Vandalism of Shalom

A theologian who lives around me once defined shalom as, "The way things are supposed to be."  Click here for more on this.  I like this definition because I find truth in it.  God created the world to function a certain way - Adam and Eve sinned (the Fall) and the result was a world functioning much differently than God intended.

The Fall distorted God's intent for creation,
things aren't the way they're supposed to be,
everything doesn't happen for a reason,
something broke,
shalom was vandalized.

The little boy who is beaten by his drunken dad.  The homeless person asking for money to buy food but rejects the sandwich given to him.  The way it felt when we found out he died.  The breaking of trust.  What it feels like when we get left out.  Perhaps we know stories, have heard stories, or have been involved in stories which exemplify the brokenness of creation.

Things aren't the way they're supposed to be.
Shalom has become vandalized.
Something isn't right.

And this brings up tension,
we don't like tension.
We want tension to be resolved,
don't we?

That's why many of us are fascinated and obsessed with who Jesus was/is.  Because of the vandalism of shalom, there's an unresolved tension that needs to be alleviated and we believe Jesus is the alleviator.  And we've felt it!  We've felt the overbearing and oppressive weight taken off our shoulders by Christ.  We once felt heavy and burdened, now we feel light and free and restful.  That tension is fully resolved in the person of Jesus; he fixes shalom when it gets vandalized.  Even more, Jesus not only died for the vandalism of shalom, he taught about the kingdom of shalom.  He doesn't simply lift the weight, he teaches the way.  In Jesus we find relief from the tension and learn the way of this shalom!

It hurts
but it can get better.

There's tension
but you can have resolve.

In Christ
the vandalism of shalom is washed away and make clean.