Bono：這是關乎公義的事

因為一個偶然的連結，聽到了U2主唱Bono去年（2006）二月在美國國家祈禱早餐會上的一場演講。配著MP3和逐字稿，感動莫名。本來想做個逐字翻譯（因為天下網站的翻譯有點怪、又不全），但後來還是偷個懶，把一些我覺得重要的段落摘出來附個註腳即是。

Bono開宗明義地說，他今天要來談的是「律法」，但是比人所制定的法律還要高的律法。

I'd like to talk about the -- the laws of man, here in this city, where those laws are written. I'd like to talk about higher laws. It would be great to assume that once there's the other, that the laws of man serve these higher laws, but, of course, they don't always. I presume that, in a way, is why you're all here.

他接著說，他相信今天在座的每一個人（不管是基督徒、猶太人、穆斯林）都是在尋找一個更好地服事我們的家庭、社區、國家，甚至神，的方法。他也是。只是對他這樣一個在年幼時看遍天主教徒與新教徒之間的仇恨衝突的愛爾蘭人（註：可以看我的北愛遊記）來說，他其實很長一段時間都不相信那些滿口信仰的宗教人士。

I remember how my mother would bring us to chapel on Sundays and my father used to wait outside. One of the things that I picked up from my father and my mother was the sense that religion often gets in the way of God; for me, at least, it got in the way -- seeing what religious people, in the name of God, did to my native land. And even in this country, seeing God's second-hand car salesmen on their TV cable channels offering indulgences for cash. In fact, all over the world -- seeing the self-righteous "roll down like a mighty stream," from certain corners of the religious establishment. I must confess, I changed the channel. I wanted my MTV.

直到1997年，有一群年老的英國基督徒，他們宣稱西元兩千年將是神所訂的「千禧年」（Millennium）、「禧年」（註：Jubilee，有慶祝與赦免之意），並誓言為了終結貧窮而奔走集結。這些人，改變了他的想法。

It's a "Jubilee." Why "Jubilee?" What was this year of Jubilee, this year of our Lord's favor? I’d -- I'd always read the Scriptures, actually, even the obscure stuff. There it was in Leviticus 25:35: "If your brother becomes poor," the Scriptures say, "and cannot maintain himself, you shall maintain him. You shall not lend him your money at interest, not give him your food for profit."

Bono接著說（註：這段太重要，而天下卻完全翻錯）：

「禧年是一個重要的概念，而耶穌是從這概念開始他的服事。耶穌是個年輕人、他遇到猶太拉比、他感動每一個人，人們談論他。老年人說：這耶穌是個聰明人；但你知道，他其實並沒有作過太多的公開演說。


當他第一次公開演說，耶穌用以賽亞書裡的經文說：『主的靈在我身上。因祂用膏膏我，叫我傳福音給貧窮的人。差遣我報告被擄的得釋放、瞎眼的得看見，叫那受壓制的得自由，報告神悅納人的禧年。』我想這經文是從路加福音第四章出來的。而我們在講的，是一個恩典的時代，且我們仍活在這恩典的時代。」

Bono說當他看到這些基督徒真的在他們行動中、在骯髒的街道上活出「恩典」的真義時，他幾乎快喜歡上這群新教徒了（註：因為他是個天主教徒）。而當教會站在AIDS、HIV帶原者的一旁服事他們時，他知道他過去對教會的看法是錯的：

The Church was slow but the Church got busy on this the leprosy （註：痲瘋病） of our age.

Bono接著提到當教會為了第三世界的債務問題而示威抗議（註：不是「借貸來作善事」，天下雜誌又翻錯）、為了AIDS和全球健康而遊說行動時，政府就必須有所回應；而且他們也有所回應。

「神與軟弱的人、與貧窮的人同在」，Bono說。而且，

It's not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It's not an accident. That's a lot of air time. You know, the only time Jesus Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor. "As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."

Bono提到，雖然在911之後，美國人的「民間」對外援助有所增長，看起來是達到一個歷史性的成就（註：聽眾大聲鼓掌），但還是有壞消息。因為有太多的事情要作；而且那存在於危機的規模與我們對這問題的回應之間的差距，實在太大。

And finally, getting to higher levels, higher callings: This is not about charity in the end, is it? It's about justice. The good news yet to come. I just want to repeat that: This is not about charity, it's about justice. And that's too bad. Because we're good at charity. Americans, Irish people, are good at charity. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it.

是的，「公平貿易、終結貧窮」這些事情都不是「公益」（charity），而是關乎「公義」！Bono激動地說：「當非洲每天有六千五百人因為沒辦法買到我們這些人平常在藥房就可以買到的藥，而死於那些可以被醫治、可以避免的疾病時。這就無關公益，而是關乎公義與公平！」

Bono接著提到ONE Campaign這運動在「終結貧窮」這件事情上是何等重要。他再一次地強調：

Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their products while we sing the virtues of the free market, that's not charity: That's a justice issue. Holding children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents, that's not charity: That's a justice issue. Withholding life-saving medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents, well that's not charity. To me, that's a justice issue.


And while the law is what we say it is, God is not silent on the subject. That's why I say there's laws of the land and then there's a higher standard. And we can hire experts to write them so they benefit us, these laws, so that they say it's okay to protect our agriculture but it's not okay for African farmers to protect their agriculture, to earn a living. As the laws of man are written, that's what they say. But God will not accept that. Mine won't. I don't -- will yours?

我的神不會容忍我利用人的法律來排擠非洲農民賺取他們生存所需，因為這違背神公義的律法，你的神會容忍嗎？

然後，Bono拐彎抹角地指出美國政府在「反恐戰爭」上的錯誤：

This is a dangerous idea I've put on the table, here: my God versus your God, their God versus our God, versus no God. It's very easy, in these times, to see religion as a force for division rather than unity. And this is a town -- Washington -- that knows something of division.

Bono引用許多經文指出神的公義是要我們去幫助那些有需要的人（註：對比於小布希最愛說的「正義的反恐戰爭」），說：「『天父必看顧你』，這真是很強的激勵啊。」他看著坐在他背後的小布希又說了一次：「『天父必看顧你』。你喜歡這句話，對吧？」（註：我覺得這邊有雙重隱喻。The Lord will watch your back，神看顧你、神也在你背後看著你的作為；小布希自己以為是神、神在小布希背後。）

Bono又提到，過去他的禱告往往是要求神祝福他現在的工作、他的創作、他的家庭，他的禱告是跟神求祝福。直到一個有智慧的人告訴他：「別再要求神祝福你正在做的事情了。要與神同工，參與祂正在做的事；因為這事是已經被祂所祝福的。」Bono接著說：「好，那就讓我們與神同工，而就像我剛才說的，神一直與貧窮的人同在。這就是祂正在做的。這也是祂呼召我們的目的。」

最後，Bono提到在美國有許多上教堂的人都會作「十一奉獻」（tithe），但美國的聯邦預算裡的對外援助卻不到總預算的百分之一（註：前面的掌聲當場瞎掉）。他因此呼籲美國的聯邦預算應該增加海外援助的比例，不用多，只要「百分之一」，就可以為非洲的生活環境做出很大的改變。而且最重要的，不只是改變非洲成千上萬的家庭與社區，而是「改變他們對我們的觀感」。

「這百分之一，是為了國家安全」，Bono又酸了小布希一下。