A
Moment Aside --- 9 July 2021
We all know “The Lord’s
Prayer.” We know it by heart. We know it in several languages. We pray it
often.
Of late, I’ve been
thinking about it. If they truly are the words of Jesus of Nazareth (Something
I don’t doubt), we have a gift beyond measure. To be able to pray using some
translation of his words is amazing. He didn’t speak English, French, or
German. Nor did he use the King James Version of the prayer. He prayed in his
own language, most likely Aramaic.
That last part alone is an
amazing thing since it reminds us to pray in our own words when we have words
with which to pray. We are often reminded that praying can be done without
words, with an awareness of God present to us. Prayer is often defined as “lifting the heart and mind to God” and
doesn’t always require words.
What has struck me the
most lately is the beginning of the prayer: “Our Father…” I often just want to
stop there, because to be able to call God “Father” is astounding! To say that
means we are somehow in God’s family. That’s too much to think about!
I do realize that any
number of people have had a less-than-perfect relationship with the man who “fathered” them
or who might be called “step-father.” That of course colours their understanding
of God-as-Father. Because of this, those of us who have had such an
experience may decide to use another term. I have no problem with addressing
God as feminine, as strange as that might sound to some.
God IS as God is and maybe
we could look at the beginning of the prayer and find our way to pray to the
One who created us, keeps us in existence, and loves us without limit.
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