Suburban Sha-what?

Since I first started this blog last August, the Spouse has been saying that I should give an explanation for its name, Suburban Shalom. So, I’m finally ready to try…

I think most everyone knows what “suburban” means. It is, after all, where a good many of us abide these days. Though suburbia may have changed a bit in form over the past few decades, it’s still where many of us find ourselves settling… be it in “starter” homes, dream homes, family homes, town homes, etc.

At a glance, suburbia might be called the land of plenty. In the movies and in its most idyllic form, it’s full of neat houses, cute kids, loving dogs, big SUV’s {or minivans}, corner coffee shops, pretty parks, and mega-churches. It’s where convenience and comfort abound and enough is never really enough. It’s a place driven by consumerism and competition. We like to think suburbia is where we can have it all, be it all, and do it all. But, does that sometimes come at a cost?

In many cases, suburbia may be where we live closer to our neighbors than ever before yet don’t know the names of their children. It’s where we have technology that connects us to the other end of the world in seconds, and yet we have a hole in our heart that longs for real community. At a glance, it’s well-manicured lawns and happy faces. But, upon closer inspection, it is often made up of people who are stressed, tired, lonely, hurting, discontent, and longing for more of something.

Shalom, on the other hand, isn’t a place at all. It’s a Hebrew word that means peace and/or wholeness. (Disclaimer: I am not a Hebrew scholar, so my understanding of shalom may be a little over-simplified). Shalom is more of a concept than a thing. To know shalom is to know completeness. In Scripture, shalom is used to refer to the well-being and wholeness of others and the well-being and wholeness of all creation. And, to experience shalom is to experience life as God intended, full of His peace, protection and blessing.

At first thought it may seem like suburbia and shalom are oxymorons. I mean, how can we be pursuing peace and wholeness when we’re busy keeping up with the Jones’? But, what suburbia and shalom have in common is that they both have something to do with prosperity. Shalom isn’t concerned with the health and wealth of our bodies and bank accounts, but it is about the prosperity of our souls. Shalom is about discovering peace and health in our relationship with God, with the people around us, and with the communities and cities we live in.

Maybe what most of us are seeking, whether we live on a secluded farm or here in the center of the suburbs IS shalom. We just don’t know to call it that. And, we look for it in all the wrong places. We can’t order shalom in a drive-thru or buy it with money from a promotion at work. We can’t get it by raising well-mannered kids and showing up for church once a week {or even every time the doors are open}. We can’t find it by doing all the “right” things, “having it all together,” or being the proverbial Jones’ themselves. It’s not something we can earn or arrive at, but rather something we must continually pursue. 

So, I guess it’s my great hope that shalom and suburbia don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Maybe, just maybe, we can bring a little shalom to the suburbs by pursuing it first as individuals… by intentionally taking time out to silence ourselves, to examine ourselves, to laugh at ourselves, to nurture deep friendships, to celebrate the goodness and the grace around us, and to experience a meaningful spiritual life right where we are. It may require more effort here than it does in quieter, slower-paced, more “spiritual” places. But, I want to think that God dwells here, too, offering it, His shalom… to the suburbs.

So, that’s the challenge. Hence the name. And, most days, this suburban dweller needs the reminder to pursue a little shalom more than anyone.