Kutheni uMtshato, Kutheni uSapho
NguMdala D. Todd Christofferson
WeQumrhu labaPostile Abalishumi Elinambini
Usapho olwakhelwe emtshatweni wendoda nomfazi lunikezela ngesona siseko sihamba phambili sokuba icebo likaThixo liphuhle kakuhle.
Ngaphezulu koMnyango Omkhulu waseNtshona kwiWestminster Abbey edumileyo eLondon, kwelaseNgilane, kume umfanekiso oqingqiweyo wabafeli bamaKrestu aba–10 benkulungwane yama–20. Ekubandakanyeka kubo nguDietrich Bonhoeffer, owakwalizwi womJamani owayezalwe ngo–1906.1 UBonhoeffer wayengumgxeki othetha phandle kubuzwilakhe bamaNazi kunye nempatho yabo kumaYuda nakubanye. Waye wabanjelwa intshukumo yakhe yokuchasa kwaye ekugqibeleni waye wabulawelwa kwinkampu yoxinaniso. UBonhoeffer wayengumbhali onobunkunkqela, kwaye eminye yemibhalo eyaziwayo ebalaseleyo ziincwadi zembalelwano ezo oonogada abonovelwano baye bamnceda ukuba azirhubulisele ngaphandle kwentolongo, zaye zapapashwa kamva njengee Ncwadi Zembalelwano naMaphepha Aphuma Entolongweni.
Enye yezoo ncwadi zembalelwano yayisingise kumtshana wakhe ngaphambili komtshato wakhe. Yayiquka ezo mbono zibalulekileyo: “Umtshato ungaphaya kokuthandana nje. … Eluthandweni lwenu nizibona nina qha ehlabathini, kodwa emtshatweni nilukhonkco etyathangeni lezizukulwana ngezizukulwana, ezo uThixo azibangela ukuba zigqithele kuzuko lwakhe, kwaye azibizela kubukumkani bakhe. Eluthandweni lwenu nibona kuphela izulu lolonwabo lwenu, kodwa emtshatweni nibekwa kwisikhundla soxanduva ehlabathini naseluntwini. Uthando lwenu lilifa lenu labucala, kodwa umtshato ungaphezulu kwento nje yobuqu—uliwonga, uyi-ofisi. Njengoko kusisithsaba, hayi nje intando yokuphatha, oko kwenza ukumkani, nomtshato unjalo, kwaye hayi nje ukuthandana, olu luthi lunimanye ngaphambili kukaThixo nabantu. … Ngoko ke uthando luphuma kuwe, kodwa umtshato uvela phezulu, kuThixo.”2
Ingaba kungeyiphi indlela apho umtshato phakathi kwendoda nomfazi wogqitha uthando lwabo komnye nomnye kunye nolonwabo lwabo lube “sisikhundla soxanduva ehlabathini naseluntwini”? Ingaba ngeyiphi na indlela apho “uvela phezulu, kuThixo”? Ukuze siqonde, kumele sibuyele ekuqaleni.
Abaprofeti batyhile okokuba sasiphila kuqala njengeengqiqo kwaye sasinikwe ubume, okanye imizimba yokomoya, nguThixo, oko kusenza sibe ngabantwana baKhe basemoyeni—oonyana neentombi zabazali basezulwini.3 Kwaye kwafika ixesha apho koku kuphila kwangaphambili kwemimoya xa, ekuqhubeleni umnqweno waKhe wokokuba thina “sibenelungelo elilodwa lokuqhubela phambili njengaye buqu,”4 uBawo wethu oseZulwini waye walungisa icebo elinokwazi ukwenza oko. Kwizibhalo ezingcwele linikwe amagama awahlukeneyo, awaquka “icebo losindiso,”5 “icebo lolonwabo,”6 kunye “necebo lenkululeko.”7 Iinjongo ezimbini ezihamba phambili zecebo zazichaziwe ku–Abraham kula mazwi:
“Kwaye apho kwema omnye phakathi kwabo owayefana noThixo, kwaye wathi kwabo babekunye naye: Siya kuya ezantsi, kuba kukho indawo apho, kwaye siya kuthatha kwezi zinto, kwaye siya kwenza umhlaba apho aba [imimoya] baya kuhlala khona;
“Kwaye siya kubavavanya ngale ndlela, sibone ukuba baya kuzenza zonke izinto naziphina iNkosi uThixo wabo aya kubayalela zona;
“Kwaye abo bagcina imo yokuqala yabo iya kongezelelwa ngaphezulu; … kwaye abo bagcina imo yabo yesibini baya kuba nozuko olongezelelwe phezu kweentloko zabo ngonaphakade kanaphakade.”8
Enkosi kuBawo wethu oseZulwini, sesingabo abantu bokomoya. Ngoku Yena wayesinika indlela yokugqibezela okanye yokugqibelela lo mntu. Ulongezelelo lwento ebambekayo lubalulekile kwinzaliseko yomntu kunye nobuqaqawuli obo uThixo Yena buqu abuvuyelayo. Ukuba, xeshikweni sasinoThixo kwihlabathi lokomoya langaphambili, saye savuma ukuthatha inxaxheba kwicebo laKhe—okanye ngamanye amazwi “sagcina imo [yethu] yokuqala”—sasiya “kongezelelwa phezu kwethu” ngomzimba wenyama njengoko sasiya kuhlala emhlabeni Yena awayesidalele wona.
Ukuba, ngoko ke endleleni yokuphila kwethu kwasemhlabeni, sasikhethe “ukwenza zonke izinto naziphina iNkosi uThixo [wethu] awayeya [kusiyalela],” sasiya kuba siyigcinile “imo yethu yesibini.” Oku kuthetha ukuba ngokokhetho lwethu sasiya kubonisa kuThixo (kwakunye nakuthi buqu) ukuzinikela kwethu kunye nokukwazi kwethu ukuphila umthetho waKhe weselestiyali xeshikweni singaphandle kobukho baKhe kwaye sikumzimba wenyama nawo onke amandla wawo, nophango lwawo, kunye noluvo lwawo. Ingaba besingayilawula inyama ukuze ibe sisixhobo kunokuba ibe yinkosi yomoya? Ingaba besingathenjwa kwelixesha kunye nakwiphakade ngamandla asezulwini, awaquka ukudala ubomi? Ingaba ngokunokwethu besingaboyisa ububi? Abo babenze njalo babeya “kuba nozuko olongezelelwe phezu kweentloko zabo ngonaphakade kanaphakade”—eyona nto ebaluleke kakhulu kolo zuko ingumzimba wenyama ovusiweyo, ongafiyo, kunye nozukileyo.9 Akumangazi oko ukuba “saduma” kwezi zehlo zimangalisayo kunye nezi zithembiso.10
Ebuncinane izinto ezine ziyafuneka empumelelweni yeli cebo lisulungekileyo:
Eyokuqala yayiyiNdalo yomhlaba njengendawo yethu yokuhlala. Nokuba zeziphi iinkcukacha zenkqubo yokudala, siyayazi ukuba ayenzekanga ngengozi kodwa ukuba yayilawulwa nguThixo uYise kwaye yaphunyezwa nguYesu Krestu—“izinto zonke zabakho ngaye; engekho yena, akubangakho nanye into ethe yabakho.”11
Eyesibini yimeko yobomi basemhlabeni. U–Adam no–Eva benzela bonke abo babekhethe ukuthatha inxaxheba kwicebo elikhulu lolonwabo likaBawo.12 UKuwa kwabo kwadala imiqathango eyayifunekela ukuzalwa kwethu ngokwasenyameni kunye namava wokuphila kwasemhlabeni kunye nokufunda ngaphandle kobukho bukaThixo. NoKuwa kwaye kweza ukuqonda kokulunga nobubi kunye namandla esiwaphiwa nguThixo wokukhetha.13 Okokugqibela, uKuwa kwazisa ukufa kwasenyameni okwakudingeka ekwenzeni ixesha lethu lasemhlabeni libe lelethutyana ukuze singaphili ngonaphakade ezonweni zethu.14
Eyesithathu yinkululo eKuweni. Siyayibona indima yokufa kwicebo likaBawo wethu oseZulwini, kodwa elo cebo laliza kuba lilize ngaphandle kwendlela ethile yokoyisa ukufa ekugqibeleni, ngokwasenyameni nangokwasemoyeni. Ngoko ke, uMkhululi, uNyana kaThixo oyiNtanda, uYesu Krestu, wahluphekela kwaye wafela ukuhlawulela ukreqo luka–Adam noEva, ngaloo ndlela ebonelela ngovuko lwabafileyo kunye nobomi obungapheliyo kubo bonke. Kwaye kuba kungekho namnye kuthi owayeya kugqibelela kwaye aqhubeke ethobekile kumthetho wevangeli, iNtlawulelo yaKhe ikwasikhulula ezonweni zethu phezu komqathango wenguquko. Ngofefe oluhlawulelayo loMsindisi olubonelela ngoxolelo lwezono kunye nentlambululo yomphefumlo, singazalwa kwakhona ngokwasemoyeni kwaye sibuyiselwe kuThixo. Ukufa kwethu kwasemoyeni—ukwahlukwaniswa kwethu kuThixo—kuya kuphela.15
Eyesine, kunye neyokugqibela, sisicwangciso sokuzalwa kwethu kwasenyameni kunye nokuzalwa kwethu okulandelayo kwasemoyeni kubukumkani bukaThixo. Ukuze umsebenzi waKhe uphumelele “[wokusiphakamisa] kunye naye buqu,”16 uThixo wamisela ukuba amadoda nabafazi batshate ukuze bazale abantwana, ngaloo ndlela badale, kunye noThixo, imizimba yenyama ebaluleke kakhulu eluvavanyweni lwasemhlabeni kwaye nebalulekileyo kuzuko lwanaphakade kunye naYe. Yena wamisela ukuba abazali kumele baseke iintsapho kwaye bakhulise abantwana ekukhanyeni nasenyanisweni,17 bebakhokelela kwithemba kuKrestu. UBawo uyasiyalela:
“Nifundise ezi zinto ngokukhululekileyo ebantwaneni benu, nisithi:
“Kuba … kwaye njengokuba nizalelwe kulo ihlabathi ngamanzi, negazi, nomoya, endiwenzileyo, kwaza njalo okuluthuli kwaba ngumphefumlo ophilileyo, nkqu kunjalo nimele ukuzalwa kwakhona kubukumkani bamazulu, ngamanzi, nangoMoya [oyiNgcwele], nize nihlanjululwe ngegazi nkqu ngegazi lowam oKuphela koZelweyo; ukuze nibe nokungcwaliswa kuso sonke isono, nize nivuyele amazwi obomi obungunaphakade kweli hlabathi, nobomi obungunaphakade kwilizwe elizayo, nkqu ubuqaqawuli obungafiyo.”18
Ukwazi ukuba kutheni sahamba kubukho bukaBawo oseZulwini kwaye nokokuba kufuneka ntoni ukubuyela kuYe nokuphakanyiswa kunye naYe, kuye kucace kakhulu ukuba akukho nto enxulumene nexesha lethu lasemhlabeni engabaluleka ngaphezulu kokuzalwa kwethu kwasenyameni kunye nokuzalwa kwethu kwasemoyeni, ezi zinto zimbini zifunekayo ngaphambili kobomi banaphakade. Ukusebenzisa amazwi kaDietrich Bonhoeffer, le “yi-ofisi” yomtshato, “indima yoxanduva … eluntwini,” ethi eli ziko lisulungekileyo “eliphuma phezulu, kuThixo” eliyisebenzisayo. Lona “likhonkco letyathanga lezizukulwana ngezizukulwana” ezikhoyo apha nangaphaya—ucwangco lwasezulwini.
Usapho olwakhelwe emtshatweni wendoda nomfazi lunikezela ngesona siseko sihamba phambili sokuba icebo likaThixo liphuhle kakuhle—isiseko sokuzala abantwana, abaza ngobunyulu nangobumsulwa bevela kuThixo, kunye nendawo yokufundela kunye nokulungiselela abaya kuyidingela impumelelo kobu bomi basemhlabeni kunye nakubomi banaphakade kwilizwe elizayo. Ubuncinane benani leentsapho ezakhelwe phezu kwemitshato enjalo bubalulekile ukuze uluntu luphile kwaye luphumelele. Yiyo loo nto uluntu kunye nezizwe ngokubanzi ziye zikhuthaze kwaye zikhusele umtshato kunye nosapho njengamaziko awanamalungelo awodwa. Akuzange nje kube ngaphezu kothando nolonwabo lwabantu abadala.
Indaba yenzululwazi yezentlalo ngomtshato kunye nangeentsapho ekhokelwa ngamadoda nangabafazi abatshatileyo iyanyanzelisa.19 Kwaye ngoko ke “siyalumkisa ukuba uqhekeko losapho luya kwehlisa izihelegu ebantwini, eluntwini, nasemazweni ezazixelwe kwangaphambili ngabaprofeti bamandulo nabanamhlanje.”20 Kodwa amabango wethu wendima yomtshato kunye nosapho awasekelwanga phezu kwenzululwazi yezentlalo kodwa phezu kwenyaniso yokokuba ziyindalo kaThixo. NguYe kwasekuqaleni owadala u–Adam noEva ngokomfanekiselo waKhe, indoda nenkazana, kwaye wabamanya njengendoda nomfazi ukuba babe “nyama–nye” kwaye baqhame kwaye bande bazalise umhlaba.21 Umntu ngamnye uthwele umfanekiselo osulungekileyo, kodwa kukwimanyano yomtshato wendoda nomfazi njengesinye apho siye sizuze mhlawumbi intsingiselo egqibeleleyo kakhulu yokwenziwa kwethu ngokomfanekiselo kaThixo—indoda nenkazana. Akukho namnye wethu okanye omnye umntu wakulomhlaba ongaguqula isimo esisulungekileyo somtshato. Ayikokwenza nto entsha yomntu. Umtshato onjalo ngokwenene “uvela ngaphezulu, kuThixo” kwaye uyinxalenye yecebo lolonwabo njengokufana noKuwa kunye neNtlawulelo.
Kwihlabathi lobomi bangaphambili, uSathane waye wavukela uThixo necebo laKhe, kwaye inkcaso yakhe iya isanda ngobunzulu. Uyalwa etyhafisa umtshato kunye nesiseko seentsapho, kwaye apho imitshato kunye neentsapho zisekwe khona, wenza konke angakwenza ukuziphazamisa. Uhlasela yonke into engcwele malunga nezesondo loluntu, eyahlukanisa ukusukela kumba womtshato kunye neentlobo ezibonakala zingapheli zeengcinga kunye nezezenzo ezingcolileyo. Ufuna ukweyisela amadoda nabafazi ekubeni umtshato kunye nokuhamba phambili kosapho kungahoywa okanye kulahlwe, okanye ebuncinaneni kuncitshiswe kunemisebenzi, nezinye iimpumelelo, kwaye nokufuna ukuzizalisa kunye nokuzimela komntu ngamnye. Ngokuqinisekileyo utshaba luyavuya xa abazali benganakekeli ukufundisa nokuqeqesha abantwana babo ekubeni babenokholo kuKrestu kwakunye nokuba bazalwe kwakhona ngokwasemoyeni. Bazalwane noodade, izinto ezininzi zilungile, ezininzi zibalulekile, kodwa zimbalwa eziyimfuneko.
Ukubhengeza iinyaniso ezisiseko ezinxulumene nomtshato nosapho ayikokubetha ngoyaba okanye ukunciphisa amadini neempumelelo zabo ukugqibeleleka kwabo kungeyobunyani banamhlanje. Abanye benu bavinjwa intsikelelo yomtshato ngenxa yezizathu eziquka ukunqaba kwabantu abalungele ukutshata, umtsalane kwisini esifanayo, ukhubazeko lomzimba okanye lwengqondo, okanye ngokulula uloyiko lokwahluleka, okwangoku ebuncinaneni, zigqumelela ukholo. Okanye kusenokwenzeka ukuba ubutshatile, kodwa umtshato waphela, kwaye usele nokulawula uwedwa oko bekungagcinwa ngabo babini ngokupheleleyo. Abanye benu abatshatileyo abakwazi ukufumana abantwana nangona kukhona iminqweno egubungelayo kunye nemithandazo ebongozayo.
Nangona kunjalo, wonke ubani uneziphiwo; wonke ubani uneetalente; wonke ubani angabanegalelo kwicebo eliqhubekayo nelisulungekileyo kwisizukulwana ngasinye. Okuninzi okulungileyo, okuninzi okubalulekileyo—nkqu nangamanye amaxesha konke oko kuyimfuneko okwangoku—kungaphunyezwa nakwiimeko ezingaphantsi kokugqibeleleka. Ngoko ke uninzi lwenu lwenza konke okusemandleni enu. Kwaye xa nina nithwele eyona mithwalo enzima yobu bomi basemhlabeni niye nime nikhusela icebo likaThixo lokuphakamisa abantwana baKhe, sonke silungele ukuqhubela phambili. Ngokuzithemba siyangqina ukuba iNtlawulelo kaYesu Krestu yayikulindele, kwaye nasekupheleni, iya kubuyekeza yonke intswelo kunye nelahleko yabo baguqukela kuYe. Akekho umntu obekelwe ukuba afumane okuncinane kunoko uBawo akuphethele abantwana baKhe.
Omnye umama omncinane kamvanje uye wazityanda igila kum ngenkxalabo yakhe malunga nokungafaneleki kolu bizo luphezulu kangaka. Ndiye ndeva ukuba imiba ebimxhalabisa yayimincinane kwaye kwakungenamfuneko yokukhathazeka; wayeqhuba kakuhle. Kodwa bendisazi ukuba ebefuna qha ukukholisa uThixo nokuhlonipha ukuthembela kwaKhe. Ndaye ndanikela ngamazwi engqinisekiso, kwaye entliziyweni yam ndiye ndacela ukuba uThixo, uBawo wakhe oseZulwini, uya komeleza ngothando lwaKhe kunye nangobungqina bemvume yaKhe njengoko esenza umsebenzi waKhe.
Lowo ngumthandazo wam kuthi sonke namhlanje. Yanga sonke singafumana imvume ngembono yaKhe. Yanga imitshato ingachuma kwaye neentsapho ziphumelele, kwaye nokokuba ikamva lethu liyinzaliseko yezi ntsikelelo apha kobu bomi basemhlabeni okanye akunjalo, yanga ufefe lweNkosi lungazisa ulonwabo ngoku kunye nokholo kwizithembiso eziqinisekileyo eziza kuza. Ngegama likaYesu Krestu, amen.