Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
There are some words that are nearly impossible to translate into English without losing some of their original meanings. One of those words is the Hebrew, Shalom. It is normally translated simply as Peace in English; however, ‘peace’ does not do justice to the richness of that word in its original Hebrew. Shalom when it is used as a common greeting, wishes to others, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity and tranquility.
It is that beautiful word that, undoubtedly, the risen Jesus used in speaking to his disciples for the first time as he found them quarantined in fear in that upper room following the his crucifixion and the strange stories that he was seen alive. Jesus, who knew their hearts, was aware of the fears that paralyzed them. No wonder then that he used this word, shalom, so rich in meaning to calm their fears and to assure them that all would be well.
All would be well. How important that reality of shalom is for all of us whose lives have been turned upside-down in this world-wide pandemic that has gripped so many in fear in apprehension. We, like the disciples, find ourselves quarantined and not knowing what the future may hold for us. And Jesus, the good and merciful shepherd that he is, stands before us again and speaks that greeting of shalom to each of us, reassuring us that from the Lord’s perspective, all will be well.
As terrifying as a death-dealing pandemic may be, the Lord in our gospel story today goes to the reality that can equally fill our lives with dis-ease and paralyze us from becoming all that he wants us to be. The passage speaks of Jesus gifting the disciples with his spirit to forgive.
I recently saw the utterly charming movie, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, with Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers. At its heart, it is a moving parable of the power of forgiveness to heal and make whole - the power of forgiveness to gift us with shalom in our lives.
As we celebrate these 50 days of Easter rejoicing, let us bask in the shalom that the Risen Jesus desires for each of us in the face of whatever might threaten to steal that gift from our lives. And let us realize the power that each one of us possesses to grant shalom to one another through the simple words I forgive you!