The Pursuit of Shalom

A Reflection for Thursday, November 27 by Rev. Bronwyn Leigh Murphy 

Lectionary reading for 11/27/2025: Psalm 122; Daniel 9:15-19; James 4:1-10;

Selected passage for reflection: Psalm 122

Read

Psalm 122 NIV

¹ I rejoiced with those who said to me,   

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

² Our feet are standing   

in your gates, Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem is built like a city   

that is closely compacted together.

⁴ That is where the tribes go up—   

the tribes of the Lord—to praise the name of the Lord   

according to the statute given to Israel.

⁵ There stand the thrones for judgment,   

the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:   

“May those who love you be secure.

⁷ May there be peace within your walls   

and security within your citadels.”

⁸ For the sake of my family and friends,   

I will say, “Peace be within you.”

⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,   

I will seek your prosperity.

Reflect

One of the best parts of going on vacation is the excitement of getting to your destination. We eagerly pack our cars, check in to airport gates, and board trains full of joyful anticipation. Along the way, we think of all of the fun and amazing things we will do when we arrive at our destination and all the goodness our trip will bring. Perhaps we can hardly sleep the night before, thinking about all the incredible adventures that await us. There is a palatable excitement that bubbles up inside of us as we move ever closer to our destination. I can’t help but wonder if this is similar to how David felt in writing about the ascent to Jerusalem. Here they are- eager pilgrims, excitedly preparing to enter the place of the Lord. The anticipation almost leaps off the page. Their hope and expectation for the journey ahead: peace. The word appears three consecutive times in verses 6-8, suggesting that peace was a central motivation for the pilgrims’ ascent to the holy city.

While peace is certainly a worthy pursuit, if we read “peace” solely as we understand it in 2025 terms, we miss the profound depth of the term in the Hebrew, the original language of Psalm 122. In this Psalm, David is not just praying for security, calm, and prosperity; he is praying for shalom. Shalom is peace that does not just indicate the absence of war or conflict, but a peace that reflects a sense of well-being. Shalom is peace that stretches wider than our present circumstances. Shalom is peace that goes deep within. This is David’s prayer that, after a joyfully anticipated journey, there would be a transformative peace that reaches the soul. As we begin Advent anew, let us be pilgrims in pursuit and expectation of shalom. 

Respond 

What does shalom look like in your life? How can you pursue shalom in your context? This Advent, open your head and heart to the pursuit of shalom, a peace that transcends and transforms. 

Rest 

God, thank you for this Advent season and the opportunity to wait in joyful expectation. Please give us the strength as pilgrims on the journey to pursue shalom. May we trust that you are interested in our well-being, inside and out. 

About the Author 

Rev. Bronwyn Leigh Murphy is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church. She currently serves as both a hospital chaplain resident and a preschool teacher at an ability-inclusive preschool near Sacramento, CA. Bronwyn serves on several denominational leadership teams, advocating for and supporting the marginalized. She has been married to her husband for over 20 years, and they, along with their 3 children and 2 dogs, have been enthusiastically and faithfully cheering on the Los Angeles Dodgers for many years.