“Babuyela Bakhuthazekile Begodu Banethando Kusukela Ngaphakathi Eenhliziyweni Zabo”

BEKUNGOSEPTEMBA 1922 ngelesiHlanu ekuseni. Mhlokho kwahlangana abantu abazii-8 000 ewolweni, nokutjhisa nakho kungakazibeki phasi. Usihlalo watjho isaziso wathi, isikhathesi siqakatheke khulu yeke nanyana ngubani ofuna ukuphuma ngewolweni angaphuma kodwana akhohlwe ukuthi uzakuvunyelwa ukungena godu.

Kwahlatjelelwa iingoma zokuvula umhlangano “Praise Service.” Kwathi ngemva kwalokho uMfoweth’ uJoseph F. Rutherford watjho atjhinga endaweni yesikhulumi. Inengi leenlaleli ebezilapho bezithabile zizibuza ukuthi kazi kuzokwenzekalani. Lingahlaliseki nokuhlaliseka. Umfowethu ebekazokwethula ikulumo wababawa bona bahlaliseke begodu balalele. Yathoma-ke ikulumo, phezulu ngehlokweni yesikhulumi bekunetjhila ebelisongwe kuhle. Ukhona owalibonako na?

UMfoweth’ uRutherford wabetha isihloko esithi “umBuso kaZimu ubandamele.” Kwathi sekudlule isikhathi esingaba yi-awara nesiquntu uMfoweth’ uRutherford wakhulumela phezulu, bekakhuluma ngesibindi abaphorofidi bakade ebebanaso nabatjhumayela ngomBuso kaZimu. Wafinyelela esiphethweni, wabuza umbuzo naku, “Niyakholwa na bona iKosi yephazimulo njengombana sikhuluma nje ithomile ukubusa?” Abantu ebebangewolweni baphendulela phezulu bathi: “Iye!”

UMfoweth’ uRutherford godu wathi, “Bantu bakaZimu ophezukoke buyelani emasimini! Akhesenibone, umBuso kaZimu sele ubusa! Nibajameli bakhe. Yeke tjhumayelani, tjhumayelani, tjhumayelani.”

Wathi nakatjho amezwi lawo isihloko ebesisongiwekwesa sathatjululwa, besitlolwe ukuthi: “Tjhumayelani NgeKosi NomBuso!”

URay Bopp uthi, “Iinlaleli zathaba zabhembesa.” U-Anna Gardner uhlathulula indlela abantu abawahla ngayo izandla uthi kwabe “kwasikinyeka umfulelo.” UFred Twarosh wathi, “Abantu ebebangewolwenapho basikima boke ngesikhathi sinye.” U-Evangelos Scouffas wathi, “Bewungafunga ukuthi kunento esidosako isisusa eenhlalweni zethu isisikimisa, namahlwethu avele ahlengezela iimnyembezi.”

Inengi labantu ebelisemhlanganweni lo bese vele lizitjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi. Nanyana kunjalo boke abantu ebebangapho baba nomqopho owodwa. U-Ethel Bennecoff uthi abaFundi beBhayibheli bathi nabajika babuyela emakhiya “babuyela bakhuthazekile begodu banethando kusukela ngaphakathi eenhliziyweni zabo.” U-Odessa Tuck ngesikhatheso bekaneminyaka eli-18, wathi nakabuyela ekhaya nakuphela umhlangano bekazimisele ukuphendula umbuzo othi, “Ngubani ozakuya ebantwini?” Uthi: “bengingazi bona ngizokuya kuphi, njani namkha ngani. Okuphela kwento ebengiyazi bekukuthi ngifuna ukulingisa u-Isaya owathi “Mina ngikhona, thuma mina!” (Isa. 6:8) URalph Leffler uthi, “Ilangelo kwaba lilanga lokugidinga, phela bekukokuthoma thomi esikhathini sethu kuba nejima elingaka lokutjhumayela elathinta iphasi loke.”

Lokho kwenza sibone bonyana kubayini umhlangano wango-1922 ebewuseCedar Point, e-Ohio waba yiqophamlando ebantwini bakaZimu. UGeorge Gangas uthi, “Umhlangano loyo wangikhuthaza bona ngingathomi ngilove emhlanganweni.” Begodu kusukela mhlokho, uthi akakhumbuli nalinye ilanga lapho akhe wangaya khona emhlanganweni. UJulia Wilcox watlola wathi: “Ngase ngezwa kukhulunywa ngomhlangano wango-1922 weCedar Point encwadini zehlangano ngivele ngithabe ngenye indlela. Ngaso soke isikhathi ngihlale ngithi, ‘Ngiyakuthokoza Jehova ngokungipha ithuba lokuba lapho.’”

Nathi soke kungenzeka sinomhlangano ongeze sawulibala, sikhumbula indlela owasithinta ngayo begodu lokho kusenza sikhuthale khulu sithande noZimethu omkhulu kuhlanganise neKosi ayikhethako. Nasikhumbula iinkhathezo sivele sikutjho kuzale umlomo sithi, “Siyakuthokoza Jehova ngokusipha ithuba lokuba lapho!”