Jeremiah 29:4-7
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. Take wives, and father sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and don’t be diminished. 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.”
This passage is part of a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who had been exiled from Judah to Babylon in the early 6th century BCE. He is writing to them in a time of deep distress and uncertainty, offering them guidance for how to live in a foreign land rather than promoting immediate hope of return.
What does it mean to seek the well-being of a place you didn't choose to be, and how does that reshape your sense of belonging?