The Lord's Prayer: Logic of the Infinite

The search for God in our lives can be a difficult process. For Christians there are several key traditions to help focus believers in their search for signs of God in the universe. One of those keys is The Lord's Prayer.

There are variations in how the Lord's Prayer is translated and interpreted in Christian tradition. I have even seen transcriptions from the original Aramaic that seem to have little relationship with the familiar version that begins, "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven..."

That is a debate for another day. Our primary concern here is in using the more traditional version to deliver insights about God using one of the most familiar prayers known to the Christian world.

This process may wind up being discomfiting to some. The Lord's Prayer is so often recited as a rote part of Christian liturgy, believers may not be accustomed to studying the insights it holds. This is an unfortunate habit of organized religion. Its dispensational quality in doing all the work for people who attend church (services) winds up being a disservice to believers!

There is much to be gained in moving beyond recitation of the Lord's Prayer as if it were an incantation or a child's wish for protection. Instead, the Lord's Prayer holds mystical keys to the nature of God and our relationship with creation.

Let us begin with the opening phrase...

"Our Father, who art in heaven..."

This opening statement is a believer's acknowledgment of divinity, a most clear (almost divisive) statement about God's position in order of the universe. No matter what else is said, this statement concedes that God is but spiritual, transcendent, something to which we must reach out in order to know.

"Hallowed be Thy Name..."

This is a show of respect for the stature and visage of God. Not fear as yet, but causal recognition that God is worthy of reverence--for which we shall soon find reason. As Creator, God must know something we do not know. Therefore, it is our job to approach God as the source of hallowed knowledge, a person to whom we do not go spouting casual utterances, as if we already know the answers. Speak God's name with reverence that you might receive the gift of knowledge.

"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done..."

While some Christians might assume this phrase relates to God's providence, or that God's Kingdom will arrive at some specified hour, day or year, this statement is in reality a call to enact the will of God here on earth. That is why the phrase "Thy Kingdom come..." is followed by "Thy will be done." It is for us to do the will of God. This is our first call to action in the Lord's Prayer, to make God's kingdom real on earth.

"...On Earth, as it is in Heaven..."

This is a statement of belief that the expression of absolute truth can be brought to bear on earth. Heaven is eternal and earth is finite. We are being asked to consider the logic of the infinite. Here we ask God to help us align our moral and behavioral order with the cosmic order and goodness seen in everything around us.

Even scientists conclude that conditions on earth have to be "perfect" in order for the human race to have a place to live. This "perfection" does not equate to some idealistic realm or place (as in Eden) but to the perfect order of creation, this earth and our universe, at which the entire world is in awe.

Yet this creation of God is the product of decidedly random processes which are sometimes arbitrary and seemingly cruel. We must recognize that the "whole" is therefore grander in its completion than its parts. The "end product" of creation is the state of our being. The "creation" of the human race is ongoing, but we can look around us and see that we have arrived through history in remarkable forms. We find direct reference to this creative goodness--creation as the sum of all parts-- in Genesis 1; "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

This grand statement is a nod to the mystery of life itself. We should learn to accept and understand that God initiated processes that add up to perfection. In this light, we can see that evolution is both an expression of God's methods and purpose in creating the universe. He doesn't need the prop of "intelligent design" to produce or explain complexity in the goodness of creation. God is perfection. Therefore what God has made, and how he has made it, is all good.

Think of the beauty of this parallel. God's creative process accepts imperfections as a necessary force to carry out the mission. He does the same thing for us in salvation! Our imperfect lives are ultimately perfected through grace and faith. What we see carried out through the process of evolution here on earth perfectly mimics the spiritual process of getting right with God. We can draw a straight line from the random process of the universe to free will. We can also draw a straight line from the apparent perfection of creation (through God) to the moral order he offers us through his Word. Everyone fits under this infinite tent.

"Give us this day, our daily bread..."

This phrase first and foremost means "be content." Stay focused and grateful for necessities. Recognize opportunity and be appreciative for what you have. "Bread" is here not only a literal term, but a symbolic statement about the gifts we are given in this world. God's perfection can and will provide if we align ourselves with the abundance and order of creation, and respect it.

"And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."

Forgiveness is the ultimate tool of peace. It is also the weapon of choice against sin, randomness and chaos, which are ever present. We recognize that the world will forever be causing us pain. Its processes are harsh and arbitrary. Yet its end product is goodness. We should ask God to guide us in being good stewards of creation. Likewise, we should ask forgiveness for our own flaws as imperfect stewards of creation. We are always messing with something God has made.

We also ask God for strength to forgive those who do not share our understanding of the goodness and order of creation. We ask God to help us go into the secular world armed with acceptance (of ourselves and for others) with the strength to forgive. Jesus tells us this is a powerful tool. We are encouraged to love our enemies. We must even forgive the world its apparent cruelty. No blaming God for storms or devastation. No pointing fingers of rage or jealousy at those who trespass against us by disturbing or destroying that which we value. It is ours to forgive the worlds procession of flaws in order to appreciate and enjoy its ultimate perfections. Surely we bear the right to defend our interests in the goodness of God, but not without first engaging our enemies with an extension of love.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."

There is always the temptation to indulge ourselves in appetites that show no respect for creation. Wanton consumption. Covetousness. Lust and ignorance toward the moral order. By contrast, our relationship with God sustains us in healthful harmony with this temporal world until we pass on.

Selfish habits are simply indulgence in the imperfect processes of this world. We know through the theory of evolution that nature can be cruelly selective. But rather than in evolution teaching us that we are simply "animals" with no need for moral order, we learn that the moral order of God is always there for us. It is our choice (perhaps an evolutionary step in our earthly progress) to adhere to this moral order, and by doing so, find the key to our earthly and heavenly salvation!

That is why, in this crucial passage of the Lord's Prayer, we ask God to be with us-- to "deliver" us from the animalistic chaos that might destroy us materially and spiritually. We ask to know peace instead through wisdom to survive in right relationship with the universe. "Peace on earth" means "peace with earth" as well. We show respect to God when we respect and value creation.

"For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever..."

God owns the Kingdom. God bestows the power of knowledge. This is a glorious truth and all creation reflects it.

"Amen..."

Let it be so. Let us make it so.

Summary:

The Lord's Prayer is a remarkably succinct tool to put our minds in tune with God. It helps to know that this short prayer is deep in significance. Knowing its keys and foundations can help us see the world in a healthy relationship to its flaws and its perfection.

As stated in the opening paragraphs, it may be hard for some believers to accept, but the logic of the infinite does not preclude modern knowledge such as science and evolution. Instead, the Lord's Prayer and the entire Bible manifest universal truths through language accessible to everyone. It is ours to do the work to find these universal truths and live in harmony with God.

"This essay is a gift to Shannon, an inspiringly honest person who is asking all the right questions. Here is hoping we all do better in finding the answers."Elements of this essay are excerpted from a book in progress titled "The Genesis Fix: A Repair Manual for Faith in the Modern Age."