The Vandalism of Shalom

Cornelius Plantinga captured my mind, heart, and imagination with his understanding of shalom in his book Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be.  Lest I get in the way of a profound concept, gorgeously expressed, I will quote him at length.

The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. …In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom He delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be…

Ponder his words for a moment. Chew upon them. Savor the juices of substantial spiritual meat. Allow the thousands of taste buds to send grace-filled messages to your mind. And then swallow and long for healthy digestion of a profound, comprehensive ideal.

I am convinced that we live our lives “lingering” over a Paradise that was lost and “longing” for a heaven yet-to-come. I believe our image-bearing DNA, though crippled by the reality of sin, knows of a world that ought to be. In fact, I submit one of the Enemy’s greatest triumphs is to keep before us his distorted version of the so-called “real” world. In reality, his world is shot through with counterfeit. We are flying upside down because we have neglected both the instrument and instrumentation of shalom.

What does this have to do with Christian education? Do we perceive shalom in this mission that purports to be Christ-centered and Biblically-directed? I see shalom in the morning when traffic flows smoothly on and off the Macon campus. I see the “vandalism of shalom” when gridlock occurs.

I often perceive the “vandalism of shalom.” I observe at times the spread of rumor and innuendo. I see it when parents see themselves primarily as advocates for their children, unwittingly driving a wedge between home and school. I see it in administrators and faculty who at times pass along a negative report concerning a student instead of speaking in a manner that enhances shalom. I look into the mirror and perceive a person who is prone to believe the worst, not the best; who keeps an account of wrongdoing – attitudes and refined sins that are antithetical to the agape principles in I Corinthians 13.

I saw shalom at the Senior Retreat when I observed 114 seniors praying together, worshipping, scaling walls. It was the rich seed of fellowship, budding toward community. I also heard laughter. It was not the cheap, sarcastic, cutting laughter of the sitcoms; instead, it was the rich, redemptive humor of shalom. I have seen shalom in the way a community of grace surrounds the one who has lost a dad, a son, a grandparent. Shalom rejoices with those who rejoice, and weeps with those who weep.

I have seen shalom in which a young student disagrees with her teacher, yet responds with dignity, grace, and respect. I have seen it in young athletes who are plagued with injury, yet pour themselves into something larger than self – modeling shalom. I have seen shalom in an English class in which an alumnus connects Chesterton’s The Man Who was Thursday with The Ballad of the White Horse and Orthodoxy. I marveled at this young engineer as he clearly and passionately fused prose and poetry, art and craft, mythos and logos.

Christian education does not deny the “vandalism of shalom.” Yet it does defy the notion “that’s the way it’s supposed to be.” Shalom is a picture of “oughtness.” It embraces truth, cherishes goodness, and celebrates beauty. It is not the absence of hostility; instead it is the grace-filled comprehensive peace at every level of human existence.