Kungani Umshado, Kungani Umndeni
YiGosa uD. Todd Christofferson
WomGwamanda wabaPhostoli abaliShumi namBili
Umndeni owakhelwe emshadweni ophakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane unikeza isimo esihle kakhulu sokuqhubekisa isu likaNkulunkulu.
Ngaphezulu koMnyango omKhulu waseNtshonalanga owebandla iWestminster Abbey, elidumile eLondon, eNgilandi, kume izifaniso eziyi-10 zamaKristu afela ukholo kwikhulu-leminyaka lama-20. Obaliwe kubo uDietrich Bonhoeffer, umfundi oyiJalimane wezokholo okhaliphile owazalwa ngonyaka ka-1906.1 UBonhoeffer waba oqavile ophikisa ukuphatha kwamaNazi nendlela aphatha ngayo amaJuda nabanye. Waboshelwa ukuphikisa kwakhe wagcina ebulelwe enkanjini yokuhlushwa. UBonhoeffer wayengumbhali oqavile, futhi imibhalo yakhe eyaziwa kakhulu yizincwadi asizwa onogada abanozwelo ukuba azikhiphe ngokungekho emthethweni ejele, kamuva zashicilelwa njengezi Ncwadi namaPhepha avele eJele.
Enye yalezo zincwadi yayithunyelwe umshana wakhe ngaphambi komshado wakhe. Kwakukhona lemibono ebalulekile: “Umshado mukhulu kunothando eninalo lwenu nobabili . … Othandweni lwenu nizibona nobabili kuphela emhlabeni, kepha emshadweni niyisixhumanisi eketangeni lesizukulwana, leso uNkulunkulu adala ukuba size bese sihamba siye enkazimulweni yakhe, asibize embusweni wakhe. Othandweni lwenu nibona kuphela izulu lenjabulo yenu, kepha emshadweni nibekwa esimweni sokubheka umhlaba nesintu. Uthando lwenu yinto yenu nodwa, kepha umshado yinto enkulu kunani kuphela—uyigunya, uyiskhundla. Njengoba kungumqhele, hhayi ukufuna ukuphatha nje, okwenza inkosi, nakanjalo wumshado, hhayi uthando lwenu nje, onihlanganisa ndawonye emehlweni kaNkulunkulu nabantu. … Ngakho-ke uthando luvela kini, kepha umshado uvela phezulu, uvela kuNkulunkulu.”2
Ngabe umshado phakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane udlula kanjani uthando lwabo nenjabulo yabo bodwa ukuze ube “esimweni sokubheka umhlaba nesintu” na? Ngabe “uvela [kanjani] phezulu, uvela [kanjani] kuNkulunkulu na”? Ukuze siqondisise, kumele sibuyele ekuqaleni.
Abaprofethi bambule ukuthi saqala saphila njengemimoya, futhi sanikezwa isakhiwo, noma imizimba yomoya, nguNkulunkulu, ngakho-ke saba abantwana Bakhe bomoya—amadodana namadodakazi abazali abasezulwini.3 Kwafika isikhathi kulempilo eyandulela eyasemhlabeni yemimoya lapho, ukuqhuba isifiso Sakhe “sasizothola isibusiso sokukhula njengaye,”4 uBaba wethu oseZulwini walungiselela isu elizodala ukuthi kwenzeke. Emibhalweni engcwele linikezwe amagama ahlukile, okubalwa kuwo “isu lensindiso,”5 “isu elikhulu lenjabulo.”6 “nesu lokuhlengwa.”7 Izinhloso ezimbili ezibalulekile zesu zachazwa encwadini ka-Abrahama ngalamagama:
Futhi kwakume omunye phakathi kwabo owayefana noNkulunkulu, futhi wathi kulabo ayekanye nabo: Sizokwehlela phansi, ngokuba kunomkhathi laphaya, futhi sizothatha ezinye zalezi zinto, futhi sizokwenza umhlaba okuzohlala kuwo [lemimoya].
“Futhi sizakubaqinisekisa lapha, ukubona ukuba bazokwenza zonke izinto noma yiziphi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo ebanxusa ngazo;
“Futhi labo abagcina isimo sabo sokuqala sokuphila bayokwengezelwa; … futhi labo abagcina isimo sabo sesibili sokuphila bayokwengezelwa inkazimulo emakhanda abo phakade naphakade.”8
Ngenxa yaBaba wethu oseZulwini, sasivele sesingabantu bomoya. Manje wayesinikeza indlela yokuphelelisa noma ukulungisa ngokuphelele lokho. Ukufakwa kwalokhu okuphathekayo kubalulekile ekupheleliseni nakwinkazimulo ejatshulelwa uNkulunkulu imbala. Uma, ngesikhathi sinoNkulunkulu emhlabeni womoya, sasingavuma ukubamba iqhaza kwisu Lakhe—noma ngamanye amazwi “sasigcine isimo sokuqala sokuphila”—“siyokwengezelwa” ngomzimba wenyama ngesikhathi siza sizohlala emhlabeni Asakhela wona.
Uma, ngesikhathi sempilo yethu yasemhlabeni, sikhetha “[u]kwenza zonke izinto noma yiziphi iNkosi uNkulunkulu [wethu] [asi]nxusa ngazo,” sizobe sigcine “isimo sesibili sokuphila.” Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi ngezinqumo zethu siyokuzikhombisa kuNkulunkulu (kanye nathi) ukuzinikela nokwazi kwethu ukuphila umthetho Wakhe wesilestiyali ngesikhathi singaphandle kobukhona Bakhe futhi sisemzimbeni wenyama onamandla ayo, yizifiso, nemizwa. Singakwazi ukulawula umzimba wenyama ukuba ube yithuluzi kunokuba uphathe umoya wethu na? Singathembeka esikhathini naphakade ngamandla obunkulunkulu, okubalwa kuwo amandla okudala impilo na? Umuntu ngamunye engakwazi ukunqoba ububi na? Labo abakwaziyo “bayokwengezelwa inkazimulo emakhanda abo phakade naphakade”—ingxenye ebalulekile yaleyo nkazimulo kuwumzimba wenyama ovukile kwabafileyo, ongafi, futhi okhazimulayo.9 Yingakho “sajabula” uma sibheka lamathuba nezethembiso ezimangalisa kangaka.10
Izinto ezine ezidingekayo ukuze isu liphumelele:
Okukuqala ukuDalwa komhlaba njengendawo yethu yokuphila. Noma kungathiwa ithini imininingwane yendalo, siyazi ukuthi akubanga yiphutha kepha ukuthi kwakuhlelwe uNkulunkulu uBaba kwenziwa uJesu Kristu—“konke kwavela ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe akuvelanga lutho kukho konke okuvelileyo.”11
Okwesibili yisimo sasemhlabeni. U-Adamu no-Eva basebenzela bonke ababekhethe ukubamba iqhaza kwisu likaBaba elikhulu lenjabulo.12 UkuWa kwabo kwakha izimo ezidingakalayo ukuze sizalwe ngokwenyama nokuthi sithole ukuphila nokufunda ngaphandle kokuba khona kwaNkulunkulu. UkuWa kwahambisana nolwazi lokuhle nokubi kanye namandla esiwaphiwe nguNkulunkulu okuzikhethela.13 Ekugcineni ukuWa kwaletha ukufa kwenyama okwakudingekile ukwenza isikhathi sethu emhlabeni sibe yisikhashana ukuze singaphili ingunaphakade ezonweni zethu.14
Okwesithathu ukuhlengwa ekuWeni. Siyayibona indima yokufa kwisu likaBaba oseZulwini, kepha isu lingaphelela emoyeni ngaphandle kwendlela thizeni yokunqoba ukufa ekugcineni, ukufa kokubili okwenyama nokomoya. Ngakho-ke, uMhlengi, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu eZelwe Yodwa, uJesu Kristu, wahlupheka futhi wafa ukuhlawulela isiphambeko sika-Adamu no-Eva, ngalokho wakwazi ukunikeza bonke abantu uvuko kwabafileyo nokungafi. Futhi njengoba engekho kithi ozobe elandela umthetho wevangeli ngokuphelele, iNhlawulo Yakhe iyasihlenga ezonweni zethu uma siphenduka. Ngomusa woMsindisi ohlawulayo oxolela izono nohlanza umphefumulo, singakwazi ukuzalwa kabusha ngokomoya futhi sibuyele kuNkulunkulu. Ukufa kwethu komoya—ukuhlukana kwethu noNkulunkulu—kuzophela.15
Okwesine, futhi okokugcina, yisimo sokuzalwa kwethu enyameni kanye nokuzalwa kabusha ngokomoya singene enkazimulweni kaNulunkulu. Ukuze umsebenzi Wakhe “[wokusiphakamisa] naye,” uphumelele16 uNkulunkulu wadala ukuthi abesilisa nabesifazane kumele bashade futhi bazale abantwana, ngaleyo ndlela bakhe, besebenzisana noNkulunkulu, imizimba esemqoka kulesi sivivinyo sasemhlabeni futhi ebalulekile enkazimulweni yaPhakade Naye. Waphinde wamisa ukuthi abazali bakhe imindeni futhi bakhulise abantwana babo ngokukhanya nangeqiniso,17 bebaholela ethembeni kuKristu. UBaba usiyala ukuthi:
“[Si]zifundise lezi zinto ngokukhululekileyo kubo abantwana bakho, uthi:
“Ukuthi … kangangoba wazalwa emhlabeni ngamanzi, negazi, nomoya, engikwenzileyo, ngaleyo ndlela waba ngumuntu ophilayo usuka othulini, kanjalo-ke kufanele uzalwe kabusha embusweni wasezulwini, ngamanzi, nangoMoya [oNgcwele], futhi uhlanzwe ngegazi, ngisho ngegazi loZelwe Yedwa wami; ukuze ungcweliswe ezonweni zonke, futhi uthokozele amazwi okuphila okuphakade kulomhlaba, nokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni ozayo, ngisho inkazimulo yesimo sokungafi.”18
Ukwazi ukuthi kungani sishiye ubukhona bukaBaba oseZulwini nokuthi sidingani ukuthi sibuyele futhi siphakanyiswe Naye, kuyacaca ukuthi akukho okunye okuphathelene nesikhathi sethu lapha emhlabeni okungabaluleka kakhulu kunokuzalwa ngokwenyama nokuzalwa kabusha ngokomoya, izinto ezimbili ezidingakalayo ukuze sithole impilo engunaphakade. Lokhu, ngisebenzisa amazwi kaDietrich Bonhoeffer, “yisikhundla” somshado, “[yisimo] sokubheka [i]sintu,” leso sikhungo esingcwele “esivela kuNkulunkulu.” “Kuyisixhumanisi sesizukulwane” ezindaweni zombili lapha nasemva kwalempilo—uhlelo lwasezulwini.
Umndeni owakhiwe emshadweni ophakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane unikeza isimo esihle kakhulu sokuqhubekisa icebo likaNkulunkulu—isimo sokuzalwa kwabantwana, abeza bemsulwa futhi bengenasici bevela kuNkulunkulu, kanye nesimo sokufunda nokulungiselela abazokudinga ukuze babe nempilo yasemhlabeni eyimpumelelo kanye nempilo engunaphakade emhlabeni ozayo. Inqwaba yemindeni eyakhelwe emishadweni ekanje ibalulekile ukuze imiphakathi iphile futhi iqhakaze. Yingakho imiphakathi namazwe evamise ukugqugquzela nokuhlenga umshado nomndeni njengezikhungo ezibalulekile. Akukaze kube yingenxa yothando nenjabulo yabadala nje kuphela.
Uphenyo lwesayensi yabantu lomshado nemindeni elaliholwa oweselisa nowesifazane abashadile luyamangalisa.19 Ngakho-ke “siyexwayisa ukuthi ukuhlakazeka komndeni kuzoletha usizi olubikezelwe ngabaphrofethi basendulo nabamanje kumuntu ngamunye, emiphakathini nasezizweni.”20 Kepha esikukholwayo ngendima yomshado nomndeni akulele kwisayensi yabantu kepha eqinisweni elithi kuyindalo kaNkulunkulu. Nguye ekuqaleni owadala u-Adamu no-Eva ngomfanekiso Wakhe, owesilisa nowesifazane, futhi wabahlanganisa njengomyeni nonkosikazi ukuba babe “nyamanye” futhi bazale, bande, bagcwalise umhlaba.21 Umuntu ngamunye uthwele umfanekiso ongcwele, kepha kusekuhlanganisweni okusemshadweni kowesilisa nowesifazane njengomuntu oyedwa lapho esithola khona isizathu esiphelele kakhulu sokudalwa ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu—owesilisa nowesifazane. Akekho noyedwa kuthina noma komunye la emhlabeni ongaguqula loluhlelo olungcwele lomshado. Akuyona into eyasungulwa ngomuntu. Umshado okanje ngempela “uvela phezulu, uvela kuNkulunkulu” futhi uyingxenye yesu lenjabulo ngendlela efanayo naleyo yokuWa neNhlawulo.
Empilweni eyandulela eyasemhlabeni, uLusifa wavukela uNkulunkulu nesu Lakhe, futhi ukuphikisa kwakhe kuyakhula. Uyakulwela ukuchitha umshado nokwakheka kwemindeni, futhi lapho kukhona imishado nemindeni, wenza okusemandleni akhe ukukuphazamisa. Uhlasela yonke into engcwele ngobulili babantu, ekuhlukanisa emshadweni ngemicabango nezenzo ezikhohlakele ezingapheli. Uzama ukuqinisekisa abesilisa nabesifazane ukuthi okubalulekile ngomshado nomndeni kungazitshwa noma kulahlwe, noma kuthathwe kancane kunemisebenzi, eminye imiklomelo, kanye nokufuna ukugculiseka uwedwa nokuphila ngendlela yakho. Ngempela isitha siyajabula uma abazali bengafundisi futhi bengaqeqeshi abantwana babo ukuba babe nokholo kuKristu futhi bazalwe kabusha ngokomoya. Bafowethu nodadewethu, ziningi izinto ezinhle, ziningi ezibalulekile, kepha zimbalwa eziyizidingo.
Ukunikeza amaqiniso ayisisekelo ngokuphathelene nomshado nemindeni akukona ukuziba noma ukubukela phansi iminikelo nemiphumela yalabo abangakakwazi ukuphila ngaleyondlela okwamanje. Abanye benu banqatshelwe isibusiso somshado ngezizathu ezimbalwa njengokuswela umlingani okufaneleyo, ukuthandana kwabantu bobulili bunye, ukuphazamiseka ngokomzimba noma ngokomqondo, noma nje kube ukwesaba ukwehluleka, okwemboza ukholo, okwamanje. Noma wake washada, kodwa lowo mshado washabalala, futhi usuthwele wedwa okungalula nokuba ababili bakuthwale. Abanye benu abashadile anikwazi ukuba nabantwana noma nifisa kakhulu futhi nincenga emikhulekweni yenu.
Noma kunjalo, wonke umuntu unezipho, wonke umuntu unamakhono; wonke umuntu angakwazi ukuhlanganyela ekuqaqekeni kwalelisu laphezulu esizukulwaneni ngasinye. Okuningi okuhle, okuningi okubalulekile—ngisho ngezinye izikhathi konke okudingekayo okwamanje—kungenzeka kwizimo ezingalungile ngokuphelele. Iningi lenu lenza konke okusemandleni lalo. Futhi uma nina enithwala imithwalo esinda kakhulu yasemhlabeni nisukuma nilwele isu likaNkulunkulu lokuphakamisa abantwana Bakhe, sonke sikulungele ukuhambisana nani. Ngesiqiniseko siyafakaza ukuthi iNhlawulo kaJesu Kristu ikulindele, futhi ekugcineni, izokhokhela konke ukuhlupheka nokulahlekelwa kwalabo abaphendukela Kuye. Akekho odalelwe ukuthola okuncane kunalokho uNkulunkulu akubekela abantwana Bakhe.
Umama omncane usanda ukungixoxela ngokwesaba kwakhe ukuthi akafanelekile kulolubizo oluphakeme kangaka. Ngezwa sengathi okwakumkhathaza kwakuncane futhi kwakungamele azikhathaze; wayenza kahle. Kepha ngangazi ukuthi wayefuna ukujabulisa uNkulunkulu kuphela nokuhlonipha ukumethemba Kwakhe. Ngamnikeza amazwi enduduzo, futhi enhlizyweni yami nganxusa uNkulunkulu, uBaba wakhe oseZulwini, ukuba amuqinise ngothando Lwakhe nobufakazi bokumethemba Kwakhe ngesikhathi enza umsebenzi Wakhe.
Yilowo umkhuleko wami ngathi sonke namuhla. Ngathi sonke singathola ukwamukelwa emehlweni Akhe. Imishado mayiqhakaze nemindeni iphumelele, noma ngabe sizozithola ngokuphelele lezi zibusiso emhlabeni noma cha, umusa weNkosi mawulethe injabulo manje nokholo ezithenjisweni ezizayo. Egameni likaJesu Kristu, amen.