Shalom vs. Peace / Piece and the Jeru-Shalem Factor
As I was thinking of the meaning of "Shalom" and how it compares to the supposed equivalent in English, that is "Peace", I realized something very interesting. Shalom's basic Hebrew definition is this: "being in a state of wholeness or with no deficiency". The definition of Peace is generally understood to mean: "being in a state of non-War or non-conflict". Then I thought about the phonetically equivalent English word "Piece". And what is its definition? "A part of the whole". Now isn't that intriguing? The English word we use as an equivalent to Shalom sounds just like a word that is definitively its polar opposite (i.e., PIECE!).
Now the real kicker!
The world is currently trying to obtain Shalom/Peace in the Middle East by dividing the City of Wholeness (Jerusalem/Yeru-shalum) into Pieces. No wonder the world sometimes feels like it is completely confused, discombobulated, and going in circles (especially in regards to the "Peace Process")! Indeed, mankind's thinking is more often than not... YHVH's polar opposite.
October 12th, 2009 - 09:38
I’m so excited to see someone taking the definitions of “shalom” and “peace” into consideration–a very interesting thought! I’d argue that the shalom concept of wholeness and the peace concept of a lack of violence are two very different ideas and goals.