Virtue: Shalom

Resolution: I choose to pursue the flourishing of myself, my community, and the world.

Human Story: St. Olympias the Deaconess

Olympias was born in 4th century Constantinople to wealthy and politically connected parents. Her parents both died when she was very young, and she inherited their fortune. She later married a man named Nebridius who was the Prefect of Constantinople. Shortly after their marriage Nebridius died and left Olympius as a childless widow, which was an unfortunate position for a woman in that time. She, however, rejected all subsequent proposals of marriage and determined to commit the rest of her life entirely to Christ. Olympius was a young woman who had experienced both wealth and heartbreak – a life of comfort and also hardship.

She had been discipled by St. John Chrysostom and had a deep relationship with Christ. Chrysostom was exiled from Constantinople but continued to support her through letters. After her husband passed, she decided to give away her fortune. She used her money for several projects that would bring peace to her community. She built a convent for hurting women which grew to include close to 200. She supported churches and initiatives for the poor across the entire region. She helped the orphan and widow. One of her more radical decisions was to free all of her family slaves, and one historiographer noted, “Her slaves, whom she released, wore beautiful clothes and lived with more comfort.”*

Olympius was a woman determined to bring about shalom – peace and flourishing for others. Many who would have experienced her hardships of parents dying at young age and her husband dying in the months after the wedding would have become cynical or bitter toward the Lord. She could have spent her massive fortune in unhealthy and selfish ways. Instead she chose to bring peace into her chaotic world. She was radical, especially for her time, in her shalom (peace bringing) initiatives. It was not popular to create a safe space for hurting women in that day. It was not commonplace to free slaves and then treat them with more dignity than self. These things certainly upset the cultural norm.

In our effort to establish Shalom, we will sometimes be called to care for people in selfless ways, maybe even in some radical ways that people don’t understand. May we be able to sustain our faith through tragedy and heartbreak like Olympius. May we know the God who gives lavishly and generously. May we seek to be a safe space for the vulnerable and hurting. May we be shalom bringers – bringing God’s kingdom to earth.

*https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/07/the-life-and-struggles-of-saint-olympia.html

Lesson: Isaiah 32:16-20

The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, 
his righteousness live in the fertile field. 
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; 
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, 
in secure homes, 
in undisturbed places of rest. 
Though hail flattens the forest 
and the city is leveled completely, 
how blessed you will be, 
sowing your seed by every stream, 
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

Isaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah. He spoke this message of judgment to the leaders: your rebellion will come at a cost. If they persisted in their idolatry and oppression of the poor, the main superpower of the day (Assyria, then followed by Babylon) would come and defeat Judah and carry them into exile.

Isaiah’s prophecy was contingent. The leaders could turn from their ways and God would relent, using them as his carriers of blessing to all nations. The concept of being purified by fire was introduced early in Isaiah 6. Painful things may happen, but the result is shalom, flourishing, and a new Jerusalem. The Hebrew word “shalom” occurs 267 times in the Old Testament. In the book of Isaiah, it occurs 30 times, second only to Jeremiah. When researching references of shalom, it is obvious that it does not simply mean the absence of conflict, which is the modern use of the word “peace.” Rather, the connotation is flourishing, security, resting, safety, and blessing. But shalom cannot take place with oppression. The weakest members in society were not being taken care of during Isaiah’s day, as they often are not today, and in fact they were being exploited. Shalom often requires key individuals, like St. Olympias, to step up, call out oppression, and use their influence and resources for the flourishing of those who are hurting. The passage above beautifully shows what shalom is all about: safe flourishing homes, no conflict, serenity, confidence, rest, and blessing of resources. 

Isaiah writes beautiful poetry to create a longing for this shalom. We know that ultimate shalom will not take place until the final resurrection, when Christ returns, and heaven and earth are joined together, and God will be all in all (Rev. 21). However, we are called to provide foretastes of that ultimate shalom right now. Taking our cues from the passage above, asking how you can help your neighbors and community have safer homes, less conflict, more quietness and rest, and more blessing of resources is a great place to start.

Remembrance

Olympius and Chrysostom corresponded via letter and many of those letters still exist. Below is one section of a letter that demonstrates Chrysostom’s encouragement to Olympius and her efforts to bring about Shalom.

Do you see the abundance of resource belonging to God? His wisdom, His extraordinary power, His loving-kindness and care? Be not therefore dismayed or troubled but continue to give thanks to God for all things, praising, and invoking Him; beseeching and supplicating; even if countless tumults and troubles come upon you, even if tempests are stirred up before your eyes let none of these things disturb you. For our Master is not baffled by the difficulty, even if all things are reduced to the extremity of ruin. For it is possible for Him to raise those who have fallen, to convert those who are in error, to set straight those who have been ensnared, to release those who have been laden with countless sins, and make them righteous, to quicken those who are dead, to restore lustre to decayed things, and freshness to those which have waxen old. For if He makes things which are not, come into being, and bestows existence on things which are nowhere by any means manifest, how much more will He rectify things which already exist.

Reference: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1916.htm

Challenge

1. Research non-profits in your community. If you are not familiar, begin to explore organizations that are doing justice work in your community. Contact the organization to see if there are ways that you can assist based upon your availability and resources. https://www.taxexemptworld.com/organizations/cleveland-tn-tennessee.asp

2. Think about people in your community who are doing healthy justice work. Choose 2-3 people who come to mind and write them a note of encouragement and thank them for being people of shalom who are bringing about flourishing in the community.

3. This week pray the Lord’s prayer every day with intention and focus on the phrase “let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As you pray that portion be open to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you consider parts of your community that do not feel like heaven. What issues do you think would be unacceptable to Jesus? Make those things a matter of prayer and possibly action.

Reflection

A society concerned with shalom will care for the most marginalized among them. God has a special concern for the poor and needy, because how we treat them reveals our hearts, regardless of the rhetoric we employ to make ourselves sound just. -        Randy S. Woodley

Further Growth

2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 20

Old Testament: Wisdom 1:16—2:1 *
Psalm: Psalm 54
New Testament: James 3:16— 4:6
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

* apocryphal text

2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 20

Old Testament: Jonah 3:10-4:11
Psalm: Psalm 145
New Testament: Philippians 1:21-27
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16