Jeremiah 29:4-7
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be 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 peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
The prophet Jeremiah sent this letter from Jerusalem to the Judahite exiles who had been forcibly taken to Babylon, roughly 600 years before Jesus. Many of them hoped for a quick return, but Jeremiah advised them to settle in for the long haul and even contribute to the well-being of their captors.
What does it mean to 'seek the peace' of a community you did not choose to be part of, and how might that shape your own peace?