Peace. It’s my word. Well, really it’s shalom. Shalom is a Hebrew greeting and it means peace. Years ago, as a college student, I was given the word “SHALOM” as a welded together made-of-nails wall hanging. It has always hung in the entrance to every place I’ve lived. Since my move to Florida I can’t find my “SHALOM” made-of-nails wall hanging, or, at least, I haven’t found it yet.

While I don’t have the wall hanging, I do have the word—peace. It’s often the way I end a telephone conversation. That was pointed out to me the other day. That same person asked me why I do that. I do that because shalom (or peace) is both a greeting and a claim. I claim it in my life as who I’m called to be in Christ. I claim it and I offer it too—I offer peace to you when I speak with you or when you read my words here. May you know peace. May you know it even when you don’t feel it. May you claim it even as I share it with you here on my website. Peace. Shalom. Shalom, my friend, shalom.

-Daris, 1 Nov 2017