Aloha and welcome to The Mission North Shore's Podcast! What if the start of a new year isn't just about personal improvement, but about a radical reorientation toward others? This message takes us into Jeremiah 29, where God's people find themselves in Babylonian exile—stripped of everything familiar, living among their conquerors. Instead of calling them to wait passively or withdraw in bitterness, God gives a shocking command: seek the shalom of Babylon. Build houses, plant gardens, and actively pursue the welfare of the very city that destroyed their homeland.