shalom

9/02/09 My breath prayer today comes from the very last words of Psalm 125, "Peace be upon Israel." The word for peace in Hebrew is "shalom." I have come to know shalom as more than the absence of conflict; it is the wholeness of God, the being at rest in God. It is found in the name of the holy city, Jerusalem, literally, city of peace.
I pray for peace in the Middle East almost daily, especially peace between Israel and Palestine. This passage today pushed me to send a donation to a woman who was returning to this area for the 12th time as a Volunteer in Mission for the United Methodist Church. I wanted to make my prayers concrete.
Of course I prayed that peace would come to many people and situations as I walked this morning, but it is good to begin in the Holy Land and work out from there to many specific areas.
Peace be upon you.

Love,
Lynn