U-1924—Iminyaka Engu-100 Eyadlulayo

UKWAKHA ISITITSHI SEREDIYO

Abafowethu beBhetheli basebesebenze okwesikhathi esidlula umnyaka besakha isititshi serediyo okuthwa yiWBBR eStaten Island, edolobheni leNew York. Baqala bacenta basebesakha isakhiwo esasizahlala izisebenzi kanye lesinye isakhiwo sokufakela imitshina. Abafowethu bathi sebeqedile ukwenza umsebenzi lo, bahlanganisa imitshina yabo ukuze isititshi serediyo siqalise ukusebenza. Kodwa kwakusazokuba lezinye inhlupho.

Kwakunzima ukuthi abafowethu bafake isigxingi sokusakaza amagagasi. Isigxingi lesi esasingamamitha angu-91 kwakumele siphanyekwe ezigodweni ezimbili ezazingamamitha angu-61 ubude. Bathi bezama ukusifaka okokuqala behluleka. Kodwa abafowethu bathembela kuJehova, bacina besifakile. UCalvin Prosser owayesebenza lapho wathi: “Aluba saphumelela ukusifaka ekuqaliseni, sasizazitshaya isifuba sithi, ‘Sizintshantshu!’” Abafowethu badumisa uJehova ngomsebenzi abasebewenzile. Kodwa kwakusazokuba lezinye futhi inhlupho.

Ukusakaza ngerediyo kwakungakajayeleki ngalesosikhathi, yikho kwakunzima ukuthi sithole imitshina yokusakaza. Kodwa abafowethu bathola imitshina eduze nje eyayike yasetshenziswa ngomunye umuntu. Abazange bathenge imayikhi kodwa basebenzisa eyefoni. Ngelinye ilanga ngoFebruary, abafowethu bacabanga ukuthi bahlole imitshina le ukuze babone ukuthi iyasebenza yini futhi lokhu bakwenza ebusuku. Kwakumele kube lento abazayisakaza yikho bahlabela ingoma zoMbuso. U-Ernest Lowe walandisa okwenzakalayo ngalelolanga okwakuhlekisa. UJudge Rutherfordb wabezwa behlabela erediyweni yakhe eseBrooklyn, okwakungaba ngamakhilomitha angu-25 ukusuka lapho ababekhona, wasebafonela.

Umfowethu uRutherford wathi, “Kanti umsindo lo engiwuzwayo ke. Lizwakala angathi ngomangoye abakhalayo!” Abafowethu laba bahle bawucitsha umsakazo sebeyangekile, kodwa basebebonile ukuthi sebengaqalisa ukusakaza.

Isititshi sethu sasakazwa okokuqala mhlaka 24 February ngo-1924 futhi umfowethu uRutherford wathi sasizasetshenziselwa ukwenza umsebenzi esawuphiwa nguKhristu iNkosi yethu. Wathi inhloso yesititshi sethu “yayingeyokunceda abantu ukuthi bakhanyiselwe liBhayibhili ukuze bazwisise izikhathi esiphila kuzo, kungelani lokuthi bangena yiphi isonto.”

Umsakazo lo waphumelela futhi konke kwahamba kuhle. Isititshi serediyo lesi iWBBR sasetshenziswa ukusakaza inhlelo zabantu bakaJehova okweminyaka engu-33 eyalandelayo.

BABA LESIBINDI SOKUVEZA AMANGA ABAFUNDISI

NgoJuly 1924 aBafundi beBhayibhili baba lomhlangano omkhulu eColumbus, e-Ohio. Abantu babuya bevela emazweni atshiyeneyo futhi inkulumo zazisenziwa ngesi-Arabhu, lesiNgisi, lesiFrench, lesiGerman, lesiGrikhi, lesiHungarian, lesi-Italian, lesiLithuanian, lesiPolish, lesiRussia, lesi-Ukrainian lendimi zeScandinavia. Ezinye izinkulumo zazisakazwa ngerediyo futhi kwahlelwa ukuthi nsuku zonke okwakusenzakala emhlanganweni kuphume kuphephandaba okuthiwa yi-Ohio State Journal.

NgoLwesine mhlaka 24 July, abantu ababebuye emhlanganweni abedlula 5 000 bahamba bayatshumayela. Banika abantu amabhuku angaba ngu-30 000 futhi baqalisa izifundo zeBhayibhili eziyizinkulungwane. INqabayokulinda yathi usuku lolu “lwaluthokozisa ukwedlula zonke izinsuku zomhlangano.”

NgoLwesihlanu mhlaka 25 July, umfowethu uRutherford wathi esenza inkulumo yakhe wabala amazwi ayewaveza egcekeni amacala abafundisi. Amazwi la ayesethesa abezombusazwe, labafundisi, labezentengiselwano icala “lokufihlela abantu lokho uNkulunkulu ayebenzela khona ukuze bathole ukuphila.” Amazwi la aphinda asola abantu laba ngokuthi basekela inhlanganiso yomanyano wamazwe okuthiwa yiLeague of Nations. Bathi imela umbuso kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni. Kwakumele aBafundi beBhayibhili babe lesibindi ukuze konke lokhu bayekutshela abantu.

INqabayokulinda yathi ikhuluma ngomhlangano lo yathi: ‘Ibutho leNkosi leli elincane elalibuthene emhlanganweni weColumbus lasuka selilokholo oluqinileyo, selilungele ukumelana laloba yini eyayingaphoselwa yizitha zalo.’ ULeo Claus, owayesemhlanganweni lo wathi: “Sasuka emhlanganweni lo sesizimisele kakhulu ukuyanika abantu amaphepha ayebhalwe amazwi la.”

Ngo-October aBafundi beBhayibhili baqalisa ukunika abantu amamiliyoni amaphetshana ayelamazwi ayebalwe ngumfowethu uRutherford emhlanganweni. Kwelinye idolobho elincane okuthiwa yiCleveland, e-Oklahoma, uFrank Johnson waqeda ukunika abantu amaphetshana la kusasele imizuzu engu-20 ukuthi azothathwa ngabanye ayetshumayela labo. Kodwa wayengeke ame egcekeni ngoba wayedingwa ngamadoda edolobho lelo ayecatshulwe ngumsebenzi wakhe wokutshumayela. Yikho umfowethu uJohnson wacabanga ukuthi ayecatsha kweyinye isonto eyayiseduze khonapho. Wathola kungelamuntu wasetshiya amaphetshana la eBhayibhilini lomfundisi njalo amanye wawafaka esitulweni ngasinye. Lokhu wakwenza masinya wahle waphuma esontweni le. Njengoba isikhathi sasisesekhona, wangena lakwamanye amasonto amabili wahamba etshiya amaphetshana la.

UFrank wathi eseqedile wahle wagijimela endaweni ayezathathwa kuyo ngabanye abafowethu. Wacatsha ngemva kwegaraji le-fuel ekhangele ukuthi amadoda la ayemdinga angaphi. Afika khonapho ngemota kodwa kawazange ambone. Athi esanda kusuka nje abafowethu ababezomthatha ababetshumayela eduze khonapho, bafika bahle bahamba laye.

Omunye umzalwane wathi: “Sathi sesiphuma edolobheni leli sadlula phambi kwamasonto la amathathu. Phambi kwesonto ngayinye kwakulabantu abangaba ngu-50 ababemi phandle. Abanye babewabala amaphetshana la kodwa abanye babewaphakamisile ukuze abafundisi bawabone. Kwaba ngcono ngoba saphuma masinya singakabonakali. Sambonga uNkulunkulu wethu uJehova ngoba wasivikela wasincedisa ngalokho okwakumele sikwenze ukuze singabanjwa yizitha zoMbuso.”

BABETSHUMAYELA NGESIBINDI LAKWAMANYE AMAZWE

Lakwamanye amazwe aBafundi beBhayibhili babetshumayela ngesibindi. Enyakatho yeFrance, uJózef Krett watshumayeza abantu ababesebenza emayini ababevela ePoland. Wahlela ukuthi enze inkulumo elesihloko esithi “Sekuseduze Ukuthi Abafileyo Bavuswe.” Abantu bathi bephiwa izimemo benxuswa ukuthi bazolalela inkulumo le, umphristi waleyondawo wabaxwayisa ukuthi bengayi. Kodwa umphristi lo watshaya idwala ngempama ngoba abantu abedlula-5 000 babuya bazolalela inkulumo le kugoqela laye umphristi lo. Umfowethu uKrett wamcela ukuthi achasise akukholwayo kodwa wala. Umfowethu uKrett wanika abantu amabhuku wonke ayelawo ngoba wananzelela ukuthi babeliwomele iLizwi likaNkulunkulu.—Amos. 8:11.

E-Africa, umfowethu uClaude Brown wahamba wayatshumayela izindaba ezinhle eGold Coast, esibizwa ngokuthi yiGhana. Inkulumo zakhe lamabhuku ayewanika abantu kwanceda ukuthi iqiniso lisabalale masinya elizweni leli. UJohn Blankson owayefundela ukwenza imithi lamaphilisi laye wahamba wayalalela inkulumo kamfowethu uBrown. Wahle wananzelela masinyane ukuthi wayeselitholile iqiniso. UJohn uthi, “Iqiniso engangilifunda ngalithanda kakhulu njalo ngasengilitshela abantu abanengi esikolo engangifunda kuso.”

Ngelinye ilanga uJohn wahamba esontweni ye-Anglican esiyabuza umphristi ngobuthathu bukaNkulunkulu njengoba yena wayesekwazi mhlophe ukuthi imfundiso le ayikho eBhayibhilini. Umphristi wamxotsha etshinga esithi: “Awusiye mKhristu wena, ungokaDeveli. Phuma uphele lapha!”

UJohn wathi efika endlini wabhalela umphristi lo incwadi emcela ukuthi bahlangane phambi kwabantu besebexoxa ngemfundiso yobuthathu bukaNkulunkulu. Umphristi wamphendula emtshela ukuthi aye ewofisini yomphathi wesikolo ayefunda kuso. Umphathi wafika wambuza ukuthi wayeyibhalile yini sibili incwadi eyayisiya kumphristi.

UJohn wamphendula wathi, “Ye ngimbhalele Mnumzana.”

Umphathisikolo watshela uJohn ukuthi abhalele umphristi exolisa. Ngakho uJohn wabhala wathi:

“Mnumzana, umbalisi wami uthe ngikubhalele incwadi ngixolise. Ngiyafisa sibili ukuxolisa kodwa qala uvume ukuthi ufundisa amanga.”

Umphathi wambuza emangele wathi, “Blankson, uqinisile ukuthi lokhu yikho ofuna ukukubhala?”

“Kunjalo Mnumzana. Akula okunye ngaphandle kwakhonokho.”

“Uzaxotshwa esikolo. Ngeke ukhulume kanje ngomphristi wesonto esekelwa nguhulumende ubusucabanga ukuthi uzaqhubeka ufunda khona?”

“Kodwa Mnumzana, . . . nxa usifundisa besekusiba lezinto esingazizwisisiyo angithi siyabuza imibuzo?”

“Ye liyabuza.”

“Yikho okwenzakeleyo Mnumzana. Ubesifundisa iBhayibhili ngasengimbuza umbuzo. Nxa engenelisi ukungiphendula yindaba sekumele ngibhale ngimxolisa?”

UBlankson kazange axotshwe esikolo njalo kasayibhalanga incwadi yokuxolisa umphristi.

UMSEBENZI UQHUBEKELA PHAMBILI

INqabayokulinda yathi ifinqa umsebenzi owawenziwe ngalowomnyaka yathi: ‘Sivumelana lamazwi kaDavida athi: “Uzanginika amandla okulwa empini.” (Hubo. 18:39) Okwenzakala emnyakeni lo kusikhuthazile kakhulu ngoba sisibonile isandla seNkosi sisisekela. Abantu bayo abazinikele kuyo bebekukholisa ukutshumayela.’

Umnyaka wathi ususiyaphela, abafowethu benza inhlelo zokuthi kutshunyayelwe kakhulu kusetshenziswa irediyo. Kwaqalisa ukwakhiwa esinye isititshi serediyo duze leChicago. Isititshi lesi sasibizwa ngokuthi yiWORD, okutsho ukuthi ilizwi, ngenxa yokuthi sasiyabe sisakaza iLizwi likaNkulunkulu kurediyo. Imitshina eyayisetshenziswa esititshini lesi yayilamandla kakhulu. Yikho labantu ababehlala ezindaweni ezikhatshana basebengezwa izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kugoqela lababesenyakatho khonale eCanada.

Ngo-1925 aBafundi beBhayibhili babezakhanyiselwa bazwisise iSambulo isahluko 12. Kodwa lokhu kwakuzakwenza abanye bakhubeke. Lanxa kunjalo, abanengi babezakwamukela ukukhanyiselwa lokhu okuphathelane lezinto ezenzakala ezulwini njalo kwakuzabanceda bazwisise ukuthi kutshoni ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu abasemhlabeni.