Wake Up to New Seeing

I am thinking this morning about how parts of life can become rote, thereby missing subtle, or maybe not so subtle, meanings. I think this is especially true of religions.

Let's just look at one example using a line from what is called The Lord's Prayer or Our Father:

Give us this day our daily bread.

If you are a Christian, you may have said this a thousand times or more. You may hardly ever really think about it.

First thing we might see is a redundancy. Read the line again. Do you see it?

This day and daily mean the same thing. What might be the reason to repeat? Emphasis maybe? Or...?

The next thing we might see is something God doesn't actually give, though we ask for it in this line? Do you see it?

God is not our personal baker. God gives grain, and we make the bread. This line speaks of how we co-create with God. We take the raw materials given to us and change them. We make good things like bread or bad things like bombs. This speaks of our personal responsibility.

So, we could go on with this line, or most any line, but I am hoping you understand the process I am showing you. Think and ponder and discover what we might miss when we just go through the paces unconsciously. Try it with some of your favorite verses.