Unser Vater im Himmel,
dein Name werde geheiligt,
dein Reich komme,
deine Wille geschehe
wie im Himmel, so auf der Erde
-Matthew 6:9-10 in German

As a German major I have read many texts. One of the most interesting for me was the Lord's Prayer. German has two forms of "you". The first is formal, and is used with older people or new acquaintances. The second form is informal and is used with family and friends or an adult may use it with a child. It is considered impolite to use the informal form without asking the other person.

When I first encountered the Lord's Prayer in German I was rather surprised that the informal form of "you" was used. The formal is important in any situation when a distinction between two people is made (ex. bosses and employees, students and professors, etc.). Is there a greater distinction than between a person and God? In that sense the formal should be used, but it's not. This is a dilemma we don't have in English. Our distinctions between formal and informal are more limited and not always as clear.

This made me think: how should we address God? If we had to make a choice and either use a formal or informal pronoun which one would we choose? Have you ever thought about how you address God when you speak to him? Is it in a very formal way like talking to a stranger or is like talking to a family member, someone who has been with you your whole life? In one way we refer to him as "Lord", being above us, a master of our lives. This leaves a very formal impression. In another way, we refer to him as "Father", part of our family, caring and compassionate.

Sometimes we forget that while God is Lord over all, he wants to know us on a personal level. God isn't the lord living in a castle away from all of his subjects, but rather the father who eagerly waits to hear about his children. Sometimes we feel distant and separated from the love which is given freely to us. We must remind ourselves that all we have to do is open ourselves up to God and lay our hearts before him.

Ever since I heard the Lord's Prayer in German I liked the translation. The informal is much more personal. This previous summer was the first time that someone referred to me in the formal and it felt like a barrier. When the informal was used, it seemed comforting. That is the way that I see my relationship with God. God is far beyond our plane of understanding. It is difficult to open up to a being who already knows everything we could ever say. But knowing that God knows our struggles and is beside us everyday comforts us in our sorrows and problems. Whenever I think of God in the informal, I am reminded that God is not far away from me but rather as close as my family.

A student at Transylvania University, Brandon Cook is a member of the Student Ecumenical Partnership (STEP) Leadership Team and is a member of May’s Lick Christian Church in May's Lick, Kentucky.