”. Which is backed by “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself”.

To further explain my point, let’s explore the biblical meaning of “Love”. I believe to exercise the full point of Shalom, you simply need to love others, but most importantly to love God. However, which is more important? Jesus emphasizes by saying “Love the lord your God with all your heart”. By this we can conclude in saying that the most important is to love the lord, on the other hand however, Jesus also follows in saying “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Raising the question “Which is more important?” To ask this question means we don’t get his point. They are two sides of the same passage. Your love for God will be expressed by your love for people and vice-versa. These two are inseparable.

We can now see that for Jesus, love is not a feeling for someone but it is the action. To make the personal choice to seek the wellbeing of people other than yourself. That to me is my understanding of the word Shalom.

Why 'Shalom' is What Make Life Meaningful?

Meaningful Living is the absence of a happy life and the presence of a meaningful life. I believe we need to strive to live a meaningful life rather than a happy life, for happiness fades simply because it is an emotion and we are humans. For if we strived to live a happy life, at some point we might feel sadness and that ruins the purpose. The root of the word “happiness” in some languages is ‘Luck’ or ‘fate’. As written by John Locke, “Happiness is in its full extent the utmost pleasure we are capable of, and misery the utmost pain”. In today’s world the maximization of pleasure and the minimization of pain is the recipe that we use in the attempt to attain happiness. But in doing this, we place our life in a dangerous state. By searching for people, objects and feelings to attain happiness, we quickly acclimate to our new conditions and return to our default state of being.

When we are faced with the inevitable struggles of life, it is meaning alone, not happiness, which can provide us with the resilience needed to endure. This is why I strongly believe in a meaningful life. Shalom comes in play when we apply these three things:

• Creative;
• Experiential;
• Attitudinal.

The creative deals with the achievements and accomplishments. By being creative and finding different ways to help others, understand others, put others first and looking for meaning in your abilities i.e. painting, swimming and playing sport, we are exercising Shalom and living a meaningful life.

The experiential component asks of us what we take from the world, what we learn from people and how that gives us meaning. “The second way to find meaning in life is by experiencing something such as goodness, truth and beauty, by experiencing culture or last but not least, by experiencing another human being in his very uniqueness, by loving him”.

Finally, the attitudinal aspect is the attitude we take towards inevitable suffering. Frankel believed that when we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves. We must find meaning in the ever changing of the world, in the suffering the world throws at us. With these three aspects, I believe we can achieve a meaningful life.

Conclusion

As can be seen, Shalom does not translate to peace but also many other things that invites complete peace and wholeness. Shalom with God, Shalom with others and Shalom with oneself are the three most important ways I believe Shalom was used in the bible. I can summaries by saying that my understanding of Shalom is the Love for God and others, knowing that my love for others is expressed through my love for God. Meaningfully living is the best way to live life. Knowing that your life is meaningful, you will have full acceptance of everything that we cannot control.

References

1. Gish, A. M. (2006). Beyond the Meaningful Life: The Significance of Shalom in the Jewish Tradition. Jewish Quarterly Review, 96(1), 18-35.

2. Lederach, J. P. (2005). The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford University Press.

3. Wolfson, R. (1987). Through a Speculum That Shines: Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism. Princeton University Press.

4. Wright, N. T. (2004). Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 16(1/2), 33-51.

5. Williams, R. (2015). Meeting God in Mark: Reflections for the Season of Lent. Westminster John Knox Press.

6. Van Nieuwenhove, R. (2018). A Theology of Grace in Six Controversies. Oxford University Press.

7. Kasemann, E. (1962). The Testament of Jesus: A Study of the Gospel of John in the Light of Chapter 17. SCM Press.

   Keep in mind:
   This is only a sample.

   Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

   Get custom essay

8. Snodgrass, K. (2002). Between Two Truths: Living with Biblical Tensions. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.