President's Blog

Marilyn and I visited a little antique shop in Lisbon, Portugal once. I purchased an 18th-century French bronze plaque with a sculpted relief of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. It’s beautiful.

It reminded me of the “mezuzah” attached to the door frames of many conservative and orthodox Jews. In Israel I notice them everywhere. A mezuzah fulfills the “mitzvah”, or Biblical commandment, to inscribe the words of the Shema (the Jewish confession of faith) on the doorposts of your house (Deuteronomy 6:9).

Christians have Scripture plaques on their walls… frequently at the entrance of their home. So I put my new bronze plaque near my front door to remind me upon entering and exiting my home that I go with God’s peace. Quaint, eh?

First time I visited Israel, I noticed people greeting one another saying, “Shalom.” They shared the same blessing when they departed; again it was, “Shalom.”

The Meaning Behind the Meaning of “Shalom”

The Hebrew word “shalom” is translated 170 times in our English Bibles as “peace”.

I find it ironic that people in Israel, arguably one of the most unpeaceful places on the planet these past several months, would greet one another with “peace”. The word “shalom” basically means that something is “whole”, in the sense that it is “complete”.

• In 1 Kings 9:25 the word is translated as “finished” or “made whole” in reference to the completion of the Temple.

• In Genesis 15:16 the word is used in reference to the sin of the Amorites not yet being full, fulfilled, or complete.

• In 1 Chronicles 29:19 David prays that his son Solomon might be given a perfect (shalom) heart to keep God’s commandments.

• In 1 Kings 8:61 Solomon prays that God’s people would have a whole (shalom) heart and be wholly devoted to God.

• There are 20 instances in the Bible where the word “shalom” is translated as “perfect”.

And so, one could conclude that a fundamental idea behind the greeting “Shalom” is a reminder of our relationship to God and being wholly devoted to Him.

Shalom means to be in “right relationship with God” before you start your day and exit your home. To be at peace with God. To live in shalom is to live a life of contentment, free of guilt, and experiencing abundance.

May you and your family experience shalom. My prayer is that we will know God’s peace: peace with God, the peace of God, and the peace that is beyond understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

May this peace be a foundation, rooting us deeply, wholly devoted to the Lord. Acknowledge God’s peace daily, often — with family and friends. Consider nailing a portion of God’s Word to your front door frame to remind you of God’s protection, provision, and peace. My hope is that thankfulness will blossom from our acknowledgement of God’s Shalom.