My parents are immigrants from the Netherlands.  Growing up, they did not speak a lot of Dutch, but occasionally would share a line in their native tongue.  Often, when asked what the line meant, they would respond that it was something that was difficult to translate.  It had meaning to them, but there was no directly translatable word in English.

Have you ever thought of the idea that words are simply symbols of symbols.  We use words to describe events, activities, feelings, thoughts, etc.  But the words themselves are not those events, activities, feelings, thoughts etc.  Not only that, but what the words are being used to describe is our own perspective of the events, activities, feelings, thoughts, etc. and may not even be in agreement with someone else going through the exact same thing.

Yet, no one would deny that words are powerful.  The words that we use can either build up or break down a relationship.  They can be supportive, uplifting, life affirming, or destructive, dis-empowering, and life denying.  It can be really important to pay attention to the words that you are using and ask, “Do the words that I am using reflect what I would like to experience in life?”

Words are interesting in that they can bring so much up within us.  I love to look at words from a fresh perspective to see what other rich meaning they can reveal.  Which takes me back to the idea that sometimes it is very difficult to translate a word with its exact meaning from one language to another.

I am currently exploring the meaning of the words of the Lord’s Prayer as translated from the Aramaic.  This week, I am looking at the first lines of the Lord’s prayer which are known to most of us as, “Our Father, Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, they Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”  For me personally, some of what comes up is a feeling that God is “out there” in heaven and hopefully, God’s will will be done “down here” on earth.  For me, personally, thoughts of separation arise with these traditional words.

Translated in a new way, from the Aramaic, I move beyond the thoughts of separation to Oneness.  “Abwoon” is the Aramaic word translated as Our Father.  It could be translated as Birther of the Cosmos.  Source of all life.  The Absolute One birthing creation through the creative breath which touches and interpenatrates all form.

“d’bwashmaya” is the word which has been translated as, “who art in heaven.”  In Aramaic, it symbolizes the idea that Abwoon is knowable in the entire universe.  Every activity, every place, all things hold the potential to reveal “Abwoon”.  It is through life that we can know God.

“Nethqadash shmakh” has been translated as “Hallowed by thy name.”  According to Neal Douglas Klotz, “In Aramaic, one makes a thing holy by setting it apart.”  We create the holy space when we take the time to recognize the “abwoon” in life.  As we let go of “monkey mind”, chaos, busyness, etc. and create the space to simply be, we discover that which is holy in every moment.

Thy Kingdom come is from the Aramaic words, “Teytey malkuthakh.”  It is within our own willingness and commitment to say “I can” that we take the steps to align our desire with God’s desire and allow the divine birthing process to occur through our lives.  Through our individual “yes” God’s desire is revealed!

Finally, “Nehwey tzevhaynach aykanna d’bweashmaya aph b’arha” has been translated as Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.  This is where the action occurs.  We have recognized that God is revealed through our experience of life.  We have aligned our desire with God’s and said, “yes I can.” Now we take the action as we pray that God’s desire acts with our own.  As Neil Douglas Klotz says, “Help us love beyond our ideals and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures.”

For me, all sense of separation dissolves as I recognize that it is through the thoughts, words and actions of my life that God’s Divine Spirit is revealed.  I can imagine Jesus sharing these words, this rich meaning, with the people of his time.  Empowering them to remember the Truth of what they were…One with the Creator of all the Cosmos who is right now birthing life through us, and as us.

At Unity in Edinboro we will be exploring the Aramaic translation of the Lord’s Prayer over the next three weeks.  This is an opportunity to see the words of a familiar prayer from a whole new perspective.  You are invited to dive deeper as we consider the many layers of meaning (symbols) the words (symbols) hold for us still today.  You are invited to come and join us for our 11:00 a.m. service.  Or listen to the Sunday messages online as they are posted.

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