Is 最愛の神さん the proper way to write "Dear God?"


Say, you're writing a love letter to God. Is this the right thing to write on
the envelope?

> 最愛の神さん

(I'm writing a short story featuring that theme.)

**EDIT:**

Maybe this 親愛なる神へ is better grammar?




In the many Japanese versions of the Bible (including Old and New Testaments)
and of Jewish and Christian prayers, hymns, etc, God is usually referred to
simply as 神. When addressing God directly, the usual usage is 神よ. わが父, "Our
Father", and おん主 (おんあるじ), "Lord", are also used. But it sounds as though your
story might be looking for a particular effect (perhaps comic?), so you'd have
to take that into account before deciding what form to use.




  * 最愛の is not wrong, but 親愛なる sounds more respectful and natural.
  * さん is not really a respectful approach. It's only polite enough in ordinary conversations between your colleagues with equal status, for example. 神さん is not ungrammatical, but it almost sounds like "Yo God!" to me. Maybe it's not entirely impossible if you really, really want to be friendly.
  * Common options to address God are 神 (without any name suffix) and 神様. For the difference, please read my previous answer here: [神 compared to 神様](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/44725/5010) In short, 神様 sounds more friendly (but not over-friendly) like a kid wishing something to God, whereas 神 is more polite and formal, like a priest giving a lecture.

