Shalom is a Hebrew
word that has traditionally been translated “peace,” but in the Hebrew language shalom means much more than “peace”
means to English speakers today.
Shalom does not have the passive, even negative,
connotation of the word “peace.” It does not mean merely the absence of strife.
It is pregnant with positive, active and energetic meaning and association. It
connotes totality, health, wholesomeness, harmony, success, the completeness
and richness of living in an integrated social milieu.1
Even today when Hebrew speakers meet or
part they wish each other “shalom” or
they inquire about each other’s “shalom.”
The foundation of a social environment of
shalom is strong gender equal relationships built on the sacredness of life and
valuing “the image of God” in others.
The
idea of a Society of Shalom first
appears in the Scriptures of Christianity and Judaism in the first chapter of the first book – Genesis 1 – in the account of the creation
of humans.
27 God created the ADAM in His image;
in the image of God He created him (the ADAM);
male and female He created them.
ADAM is the Hebrew
word that means “humans” in this
context. “The ADAM” is created “in the
image of God.” “The ADAM” is a “them” – not a “her” or a “him.”
● A
male is not the “the image of God.”
● A
female is not “the image of God.”
● Viewing
God as a male or female is not viewing the “image of God.”
● “The
image of God” requires a model that includes “both genders.”
In
this ancient text, living as “the image
of God” is the highest possible level
of human of achievement, fulfillment and happiness.
Males and females
living together in harmony as equals in a society of strong relationships built
on the Blessing of the Humans in the Genesis account.
The
foundational institution of a “Society of
Shalom” is “the Family.” It is
the most important and most sacred institution of a Society of Shalom. When God blessed the first two humans He created
“the family.” His blessing revealed His vision of the kind of family
the humans are to create, with instructions for males and females to fulfill their
roles and responsibilities.
● Life as part of “the image of God” is valued above “individual power and wealth.”
● Male and female are defined by the physical capacity to produce offspring.
● Male and female are equal genders in relationships and as members of society.
● Male and female are equals in the exercise of power.
● Male and female have equal rights and responsibilities.
● Male and female have gender specific unique functions.
● Co-parenting
their offspring is a very important role of male and female.
God’s blessing empowered humans
to successfully fulfill their roles and responsibilities. In the Genesis
account of the Flood, as well as in other biblical accounts where societies fail,
the primary reason for social failure is
the failure of parents to mentor and teach their children how to “subdue” their
Earth souls.
In
the Genesis account individual males and females have an Earth soul and individuals
can reflect the “image of an animal”
through their actions when their earthly soul
appetites, desires and longings drive their actions and they do harm to
human lives – their lives and the lives
of others.
● Animals are driven by instincts.
● Animals live their
entire lives in physical environments determined
by nature.
● Humans have
the creative power to change physical
environments.
● Humans have
the biological capacity to learn how
to control their impulses and exercise
self-control over their earthly appetites, desires and longings.
● Humans have
the power to individually and collectively protect
and preserve lives, make lives more functional and increase the quality of life
for themselves and others.
God empowered
humans to live lives at a higher and more fulfilling level than animals. Parents have been
endowed with the responsibility of mentoring
and teaching their offspring how to live at that higher level.
● Mentoring is demonstrating how to reveal “the image of God” through words and actions.
● Teaching is an ongoing process that uses situations that occur in the normal course
of life as teaching opportunities.
● Parenting is a lifestyle, not a program or
service that cannot be “subbed out.”
● Humans are biologically endowed to be mentored and
taught.
This
is the first blog in a series
I call, “Societies of Shalom.” Be sure
you do not miss future blogs by following the TOV Center Lives 1st Blog and/or “Liking” our Lives 1st
Facebook Page. Making our society better begins with making our families
better. We want to help you make your
family better -- and as more of us do that our society will become better too.
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1 Hebrew: The
Eternal Language by William
Chomsky © 1957 by the Jewish Publications Society of America, Philadelphia, PA;
p. 4.
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