Naʻe ʻikai Ke u Tuenoa

Robert Hoffman, Uasingatoni, ʻAmelika

ʻI haʻaku tangutu ʻi ha feituʻu malumu he kolotaú, naʻá ku vakai atu ki he fakatokelau ʻo e toafá—ki ʻIulaki. ʻI he ʻaho 24 ʻo Tīsemá, lolotonga ʻa e Fetauʻaki he Toafá (Desert Shield), naʻe vahe mai ke u leʻo tuʻuapō.

Ko au tokotaha pē naʻe kau ki he Siasí ʻi heʻeku kongakaú, ko ia naʻe fakataʻelata ange ʻa e ʻaho mālōloó. Ne mau ʻi he toafa ʻo Sauti ʻAlepeá talu mei ʻAokosi, pea kuo aʻu mai ʻeni ki he Kilisimasí mo ha pō momoko, fetuʻuʻia. Naʻe matemohe ʻa e ʻapitangá, pea naʻe kei toe ha ngaahi houa siʻi ʻeku ʻi he toafa efú mo ʻeku ngaahi fakakaukaú.

Ne u fakakaukau ki hoku uaifí mo hoku fohá ʻi Siōsia, ʻAmelika, pea mo ʻeku manatu ki he ngaahi taimi fakafiefia ʻi ʻapí—ʻa e ʻakau Kilisimasí, ʻa e ngaahi meʻaʻofá, mo ha meʻatokoni efiafi Kilisimasi moʻoni. Pea kamata leva ke u fakalaulauloto ki he talanoa ʻo e Kilisimasí.

Naʻá ku fakakaukau atu fekauʻaki mo e pō naʻe ʻaloʻi ai ʻa Kalaisí. Naʻá ku fakakaukau atu ki heʻene fakapoʻuli tuʻú pe naʻe ʻi ai ha māhina ke malama mai hono māmá ki he fonuá pe ko ha fetuʻu pē. Koeʻuhí naʻe ʻikai ha ngaahi maama ʻuhila ʻi Hono ʻaloʻí, ʻoku pau pē naʻe hangē ko e pō kuó u mātaá. Naʻe ʻikai ha ngaahi fakafiefia—ko ha pō fakapoʻuli pē mo lōngonoa.

Ne haʻu leva ha fakakaukau fakaʻofoʻofa kiate au. Naʻe hā ʻi he Tohi Tapú ne haʻu ha Kau Poto mei he Hahaké, ne tataki ʻe ha fetuʻu ne hā ʻi he langí. ʻI heʻeku vakai atu ki he langí, naʻá ku fakatokangaʻi ne u ʻi he fakahahake ʻo Pētelihemá pea ʻi heʻeku ʻiloʻí ko Pēkiteti ia ʻi he taimi ko iá. Naʻe haʻu nai ʻa e Kau Potó mei ha feituʻu ofi mai ki he feituʻu ne u ʻi aí? Ko e fē ʻa e fetuʻu ne ulo maí? Naʻe kei ʻi he langí nai? ʻOku lava nai ke u mamata ki ai?

Naʻá ku mamata ki he langí ʻo u fakaʻofoʻofaʻia ʻi he fakatupu ʻa e ʻOtuá peá u ongoʻi māfana ʻi hoku lotó. Naʻe ʻikai mahuʻinga ia pe naʻá ku ʻi he feituʻu tatau pe ʻoku kei ʻi he langí ʻa e fetuʻu tatau. Ko e meʻa ʻoku mahuʻingá ko ʻeku maʻu ʻa e ʻilo tatau ko ia naʻe maʻu ʻe he Kau Potó ki ha kiʻi valevale ʻi Pētelihema ʻa ia ko e Tuʻi ʻo e ngaahi tuʻí.

Naʻe ʻikai ke u tuenoa ʻi he Kilisimasi ko iá; ka naʻá ku kau fakataha mo kinautolu ʻoku nau fekumi kiate Iá, ʻo tatau ai pē pe ko e Kau Potó, kau palōfitá, pe ko ha kau sōtia tuenoa pē ʻi ha avaʻi maka ʻi he toafá. Naʻe fakamālohia ʻeku fakamoʻoni ki hono ʻaloʻi ʻo e Fakamoʻuí ʻi he pō ko iá, pea ʻi he pongipongi hono hokó naʻe kei ʻiate au pē ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní.

Naʻe ʻikai leva ke toe hoko ko ha Kilisimasi fakamamahi, ka naʻe hoko ia ko e taha ʻo ʻeku ngaahi Kilisimasi mahuʻinga tahá.