If we knew, God would not be God.  如果我们知道，上帝就不是上帝了。

To have faith in this God would be more like trusting an essential benevolence in the universe,  相信这个上帝应该更象是相信宇宙中的原善，

and less like believing a system of doctrinal statements.  而不是相信一套教义的陈述。

Isn't it ironic that Christians who claim to believe in an infinite, unknowable being then tie God down in closed systems and rigid doctrines?  基督徒声称相信一个无限的、不可知的存在，然后又把上帝束缚在一套封闭的、僵化的教条之中，难道不可笑吗？

How could one practice such a faith?  怎么能实践这样一种信仰？

By seeking the God within. By cultivating my own inwardness.  通过发自内心地寻求上帝；通过培养自己的内在灵性，

In silence, in meditation, in my inner space, in the me that remains when I gently put aside my passing emotions and ideas and preoccupations. 在静默中，在冥想中，在我的内心世界中，在我轻轻放下暂时的情绪、想法和成见之后依然存在的这个本我中，

In awareness of the inner conversation.  在内省的意识中。

And how would we live such a faith? How would I live such a faith?  我们如何活出这样一种信仰？我自己怎样才能活出这样一种信仰？

By seeking intimate connection with your inwardness.  这需要通过寻求与你的内在灵性的密切关系，

The kind of relationships when deep speaks to deep.  那是一种推心置腹交谈时毫不遮掩的关系。

If God is in all people, then there is a meeting place where my relationship with you becomes a three-way encounter.  如果上帝存在于所有人之中，那么在我与你之间就有一个我们三方能彼此相遇的一个地方。

There is an Indian greeting, which I'm sure some of you know:  印度有一句问候语，肯定你们当中有些人知道：

Namaste, accompanied by a respectful bow,  那马斯特，伴随一个恭敬的鞠躬。

which, roughly translated means,  其大致的意思是

That which is of God in me greets that which of God is in you.  我内在的上帝问候你内在的上帝。

Namaste.  那马斯特。

And how would one deepen such a faith?  那么我们如何深化这种信仰？

By seeking the inwardness which is in all things.  这需要通过寻求在所有事物中的内在灵性。

In music and poetry, in the natural world of beauty and in the small ordinary things of life,  在音乐和诗歌中，在自然界的美丽中，在平凡的生活琐事中，

there is a deep, indwelling presence that makes them extraordinary.  都有一个深刻的、内在的存在使这些东西不平常。

It needs a profound attentiveness and a patient waiting,  它需要一种深邃的注意力和耐心的等待，

a contemplative attitude and a generosity and openness to those whose experience is different from my own. 一个沉思的态度，以及对与自己的经历不同的人的慷慨大方和开放包容。

When I stood up to speak to my people about God and the tsunami,  当我站起来向我们教会的人讲述上帝和海啸时，

I had no answers to offer them.  我无法为他们提供答案。

No neat packages of faith, with Bible references to prove them.  圣经没有提供一套现成的套路和说词来证明，

Only doubts and questioning and uncertainty.  只有怀疑、质问和不确定。

I had some suggestions to make possible new ways of thinking about God. 我提出了一些建议，一些关于上帝的可能的新思路，

Ways that might allow us to go on, down a new and uncharted road.  这些思路或许能使我们沿着一条新的未知的道路继续走下去。

But in the end, the only thing I could say for sure was, I don't know,  但最后，我唯一可以肯定说的是，我不知道。

and that just might be the most profoundly religious statement of all.  这也许正是最深刻虔诚的声明。

Thank you.  谢谢。