When You Don’t Know What to Pray

Imaginative Prayers from the Original Language of Jesus, A New Lenten Series

Recently, a friend sent David and me each a copy of an extraordinary little book called Prayers of the Cosmos: Reflections on the Original Meaning of Jesus’ Words, by Neil Douglas-Klotz. The author is a scholar of Aramaic and, in the book, has translated The Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes from Jesus’ original language. It has inspired me during a time when it has been hard to know what to pray!

Douglas-Klotz points out, "In all the religions of humankind, the sacred teachings have always been written down in the language of the founder.” It was news to me that many scholars believe the same is true of the New Testament—that it was originally written down in Aramaic and then translated into Greek. He goes on to explain how different the Aramaic language is from Greek. While Greek is a complex, Indo-European language that is structured and precise, the native tongue of Jesus is multi-layered in meaning, fluid and holistic, generous and earthy.

As I’ve read the book, now, for the second time, I find myself having a similar reaction to my discovery of what I’ve missed after learning about Celtic Christian spirituality. I feel robbed that I’ve never heard anything about the real words of Jesus, about the tone and manner in which he would have spoken them. I’ve recalled the many theologians I’ve known over the years who’ve arrogantly argued “their” take of some biblical interpretation from the Greek New Testament, a language so incredibly different from the mother tongue of Jesus.

This is the introduction to a new Lenten series based on this book and the prayers it generates in me. Each post will unpack a phrase from The Lord’s Prayer, drawing out the meaning suggested by the original language of Jesus. (It might be a bit like reading my journal.) I plan for these posts to be brief, thoughtful, and good fuel for your imagination as you pray your way through Lent, the sacred 40-day-pilgrimage of walking in solidarity with Jesus toward the cross. And if you have the gumption, I’d highly recommend ordering Prayers of the Cosmos for your own deepening love of Jesus, who wasn’t a theologian at all, but a carpenter by trade.

PS: And a bonus! Please consider listening to this gorgeous recording of The Lord’s Prayer sung in Aramaic! It’s a language that resonates in our bodies and souls.