Dual Salvation

I've been thinking, lately, that salvation means different things to different people. Salvation is from the Latin root salve, which means health, or wholeness. So maybe it seems obvious, now that I'm writing it, but the path to wholeness/shalom/salvation is going to be different for every person, because each of us has our own faults & strengths, our own weak spots and home bases. And, incidentally, it's not only about "the spiritual" or "the physical," but about God loving and healing each whole person. Salvation.

So, having broadly talked about salvation as personal, I'm going to make some generalizations about power and salvation. Salvation/wholeness/shalom looks different depending on your social location. If you are poor and powerless, salvation is about material support and gaining power - accepting your place as God's beloved, and taking responsibility to speak with your own voice. If you are rich and powerful, salvation is about learning to relinquish the power and wealth that might make you think you're in control of your own life. A few quick examples from Scripture:

Mary's Song: Luke 1:39-56

The Rich Young Ruler: Luke 18:18-30

Okay, so those are some Bible examples. But since we're coming up on Christmas, it seems like we could also pull from that Victorian reinvigorator of Christmas - Charles Dickens. In A Christmas Carol, Tiny Tim's salvation from death comes through enough to eat, and medical care. For Scrooge, his salvation comes in learning generosity, giving his money away to his employee and his nephew. Salvation comes by letting go.

P.S. I am enjoying this song right now: In the Sun by Joseph Arthur