The Lord’s Prayer
Last week’s call from the Speaker of the House, Harry Jenkins, for a public debate about the use of the Lord’s Prayer at the start of each Federal Parliament session has sparked much discussion. Some say that of course this prayer should continue to be prayed – it is part of this country’s Christian heritage. Others believe that this alone is reason enough for it to be discontinued: let’s honour the many varied traditions and cultures of those who now dwell in this land. Others say that those who pray it dont believe it and so therefore shouldnt pray it. “They mumble it so that you cant even understand the words”, was one commnet I heard. Cheryl Lawrie, writing for The Age says that any discussion about the use of the Lord’s Prayer before Parliament needs to go deeper than the sentiments raised so far. She suggests that the Lord’s Prayer offers a foundational ethic for the communities that pray it: that it is actually a prayer for the radical transformation of the way we understand ourselves in the world. It’s a vision of a community that has echoed for thousands of years across many countries; where the needs of all are met, where vengeance is transformed into forgiveness, where compassion holds us to each other, where we are liberated from forces and systems that oppress.
Saying the Lord’s Prayer before each sitting of Parliament is a public ritual – something of which we have all too few. If it was to go what, of equal menaing and power might replace it? Cheryl’s inspiring opinion piece can be read here
