凑巧的是,那时我们与工厂工会之间发生了一些尖锐的摩擦。后来的一天,我突然想到:他们真正的观点是什么?为什么会这样?我开始明白他们为何会对我们产生怀疑,并常持敌对态度,于是我决定采取相应的行动。
在处理与员工间的问题时,我们试图将基督教的信条应用甚至照搬到其中,比如说,将金箴中的某些忠告付诸行动。当人们相信我们的诚意,自然就会作出良好的回应。这种做法痛苦但却有所回报。我所说的回报并非金钱,而是人的尊严,会使一个人为他的工作与公司而骄傲。他明白,自己不再是一个微不足道的小齿轮,而是公司中生动鲜活的一分子,公司不会在乎他属于哪个教会,或是肤色深浅。
然而,我可以肯定地说,我和我的人生观正是因这种态度而发生了转变。也许,对于我的变化,多数朋友并没有发现。
但是,我自己注意到了。曾经用酗酒来排遣的空虚感,如今已不复存在,取而代之的是明确的目标:充实地生活,关注并尊重他人的存在。我并不假装自己已经成了一个典范,我明白自己还有许多缺点。
但是,在我看来,与其什么都不做地虔诚思考,不如拥有一点宗教信仰并将其付诸实践。我感觉,相比以前,自己得到了更好的调整,也更为成熟了。我无所畏惧。我之所以这么说,并非吹嘘,而是满怀谦卑。我的生活也因将基督教信条付诸实践而发生了改变。
■ 心灵小语
如何让空虚的生活充实起来?就是要将想法付诸行动。要懂得关心他人,尊重他人,你的生活也会就此改变。
How to Refill an Empty Life
Albert Nesbitt
One day about fifteen years ago I suddenly came face to face with myself and realized there was something quite empty about my life。 My friends and associates perhaps didn’t see it。 By the generally accepted standards; I was “successful”。 I was head of a prosperous1 manufacturing concern and I led what is usually referred to as an “active” life; both socially and in business。 But it didn’t seem to me to be adding up to anything。 I was going around in circles。 I worked hard; played hard; and pretty soon I discovered I was hitting the highballs harder than I needed。 I wasn’t a candidate2 for Alcoholics Anonymous; but to be honest with myself I had to admit I was drinking more than was good for me。 It may have been out of sheer boredom。
如何让空虚的生活充实起来(2)
I began to wonder what to do。 It occurred to me that I might have gotten myself too tightly wrapped up in my job; to the sacrifice of the basic but nonmaterialistic values of life。 It struck me abruptly that I was being quite selfish; that my major interest in people was in what they meant to me; what they represented as business contacts or employees; not what I might mean to them。 I remembered that as my mother sent me to Sunday school as a boy; and encouraged me to sing in the church choir; she used to tell me that the value of what she called a good Christian background was in having something to tie to。 I put in a little thought recalling the Golden Rule and some of the other first principles of Christianity。 I began to get interested in YMCA work。
It happened that just at this time we were having some bitter fights with the union at our plant。 Then one day it occurred to me:what really is their point of view; and why? I began to see a basis for their suspicions; their often chip…on…shoulder point of view; and I determined to do something about it。
We endeavored to apply―literally apply―Christian principles to our dealings with employees; to practice; for example; something of the Golden Rule。 The men’s response; once they were convinced we were sincere; was remarkable。 The effort has paid for its pains; and I don’t mean in dollars。 I mean in dividends of human dignity; of a man’s pride in his job and in the pany; knowing that he is no longer just a cog but a live personal part of it and that it doesn’t matter whether he belongs to a certain church or whether the pigmentation of his skin is light or dark。
But I can speak with most authority on how this change of attitude affected me and my personal outlook on life。 Perhaps; again; many of my friends did not notice the difference。
But I noticed it。 That feeling of emptiness; into which I was pouring cocktails out of boredom; was filling up instead with a purpose: to live a full life with an awareness and an appreciation of other people。 I do not pretend for a second that I have suddenly bee a paragon。 My faults are still legion and I know them。
But it seems to me better to have a little religion and practice it than think piously and do nothing about it。 I feel better adjusted; more mature than I ever have in my life before。 I have no fear。 I say this not boastfully but in all humility。 The actual application of Christian principles has changed my life。
人生的节奏(1)
艾丽斯?梅内尔
如果说生活并不总是诗情画意的,但它至少是富有韵律的。根据一个人思维轨迹的路径来看,人的精神体验呈现周期性。尽管其距离、轨道的长短、运行速度、循环周期都不得而知,但是其循环性是可以肯定的。在上周或去年内心所遭受的痛苦,现在已烟消云散,但是痛苦会在下周或明年卷土重来。快乐与否与我们所经历的事情并不相干,而是取决于思维的浪潮。疾病是有节奏的,越接近死亡,其周期越短,身体恢复所需要的时间也越长。对于一件事的悲痛,昨天不堪忍受,明天也会如此。尽管今天很容易承受,可是悲痛却没有过去。甚至未解的精神痛苦的负担,也一定会给内心留下片刻的安宁。悔恨不是滞留着不去,它会再次回来。惊喜令我们快乐。如果我们能够记录下惊喜来临的路线,那么对于快乐将是期待,而不是当它到来时才发现了。没有人作过这样的观察;在人们所有内心世界的日记中,也从来没有出现过这样的周期的开普勒式记录。但是即使坎普滕的托马斯没能测算出它的周期,他也的确发现了这种周期的存在。“除此之外, 夫复何求?万事万物皆由此构成。”带着这种理念他发现,在至深的痛苦中反倒能找到快乐的逗留。快乐的时刻来临时,记忆抑制人的心灵,使迎接快乐之情更强烈,但是预感快乐将无情地消失。“你很少,很少到来。”雪莱叹息道。他叹息的不仅仅是快乐本身,而是快乐的灵魂。为我们服务,快乐可以事先被强迫使用,被调遣,被约束——埃里厄尔可以被分派去做日常工作;但是这样人为的暴行使生活变得没有了节制,而遭受如此强迫的也并非是快乐的灵魂。它在椭圆形、抛物线形或双曲线形的轨道上飞来飞去,没有人知道它与时间有着怎样的约会。
雪莱与《效法基督》的作者本应敏锐而简单地察觉到这种飞跃,并猜测其周期的规则,这似乎是情理之中的事。他们的灵魂与他们多个世界中的精灵有着密切的联系,并且人类的世故、有悖于普遍运动的自由与规则的东西,都不能阻止他们找到循环这种现象的道理