Shalom aleheinu brothers and sisters: may peace be among us.
As I was translating a document from Hebrew dating back to the British mandate in Israel for a sister in the meeting, I realised the importance of this greeting among Israelis. It has the meaning of bringing peace with you to a place, to a house, to a meeting or a group. Also I was reminded of this in translating the closure of the letter: shalom aleja, peace be with you.
My question to you is: do you feel this peace fulfilled in you this morning? Are you calm, in unison with others, pure and unique? Or are you stressed out, finishing a terrible week with the pressures of work, ill health, the house, the children?
So if, instead of saying Hi! or Hello! I say shalom aleheinu to you this morning, will that mean something to you? Are you really bringing peace with you to the Lord’s table today?
Trying to explain
For those who have grown up in the Christadelphian belief and never have had to encounter the difficulty of explaining to your family the change of direction in life and the decision you have had to make, it may become an easy part of your way of life. It is more difficult when your family is Jewish, lives in Israel, and appears to have a unique dislike to anything Christian. However, last week I was determined to explain to my dad and sisters in more detail my belief once and for all.
It all went horribly wrong from the beginning. We said our shalom aleheinu but then my sister told me of this ‘present’ she had purchased for me.
A tiny gift
On arrival at her home she pulled out the gift, which apparently most people in Israel, since the intifada and the bombings started, carry with them. The gift? No other than the book of tehilim, yes, the book of the Psalms. Here it is: a true pocket size (about 2 cm X 1.5 cm, around an inch tall).
I think I am in need of glasses to read it, but she proceeded to tell me how important and meaningful it is to be Jewish. Then I had to face sharp disagreement from my brother-in-law, who is in the police force and a member of the team responsible for evacuating four Jewish settlements. Only two weeks ago he was beaten up by an angry orthodox Jewish group and then attacked by a Palestinian stone thrower within five minutes of each other! So you can say I faced some hostility when I tried to explain why I had become a Christadelphian!
Probably there was not a lot of shalom aleheinu at that time. But in one way or another, whether we appreciate it or not, God’s presence is always among us, offering and providing peace for us all.
At the center of the Bible
Actually there is so much more to the tiny book of tehilim than merely carrying it around to lessen our fear of suicide bombers, nor is it a source of inspired proof texts with which to smite an adversary. This book of Psalms is at the very center of the Bible. This great collection of songs and prayers expresses the heart and soul of humanity. In them the whole range of human experience is expressed. There are no clichés in this book. Instead, David and others pour out their true feelings and a longing to be at peace with themselves and with their God. They reflect a dynamic, powerful, and life-changing friendship with God. In the Psalms, the writers confess their sins, express their doubts and fears, ask God for help in times of trouble, and praise and worship Him.
As you read this tiny book, you hear people crying out to God from the depths of despair. You hear them singing to Him in their ‘highs’ of celebration. But whether despairing or rejoicing, you will always hear them sharing honest feelings with God; and because of that, many of us have come again and again to the book of Psalms for comfort during times of struggle and distress. And we have risen from the depths of despair to new highs of joy and praise as we discovered the power of God’s everlasting love and forgiveness, and His true peace.
Trying to tell the message
Sometimes we have difficulty telling the message. Again I failed my family, and my only way out was to photocopy from my Hebrew Bible Isaiah 53, and secretly leave it in my sister’s handbag.
Anywhere we go, or to anyone we meet, we must try to say shalom aleheinu — peace among us, peace in our hearts. Living today is hard, and we are all inclined to read the small writing, but what about the big writing of God, written on the inside tablets of the heart, the peace which Jesus offers. After all, he died for us. He was at peace with himself. The last message for his followers before he went to the cross was: I have told you everything so that in me you also may have peace. That is wonderful. He said that at the supper table. So are we at peace with him and with each other as we meet here? Yes, that is what he wanted more than anything.
The new Jerusalem
When my family left me, they said to me, as good Jews always do, Next year in Jerusalem. That is funny, because they are already there. But the city that is on their minds is the old Jerusalem where there is no peace. Today, we are at peace with ourselves, so that we can get ready for the new Jerusalem, wherein dwells righteousness. Jesus knew that you cannot ever build true peace with walls and guided missiles. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the fruit of righteousness is peace. That is God’s way.
I hope that when my sister reads Isaiah 53, she will be able to open her eyes and heart to the prophetic words: the suffering that brought us peace was upon him, and ask herself the question which I asked and found the answer: Is not this the true Messiah?
So let me open this tiny book of tehilim, and read:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you find assurance. May there be peace within your walls. For the sake of all my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you’ . Shalom aleheinu.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One