SHALOM

We didn’t have to look very far in the Scriptures to discover how central peace is to its story. Shalom is the Hebrew word translated as “peace.” More than merely the absence of conflict or lack of violence, shalom indicates wholeness2, completeness, fullness, salvation, and flourishing. Showing up 397 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, shalom is used as a greeting, a description, a desired reality, and even a name for God.

What surprised us was neither the repetition nor the various uses of the term but the fact that shalom, peace, wasn’t created. Shalom is who God is. Much like we say, “God is love” or “God is hope” in our efforts to establish God as the exemplar of these qualities, we can also say, “God is peace.”

With the phrase “In the beginning God . . . ” (Genesis 1:1), the author is clear that before anything else existed, God was complete, fully whole, fully alive, and filled to the brim with vigor and vitality. Then, throughout the first chapter of Genesis, God is identified not through singular but plural pronouns (see Genesis 1:26). Why? Because God was and is understood as unity-in-diversity. Our triune God—later described as the Father, Son, and Spirit—lived in a constant state of mutual reciprocity, mutual submission, and diversity in function. The triune image of God is a perfect picture of community and the ultimate embodiment of peace. We can imagine that God was totally satisfied and already wrapped up in the experience of deepest abundance before creating anything.

Peace was real before anyone had uttered the word.

Then God, who is shalom, began to speak existence into being. After establishing the framework of creation, God crafted the pinnacle of his work: humanity. When the human beings woke up, they entered a grand story and began to live their lives dancing to the rhythm of the divine heartbeat. It was beautiful, whole, and complete. Life as they knew it was the expanded embodiment of peace.

We can imagine the two original human beings working together, playing together, worshiping together, imagining together, disagreeing with each other, even making love together all in the company of a wholly satisfied God. Humanity existed together with God in a constant state of mutual reciprocity, mutual submission, and diversity in function.

Humanity flourished as they embraced their identity as God’s beloved, the wonder of their diversity, and the gift of being cherished by each other. Creation flourished as humanity stewarded it with wisdom. Everything was the way it was supposed to be. They were naked and unashamed, fully known, fully alive, fully free (Genesis 1:27). All of existence was complete and whole. It was peace on earth . . . for two chapters.

As suddenly as creation appeared, shalom disappeared.

It all started with a deceptive serpent (Genesis 3:1). While seemingly innocent, the snake expressed a cunning curiosity that began to unsettle humanity’s confidence in the goodness of God. They began to wonder whether they were truly beloved or just pawns in a divine drama. By conversation’s end, they resented the fact that they had been created into a story of which they were not the authors.

So, fueled by pride, they reached for the fruit of power and in so doing crossed the only boundary the Creator had established for them. Coveting authorship and longing to be in a story about themselves, they took the fruit, shared it, and ate (Genesis 3:6-7). In that moment the relationships between humanity and God, humanity and self, humanity and one another, and humanity and creation were fractured.

Conflict was born that day. Shalom—peace—was shattered. And the implications were immediate.

The couple, once fully known and cherished by the other, now chose isolation. Where nakedness had been a celebration of their belovedness by God and each other, fig-leaf garments now covered their shame. Where their words had once been of each other’s beauty and virtue, now they used their voices to accuse and blame. Where once they passionately contributed to each other’s flourishing, now they sought their own best interest at the other’s expense. Where once they had shared a beautiful equality, now hierarchy emerged and power was wielded to subjugate. Where once the presence of God was exhilarating, now they were terrified by the nearness of the Creator.

Shalom was still God and God was still very near, but peace on earth was no more.

The garden, a place of intimacy and purpose, had been replaced with a wandering, toiling existence. Home for Adam and Eve was now a world beyond shalom. It was a world marked by uncertainty, pain, and conflict.

CONFLICT: IS IT A FOUR-LETTER WORD?

Your heart rate just quickened, didn’t it? The word conflict slams into our bodies with the weight of painful memories. It evokes fear in some and anger in others. We all bear the scars of conflict.

For many, the word leads to memories of physical and emotional pain, relational brokenness, heartbreak, loneliness, and despair. For others, conflict conjures memories of guns, bombs, sexual assault, or crooked leaders. The word is associated with the loss of homes, businesses, and family members. Experiences like these have kindled a fear that causes us to avoid conflict at all costs. We learn to “keep the peace” by either absorbing the conflict or moving as far away from it as quickly as possible.

For others of us, aggression was our model. We learned at an early age that when conflict emerged, we were to win at all costs. Victory usually came through the demonstration of dominance, increased volume, and physical intimidation. So when conflict surfaces today, a familiar anger and survival instinct surges in us and we “keep the peace” by engaging the conflict armed for victory.

Our lived experiences have shaped our understanding of and behavior within conflict. But why does conflict happen?

REDEEMING CONFLICT

When God created, diversity was inevitable.

Think about it. If God is unity in diversity, then when the triune God created, the realities of diversity, distinction, and uniqueness were certain to inhabit creation. We see diversity etched into the created order: in plants and animals, the...