You asked

when are we asked to contribute to communities that have caused us pain, and how do we respond?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Jeremiah 29:7

“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.”

This verse is part of a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon, around the early 6th century BCE. The people had been forcibly removed from their homeland in Judah by the Babylonian empire, and many hoped for a swift return. Jeremiah's letter counters this hope, telling them to settle in and seek the welfare of the very place of their captivity.

What might it mean to seek the peace of a community that has caused you or your group harm?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Matthew 5:44
Jesus teaches his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
Romans 12:14
Paul instructs believers to bless those who persecute them, not curse them.
1 Peter 2:13-17
Peter encourages submission to governing authorities, even in difficult circumstances, for the sake of good conduct.

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