We live in a society that has achieved a standard of living that surpasses the wildest dreams of most of the people in the history of the world; the most conspicuous result is that far too many of us live poor, thin, trivializing lives… So we learn to distinguish between standard of living and wealth. Standard of living simply means more money, faster cars, and bigger houses. Wealth comprises living well, having friends, exercising compassion, enjoying and celebrating goodness and beauty, and worshiping God.

Arthur Boers, Living Into Focus, from the foreword by Eugene Peterson, pp. x-xi

Peterson’s idea of ‘wealth’ is reminiscent of the Hebrew idea (actually God’s idea) of shalom. My favorite summary of shalom is given in Psalm 121. Here is the psalm as it is rendered in The Book of Psalms for Singing:

I to the hills will lift mine eyes;
From whence shall come my aid?
My safety cometh from the Lord,
Whom heav’n and earth hath made.

Thy foot he’ll not let slide, nor will
He slumber that thee keeps.
The Lord that keepeth Israel,
He slumbers not, nor sleeps.

The Lord thee keeps, the Lord thy shade,
On thy right hand doth stay.
The moon by night thee shall not smite,
Nor yet the sun by day.

The Lord shall keep thee from all ill;
He shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord as thou shalt go and come,
Forever keep thee whole.

The idea of the psalm is an invocation, and pronouncement, of the help, providence, protection, sustenance, and blessing of God. Notice what is missing from this picture of shalom – material wealth and convenience.

Shalom has little to do with material blessing. It has been taken to mean such, but this is not necessary. The blessing pronounced upon the sojourners of Israel, as they ascend the hill to worship the Lord, is that he will keep steady watch over their bodies and souls. He will preserve them. He will keep them whole. Peterson describes it this way: “Wealth comprises living well, having friends, exercising compassion, enjoying and celebrating goodness and beauty, and worshiping God.” Let’s go a step farther and say that true wealth means doing all these things under the smile of God, as God commanded his priest Aaron to pronounce, “The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

All of this is totally divorced from an idea of ‘standard of living.’ Jesus announces that his mission is to the poor, the mourners, the prisoner, and the brokenhearted – those who grieve in Zion -and such can know wealth irrespective of any idea of standard of living. And indeed many with a high so-called standard of living can know nothing of this wealth. Tiny Tim knew much more of it than Ebenezer Scrooge (until the visitations of the spirits).