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.”
This verse comes from a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who had been forcibly exiled from their homeland in Judah to Babylon. They were hoping for a quick return, but Jeremiah told them they would be there for a long time, and to settle in and contribute to the well-being of their new, foreign city.
When we feel uprooted or in a difficult place, what does it mean to seek the good of that place, rather than just our own escape?