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一天，有人评论说给人传道并不十分困难，真正富有挑战性的是给一头熊传福音。一个话题引发另一个话题，最后他们决定每一个人都去试验一次。他们准备分头进入林中，每人找一头熊，对它讲道，努力使它皈依上帝。 七天以后，他们回来了，又聚在一起讨论各自的经历。 弗兰纳里神父第一个讲话。只见他拄着一副拐杖，浑身扎满绷带，胳膊用吊腕带吊着。 "唉，”他说，"我进了森林找到一头熊，一见到他我就开始给他念教义问答集。而那头熊对我所做的很不乐意，扬起熊掌开始对我乱拍乱打。于是我赶忙抓了些圣水，洒在他身上。哦，圣 母玛丽亚！他立刻变得像羊羔一样温顺。下周主教会去给他奉献圣餐，还将为他行坚信礼。" 比利.鲍勃牧师第二个讲话。他坐在轮椅上，一条胳膊和两条腿都固定在石膏模上，还在打着点滴。他慷慨陈词，极富感染力教友们，大家知道，我们行浸礼时是不能往身上洒水的。我去了森林,发现了一头熊，于是开始给他朗诵上帝的圣训。但是熊丝毫也不理我，我就上去抓住他，跟他抱在一起开始摔跤。我们滚下了一座山，又上了另一座，再从上面滚下来， 就这样摔啊摔啊，后来滚到了一条小河边。我猛地把他按进水里浸泡了一会儿，使他野蛮的灵魂得到了一次彻底的洗礼。结果正如你所说的，他顿时变得像羊羔一般温顺。接下来的时光我们就在一起赞美耶稣。" 他们两人讲完以后，都低下头看着躺在病床上的拉比——犹太人的法师。只见他全身固定在石膏模上，还做着牵引，监控器在他身上不停地运动。他整个人走了样，变得面目全非。 拉比拾起眼看了看他们，说现在回想起来，我真不应该一开始就给他行割礼……" Bearly Evangelism One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people wasn't really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment. They would all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it. Seven days later, they were all together to discuss the experience. Father Flannery, who had his arm in a sling, was on crutches, and had various bandages, went first. “Well,” he said, “I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I found him I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation.，’ Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he claimed, “Well brothers, you know that we don’t sprinkle! I went out and I found me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God's Holy Word! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took hold of him and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, up another and down another until we came to a creek. So I quickly dunked him and baptized his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising Jesus.” They both looked down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast, and traction, with monitors running in and out of him. He was in bad shape. The rabbi looked up and said，“Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start.” |
