On Earth, As it is in Heaven
A meditation on the Lord's prayer for those working in politics and government
Our Father
Our. Us. We, the human race. We are in this journey of life together.
Father. The one who makes humanity—us—one family. The one who provides, who gives us safety and peace. The one who is good.
In Heaven.
Heaven. Paradise. The City of God that will descend to Earth.
Hallowed be your name.
Hallowed. Consecrated. Revered. Above all. Abundantly better.
Your name. Who you are. Your being, essence, character.
Your kingdom come.
Kingdom. Empire. Nation. Land. Structure of political governance. Community. Home.
Your kingdom. Where our treasure is. What we live for, long for far beyond our national identities and our temporal, unfulfilling systems of governance. Let the treasures of your kingdom become our ultimate source of re-creation. Your kingdom can become our motivation for work, far beyond ideology, power, significance—a motive greater than making America great again. Your kingdom shows us the true meaning of beauty; we believe, but help our unbelief and teach us how to reflect your artistic beauty in our work each day.
Come. We long for your return, to dwell with us. Forever.
Your will be done.
Will. What you desire; your plan before the beginning of time.
Done. Ongoing fulfillment.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Earth. One planet in a universe of planets. A place that supports human life. Where we are, where we live, dream, create.
In heaven. Where you are, where your will is done. A place of light, life, and goodness.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Daily bread. What we need to live; nutrition. Our longing for you, our need to worship you reawakened again today. Our longing for your kingdom filled as we wait in hope.
And forgive us our debts.
Forgive. You cancel our debts. You forget our debts. It’s your kindness that leads us to repentance. We love because you first loved us.
Debts. What we owe, but cannot pay. That which keeps us separated from you. That which you removed: we are not separated from you.
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
Have forgiven. Seventy times seven. We do not require sacrifice or payment for the daily wrongs against us, some catastrophic, some petty. We are advocates for those who do us wrong, that they will enter your kingdom too.
And lead us not into temptation.
Temptation. Enticements to choose against the life you offer. Enticements to choose against love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
But deliver us from evil.
Deliver. You have set us free.
Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Amen. You know what we need before we ask. For all we could ever ask, your Spirit has already interceded for us. You are not the author of chaos or death; you lead us to abundant life. In this prayer, you’ve shown us the simplicity of trusting you; you’ve charted the course that leads to deep-down unshakeable joy.
WEEKLY ACTION ITEM:
This week, look at your calendar and block off a day or a half day to spend time alone in prayer. Plan to pray about the upcoming year or for guidance in life. Go with the expectation that the Spirit of God will lead you to clarity and peace.
We'd love to hear from you, too. If you'd like to explore these ideas further with a community of other professionals in American politics, consider signing up to write with us or setting up a $5 monthly recurring donation to fund our work.
Liberatus is a community journal about bringing truth and beauty to American politics from the inside, because people who work in politics are tired of dysfunction. Writers who join us creatively explore healing for work culture, communication, and personal well-being.
Journal Entry #110