Shalom my friend
As the world celebrates Easter with bunnies and chocolate eggs, Christians celebrate it with joy and hope——the joy of the risen Lord, the hope of a new life. Yet seldom do they realize that Easter also celebrates peace. In the Scriptures, Shalom (Hebrew for peace) is not just an absence of disturbances. It includes wholeness, harmony and prosperity. God alone is understood to be the source of peace (Jgs 6:24) and God’s peace is a gift (Lv 26:6, Jn 14:27). It will only be given to those who live in righteousness (Ps 85:9-14) and those who maintain a right relationship with Him (Is 26:3, Lk 2:14). By His death and resurrection, Jesus has reconciled sinners with God and peace is thus restored. This peace is not an alleviation of temporal want or stress (Jn 14:27) but an inner peace of calmness and strength which comforts the troubled hearts and gives courage in the midst of fear (Jn 16:33, 2 Thes 3:16, Rom 5:1, Phil 4:7).
