生活中的學習… What I've learned in life…

Drum Major Instinct

這是我寫給BCCC會刊的文章,借來這裡放一下。

西庇太的兒子雅各、約翰進前來,對耶穌說:夫子,我們無論求你甚麼,願你給我們作。耶穌說:要我給你們作甚麼?他們說:賜我們在你的榮耀裏,一個坐在你右邊,一個坐在你左邊。耶穌說:你們不知道所求的是甚麼,我所喝的杯,你們能喝麼?我所受的洗,你們能受麼?他們說:我們能。

馬可福音10:35-39a

Drum Major Instinct 是美國已故的人權運動領袖金恩博士 (Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.) 於1968年2月4日在他所牧會的Ebenezer Baptist Church的講道題目。金恩博士當天所引用的聖經經文是馬可福音10章35~44節。Drum Major指的是軍樂隊裡面的指揮。如果你有到現場看過美國大學的美式足球比賽,你一定知道在中場休息的時候雙方的軍樂隊和啦啦隊都會出場表演。美國大學的軍樂隊是要經過嚴格的訓練跟挑選才能加入的,因此能夠成為軍樂隊的一員是一件非常榮幸的事情。更不用說是負責指揮軍樂隊進行的指揮了。軍樂隊的指揮除了要具備好的音樂與舞蹈造詣,還必須是具備指揮整個樂團的領導能力。Drum Major是一個樂團的領導者,如果樂團表現不佳,Drum Major必須要負起完全的責任。

什麼是所謂的 Drum Major Instinct呢?就是說我們每個人都有希望被人肯定,被別人覺得重要,被別人尊敬的慾望和本能。就像馬可福音的這段經文中提到的,雅各、約翰、以及當時很多跟隨耶穌的人都以為耶穌將是那個要拯救猶太人脫離異族統治的政治軍事領袖。因此,雅各和約翰這對兄弟便偷偷的趁別人不注意的時候來到耶穌身邊請求耶穌當上皇帝的時候可以將他們兩個提拔為耶穌的左右手。其他的門徒聽見雅各和約翰的行徑之後非常的生氣,大抵他們中間很多人都有過同樣的想法,只是沒想到被雅各和約翰搶先了一步。

我相信我們中間很多人讀到這段經文時會覺得雅各和約翰真是勢利。他們為什麼沒有想到耶穌三年來對他們的教導?竟然一心只想著自己成名。其實我們不用這麼快就責備他們兩個人。我們每一個人心裡都有著想要被肯定、被認同、被尊敬的慾望。這些有時不為我們自己所察覺的慾望往往推動著我們生活中的許多行動。舉例來說,有人追求學位為了是希望靠著學位讓自己被肯定、有人極力的打扮自己希望能吸引別人注目的眼光。有些人以為開名車、戴名錶、穿名牌服飾便能得到別人的尊敬與肯定,也有人為了別人的認同而加入幫派或是做出自己明知不該的行為。如果把這樣的慾望更加的延伸,許多的戰爭、國際間或是種族間的糾紛不也是為了想要證明自己比別人強,證明我們的主義思想高過你們的思想。其實終極的目標都是為了滿足我們心裡那份想要被肯定、被認同、被尊敬的慾望。

讀到這裡,你可能會覺得我們不應該要有想要出頭、作領袖的想法。如果我們回到馬可福音的這段經文,你會發現雖然耶穌的其他十個門徒非常惱怒雅各和約翰的行為,耶穌卻一點也沒有責備雅各和約翰。耶穌曾經嚴厲的責備法利賽人是粉飾的墳墓,祂也曾經斥責彼得是撒旦,耶穌顯然不是一個只顧人情不顧真理的好好先生。我們以為耶穌會說些嚴厲的話語來責備這對兄弟,但是耶穌沒有。耶穌只是告訴他們,在神的國裡作領袖並不像世界上的領袖。世上的領袖運用權力、金錢、謀略來獲得別人的肯定。神國裡的領袖則是用愛來服事、幫補在他下面的人以得到 神的肯定。

今天在華人教會中一個普遍的現象是大家都不願意出來作領袖。有人覺得作領袖太辛苦,有人覺得作領袖的都是那些貪好權位的人。不可否認的是作領袖一定得負起一些責任,但是耶穌也的確呼召我們每一個跟從他的門徒成為教會以及世界上的領袖。耶穌說:「你們是世上的光。城造在山上是不能隱藏的。人點燈,不放在斗底下,是放在燈臺上,就照亮一家的人。你們的光也當這樣照在人前,叫他們看見你們的好行為,便將榮耀歸給你們在天上的父。」但願我們每一個人都願意出來靠著聖靈,以愛人、愛神的心在家庭、教會、學校、以及工作崗位上做一個擁有僕人心志的領袖。

最後,我願意以金恩博士的講道結尾與大家共勉:

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize – that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards – that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.

I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.
I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that’s all I want to say.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,
If I can spread the message as the master taught,
Then my living will not be in vain.

Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.

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