thinking bible.

You asked

how can communities facing displacement or long term instability find ways to 'seek the shalom' of their current context?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Jeremiah 29:7

Seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its shalom you will have shalom.

The prophet Jeremiah writes to Jewish exiles who have been forcibly removed from their homeland and are living in Babylon. This letter comes early in their captivity, addressing their hopes for a quick return and urging them to settle into their new reality.

What does it mean to contribute to the 'shalom' of a community that feels foreign or even hostile?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Psalm 137:1-6

    This psalm expresses the deep grief and longing for home felt by the exiles in Babylon.

  • Genesis 12:1-3

    Abraham is called to leave his home and bless others, even in foreign lands.

  • 1 Peter 2:11-12

    Early Christians are encouraged to live honorably as 'foreigners and exiles' among their non-believing neighbors.

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