南太平洋万千风情

出于某种原因，由某种意料之外的语言念出的熟悉语句总能给我留下难以磨灭的记忆，甚少记忆能与之匹比。比如说，十几岁时，我从父亲的书架上翻出了一张披头士唱片，然后把唱针放在了用德语演唱的《我想握住你的手》这首歌上。又比方说，当我在洛杉矶当实习教师时，我目睹了一群小学生用西班牙语机械地背诵着《效忠誓言》。

现在我又有一段新的相似经历了。这发生在几个星期前，当时马努雷瓦的一所教堂里正在进行着一场卫理公会教的仪式。马努雷瓦位于新西兰奥克兰市以南。合唱团的男孩子们戴着领带，女孩子们则戴着宽边帽子，这些孩子们用福音曲调突然齐声唱起萨摩亚语版的《我是主微光》。

The Reverend invited me to join the 43)congregation for tea in the church basement afterward, and he made a warm and gracious speech to welcome me. I responded with a stumbling but heartfelt speech in return, promising to send copies of the photos I’d taken. After we sat down to a meal of Samoan panikeke (pancakes) and keke pua’a(pork buns), I asked him to explain the MasterCardthemed sermon. He explained that he had told the congregation that receiving God’s love was just like charging things to your credit card: It was easy to receive but took much more effort to pay back. A nice message, I thought, and didn’t consider it further at the time. But reflecting on it as I wrote this a few weeks later, his words took on added meaning. I had received, if not God’s love, then the affection of a congregation of total strangers. And I had not yet sent the photos in return.

当然，这个仪式于我而言，几乎是完全听不懂的，但是，元音之间的喉塞音加上双辅音的完全缺失使得萨摩亚语成为一种有着自然节奏感且不时引人入胜的语言。而我也能在仪式期间学到图福加牧师不断重复使用的一个词：“万事达卡”。

仪式后，牧师邀请我加入到教堂地下室举行的茶话会，他作了一个温暖且亲切的讲话欢迎我加入。作为回应，我也说了一番话，言辞笨拙却真心实意，并承诺把我拍摄的照片寄给他们。当我们坐下来吃萨摩亚煎饼和克克肉包时，我请求牧师解释一下他以万事达卡为主题的布道。他解释说，他曾经告诉会众，接受神的爱，就像透支你的信用卡一样：这易于接受，但却需要更多的努力来回报。我认为，这是个不错的信息，当时却并没有深究。但几个星期后，当我写这篇文章时，牧师的话又多了一层含义。我已经收到了爱，即便这份爱不是来自上帝，也是一群会众对于一个完全陌生的人的爱。而我却还没有把照片寄过去作为回赠。