2012-02-08 10:54:10亭子
歐巴馬的信仰見證－選自2012年歐巴馬國家祈禱早餐會演說文
Mark read a letter from Billy Graham, and it took me back to one of the great honors of my life, which was visiting Reverend Graham at his mountaintop retreat in North Carolina, when I was on vacation with my family at a hotel not far away.
And I can still remember winding up the path up a mountain to his home. Ninety-one years old at the time, facing various health challenges, he welcomed me as he would welcome a family member or a close friend. This man who had prayed great prayers that inspired a nation, this man who seemed larger than life, greeted me and was as kind and as gentle as could be.
And we had a wonderful conversation. Before I left, Reverend Graham started praying for me, as he had prayed for so many Presidents before me. And when he finished praying, I felt the urge to pray for him. I didn't really know what to say. What do you pray for when it comes to the man who has prayed for so many? But like that verse in Romans, the Holy Spirit interceded when I didn't know quite what to say.
And so I prayed -- briefly, but I prayed from the heart. I don't have the intellectual capacity or the lung capacity of some of my great preacher friends here that have prayed for a long time. (Laughter.) But I prayed. And we ended with an embrace and a warm goodbye.
And I thought about that moment all the way down the mountain, and I've thought about it in the many days since. Because I thought about my own spiritual journey –- growing up in a household that wasn't particularly religious; going through my own period of doubt and confusion; finding Christ when I wasn't even looking for him so many years ago; possessing so many shortcomings that have been overcome by the simple grace of God. And the fact that I would ever be on top of a mountain, saying a prayer for Billy Graham –- a man whose faith had changed the world and that had sustained him through triumphs and tragedies, and movements and milestones –- that simple fact humbled me to my core.
I have fallen on my knees with great regularity since that moment -- asking God for guidance not just in my personal life and my Christian walk, but in the life of this nation and in the values that hold us together and keep us strong. I know that He will guide us. He always has, and He always will. And I pray his richest blessings on each of you in the days ahead.
Thank you very much.
(上圖文引自白宮網站)
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剛剛Mark讀了葛理翰寫給大會的信，把我帶回到在我生命中最尊榮的記憶中，有一次當我和我家人在北卡羅蘭納州山上的休假時，我住的旅館剛好和葛理翰在山頂上的退修會距離不遠，我記得很清楚，我前往拜訪葛理翰，走在蜿蜒的山路上，雖然他已經91歲了，還帶著許多疾病纏身，他歡迎我就像歡迎一個他的家人或一位親密朋友一般。這位曾經透過無數次偉大的禱告激勵了整個國家的人，這位似乎超越生命的長者，卻用他最大的和善溫柔歡迎我。
我們有一段奇妙的談話，當我要離開時，就像他曾為許多美國總統禱告一樣，葛理翰牧師為我禱告。當他禱告完，我突然有一股衝動想為他禱告，其實我真的不知道要說些甚麼，當你來到一位像他：曾經為數不清的人禱告的面前，你實在不知道要如何為他禱告，但就像羅馬書中所說，聖靈用說不出的嘆息為我們禱告，所以我開始為他禱告，很簡短，但是從我內心深處的真誠禱告。我沒有那種智慧能量或肺活量，像許多我的偉大牧師朋友們能夠做很長的禱告[眾笑]，但我禱告了，然後我們擁抱，並溫暖的說再見。
之後我經常想到那次記憶深刻的經驗，正像我現在所回憶的，當天我從山頂一路往下走的路程中一路思考我個人屬靈追尋的旅程：從一個不是特別有宗教信仰的家庭長大，我曾經走過自己的懷疑和困惑，多年前甚至當我根本沒有想要追尋祂的時候，我找到了基督，靠著神單純的恩典，克服了多年來數不清的缺點。想到我曾在山頂上，為一位以信仰影響全世界，且靠著信仰走過無數勝利或失敗，無數運動和里程碑的這位偉人～葛理翰禱告，這讓我謙卑自己回到信仰核心，從那一刻起，我開始常常跪下雙膝，求神指引我，不僅在我個人的生活和基督信仰上，更在這個國家的生命層次上，並在維繫我們成為一體，讓我們持續壯大的價值觀上。我知道祂會指引我，祂一直如此，他也一定會繼續指引我。
我禱告在座的每一位都有祂豐富的賜福，在各位前面的每一天當中！
謝謝大家
(上文轉自台灣聖經網：杜明翰會長翻譯）
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