Ch, 1Lt Pira Tritasavit, USAF
Bio: Pira was born and raised in San Francisco, and recently moved to Oklahoma City with his wife Venus and 3 sons to join the US Air Force as a Chaplain. He has been a middle school and high school teacher, a keyboard player in a rock band, an instructional coach for several tech-ed start-ups, a life and marriage coach, and a fortune-cookie factory worker (true story). He earned his M.Div. from Western Seminary, and has authored and self-published two books on Amazon: "Haiku Bible" (2019) and "Sometimes a Grown-Up" (2021).
Wholeness and Shalom
The Hebrew greeting “Shalom” is often equated with the word “Peace”.
However, “Shalom” can also be further translated as “harmony, wholeness, completeness, welfare, prosperity, tranquility”.
What do “peace” and “wholeness” have in common?
Think about it.
Can there be peace if the default state of things is separation, fracture, division, incompleteness?
Everyone desires wholeness and peace.
Everyone desires shalom, whether they know the word or not.
I am an Air Force chaplain, and today, as I’m writing this blog entry, I’m on day 3 of fighting a cough and cold, on bedrest in my pajamas, hoping that it’s not related to that dreaded virus which shall not be named.
I’m leaning on my wife (recovering from her own bout of sickness) to care for my 3 sons who are having a rough time downstairs.
Oh, how I need some shalom right now!
I need the wholeness of my physical body to be restored from the illness.
I need the wholeness of my family to take care of one another.
I need the wholeness of my fellow chaplains to care for the ongoing work of our mission here on base to serve our airmen.
In the Air Force, we have a training model called the Comprehensive Airman Fitness program that encapsulates 4 areas: Mental, Physical, Social and Spiritual.
(Yes, even in the military, spiritual fitness matters!)
In order to “build and sustain a thriving and resilient Air Force community, each area needs attention. Each area is deeply connected to the health of another, and if one area suffers, the other areas do, too.
Mental fitness is more than just passing tests and earning academic degrees. It requires the whole mind’s ability to focus on learning and growing in knowledge, wisdom and application of ideas.
Physical fitness is more than just pushups, sit-ups and cardio to pass an assessment. Physical fitness requires a commitment and consistency to strength training and developing flexibility and healthy nutrition.
Social fitness is more than having social media connections, or collecting views and likes to boost egos and experience artificial fame. Social fitness requires positive relationships and deep connections that foster trust and safety.
Spiritual fitness is more than just identifying as religious or saying a prayer every now and then. Spiritual fitness develops deep and enduring hope with purposeful meaning, and fosters a commitment to a greater cause than oneself especially in the face of difficulty.
Comprehensive means complete, or whole.
And in order to be complete and whole, the relationships between our mind and body, our interpersonal relationships with others, and ultimate relationship with God Himself, all need to be healthy.
We who are committed to defending our country from all enemies foreign and domestic, are seeking shalom – peace and wholeness.
And we who are followers of Jesus Christ can experience the truest kind of peace and wholeness that only comes from Our God and Father, our loving Creator and Savior, and our Counselor the Holy Spirit who calls us to turn away from division and separation as His enemies, and welcomes us into a loving and reconciled relationship of absolute shalom.
May we all discover our true shalom in the One who created us and is Himself our Prince of Peace.
May we embrace the wholeness He provides through a new identity in Christ, finding our place in His family.
Shalom Y’all!