Shalom

Shalom & Xiao Long Bao (小笼包)

Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace, completeness, and welfare and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye

Shalom 是意味着和平，完全，福利的一个希伯来人词和惯用地可以被使用意味着两个都喂和再见

Xiǎolóngbāo (小笼包), also known as soup dumpling, is a type of baozi from eastern China, including Shanghai and Wuxi. It is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets, hence the name (xiaolong is literally "small steaming basket"). It is said to taste best when eaten in the company of loved ones.

I’ll start with “Shalom” since it is the biggest word in my journal right now. When I see or hear this word, many things come to mind: sand of the Holy Land in my sandals just two years ago, Harm and Dagmar’s home inside the walls of Jerusalem, the two girls I sponsor in Africa, what I yearned for just last Saturday at lunch, what I desire the homeless people who I have met recently to have. What Jesus died on the cross for.

Tonight the word Shalom came to mind as I looked into the crying eyes of a recent university graduate - a Chinese friend who has heard the truth, but is struggling to believe. She feels lost in a hard job in this big city and is wondering her purpose and asked me why bad luck seems to be all around her lately. This week she’s lost something precious to her – a photo with the man who raised her, her grandfather who passed away two years ago. In a life of chaos we all need peace. Shalom.

I came upon a brief bout of Shalom in this city of 22 million just last Sunday. After service, catching up with my friends in my new life, and getting to eat good food in a fun atmosphere with my family members in town. Chopsticks and a little Xiao Long Bao (soup dumpling -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiao_long_bao) go a long way when your sitting at a round table in a foreign country with the people who you love the most.