from drug dealers

在毒販、黑社會成員和妓女身上。

and gang members

而令我最深刻的神學討論，

and prostitutes,

不是在神學院的神聖會堂中發生，

and I've had some of my most profound theological conversations

而是在街頭發生，

not in the hallowed halls of a seminary

在星期五晚上，凌晨一時。

but on a street corner

這有些奇怪，

on a Friday night, at 1 a.m.

因我是個在神學院受訓的浸信會牧師，

That's a little unusual, since I am a Baptist minister, seminary-trained,

還在一所教會做了超過二十年牧師，

and pastored a church for over 20 years,

但這都是真的。

but it's true.

這是我在參與減低罪案的計劃時的收獲，

It came as a part of my participation

並令這大城市的犯罪率 在八年後下跌了百分之七十九。

in a public safety crime reduction strategy

但我不是一開始就想參與減低罪案的計劃。

that saw a 79 percent reduction in violent crime

我當時二十五歲，剛有自己的教會，

over an eight-year period in a major city.

如果你當時問我的人生目標是甚麼，

But I didn't start out wanting to be

我會說我想在一間超大型教會當牧師，

a part of somebody's crime reduction strategy.

我想有間擁有一萬五千、二萬信眾的教會，

I was 25, had my first church.

我想有自己的電視傳道節目，

If you would have asked me what my ambition was,

我想有自己的服裝品牌，

I would have told you I wanted to be a megachurch pastor.

(笑聲)

I wanted a 15-, 20,000-member church.

我還想當你的長途電話公司，

I wanted my own television ministry.

所有能想到的事我也想擁有。

I wanted my own clothing line.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

在我當牧師一年後，

I wanted to be your long distance carrier.

我有約二十個信眾，

You know, the whole nine yards.

所以距離超大型教會的目標還很遠。

(Laughter)

但老實說，當你問我的夢想是甚麼時，

After about a year of pastoring,

我只想成為一個好牧師，

my membership went up about 20 members.

與人們渡過人生的所有階段，

So megachurchdom was way down the road.

向人們傳道終生受用的訊息，

But seriously, if you'd have said, "What is your ambition?"

以及正如非裔美國人的傳統所說的，

I would have said just to be a good pastor,

能夠代表我所服務的社區。

to be able to be with people through all the passages of life,

但在我的城市中，有些事正在發生，

to preach messages that would have an everyday meaning for folks,

就在整個都市中，

and in the African-American tradition,

以及美國大部份的都市。

to be able to represent the community that I serve.

凶殺案的數字急劇上升，

But there was something else that was happening in my city

年輕人為了微不足道的小事殺害對方，

and in the entire metro area,

例如在高中的走廊撞到別人，

and in most metro areas in the United States,

放學後便用槍殺害那人，

and that was the homicide rate started to rise precipitously.

又或是有人穿了顏色不對的衣服，

And there were young people who were killing each other

在錯誤的時間和錯誤的地方出現。

for reasons that I thought were very trivial,

我們必須做些事情。

like bumping into someone in a high school hallway,

這個問題已開始改變城市的面貌。

and then after school, shooting the person.

你可到任何一個公共屋村，

Someone with the wrong color shirt on,

就如在我教會那條街的，

on the wrong street corner at the wrong time.

當你走進那裡，那地方就如一個死城。

And something needed to be done about that.

即使在暑假，家長都不讓小孩出來玩，

It got to the point where it started to change the character of the city.

都是因為這些暴力事件。

You could go to any housing project,

你在這個社區的任何一晚

for example, like the one that was down the street from my church,

都會聽到像是煙花的聲音，

and you would walk in, and it would be like a ghost town,

但其實是槍聲。

because the parents wouldn't allow their kids to come out and play,

你幾乎每晚都能聽到，就在你準備晚餐時，

even in the summertime, because of the violence.

和你的孩子說床邊故事時，或當你在看電視時。

You would listen in the neighborhoods on any given night,

你也可以到任何一間醫院的急診室，

and to the untrained ear, it sounded like fireworks,

看到擔架上中了彈並垂死的 年輕黑人和拉丁美洲人。

but it was gunfire.

當我主持喪禮時，

You'd hear it almost every night, when you were cooking dinner,

死去的不是受人尊敬的長者，

telling your child a bedtime story, or just watching TV.

這樣我會有很多話要說。

And you can go to any emergency room at any hospital,

但我是為十八歲、十七歲、十六歲的人主持喪禮。

and you would see lying on gurneys

我當時站在教會或殯儀館裡，

young black and Latino men shot and dying.

在掙扎應說甚麼能帶來改變的說話。

And I was doing funerals,

因此當我的同事在興建又高又宏偉的大教堂時，

but not of the venerated matriarchs and patriarchs who'd lived a long life

他們購買城市外的物業

and there's a lot to say.

讓他們能遷移信眾，

I was doing funerals of 18-year-olds,

以創造或再造他們的上帝之城，

17-year-olds,

這時舊城區的社會結構正承受暴力事件的重擔。

and 16-year-olds,

因此我選擇留下，有人必須做些事。

and I was standing in a church or at a funeral home

我看看有甚麼我可以做的便實行。

struggling to say something

我開始在社區傳道以打破暴力的污名，

that would make some meaningful impact.

我亦開始檢視教會的活動計劃，

And so while my colleagues were building these cathedrals great and tall

我開始建立協助邊緣青年的計劃

and buying property outside of the city

幫助那些快走向暴力的青年。

and moving their congregations out

我甚至嘗試用創新的方法傳道，

so that they could create or recreate their cities of God,

你們都有聽過饒舌音樂嗎?

the social structures in the inner cities

饒舌音樂?

were sagging under the weight of all of this violence.

我有次甚至以饒舌形式講道。

And so I stayed, because somebody needed to do something,

雖然效果不佳，但至少我嘗試過。

and so I had looked at what I had and moved on that.

我還記得有個年輕人在佈道後走過來，

I started to preach decrying the violence in the community.

他等所有人離開後跟我說: 「牧師，饒舌講道嗎?」

And I started to look at the programming in my church,

然後我問:「對呀，你覺得如何?」

and I started to build programs that would catch the at-risk youth,

他說:「不要再這樣做了。」

those who were on the fence to the violence.

(笑聲)

I even tried to be innovative in my preaching.

我傳道和建立這些計劃，

You all have heard of rap music, right?

我想如果我的同事都這樣做的話，

Rap music?

我們就可以帶來改變。

I even tried to rap sermon one time.

但暴力事件就是不受控制。

It didn't work, but at least I tried it.

不牽涉在內的人卻被人射殺，

I'll never forget the young person who came to me after that sermon.

例如到便利店買香菸的人，

He waited until everybody was gone,

在巴士站候車的人，

and he said, "Rev, rap sermon, huh?" And I was like, "Yeah, what do you think?"

以及在公園玩耍的小孩，

And he said, "Don't do that again, Rev."

他們沒有察覺公園另一邊的暴力事件，

(Laughter)

但暴力事件發生在他們身上。

But I preached and I built these programs,

事情失去了控制，

and I thought maybe if my colleagues did the same

而我不知道該做甚麼。

that it would make a difference.

突然一件事完全改變了我。

But the violence just careened out of control,

這是關於一個叫Jesse McKie的孩子，

and people who were not involved in the violence were getting shot and killed:

和朋友Rigoberto Carrion一起回家，

somebody going to buy a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store,

回到我教會附近的公共屋村。

or someone who was sitting at a bus stop just waiting for a bus,

他們遇到了來自多切斯特幫派的一群青年，

or kids who were playing in the park,

兩人都被殺。

oblivious to the violence on the other side of the park,

Jesse負著致命的傷逃走，

but it coming and visiting them.

他正朝著我教會的方向奔跑，

Things were out of control,

但他在一百、一百五十碼外死了。

and I didn't know what to do,

就算他抵達教會也沒有分別，

and then something happened that changed everything for me.

因當時所有燈都熄了，沒有人在那裡。

It was a kid by the name of Jesse McKie,

但我視這為一個徵兆。

walking home with his friend Rigoberto Carrion

當他們捉到做了這些壞事的青年時，

to the housing project down the street from my church.

令我很驚訝的是他們和我的年齡相近，

They met up with a group of youth who were from a gang in Dorchester,

但我們之間的差異十分大，

and they were killed.

就像我們活在完全不同的世界中。

But as Jesse was running from the scene mortally wounded,

正當我反思一切、思考發生了甚麼事時，

he was running in the direction of my church,

我突然察覺我內心的一個問題：

and he died some 100, 150 yards away.

在我宣揚去除暴力的佈道中，

If he would have gotten to the church, it wouldn't have made a difference,

我同時亦談及建設社群。

because the lights were out; nobody was home.

但我突然醒覺有一撮人 並不在我對社群的定義中。

And I took that as a sign.

所以這個問題是這樣的：

When they caught some of the youth that had done this deed,

如果我真的想幫助這個社群，

to my surprise, they were around my age,

我必須走出去，

but the gulf that was between us was vast.

並接納這群不在我定義中的人。

It was like we were in two completely different worlds.

我們不應只幫助那些快走向暴力的青年，

And so as I contemplated all of this

還應幫助那些已在犯暴力罪行的人，

and looked at what was happening,

那些黑社會成員和毒販。

I suddenly realized that there was a paradox that was emerging inside of me,

當我有了這個覺醒後， 我腦海中浮現一條問題：

and the paradox was this: in all of those sermons

為何是我?

that I preached decrying the violence,

這不應該是執法機構的問題嗎?

I was also talking about building community,

這不是我們有警察的原因嗎?

but I suddenly realized

當這問題出現時，答案亦隨之而揭曉。

that there was a certain segment of the population

為何是我? 因為我因這個問題而不能入睡，

that I was not including in my definition of community.

因為我認為有些人必須做些事，

And so the paradox was this:

而我察覺這人就是我。

If I really wanted the community that I was preaching for,

社會運動不就是這樣開始嗎?

I needed to reach out

一開始時並不是人們眾集在宏偉的會議中心，

and embrace this group that I had cut out of my definition.

並有著共同的信念。

Which meant not about building programs

開始時通常只有幾個人，或一個人，

to catch those who were on the fences of violence,

而發起的就只有我。

but to reach out and to embrace those who were committing the acts of violence,

我決定研究這令年輕人犯下暴力罪行的文化。

the gang bangers, the drug dealers.

我開始在高中當義工，

As soon as I came to that realization, a quick question came to my mind.

在兩星期的義工服務後，

Why me?

我發現我想接觸的青年都已輟學。

I mean, isn't this a law enforcement issue?

因此我走進社區，

This is why we have the police, right?

但不需科學家也可知道他們不會在白天出現。

As soon as the question, "Why me?" came, the answer came just as quickly:

所以我在深夜時走到街上，

Why me? Because I'm the one who can't sleep at night thinking about it.

走到他們所在的公園，

Because I'm the one looking around saying somebody needs to do something about this,

開始建立必需的關係。

and I'm starting to realize that that someone is me.

一件在波士頓發生的悲劇 令一些教士聚首一堂，

I mean, isn't that how movements start anyway?

當中有一小撮人發覺 我們必須走出我們的教會，

They don't start with a grand convention and people coming together

走到青年所在的地方，

and then walking in lockstep with a statement.

不追究甚麼事令他們變成這樣。

But it starts with just a few, or maybe just one.

我們決定和他們同行。

It started with me that way,

在這城市最危險的社區認識對方，

and so I decided to figure out the culture of violence

就在星期五和星期六的晚上，

in which these young people who were committing them existed,

晚上十時，

and I started to volunteer at the high school.

一起走到清晨二、三時。

After about two weeks of volunteering at the high school,

當我們剛開始時，我們是不正常的人，

I realized that the youth that I was trying to reach,

我們又不是毒販，

they weren't going to high school.

我們不是吸毒的人，

I started to walk in the community,

我們不是警察，我們還戴著羅馬領，

and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that they weren't out

所以這是十分奇怪的。

during the day.

但不久後他們開始和我們說話。

So I started to walk the streets at night, late at night,

我們後來發現當我們行走時， 他們在觀察我們。

going into the parks where they were,

他們想確認以下的事：

building the relationship that was necessary.

第一，我們會否堅持我們的行動，

A tragedy happened in Boston that brought a number of clergy together,

我們會否堅持每晚到這裡；

and there was a small cadre of us who came to the realization

第二，他們想確認我們不是要用利用他們的。

that we had to come out of the four walls of our sanctuary

因為經常有些人說「我們須收回我們的街道」，

and meet the youth where they were,

但他們往往拿著電視台的攝影機，

and not try to figure out how to bring them in.

又或是個記者，

And so we decided to walk together,

他們傷害在街頭的人去提高自己的聲望。

and we would get together

而當他們看到我們不是這些人時，

in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city

他們開始和我們說話。

on a Friday night and on a Saturday night

然後我們做了一件令牧師驚訝的事，

at 10 p.m.,

我們決定聆聽而不傳教。

and we would walk until 2 or 3 in the morning.

對呀，為我們鼓掌吧。

I imagine we were quite the anomaly when we first started walking.

(笑聲) (掌聲)

I mean, we weren't drug dealers.

好了停止吧，你們在佔用我的時間。 (笑聲)

We weren't drug customers.

但這真的很神奇。

We weren't the police. Some of us would have collars on.

我們跟他們說: 「我們不知道這社區在晚上九時是怎樣的，

It was probably a really odd thing.

就在晚上九時至早上五時。

But they started speaking to us after a while,

但你們知道。

and what we found out is that

你就是那個時段的主人翁。

while we were walking, they were watching us,

所以告訴我們，教導我們，

and they wanted to make sure of a couple of things:

幫助我們看見我們忽略了的事，

that number one, we were going to be consistent in our behavior,

幫助我們了解我們不明白的事。」

that we would keep coming out there;

而他們全都樂意這樣做，

and then secondly, they had wanted to make sure

我們開始了解街頭的生活，

that we weren't out there to exploit them.

這和你在晚間新聞中看到的十分不同，

Because there was always somebody who would say,

而且跟大眾媒體和社群網路 描繪的十分不同。

"We're going to take back the streets,"

當我們和他們交談時，

but they would always seem to have a television camera with them,

我們打破了一些關於他們的迷思。

or a reporter,

而當中最大的迷思就是 他們都是冷酷無情的，

and they would enhance their own reputation

而且不尋常地暴戾。

to the detriment of those on the streets.

但我們發現的是完全相反的。

So when they saw that we had none of that,

大部份在街頭流連的青年人，

they decided to talk to us.

他們只是在嘗試進入街頭的生活。

And then we did an amazing thing for preachers.

我們亦發現

We decided to listen and not preach.

一些我們見過最聰明、 富創意、偉大、充滿智慧的人，

Come on, give it up for me.

都在街頭上掙扎中。

(Laughter) (Applause)

我知道有些人稱之為求存， 但我認為這是克服困難。

All right, come on, you're cutting into my time now, okay? (Laughter)

因為當你在這環境時，

But it was amazing.

能夠生存已經是一種成就。

We said to them, "We don't know our own communities after 9 p.m. at night,

因此我們和他們說，

between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.,

「你認為這所教會、這個機構能怎樣改善這情況?」

but you do.

在與這些青年的對話中我們制定了計劃。

You are the subject matter experts, if you will, of that period of time.

我們不再視他們為需要解決的問題，

So talk to us. Teach us.

我們開始視他們為夥伴、財富、

Help us to see what we're not seeing.

以及打擊社區暴力的同事。

Help us to understand what we're not understanding."

試想像在討論一個計劃時，

And they were all too happy to do that,

你有一個牧師在這， 旁邊卻是一個販賣海洛英的人，

and we got an idea of what life on the streets was all about,

他們一起為教會想辦法去幫助整個社區。

very different than what you see on the 11 o'clock news,

「波士頓奇蹟」的成功在於連繫人們。

very different than what is portrayed in popular media and even social media.

我們有同伴，

And as we were talking with them,

我們有執法機構的夥伴，

a number of myths were dispelled about them with us.

我們有一些警察同伴，

And one of the biggest myths was that these kids were cold and heartless

但不是整個警方，

and uncharacteristically bold in their violence.

因為仍然有些人認為要拘捕他們。

What we found out was the exact opposite.

但有另一種警察，

Most of the young people who were out there on the streets

他們為能夠協助社區而感到榮幸，

are just trying to make it on the streets.

他們認為有責任跟社區領袖和信仰領袖合作，

And we also found out

一起打擊社區中的暴力。

that some of the most intelligent and creative

感化官也是這樣。

and magnificent and wise

法官也是這樣。

people that we've ever met

執法機構的人也是這樣。

were on the street, engaged in a struggle.

因為他們像我們一樣明白到，

And I know some of them call it survival, but I call them overcomers,

我們絕不能置身事外，

because when you're in the conditions that they're in,

而且我們永遠不會有足夠的檢控，

to be able to live every day is an accomplishment of overcoming.

你不能填滿監獄去減輕這個問題。

And as a result of that, we said to them,