[ＪＣ]WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN" - Carol Wimmer

When I say, "I am a Christian,"  I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost!  That's why I chose this way"
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非高喊著「我得救了！」
；而是輕聲說，「我迷失了，所以我選擇這條路。」

When I say, "I am a Christian,"  I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非自豪也非自誇
；而是承認我步履蹣跚，需要神來帶領我的前路。

When I say, "I am a Christian,"  I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非試著表現堅強
；而是表白我的軟弱，和祈求繼續前進的力量。

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非誇耀我的成功
；而是坦承我的失敗，甚至不能負擔所虧欠的債。

When I say, "I am a Christian,"  I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非覺得我懂得很多
；而是陳述我的困乏，並謙卑的尋求教導。

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非主張自己的完美
；我是如此的殘缺，但神卻相信我的價值。

When I say, "I am a Christian,"  I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我仍感到錐心之痛
；我需要有人分擔我的痛苦，所以我尋求祂的名。

When I say, "I am a Christian,"  I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved
當我說，「我是個基督徒」，我並非要論斷人
；我沒有這樣的權力——我唯一知道的是，我是被愛的。

-Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

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要翻譯「詩」還真麻煩…

以下是「作者的話」：

     My heart was heavy as I wrote the poem, When I say, “I am a Christian. ” The year was 1988. I had begun to sense an increasing societal resentment toward the attitude of self-righteousness that has been adopted by so many Christians. I knew such behavior was and is a perversion of Christianity. Thus, the sentiment of the poem was born out of my personal awareness of this perversion and the heartache it can cause in our pluralistic society.

     I jotted down my thoughts with an inner determination to define the Christian spirit as I wished to experience it. The resulting words formed a reflection of me and the reputation I hoped to secure for myself. Four years later, I sent the poem to 5 different publishers. As a result of its first publication in 1992, someone placed the poem on the Internet where it miraculously began taking on a life of its own.

     From Manila to South Africa; Australia to Singapore; Finland to Bahrain—I’ve received e-mails from people all over the world who express a common desire to walk humbly with God. Therefore, I owe a sincere “Thank You” to the unknown person who originally posted the poem on the Internet and the countless number of readers who have subsequently passed this simple expression on to others.