Peace on Earth
Peace is a much more complex reality than we generally think. The visions of peace in our culture tend to fall into one of two categories: the hippie-rock-star vision of peace and the new-age-psychotherapy vision of peace.
For the hippie-rock-stars, peace = "world peace." Nonviolence. The absence of war. No nation-states fighting with each other. No armed conflict. In this vision of peace, the obstacles to peace are all external. If governments could "just get along," we would truly have peace on earth.
For the new-age-psychotherapists, peace = "inner peace." A positive self-image. Personal fulfillment. If everyone in the world could believe in themselves, be released from their mental and emotional baggage, find healing and centeredness, and self-actualize, then we would truly have peace on earth.
Both these conceptions of peace are too shallow, simplistic, and superficial to carry the freight of peace. As always, the biblical worldview succeeds where these cultural impostors fail. The Hebrew Scriptures speak of peace as shalom - a word which, according to the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, "has a semantic breadth that cannot be conveyed adequately by any single English word." It is well-being, wholeness, harmony in its fullest sense. When all of life is knit together like a fabric - when there is peace and harmony across every aspect of life and society (political, military, legal, social, religious, agricultural, economic, familial, etc) - that is shalom.
And the obstacle to shalom is neither internal nor external - or perhaps, the obstacle is not simply internal or external. The obstacle is sin. And sin is complex. Richard Lovelace describes sin as "an organic network of compulsive attitudes, beliefs, and behavior deeply rooted in our alienation from God." Sin has disrupted shalom. It has alienated us from God and from each other. It has unraveled the fabric of God’s good creation. And so if we are ever to experience peace, we need more than a cease-fire between nations or personal psychological fulfillment. We need someone to restore shalom – to renew the world (and us) to the way we were meant to be.
Today we consider the prophetic longing for such a peace-bringer.
Readings: Micah 5:1-5; Zechariah 9:9-10; Isaiah 9:6-7
Song for Reflection: "Peace on Earth" by U2
For the hippie-rock-stars, peace = "world peace." Nonviolence. The absence of war. No nation-states fighting with each other. No armed conflict. In this vision of peace, the obstacles to peace are all external. If governments could "just get along," we would truly have peace on earth.
For the new-age-psychotherapists, peace = "inner peace." A positive self-image. Personal fulfillment. If everyone in the world could believe in themselves, be released from their mental and emotional baggage, find healing and centeredness, and self-actualize, then we would truly have peace on earth.
Both these conceptions of peace are too shallow, simplistic, and superficial to carry the freight of peace. As always, the biblical worldview succeeds where these cultural impostors fail. The Hebrew Scriptures speak of peace as shalom - a word which, according to the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, "has a semantic breadth that cannot be conveyed adequately by any single English word." It is well-being, wholeness, harmony in its fullest sense. When all of life is knit together like a fabric - when there is peace and harmony across every aspect of life and society (political, military, legal, social, religious, agricultural, economic, familial, etc) - that is shalom.
And the obstacle to shalom is neither internal nor external - or perhaps, the obstacle is not simply internal or external. The obstacle is sin. And sin is complex. Richard Lovelace describes sin as "an organic network of compulsive attitudes, beliefs, and behavior deeply rooted in our alienation from God." Sin has disrupted shalom. It has alienated us from God and from each other. It has unraveled the fabric of God’s good creation. And so if we are ever to experience peace, we need more than a cease-fire between nations or personal psychological fulfillment. We need someone to restore shalom – to renew the world (and us) to the way we were meant to be.
Today we consider the prophetic longing for such a peace-bringer.
Readings: Micah 5:1-5; Zechariah 9:9-10; Isaiah 9:6-7
Song for Reflection: "Peace on Earth" by U2
posted by Bob | 10:32 AM
4 Comments:
I was doing some research and listening to sermons by Dr. Willem VanGemeren (editor of NIDOTTE, currently Trinity faculty, formerly RTS). His most recent sermon was on peace (http://gchurch.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/the-prince-of-peace/). Check out the correspondence of of the definition of peace he gives and the way Bob explained it (though illustrated differently).
Bob, props on explicating the concept of shalom as well as the director of a doctoral program.
Thanks Hooley. Always good to know I'm not a heretic. :)
there you go bob: explicate. that seems like a reasonable substitution for "unpack." thanks hooley. we have been trying to diversify some of the bobisms. do you have anything for the following: grid, DNA, lens, etc.?
oops. that was from derrick.
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