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what does 'shalom' mean for a community struggling with deep divisions or injustice?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

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 the Jewish exiles who have been forcibly removed from Jerusalem and taken to Babylon (around 597 BCE). This letter challenges their hope for a quick return and instead calls them to settle in, build lives, and contribute to the well-being of their captor city.

How might seeking the well-being of those we perceive as 'other' or even 'oppressor' open pathways to our own healing and flourishing?

Then — the setting

Jeremiah's letter was written in the late 7th or early 6th century BCE to the first wave of Judahite exiles in Babylon. These were people stripped of their homeland, temple, and monarchy, facing a long, uncertain future. Many hoped for an immediate return, encouraged by false prophets. Jeremiah's message was counter-cultural, urging them to embrace their long-term situation in a foreign, pagan land and to actively work for its good, rather than waiting passively or resisting violently.

Across the Testaments

This Old Testament passage introduces 'shalom' not just as an internal state but as a public, communal responsibility, even towards those seen as enemies. The New Testament picks up this theme, especially in Jesus' teachings to 'love your enemies' and 'pray for those who persecute you' (Matthew 5:44). While Jeremiah commands seeking the 'shalom' of an oppressive city for pragmatic reasons (their well-being is tied to the city's), Jesus elevates it to a moral imperative rooted in the nature of God, demonstrating a development in the ethical scope of such a command.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Isaiah 9:6-7
Prophesies a ruler whose reign will bring abundant 'shalom' to the people.
Psalm 34:14
Exhorts individuals to 'seek shalom and pursue it' as an active choice.
Romans 12:18
Encourages believers to 'live in shalom with all men' if possible, echoing the active pursuit.

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