When daily news shakes our sense of stability, it can feel difficult to hold fast to the Good News and not be afraid. I am comforted by the story in all four Gospels where Yeshua (Jesus) stood in the boat on the stormy Sea of Galilee, rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith, and said, “Shalom (peace), be still.” Shalom is often translated as “peace,” but it means so much more. Shalom comes from the root word “shalem”—when something is “shalem” it is in right order; it is complete; it is whole.

Yeshua, the incarnate Word, is the One who is whole. He is our peace. If we keep our eyes on Him, hear His voice, and obey His Word, we align ourselves with truth and thereby come into right order, making it possible to experience His shalom—peace and wholeness.

In these tumultuous times, we’ve reflected on our mission with renewed conviction: the whole Word for the whole world. It is through God’s Word that people are freed from fear and find restoration, wholeness, and lasting peace.

I remember a translator who shared that His people had never heard Psalm 23 and did not understand Yeshua as the Good Shepherd. He said, “How can they not be afraid when they do not know the story of God as their creator and a shepherd who loves them?”

As we enter Passover and the celebration of the Resurrection, we are reminded of the salvation story which began in Genesis and Exodus and has always pointed to Yeshua. The story of Passover points to His ultimate sacrifice as the Lamb of God, the atonement for our sins, and the deliverance that triumphs over death and darkness. The whole story through the book of Revelation demonstrates the deep love of God that we desire to make accessible to every person, in every language, so that they too may experience the fullness of the knowledge of God, know His peace and become whole.

Shalom,

David

David Swarr PhD
President & CEO