Summary
The Hebrew word shalom describes God’s peace, the wholeness, completeness of it.
Shalom is what God desires not only for each part of Creation,
but for the relationships between them.
Shalem is another Hebrew word, and it’s found several times in Exodus 22:1-14.
It’s the word for restitution.
Shalem means to make amends, to repay, to do what is necessary to make someone whole.
Restitution requires recognition of losses that carry into the future,
and it also requires a community doing the hard, slow work of determining what justice requires,
and then helping to make it happen.
There can be no shalom without shalem.
Bible References
- Exodus 22:1 - 14
- Mark 10:17 - 22
