手捧陽(yáng)光的男孩

One morning in Philadelphia， the sun slanted through all the dense jungles and the lofty churches. John， 6， wearing the shabby clothes， walked from afar， his dark small hands holding a piece of stolen bread.

John stopped for a moment at the entrance to the solemn church and then left tightly holding the bread.

He was an orphan， whose parents were killed in World War II leaving him alone in the orphanage for five years. Like many children in the orphanage， he had a lot of free time. Mostly no one took care of them， so they had to learn how to steal those they wanted.

John believed that the existence of God， so every Sunday morning in any case he would go to the church to have a look and listen to those people singing inside or reciting the Bible. He felt only at this moment he was the child of God and so close to God. But he couldn't enter because his clothes was so dirty. John himself knew it.

John was quietly counting. This was his 45th Sunday at the entrance to the church. He stood on tiptoe for a while and walked away.

As time passed， the pastor noticed John and learned from others that he was the small boy who liked stealing things in the orphanages.

On the 46th Sunday， the sun was shining and John came still holding a piece of bread with his dark small hands. When he just stood there， the pastor went out. He felt like running away， but he was carried along by the pastor's amiable smile.

The pastor walked up to his side， clearly seeing John's small hands tremble.

\"Are you John?\"

John didn't answer， but looked at the pastor and nodded.

\"Do you believe in God?\" the pastor petted John on his head stained with dust.

\"Yes， I do!\" This time John told him loudly.

\"So you believe in yourself?\"

John looked at the pastor， without a word.

The pastor went on， \"At the first sight of you， I find you're different from other kids because you have a good heart.\"

Blushed， John said timidly， \"In fact， I'm a thief.\" With that， he lowered his head.

The pastor didn't speak， but held John's dark small hands， slowly opened them and put them against his wrinkled face.

\"Ah!\" Just at the same time， John exclaimed and was about to take out his dark small hands. Yet the pastor tightly held his small hands and spread them out in the sun.

\"Do you see， John?\"

\"What?\"

\"You're cupping the sunshine in your hands.\"

John blankly looked at his hands: when did they become so beautiful?

\"In God's eyes， all children are the same. When they take the initiative to spread out their hands to greet the sun， the sun will naturally shine on them. And you have two things more than they. First is fortitude and the second is kindness.\" With that， the pastor led him into the church.

It was the first time that John went into this sacred place， and at this moment he didn't feel inferior and cowardly， but the unquenchable warmth.

On that morning embracing the sunshine， John found himself again， along with the confidence， satisfaction， happiness， dreams he had never had...

20 years have passed. Now the boy who ever tightly held the bread with his dirty hands has been the most famous chef in Philadelphia.

Every Sunday morning， he would personally send the bread he baked to the orphanage. Those children who greeted him with cheers were used to consciously spreading their palms before they got the bread.

Because they all knew when we take the initiative to spread out our hands to greet the sunshine， the sun will naturally shine on us.

費(fèi)城的一天清晨，陽(yáng)光斜射過(guò)整個(gè)的密林和高大的教堂。6歲的約翰身穿破舊的衣服從遠(yuǎn)處走來(lái)，黑乎乎的小手里還捏著一塊剛偷來(lái)的面包。

約翰在莊嚴(yán)的教堂門(mén)口站了一會(huì)兒，緊捏著面包又走了。

他是個(gè)孤兒，父母在二戰(zhàn)中身亡，留下他在孤兒院里寂寞地生活了5年。他和很多孤兒院里的孩子一樣，有很多的空閑時(shí)間。而更多的空閑時(shí)間，他們都無(wú)人照料，只好學(xué)著如何去偷那些他們想要的東西。

約翰相信上帝的存在，所以每個(gè)星期日的早上無(wú)論如何他都會(huì)到教堂門(mén)口去看一看，聽(tīng)一會(huì)兒那些人在里面唱歌或朗誦《圣經(jīng)》。他覺(jué)得只有在這個(gè)時(shí)刻他才是上帝的孩子，他原來(lái)離上帝是那么的近。可是，他不能進(jìn)去，因?yàn)樗囊路芘K，這點(diǎn)約翰自己也知道。

約翰默默地?cái)?shù)著，這是他第45個(gè)星期日站在這個(gè)教堂門(mén)口了。他踮著腳看了看，又站了一會(huì)兒，走開(kāi)了。

久而久之，牧師注意到了約翰，也從旁人的口中得知他就是那個(gè)喜歡在孤兒院里偷東西的小男孩。

第46個(gè)星期日，陽(yáng)光明媚，約翰依舊用他那雙黑乎乎的小手捏著一塊面包來(lái)了。他剛站在那里，牧師便走了出來(lái)。他當(dāng)時(shí)想跑，但卻被牧師和藹的笑容吸引住了。

牧師走到他身邊，清楚地看到約翰的小手在發(fā)抖。

“你是叫約翰嗎?”

約翰沒(méi)有回答，只是看著牧師點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。

“你相信上帝嗎?”牧師撫摸著約翰沾滿灰塵的腦袋。

“相信，我相信!”這次約翰大聲地告訴了他。

“那你相信自己?jiǎn)?”

約翰看著牧師，沒(méi)有說(shuō)話。

牧師接著說(shuō):“從看到你第一眼時(shí)，我就覺(jué)得你和其他孩子不一樣，因?yàn)槟阌幸活w善良的心?！?/p>

約翰臉紅了，怯生生地說(shuō):“其實(shí)，我是個(gè)小偷?！闭f(shuō)完便低下了頭。

牧師沒(méi)有說(shuō)話，而是握住了約翰黑乎乎的小手，緩慢地打開(kāi)，放在了自己布滿皺紋的臉上。

“啊!”就在同一時(shí)間，約翰驚呼著要抽開(kāi)污黑的小手?？墒?，牧師卻把他的小手緊緊地抓住，在陽(yáng)光下攤開(kāi)。

“看到了嗎，約翰?”

“什么?”

“你的手里捧著陽(yáng)光?！?/p>

約翰呆呆地看著自己的雙手，它們何時(shí)變得如此美麗?

“在上帝的眼中，所有的孩子都一樣。當(dāng)他們主動(dòng)攤開(kāi)雙手迎接陽(yáng)光時(shí)，陽(yáng)光自然就會(huì)照到他們。而你比他們多了兩樣?xùn)|西，一是堅(jiān)強(qiáng)，二是善良。”說(shuō)完，牧師便將他領(lǐng)進(jìn)了教堂。

這是約翰生平第一次走進(jìn)這種神圣的地方，而此時(shí)他的內(nèi)心已不是自卑和怯懦，而是無(wú)法泯滅的溫暖。

在那個(gè)懷抱陽(yáng)光的早上，約翰找回了自己。還有從來(lái)不曾有過(guò)的自信、滿足、幸福、夢(mèng)想……

轉(zhuǎn)眼20年過(guò)去了，這個(gè)曾用臟手緊握面包的男孩如今已經(jīng)成了費(fèi)城最有名的廚師。

每個(gè)星期日的上午，他都會(huì)親自去孤兒院送上自己烤出的面包。而那些歡呼而來(lái)的孩子們都習(xí)慣在拿到面包之前自覺(jué)地?cái)傞_(kāi)手掌。

因?yàn)樗麄兌贾?，?dāng)我們主動(dòng)攤開(kāi)雙手迎接陽(yáng)光時(shí)，陽(yáng)光自然就會(huì)照到我們。

注釋:

①Philadelphia n.費(fèi)城(美國(guó)賓夕法尼

亞州東南部港市)

②lofty adj.高高的;崇高的

③shabby adj. 破舊的;襤褸的

④amiable adj. 親切的;和藹可親的

⑤fortitude n.堅(jiān)韌

⑥unquenchable adj.難抑制的;不能

消滅的

⑦take the initiative v. 帶頭