【大澳门威尼斯人赌场官网2月24日讯】第一次真正听到这首《奇异恩典》,是我在大二暑假时参加了长老教会所办“暑期英语营”的时候。当时对于教会、圣歌都抱持着开放的态度,我只把《奇异恩典》当成和披头四的流行歌曲一般看待。
那时没有网路、没有免费的维基百科,也不知道《奇异恩典》填词者约翰·牛顿是用他的亲身经历来撰写的,他原本是一个道德败坏、贩卖奴隶的船长,后来悔改成为解放奴隶、伺奉上帝的议员。
当时我只把这首歌当成是一个教徒的见证,后来才知道它不是什么黑人灵歌,而是一首流传达300多年的苏格兰民谣,不仅流行于整个英伦三岛,而且还随着移民进入美洲新大陆,而已成为美国全国性或民间庆典活动的最主要曲目音乐之ㄧ。
Amazing grace
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace that fear relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer’s ear
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds
And drives away his fear
Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free
No, there’s a cross for everyone
And there’s a cross for me.
When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
than when we first begun
当时,唯一对歌词有意见的就是“Was blind, but now I see”(曾经盲目,如今又能看见 )的“神迹”。那时在“英语营”虽然也有研读到《圣经.约翰福音》,对于其中有“医好生来瞎眼的”的章节只当成是无稽之谈。
尽管约翰·牛顿把毕生的故事都填进这首“Amazing Grace”,而自己在年轻气盛之时却无法很谦卑地去体会他的感受。事隔三十年后,自己才逐渐相信有些“神迹”是解释不来的。佛经中也有释迦牟尼佛为瞎眼的弟子阿那律开天眼的记载。许多奇闻异象偏偏是当今的科学无法解释的。@*
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