This devotional series has 12 entries intended to carry through the Liturgical season of Christmas. I searched my memory and surveyed a bunch of parents to come up with twelve actual thoughts we had during our first days as parents. Perhaps these are also thoughts Mary or Joseph had during those first few days in Jesus’ infancy.

With each of my children I have fond memories of singing them to sleep as I rocked them in my arms and the only way I can properly describe those moments is “holy”. Even though I was exhausted, even though I felt in over my head, even though just moments earlier I had felt overwhelmed and frustrated, when they fell asleep in my arms it all just felt so holy and right.

Whenever I hear the line from Philippians about “the peace that surpasses all understanding” I think of these moments rocking my newborn children to sleep. It doesn’t make any sense. There are so many reasons why I should NOT be feeling peace at that moment and yet, despite it all, deep, soul-level peacefulness is exactly what I was feeling.

There’s a word for this soul-level, all-is-somehow-right-with-the-world peacefulness that the Biblical authors mention from time to time. The word they use is “Shalom”. Shalom is not just a fleeting peaceful feeling but it is God’s hope for all of creation. Shalom is a world-altering peace where everything is the way that God always hoped it would be.

INVITATION:  Take time today to consider what shalom might look like to you. What would it mean for God to set everything right? What would a deep, soul-level peacefulness look like for all people?