shalom - four -

We're so sorry that we've missed the last week of the blog. We were at a conference with limited internet access. Over the next few days we'll post our remaining images/ thoughts etc.

Give out an image:

Give out a thought:

Indeed there are many ways of compromising God's will for shalom.

One way that the community can say "no" to the vision and live without shalom is by deceiving itself into thinking that its private arrangements of injustice and exploitation are suitable ways of living...

 The prophets persistently criticized and polemicized against those well-off and powerful ones who legitimized their selfish prosperity and deceived themselves into thinking this was permanent. The prophetic vision of shalom stands against all private arrangements, all "seperate peaces," all ghettos, that pretend the others are not there...

A second way of perverting the vision is to take a short term view...

A third way of abusing God's will for shalom is to credit certain props as sources of life - for example, to idolize political or religious furniture and prentend it is the power of God. (Brueggemann)