阅读经文 

“和平”的希伯来原文是Shalom。这个字的意思内涵丰富，远不止无争议、无战争、无冲突、无压力或无敌意。它指所有受造的人和物都全然兴盛，就像生命原本应有的样式。在犯罪堕落之前，我们的始祖在伊甸园享受和平Shalom的生活。（参创 2）他们在树荫下安然与神同行；他们全然享受彼此相伴；他们手所做的工和居住的世界都是美好无暇的。

作为信徒，藉着耶稣的牺牲，我们已经与神和好，现今我们能够至少尝到些许亚当和夏娃犯罪之前的生活。同样，无论在教会内外，我们也可以瞥见我们所盼望的在神面前才有的平安。这种平安，有时我们能深深畅饮，有时却只是略略浅尝，然而它却是始终都临在的。

我们也领受了一份差遣，就是引领他人再次经历这种平安。其中一个可行的方式就是扪心自问：“我可以做些什么，来帮助其他人活得更加在地如天（神国）呢？”在今天，你能想到一个让别人的生命经历平安的途径吗？

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. This rich word means much more than the absence of conflict, war, or strife and a lack of tension or animosity. It points to full flourishing for all people and creation, in which life is exactly as it should be. Prior to their fall into sin, our first parents enjoyed shalom in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2). They fully enjoyed their walks with God in the cool of the day, they enjoyed each other's company fully, and their work and world were beautiful.

As believers who have been restored to a right relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus, we now have a taste—at least to some degree—of what Adam and Eve enjoyed before sin entered their lives. Likewise, in the church and outside of it, we also have a glimpse of the peace that awaits us in God's presence. Sometimes this taste of shalom is strong, and sometimes it is weak, but it is always there.

We have also been tasked with bringing others to a renewed sense of peace. One way of approaching this is to ask, "How can I make life on earth seem a little more like heaven (or God's kingdom) for someone else?" Can you think of a way to bring peace into the lives of others today?