The words "Makom Shalom" have always
been meaningful to me. "Makom"
means place and we obviously know
that "shalom" means peace. I began
thinking about this term when I read
about Jacob's dream of the ladder
leading to the heavens in Genesis
28. He saw the angels leaving their
walkabouts on the earth and climbing
the stairway to the skies. When he
awoke he said:
"Surely the Lord is present in this
place (makom), and I did not know
it."
This was powerful to me because
surely God is present in our every
breath, but often we get occupied
with the busyness of life and forget
to notice the divine within and
around us. When I was ordained, I
had this thought woven into a tallit
I treated myself to for the
occasion.
Makom Shalom became my mantra for
finding peace within the moment.
This place, whatever place, wherever
I am - - is a place of peace.
Makom Shalom could be kayaking with
friends in the quiet of the
mangroves. It could be a quiet
sitting with the puppies at the end
of the day. It could be a dinner of
special friends who love and support
each other.
Makom Shalom times are times free of
hassle, of gossip, of
mean-spiritedness, of hustle and
bustle.
We all need to be aware of Makom
Shalom times and create or discover
them in our own lives.
Makom Shalom is my vision for a
congregation -- when we can enter
sacred space and leave contention
outside of the door (and not pick it
up when we leave). It is the coming
together with others of like mind,
with respect, recognizing the divine
within each other -- and sharing the
sacred time and space and moment to
inspire and build up ourselves and
each other. It is a time and space
where synergy builds and the mood is
vibrant and joyful and loving and
cooperative.
