I count it one of the sweetest privileges of my life to have known and conversed with many men of genius. Only those who knew Bishop Brooks can appreciate the joy his friendship was to those who possessed it. As a child I loved to sit on his knee and clasp his great hand with one of mine, while Miss Sullivan spelled into the other his beautiful words about God and the spiritual world. I heard him with a child's wonder and delight. My spirit could not reach up to his, but he gave me a real sense of joy in life, and I never left him without carrying away a fine thought that grew in beauty and depth of meaning as I grew. Once, when I was puzzled to know why there were so many religions, he said: "There is one universal religion, Helen—the religion of love. Love your Heavenly Father with your whole heart and soul, love every child of God as much as ever you can, and remember that the possibilities of good are greater than the possibilities of evil; and you have the key to Heaven." And his life was a happy illustration of this great truth. In his noble soul love and widest knowledge were blended with faith that had become insight. He saw
在生活当中，我有幸享受到了许多“特权”，其中最为我珍视的就是同那些天才人物的交谈。只要认识布鲁克斯主教的人，都能从与他的友谊当中体会到切实的快乐。还是一个小孩子的时候，我就喜欢坐在他的腿上玩；我用一只手紧紧攥住他的大手，而他的关于神和灵魂世界的精彩述说，则被苏立文小姐一一拼写在我的另一只手上。我带着小孩子的好奇和喜悦听他娓娓道来，虽然我的精神境界无法达到他那样的高度，但是他确实让我领悟到了什么叫做真正快乐的生活。在我成长的过程中，没有他的悉心教诲，我就不会明了杰出思想的魅力和其深邃的内涵。记得有一次，我对世界上竟然存在着如此多的宗教十分不解。布鲁克斯主教对我说道：“天地间只有一种宗教，海伦——那就是爱的宗教，用你全部的心灵去爱你的天父，尽你的一切可能去爱每一个神的孩子，要时刻牢记，正义的力量终将会战胜邪恶，懂得了这个道理，你便得到了进入天堂的钥匙。”事实上，他的生活正是这种伟大真理的完美写照。在他崇高的博爱思想和广博的学识之中，已经被深深地融入了信仰的力量。他看到了——
God in all that liberates and lifts,
在人类争取解放和自由的过程中，神无处不在，
In all that humbles, sweetens and consoles.
在所有卑微者面前，神会施与伤者爱的援手
Bishop Brooks taught me no special creed or dogma; but he impressed upon my mind two great ideas—the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, and made me feel that these truths underlie all creeds and forms of worship. God is love, God is our Father, we are His children; therefore the darkest clouds will break and though right be worsted, wrong shall not triumph.
布鲁克斯主教传授给我的并非特殊的信条或教义，但是他把两种伟大的观念赐给了我——神的父亲般的慈爱，以及人的兄弟般的情谊。我以为，这些真理正是构成一切信条和崇拜形式的基础。神是爱，神是我们的父，我们是他的孩子。有了这样的信念，即使是最黑暗的云也会被吹散，而且，这里也不会有罪恶与不义的容身之地。
I am too happy in this world to think much about the future, except to remember that I have cherished friends awaiting me there in God's beautiful Somewhere. In spite of the lapse of years, they seem so close to me that I should not think it strange if at any moment they should clasp my hand and speak words of endearment as they used to before they went away.
在这个世界上，我是感到如此地快乐，以至于很少考虑到未来；但是有一件事我永远记在心里——我所珍爱的友人们正在神创造的爱的国度里随时迎候我。尽管失散多年，但是他们似乎就在我的身边；假如在某一时刻，他们抓住我的手，如同以往一样对我说着贴心话，那么我是不会感到丝毫惊奇的。
Since Bishop Brooks died I have read the Bible through; also some philosophical works on religion, among them Swedenborg's "Heaven and Hell" and Drummond's "Ascent of Man," and I have found no creed or system more soul-satisfying than Bishop Brooks's creed of love. I knew Mr. Henry Drummond, and the memory of his strong, warm hand-clasp is like a benediction. He was the most sympathetic of companions. He knew so much and was so genial that it was impossible to feel dull in his presence.
自从布鲁克斯主教去世后，我通读了整部《圣经》，还有其他的一些宗教哲学著作。这其中就包括斯韦登伯格的《天堂与地狱》和遮蒙德的《人类的阶梯》，可是我发现，同布鲁克斯主教“爱的信念”相比，这些人所持的信条或教理都无法令人获得心灵上的满足。我认识亨利·遮蒙德先生，印象中，他那双有力、温暖的手如同一句热情的祝福语。他是最富有同情心的良友，他是如此地和蔼可亲，只要有他在身边，你就不会感到枯燥乏味。
评论
打印
