評論
打印
I am a vicar in the Church of England.
我是一名英國圣公會的牧師。
I've been a priest in the Church for 20 years.
我做牧師已經有20年了。
For most of that time, I've been struggling and grappling with questions about the nature of God. Who is God?
在這20年的大部分時間里，我一直在努力解決和回答關于上帝本質的問題：上帝是誰？
And I'm very aware that when you say the word "God,"many people will turn off immediately.
我很清楚，當你一說起“上帝”這個詞，很多人會立即走開。
And most people, both within and outside the organized church,still have a picture of a celestial controller,a rule maker, a policeman in the sky who orders everything,and causes everything to happen.
并且大多數人，無論是信教還是不信教的，心中還是認為上帝是這樣一個形像：一個天上的主宰者，規則制定者，掌管一切的太空警察，萬事萬物發生的根源。
He will protect his own people,and answer the prayers of the faithful.
他會保護他創造的人類，并回應信徒們的禱告。
And in the worship of my church,the most frequently used adjective about God is "almighty."
在教堂里做禮拜，對上帝最常用的形容詞是“全能”。
But I have a problem with that.
但我覺得這個觀念是不對的。
I have become more and more uncomfortable with this perception of God over the years.
多年以來，我已經越來越對這個觀念感到不舒服。
Do we really believe that God is the kind of male boss that we've been presenting in our worship and in our liturgies over all these years?
難道我們真的相信上帝是一個這么多年來我們在禮拜儀式和禱告中描述的那么一位男性的老板形像？
Of course, there have been thinkers who have suggested different ways of looking at God.
當然，曾經也有一些思想家建議用不同的方式來看待上帝。
Exploring the feminine, nurturing side of divinity.
比如：探索神的女性和育養的一面，
Suggesting that God expresses Himself or Herself through powerlessness,rather than power.
主張上帝是通過陰柔無力，而不是陽剛和力量，來呈現自己，不管是作為男性或者女性形像；
Acknowledging that God is unknown and unknowable by definition.
接受上帝本來就是未知的，也不可知的，這個定義，
Finding deep resonances with other religions and philosophies and ways of looking at life as part of what is a universal and global search for meaning.
尋找與其他宗教和哲學之間共同的內涵，以及作為全世界人類探索人生意義過程中看待生命的不同方式。
These ideas are well known in liberal academic circles,but clergy like myself have been reluctant to air them,for fear of creating tension and division in our church communities,for fear of upsetting the simple faith of more traditional believers.
這些想法在自由學術界是眾所周知的，但像我自己這樣的神職人員卻不愿意公開宣揚它們，因為害怕在教會中會產生緊張氣氛甚至分裂，害怕打破傳統信徒的純樸信仰。
I have chosen not to rock the boat.
我選擇了不去惹麻煩。
Then, on December 26th last year, just two months ago,that underwater earthquake triggered the tsunami.
然而，去年12月26日，僅僅兩個月前，海底地震引發了海嘯。
And two weeks later, Sunday morning, 9th of January,I found myself standing in front of my congregation intelligent, well meaning, mostly thoughtful Christian people,and I needed to express, on their behalf, our feelings and our questions.
于是兩個星期后，星期日上午， 1月9日，我站在我的會眾面前，他們是一群智慧的、善良的、有思想的基督徒，我需要代表他們表達我們的感情和我們的疑問。
I had my own personal responses, but I also have a public role,and something needed to be said.
雖然我有自己的個人感受，但我還有一個公共角色，這時需要說點兒什么。
And this is what I said.
下面是我當時所說的話。
Shortly after the tsunami I read a newspaper article written by the Archbishop of Canterbury-fine title,about the tragedy in Southern Asia.
海嘯發生后不久，我讀了坎特伯雷大主教發表在報紙上的一篇文章，標題是：關于發生在南亞的悲劇。
The essence of what he said was this:
他所講的精髓是這樣的：
the people most affected by the devastation and loss of life do not want intellectual theories about how God let this happen.
因這場災難和生命的逝去而飽受磨難的人們并不需要一個理論來解釋上帝為何讓這種事情發生。
