A Pie in the Sky or Bread on Earth?: The Lord’s Prayer in Q and Africa Today

This chapter will consider the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13 // Luke 11:2–4) as it appears in the Sayings Gospel Q (11:2–4). In all likelihood, this is the earliest version of the prayer and probably goes back to the historical Jesus. The main topic of concern is poverty in Africa, beginning with the ancient text and context before moving on to the contemporary African context. Q’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is particularly relevant in an African setting, discussing issues like food, daily survival, indebtedness, and corruption.