What I See I Am
"OUR..."
The first word of the prayer defines humans relationship with others. It is not
a personal prayer, in the sense that it is owned only by those who repeat it. It
doesn't start "My Father..." It begins with an all exclusive, non-
This first word doesn't define our relationship with God, it defines our relationship with all other man, woman and child. It sets the tone and understanding we should have toward all peoples. Further than that it forces us to pray for all of us on an equal basis. We cannon start the Lord's Prayer by just saying "Father..." It would become a personal prayer and not the manner in which God told us to pray. We would then not be praying the Lord's Prayer.
Mathew 6: 9-
“OUR” is plural, it is inclusive, it means all, everybody. The Lord's Prayer uses OUR and US. There is no "I" or "My", this is not an exclusive request we make of God. When we pray the Lord's Prayer we are praying for all of humanity without exception.
The question came up, what about the worst of humanity's expression, the Hitlers, the Gaceys. Christ said "Pray then like this, Our...". He knew there could be no exclusion. We as a human society can judge those of us that make up the human society. For our survival we must look up on certain acts as not in the interest of our survival and growth. Those who commit the worst acts are no less, because of their acts, a child of God.
It is a fact that because of their acts we grow, if we forgive and love. Judas is a good example. Jesus, The Christ, by his own words had to fulfill the prophesy in order to give us the Messiah. Judas was an integral part of that scenario. If Judas had not betrayed Jesus, Jesus would not have been crucified and then could not arise from the dead. Easter would not have existed.
Judas must have been a very tough angel. Can you imagine his awesome responsibility, given by God, so we could know the LOVE God has for us, and that life is eternal. God had to go to him and say "Judas, my children do not understand the LOVE I have for them. I need you to betray my Son so I can show my LOVE and the extent I will go to FORGIVE THEM." Knowing the almost eternal consequences of that act a lesser angel might have said "No God I can't do it."
Christ knew that Judas had to betray him. Christ also knew what our judgment of Judas's actions would be for 2000 years and more. No, we don't judge Judas's actions we judge Judas. We condemn him to an eternal hell of judgment.
Do we really think that if there could be even a suggestion of forgiveness on our part of someone like Judas that God could do less? No, God LOVES ALL of his children.
We limit, we judge, but ALL of humanity IS one of us and deserves (no, more than deserves) we are commanded by Christ to pray for ALL, excluding no one. The Lord's Prayer is all inclusive. It is not our's to accept only parts of. It is not for us to only include those we chose when we pray.
As we pray it is important for us to understand what we are praying and the first word OUR is Christ's instruction, not our choice. God wants us to accept and pray for our brothers and sisters, not stand in judgment. The society Christ was immersed in judged him and others. Is it possible that Christ came to free us of the act of judgment? Is judgement the cardinal sin?
If we choose we can pray, "My Father". If we choose we can hold a limited, exclusive group in our minds that fit our definition of OUR, an exclusive group, OUR. However, when we do that we are not praying as Jesus taught us. He didn't define limitations into the word, "OUR".
In the context of God "OUR" can only be defined as "ALL OF HUMANITY". As we begin to understand that concept we will grow, accept and express God's all inclusive LOVE.
The eye through which we see God is the same eye through which we accept God. "I AM THAT I AM". We can only perceive and accept what we see. We can only express what we understand. If we understand and accept limits, our expression and world is limited.
EVERYBODY IS CREATED IN GOD'S IMAGE. "OUR FATHER...".
Note: The more we narrow down the OUR to my or I the more separateness and loneliness we (falsely) create. This universe is all inclusive in God. If we only recognize the "I and MY" then we limit outside help and influence into out lives. This limitation doesn't just affect God it also affects our friends, family and loved ones to be part of our lives. It is not "My Father" it is, “Our Father”.
EXAMINING THE LORD'S PRAYER
Bible Mathew 6: 9-
What I see I Am
Copyright Ronald O. Masters II, 2010 All Rights Reserved Copying is permitted if the author is credited.
