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 will you have shalom.”
This verse is part of a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles living in Babylon, around the 6th century BCE. They had been forcibly removed from their homeland and were naturally distressed, hoping for a swift return. Jeremiah's message here encourages them to settle in and work for the well-being of the very city that held them captive.
How might seeking the 'shalom' of a community reshape our own engagement with it, especially when our personal hopes or visions for it differ from its current reality?