In his book, "Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin", Cornelius Plantinga captures the essence of this word: “The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.”

In this single word lies a vision for the world as God intended it to be—a world not fractured by sin or marred by injustice, but a place of flourishing, harmony, and joy. When you say shalom, you are not merely wishing someone a peaceful day; you are speaking a blessing that encompasses the fullness of life, the restoration of relationships, and the thriving of all creation.

The Old Testament prophets spoke often of shalom, pointing to a future where the brokenness of the world would be healed. In their vision, shalom meant justice for the oppressed, joy for the sorrowful, and the reconciliation of all things to God. Isaiah, for instance, described a world where swords would be beaten into plowshares and where wolves would dwell with lambs—a poetic image of universal peace and harmony (Isaiah 2:4; 11:6).

To live in shalom is to experience the fullness of life as God designed it. It’s a holistic peace that satisfies physical, emotional, spiritual, and communal needs. Imagine a world where families are united, where neighbors support each other, where ecosystems flourish, and where work brings fulfillment rather than frustration. That is the vision you invoke when you say shalom.

When you greet someone with shalom, you do more than articulate a beautiful idea. You participate in the mission of God to bring about the renewal of all things. You are offering a blessing, expressing a desire for the recipient to experience wholeness and flourishing. At the same time, you are reminding yourself and others that we are called to be agents of shalom in a broken world.

As followers of Christ, we understand that true and lasting shalom comes only through Him. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ has made a way for us to be reconciled to God and to each other. Paul writes that Jesus is “our peace” (Ephesians 2:14) because He has broken down the dividing wall of hostility and made us one. The fullness of shalom will be realized when Christ returns to renew the heavens and the earth. Until then, we live in hope, echoing the words of Revelation 21:4, which promises a day when God will wipe away every tear, and death and sorrow will be no more.

If you choose to greet or farewell people with the word shalom, remember its deep significance. You are blessing others with the vision of a world where God, humanity, and all creation live in perfect harmony, and you are committing yourself to live as an ambassador of that vision. In shalom, we see the heartbeat of God and the hope of His people—a hope that one day, all things will be made new.