Shalom is holistic and is meant for all of God’s creation. God desires shalom of the body, of the soul, of the spirit, of the mind, of the land. A holistic view of shalom of this kind, however, is often found more in non-Western contexts, writes Gary Badcock. He contends that African Christianity is more likely to see the peace of God in terms of the wholeness of a person, a community, and a nation rather than dichotomized or individualized peace.14 Sadly, Western culture often celebrates shalom even if it comes at the expense of others or creation. We must be careful, however, not to view
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