in honor of the easter celebrations sweeping the world this weekend, here are five new translations of jesus’ prayer, often oddly called “the lord’s prayer”, from the christian bible, the book of matthew. if you have found the traditional version of this prayer rather awkward — which most traditional liturgy tends to be for a bunch of reasons — these might connect more with your modern spirit.
1
you who gave me life
source of all i am
perfect energy
speak your light through me
so i may shine with your presence
as i become one with your new dawn
and walk in your footsteps
rather than my own
build me as a home
for your love
craft me as an echo of your truth
stretch out and mold me
with your compassionate fingers
so i may taste your essence
with each drop of water and mouthful of bread
i place against my tongue
giving you thanks
that i may wake into another sunrise
see my secrets
lost in the past but for your eyes
frozen in my memory
wipe me clean with your pure dreams
as i turn my eyes from those around me
shivering in shame yet
suddenly disappeared and beautiful
as you open my eyes to their peace
and free me from what i crave
shake my eyes from lust
and fracture my grasp
so i may let what tempts me
fall away
leaving me with breath
and space to fill with hope
liberated from fleeting desires
and painful thoughts
your power flows in my body and mind
yet in your image it tastes like calm
a song sung endlessly
to renew each life i touch
as you live through each moment of me
2
voice of living breathe
speaking purity from within
as each cell mirrors your face
i kneel at your feet
as i hear the echoes of your words
speak through me
and teach me your love
a life of compassion here on earth
a society of love in your image
feed my spirit with your understanding
as i taste the darkness
let it fill me with the sound of your light
wake in me unconditional peace
ripped from the jaws of desire and retribution
break the cycle of retribution
and show me the path to abundant calm
unclench my grasping fingers
as my palms mirror the touch of your peace
live me as a model of happiness
in the awakened sound of tranquility
reverberating endlessly in a lost world
3
wild voice of endless compassion
i kneel at your feet
and raise my eyes
at the sound of your peace
flowing through the ages
to craft a new peace in me
a mirror of your love
in endless memories of life
feed me with your wisdom
as my days swirl
in cycles of violence and hate
satisfy me with equanimity
as i accept this moment
and speak love
where once payback
was the endless ritual of truth
call out my failures
and strip me of my biases
steal my heart’s longings
and dry my tears from loss
as you turn my face
to the abundance of nature
and teach me to satisfy myself
as a mirror of your endless peace
tranquil in the world as it is
giving without seeking a return
thank you
you are the purity of love
wrapped endlessly through all i see
unending cycles of peace
within me
flowing out into the world
4
echo of spring rain
who gave me life
in that first moment and this
see yourself through my eyes
and taste compassion on my lips
as i sense you in each instant
and feel your love
radiating waves of hope
in the image of a new society
satisfy my longings with tranquility
and pacify my desperation
focus my restless energy
and walk me to the edge of comfort
where i see others’ faces
as mirrors of your dreams
shining lights in the darkness
i once believed they inhabited
shatter my desires
as each footstep
leads me to your peace
touch acceptance
and break my hold on objects
collected with gold
filled with lust
as i leave them behind
and replace them with your words
listen with my ears
to the ripples of your whispered calm
floating through the leaves of the forest
within my spirit
as i taste the calm of your endless waters
flowing through my life
5
love within each moment
promise of a hidden future
echoing peace like ocean waves
unstoppable in your relentless acceptance
speak endless truth through me
as i lose myself in you
reborn in a world
built as mirrors of your dreams
no longer the earth of suffering
but limitless compassion
become human
place your words on my tongue
with each passing sunrise
and let me speak in the voice of thankfulness
for the life that gives me hope
to walk paths no longer plagued with hate
giving me the wisdom to see your face
in each tree and river and life i touch
as they flow past me
and smile with your voice
whisper in my ears
to comfort the child still lost
in the wilderness of desire
teach me the steps
leading to tranquility
mirroring the lessons
you implant in each child
forgotten as the world works its dark magic
to ensnare hearts with its empty promises
reborn again with each footprint left on the earth
as i turn my face to see you
in the shimmering mist
teach me the tomorrow you dream of
the beauty of your love
and your limitless peace
i am yours