第14章在微尘与浮梁之上(14)
第14章在微尘与浮梁之上(14)
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爱才能铸就完美perfection
佚名/anonymous
inbrooklyn,newyork,chushisaschoolthatcaterstolearningdisabledchildren.somechildrenremaininchushfortheirentireschoolcareer,whileotherscanbemainstreamedintoconventionaljewishschools.atachushfund-raisingdinner,thefatherofachushchilddeliveredaspeechthatwouldneverbeforgottenbyallwhoattended.afterextollingtheschoolanditsdedicatedstaff,hecriedout,“whereistheperfectioninmysonshaya?everythinggoddoesisdonewithperfection.butmychildcannotunderstandthingsasotherchildrendo.mychildcannotrememberfactsandfiguresasotherchildrendo.whereisgod’sperfection?”
theaudiencewasshockedbythequestion,painedbythefather’sanguishandstilledbythepiercingquery.
“ibelieve,”thefatheranswered,“thatwhengodbringsachildlikethisintotheworld,theperfectionthatheseeksisinthewaypeoplereacttothischild.”hethentoldthefollowingstoryabouthissonshaya.
oneafternoonshayaandhisfatherwalkedpastaparkwheresomeboysshayaknewwereplayingbaseball.
shayaasked,“doyouthinktheywillletmeplay?”
shaya’sfatherknewthathissonwasnotatallathleticandthatmostboyswouldnotwanthimontheirteam.butshaya’sfatherunderstoodthatifhissonwerechosentoplayitwouldgivehimacomfortablesenseofbelonging.shaya’sfatherapproachedoneoftheboysinthefieldandaskedifshayacouldplay.
theboylookedaroundforguidancefromhisteammates.gettingnone,hetookmattersintohisownhandsandsaid,“wearelosingby6runsandthegameisinthe8thinning.iguesshecanbeonourteamandwe’lltrytoputhimuptobatintheninthinning.”
shaya’sfatherwasecstaticasshayasmiledbroadly.shayawastoldtoputonagloveandgoouttoplayshortcenterfield.inthebottomofthe8thinning,shaya’steamscoredafewrunsbutwasstillbehindby3.inthebottomofthe9thinning,shaya’steamscoredagainandnowwith2outsandthebasesloadedwiththepotentialwinningrunonbase,shayawasscheduledtobeup.wouldtheteamactuallyletshayabatatthisjunctureandgiveawaytheirchancetowinthegame?surprisingly,shayawasgiventhebat.everyoneknewthatitwasallbutimpossiblebecauseshayadidn’tevenknowhowtoholdthebatproperly,letalonehitwithit.however,asshayasteppeduptotheplate,thepitchermovedafewstepstolobtheballinsoftlysoshayashouldatleastbeabletomakecontact.thefirstpitchcameinandshayaswungclumsilyandmissed.oneofshaya’steammatescameuptoshayaandtogethertheyheldthebatandfacedthepitcherwaitingforthenextpitch.thepitcheragaintookafewstepsforwardtotosstheballsoftlytowardshaya.asthepitchcamein,shayaandhisteammateswungthebatandtogethertheyhitaslowgroundballtothepitcher.thepitcherpickedupthesoftgrounderandcouldeasilyhavethrowntheballtothefirstbaseman,shayawouldhavebeenoutandthatwouldhaveendedthegame.
instead,thepitchertooktheballandthrewitonahigharctorightfield,farbeyondthereachofthefirstbaseman.everyonestartedyelling,“shaya,runtofirst.runtofirst!”neverinhislifehadshayaruntofirst.hescampereddownthebaselinewideeyedandstartled.bythetimehereachedfirstbase,therightfielderhadtheball.hecouldhavethrowntheballtothesecondbasemanthatwouldtagoutshaya,whowasstillrunning.but,therightfielderunderstoodwhatthepitcher’sintentionswere,sohethrewtheballhighandfaroverthethirdbaseman’shead.everyoneyelled,“runtosecond,runtosecond.”shayarantowardssecondbaseastherunnersaheadofhimdeliriouslycircledthebasestowardshome.asshayareachedsecondbase,theopposingshortstopsrantohim,turnedhiminthedirectionofthirdbaseandshouted,“runtothird.”asshayaroundedthird,theboysfrombothteamsranbehindhimscreaming,“shaya,runhome!”shayaranhome,steppedonhomeplateandall18boysliftedhimontheirshouldersandmadehimthehero,ashehadjusthita“grandslam”andwonthegameforhisteam.
“thatday,”saidthefathersoftlywithtearsnowrollingdownhisface,“those18boysreachedtheirlevelofgod’sperfection.”
查斯是纽约布鲁克林的一所学校,它是专门为有学习障碍的孩子开办的。一部分孩子会在这里完成整个学业,而另一部分孩子会转入常规的犹太学校。一次,在查斯的筹款晚宴上,一位学生家长发表了一篇让现场所有人都难以忘怀的演讲。他首先称赞了学校和尽责的教职工,接着大喊道:“我儿子沙亚什么地方是完美的?上帝所做的一切都是尽善尽美的。其他孩子能够理解事物,而我的孩子却不能,也不能像他们那样牢记生活常识和数字。上帝所谓的完美在哪里?”
这一问,震惊了全场观众。他们深切地感受到这位父亲的痛苦,同时如此尖锐的质问也让他们愣住了。
“我认为,”这位父亲自己答道,“当上帝将这样的孩子带到世界上时,人们对这个孩子的态度就是他所寻求的完美。”接着,他讲了以下这个关于沙亚的故事。
一日午后,沙亚和父亲经过公园时,看到沙亚认识的一些男孩正在玩棒球。
沙亚问:“你认为他们会不会让我玩?”
父亲清楚儿子对运动一窍不通,而且多数男孩也不会想让沙亚加入他们的队伍。但他也明白,如果儿子能被接受,那将会给儿子带来快乐的归属感。因此,他走到球场内的一个男孩面前,询问能否让沙亚加入。
男孩环顾四周,想从队友那里得到意见,但没人回应。于是,他决定自己做主,说:“我们现在落后6分,但比赛已经是第8局了。我认为他可以加入我们队,我们会尽量让他第9局上场。”
沙亚的父亲喜出望外,沙亚也露出了灿烂的笑容。男孩们让他戴上手套打中外野手。第8局下半场时,尽管沙亚队赢得了几轮,但依旧落后3分。第9局下半场时,沙亚队又得分了。此时,出局的有两个垒手,满垒还拥有一个垒位打点,那是绝对有希望获胜的。按照计划,轮到沙亚上场了。如此关键的时刻,他们会放弃获胜的希望而让沙亚击球吗?出乎意料的是,他们把球棒递到了沙亚手中。沙亚连如何拿好球棒都不知道,更不用说击球了,因此所有人都明白,胜利是不可能了。当沙亚向垒板走去时,投手移动了几步,放低手,轻轻将球缓慢地投了过来,这样沙亚最起码有可能碰到球。第一次投球过来时,沙亚笨拙地抡了一下球棒,但没有击中。于是,一个队友走过来和沙亚一起握着球棒,面朝投手,等待着第二次投球。投手向前挪了几步,轻轻地将球朝沙亚投过来。球过来时,沙亚和他的队友一起挥动球棒,打出了一个很慢的滚地球。投手接起这个轻柔的滚地球,他本可以轻易地把它传给一垒手,这样沙亚就会出局,比赛也就会结束。