「埋身中國,歸屬基督」,這是戴德生的岳父台約爾在澳門臨終留下的遺言。台家在今天的西馬和新加坡服事海外華人17年。1843年台約爾在香港出席宣教士會議,結束後前往廣州,不幸感染熱病,1843年10月24日逝世於澳門。臨終時他心中最熱切的盼望,依然是福音遍傳中國。
當我們得知在中國鎮江發現了戴德生和瑪莉亞的墳墓時,心中隨即浮現出台約爾這句遺言。戴德生和台約爾一樣心懷中國人,且為「每月百萬華人」未曾聽聞福音即步入滅亡而憂傷。1870年瑪莉亞過世後,戴德生繼續在中國事奉了35年。1905年6月3日,結束了一個多月的巡視後,戴德生「在中國的中心(湖南長沙)回到了神的心中」,安葬在鎮江西僑公墓瑪莉亞的墓旁。
1983年,戴氏家族一行11人拜訪鎮江,尋找戴德生和瑪莉亞的墓地。因為兩人過世多年,公安局建議我們去當時的鎮江博物館尋找線索。我們留下一本戴德生的傳記和幾張戴家墳墓的老照片,便離開了鎮江,哪知到了1986年,因著鎮江福音堂胡士輝牧師鍥而不捨的努力,就在同一間博物館裡,奇蹟般地找到了戴德生墓碑的六塊殘片!當地教會承擔了保管之責,眾多來自中國、韓國、新馬及北美的基督徒,陸續前來瞻仰這墓碑。
2012年,一位台灣商人在揚州一間古董店發現了瑪莉亞的墓碑殘塊。這位黃先生不是基督徒,也從未聽聞戴德生和瑪莉亞,但是他有感動買下那塊殘碑,然後透過網路確認了墓碑主人的身份。他跟戴家聯絡,並慷慨地將殘碑捐給戴家。就這樣,瑪莉亞的殘碑回到了戴德生的墓碑旁。
2013年,再次出乎意外,我們接獲鎮江當局的電話通知:土地開發商在西僑公墓原址挖掘出一塊中文墓碑,以及疑似兩人的墓塚。經考證後得以確認,那裡確確實實就是戴德生和瑪莉亞的墳墓!!
接下來該怎麼做呢?戴家後人、鎮江市政府、福音堂教牧同工幾經協商,決定將兩人的遺骸及墓碑遷至鎮江新建的教堂,當受邀為這教堂命名時,我們想到彼得前書2:9-10的話「要宣揚祂的美德」,故命名為「宣德堂」。大家決定將初始藍圖上一座六十米高的鐘樓,改稱「德生樓」,新設計中,還包括介紹兩人生平、內地會事工發展,以及鎮江教會史的陳列室。
德生樓能出現在今天的中國,實在令人難以想像!這個紀念館提醒我們面前那「未完成的使命」,激勵耶穌的跟隨者重新委身,接過宣教的接力棒!正如戴德生曾說道:「這樣的救主,我們為祂所說的,會嫌太多嗎?」
戴德生和瑪莉亞的墓碑
祖孫三代尋根於鎮江,戴德生的墓碑
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