Flavor #30: Peace (Shalom; Eirene)

(Complete list and links to the 31 Flavors of Wisdom)

Meaning, Essence, and Significance: Peace encompasses more than the absence of conflict. The Hebrew word Shalom points to completeness, wholeness, well-being, and prosperity; a state where all aspects of life are in harmony. Similarly, the Greek term Eirene conveys tranquility and restfulness. Together, these terms illustrate that true peace involves physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being, fostering unity and flourishing among your family, friends and in the communities you interact. ​The gifts and experience of Peace are realized when Thinking (#8), Reason (#12), Intelligence (#13), Creativity (#19), Understanding (#20), Humility (#22) and Gentleness/Emotional Regulation (#29) are used to help you achieve Skilled Behavior (#27) and Skilled Outcomes (#28) in your life and in your interaction with others.  Peace is a crucial ingredient in reconciliation (Katallasso: To lay aside wrath and simultaneously impart peace), and regulating your emotions so you’re able to quickly recall and implement your green zone, healthy adult mode behaviors to cultivate peace, which brings you closer to creating and experiencing this virtue.

Practical Appearance and Nutritional Value: Practically, embodying Peace involves working to experience harmony in your relationships, marked by the presence of understanding, which leads to contributing to the well-being of your “neighbor” (2.0, which is the person who is in closest proximity to you; Plesion). This includes actively reconciling differences, exhibiting empathy, and creating environments where others around you feel safe and valued. The “nutritional value” of Peace lies in your ability to reduce stress, enhance mental and physical health, and build health and resilience in the communities you associate in. By cultivating peace, you enrich your life and positively impact those around you, resulting in a compassionate and cohesive society. ​

Who deserves some of this seasoning?  “My family and my colleagues at work. To produce and maintain peace, I need to make peace with God (“Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you” – Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430); make peace within myself (“A heart at peace gives life to the body” – Psalm 14: 30); then make peace with others (“If it is at all possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” – Romans 12: 18). Finally, I will live by the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” 

So thanks again for looking at these 31 Flavors of Wisdom and hopefully, participating in the 31 Day Wisdom Challenge, and for reading this excerpt from Cultivating Love: Wisdom for Life. As time permits, please visit the other blogs written by Dr. Ken McGill: Daily Bread for Life and “3–2- 5–4–24” for additional information that could be helpful.