Tag: Shalom
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God of Boxes
We struggle (and that’s fine) with the concept that God would discipline through pestilence, famine, war, etcetera. We will often use the language of “God allows”, or explain things as “an ‘old world’ understanding”.
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Know Justice. Know Peace.
Speaking peace to people often seems to be a lost cause. First, many people don’t want peace. Actually, many people don’t want peace. Oh, they want peace from war (most). That often is the most common form of “peace” we use in everyday language. There is another one that is often used in Christian circles,…
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Just Breathe
Psalm 104:24–34; Ezekiel 37:1–14; John 20:19–23 In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, there is a simple practice performed by many, where they say, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” while breathing in and then “…have mercy on me, a sinner,” while exhaling. The Jesus Prayer (as it is called in the Orthodox tradition) is a prayer…
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Roads of Dust
Psalm 135; Isaiah 26:1–15; Mark 12:18–27 As one of the wealthy nations in the world, passages like this in Isaiah should cause us to reflect. Will all our stuff be crushed to dust and be walked upon by the poor? If you’re reading this, you may well say, “I am poor.” Truly a lot of…
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To Keep or To Make Peace
Psalm 16, Matthew 5:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 “When a person’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”Psalm 16:7 In many parts of the world, the United Nations has stationed peacekeepers. Their purpose is to be a soothing presence in the midst of conflict that has, temporarily, stopped…