Umlando Wokuphila

Iimnyaka Ematjhumi Alikhomba Yokubambelela Emphethweni Wesambatho SomJuda

Ilandiswa nguLeonard Smith

Nengisesemutjha, ngakarwa kulandisa kweBhayibhili okubili. Namhlanjesi, ngemva kweemnyaka ema-70, ngisasikhumbula isikhathi engazwisisa ngaso ngokuzeleko umtlolo kaZakariya 8:23, okhuluma ‘ngamadoda alitjhumi’ abambelele “emphethweni wesambatho sendoda emJuda.” Athi kumJuda: “Sizokukhamba nani nina bantu, ngombana sizwile bona uZimu unani.”

INDODA emJuda ifanekisela amaKrestu azesiweko, “amadoda alitjhumi” afanekisela “ezinye izimvu,” namtjhana “amaJonadaba,” njengombana bekabizwa njalo esikhathini esidlulileko.a (Jwa. 10:16) Nengizwisisa iqinisweli, ngatjheja bona ukuzaliseka kwethemba lami lokuphila ephasini phakade kudzimelele kangangani ekusekeleni kwami isigaba sabazesiweko ngokuthembeka.

Umfanekiso kaJesu ‘wezimvu’ “neembuzi,” ofumaneka kuMatewu 25:31-46, nawo wangikara khulu. “Izimvu” zifanekisela labo abafumana isahlulelo esihle hlangana nesikhathi sokuphela ngombana benze okuhle kubanakwabo bakaKrestu abazesiweko abasesephasini. NjengeJonadaba eliseselitjha, ngazitjela, ‘Len, newufuna uKrestu akuqale njengemvu, kufuze usekele abanakwabo abazesiweko, wamukele ukudosa phambili kwabo ngombana uZimu unabo.’ Ukuzwisisokho kwanginqophisa iimnyaka engaphezu kwamatjhumi alikhomba.

‘IPHI INDAWAMI?’

Umma wabhabhadiswa ngo-1925 ewolweni lomhlangano eBethel. Iwolwelo belibizwa ngokobana yi-London Tabernacle begodu belisetjenziswa bazalwana bendawo. Ngabelethwa ngo-Oktoba 15, 1926. NgoMatjhi 1940, ngabhabhadiswa emhlanganweni eDover eligwini le-England. Ngakhula ngilithanda iqiniso leBhayibhili. Njengombana uMma bekamKrestu ozesiweko, ‘umphetho wokuthoma wesambatho somJuda’ engabambelela kiwo, bekungewakamma. Ngesikhatheso, ubaba nodadwethu omkhulu bebangamkhonzi uJehova. Besihlanganyela eBandleni leGillingham elisesewula pumalanga ye-England, ebelakhiwa maKrestu azesiweko ngobunengi. Umma wabeka isibonelo esihle sokutjhisekela umsebenzi wokutjhumayela.

NgoSeptemba 1941, emhlanganweni wesigodi edorobheni leLeicester, ikulumo enesihloko esithi “Ukuthembeka” yakhuluma ngepikiswano yokubusa kwendawo yoke. Ikulumo leyo yangisiza bona ngizwisise kokuthoma bona sibandakanyeke epikiswaneni ehlangana kwakaJehova noSathana. Ngalokho, kufuze sibe sehlangothini lakaJehova begodu sibulunge ukuthembeka kuye njengoMbusi wendawo yoke.

Emhlanganweni loyo, kwagandelelwa khulu ikonzo yokuphayona, begodu ilutjha lakhuthazwa bona liyenze umnqophwayo. Ikulumo enesihloko esithi “Indawo Yamaphayona Ehlanganweni” yangenza ngazibuza, ‘Iphi indawami?’ Umhlangano loyo wangikholisa bona mthwalwami njengeJonadaba ukusiza isigaba sabazesiweko ngendlela engingakghona ngayo emsebenzini wokutjhumayela. Khonapho eLeicester, ngazalisa isibawo sami sokuba liphayona.

IKONZO YOKUPHAYONA NGESIKHATHI SEPI

NgoDisemba 1, 1941, ngineemnyaka eli-15, ngabekwa bona ngibe liphayona elikhethekileko. Umma waba mumuntu wokuthoma ebengiphayona naye, kodwana ngemva komnyaka, kwatlhogeka alise ikonzo yokuphayona ngamabanga wepilo. Ngalokho i-ofisi legatja eLondon langihlanganisa noRon Parkin, kwanjesi okhonza eKomidini Yegatja ePuerto Rico.

Sathunyelwa emadorobheni aseligwini eBroadstairs neRamsgate esifundeni seKent, lapho saqatjha khona ikamura. Imali ebeyifunyanwa maphayona akhethekileko ngenyanga beyingaba matjheleni ama-40 (engaba R63,00 ngokwentengo yanamhlanjesi). Ngalokho nesibhadala irente, besisala nokuncani esingaphila ngakho, begodu besingaqiniseki ngaso soke isikhathi bona ukudla okulandelako kuzakuvelaphi. Kodwana uJehova bekahlala azitlhogomela iintlhogo zethu.

Isikhathi esinengi besireya iimlelenjana eneemthwalo ebudisi, sirathe hlangana nemimoya enamandla evela eNorth Sea. Godu bekufuze sikghodlhelele ukusahlelwa kwemoyeni namabhomu weJarimani we-V-1 ebekaphaphela phasi eKent ukuyothuthumbisa iLondon. Khekwatlhogeka ngeqe emlelenjanenami ngiziphosele ngeforweni ibhomu neyidlula phezu kwehlokwami begodu yathuthumba esimini eseduze. Namtjhana kunjalo, iimnyaka esayiphayona eKent yaba ngethabisako.

NGIBA “MSANA WEBETHEL”

Umma bekahlala ayikhuluma kuhle iBethel. Bakajayele ukuthi, “Akukho okungcono engikufisako ngaphandle kobana ube msana weBethel.” Ngalokho cabanga ngethabo nokumangala engaba nakho, ngoJanabari 1946, nengifumana isimemo sokuya eBethel eLondon ukuyokusiza ngomsebenzi walapho iimveke eentathu. Ekupheleni kweemvekezo, uPryce Hughes, inceku yegatja, wangibawa bona ngihlale eBethel. Ibandulo engalifumana lapho langisiza ukuphila kwami koke.

Ngesikhatheso bekunamalunga womndeni angaba ma-30 eBethel yeLondon, khulukhulu kubazalwana abasesebatjha abangakatjhadi kodwana nabazalwana abanengi abazesiweko, kuhlanganise uPryce Hughes, u-Edgar Clay, noJack Barr, owaba lilunga leSihlopha Esibusako. Qala bona kwaba lilungelo elingangani ukusekela abanakwabo bakaKrestu ngokusebenza njengomutjha ngaphasi kwetlhogomelo engokomoya ‘yabadosiphambilaba’!—Gal. 2:9.

Langelinye eBethel, umzalwana othileko wangitjela bona kunodade ofuna ukungibona emnyangweni ongaphambili. Ngarareka nengifumana bonyana ngumma, uphethe okuthileko. Wathi angekhe angene ukwenzela bona angangithikazisi emsebenzinami, kodwana wanginikela akuphetheko wakhamba. Bekuyimbaji efuthumeleko. Isenzo sakhe sethando sangikhumbuza uHana owalethela indodanakhe uSamuweli imbaji nekakhonza etabernakele.—1 Sam. 2:18, 19.

IGILEYADI–OKUHLANGABEZANWE NAKHO ENGEZE NGAKULIBALA

Ngo-1947, abahlanu bethu abakhonza eBethel samenywa bona siye eSikolweni SeGiliyadi e-United States, begodu ngomnyaka olandelako saya eklasini le-11. Nesifikako, bekunamakhaza akghadzisa umongo etlhagwini yeNew York, lapho isikolo besibanjelwa khona. Qala bona ngathaba kangangani ngokuba nembaji efuthumeleko leya umma angiphathela yona!

Ngeze ngazikhohlwa iinyanga ezisithandathu engazihlala eGiliyadi. Ubudlelwana nabafundi esikunye nabo abavela eenarheni ezihlukahlukeneko ezi-16 banabisa umbonwami. Ukungezelela ekondliweni okunothileko okungokomoya engakufumana esikolweni, ngazuza ebudlelwaneni bamaKrestu avuthiweko. Omunye wabafundi ebengikunye nabo, uLloyd Barry; nomunye wabafundisako, u-Albert Schroeder; noJohn Booth, umbonisi we-Kingdom Farm (lapho isikolo ebesibanjelwa khona) ngokukhamba kwesikhathi baba malunga weSihlopha Esibusako. Ngisiqala njengesiligugu isiluleko sethando abazalwanaba abanginikela sona nesibonelo sabo sokuthembeka kuJehova nehlanganweni yakhe.

UKUBA MBONISI WESIFUNDA NOKUBUYELA EBETHEL

Nengisuka eGiliyadi, ngabelwa bona ngibe mbonisi wesifunda esifundeni se-Ohio, e-U.S.A. Bengineemnyaka ema-21 kwaphela, kodwana abazalwana bayamukela ngethando itjiseko yami yobutjha. Esifundeneso, ngafunda lukhulu kokuhlangabezanwe nakho kwamadoda amadala.

Ngemva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, ngamenywa bona ngibuyele eBethel yeBrooklyn ngizokufumana ibandulo engeziweko. Hlangana nesikhatheso, ngazi abadosiphambili abanjengoMilton Henschel, Karl Klein, Nathan Knorr, T. J. (Bud) Sullivan, noLyman Swingle, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi boke abakhonza eSihlopheni Esibusako. Bekungokuhlangabezanwe nakho okuthabisako ukubabona emsebenzini nokubona iindlela zabo zobuKrestu. Ukuyithemba kwami ihlangano kaJehova kwakhula ngokuphindwe kalikhulu. Ngemva kwalokho ngathunyelwa eYurobhu bona ngiyokuragela phambili nekonzwami lapho.

Umma wahlongakala ngoFebherbari ka-1950. Ngemva kwesilahlo, ngaba nengcoco etjhaphulukileko nobaba nodadwethu, uDora. Ngababuza bona bazimisele ukwenzani ngeqiniso njengombana uMma angasekho nami ngingasahlali ekhaya. Bebamazi begodu bamhlonipha umzalwana ozesiweko uHarry Browning obesele akhulile, begodu bavuma ukucoca naye ngeqiniso. Kungakapheli umnyaka, uBaba noDora babhabhadiswa. Ngokukhamba kwasikhathi uBaba wabekwa bona abe yinceku eBandleni leGillingham. Ngemva kokuhlongakala kwakaBaba, uDora watjhada nomdala othembekileko, uRoy Moreton, begodu wakhonza uJehova ngokuthembeka bekwaba sekuhlongakaleni kwakhe ngo-2010.

UKUSIZA EFRANCE

Esikolweni somphakathi, ngafunda isiFrentji, isiJarimani, nesiLatin, hlangana nazo zontathu iinlimezi, isiFrentji ngiso ebesingipha umraro khulu. Ngalokho benginokuzaza nengikhombelwa bona ngiyokusiza eBethel eseParis eFrance. Lapho ngaba nelungelo lokusebenza nenceku yegatja uHenri Geiger, umzalwana ozesiweko okhulileko. Isabelweso besingasilula ngaso soke isikhathi begodu ngenza iimtjhapho eemnengi, kodwana ngafunda okunengi ngendlela yokusebenzelana nabantu.

Ukungezelela kilokho, kwahlelwa bona kube nomhlangano weentjhabatjhaba wokuthoma ngemva kwepi eParis ngo-1951, begodu ngaba nesandla ekuwuhleleni. Umbonisi okhambako osesemutjha, uLéopold Jontès, weza eBethel ukuzongisiza. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uLéopold wabekwa bona abe mbonisi wegatja. Umhlangano wabanjelwa ePalais des sports, eduze ne-Eiffel Tower. Iinkhambeli zomhlangano bezivela eenarheni ezi-28. Ngelanga lamaswaphela, aboFakazi beFrance aba-6 000 bathaba khulu ukubona aba-10 456 ababa khona!

Nengifika eFrance, isiFrentji sami besingazwakali kuhle. Ukwenza izinto zibe zimbi khulu, ngenza umtjhapho omkhulu wokukhuluma kwaphela nengiqinisekako ngesiFrentji sami. Kodwana newungenzi iimtjhapho, ngeze ulungiswe begodu ngeze uthuthuke.

Ngaqunta ukulungisa ubujamobu ngokutlolisa esikolweni esifundisa abantu bezinye iinarha isiFrentji. Bengiya esikolweni ebusuku nenginganamihlangano. Ngathoma ukulithanda ilimu lesiFrentji, begodu ithandwelo lakhula njengombana iimnyaka ikhamba. Lokho kube lisizo ngombana ngikghone ukusiza emsebenzini wokutjhugulula egatjeni leFrance. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, nami ngaba mtjhugululi, ngitjhugulula kusukela esiNgisini kuya esiFrentjini. Bekulilungelo ukudlulisela ukudla okungokomoya okunothileko okuvela esigabeni senceku kubanakwethu abakhuluma isiFrentji ephasini loke.—Mat. 24:45-47.

UMTJHADO NAMALUNGELO ANGEZIWEKO

Ngo-1956, ngatjhada no-Esther, iphayona leSwitzerland engahlangana nalo eemnyakeni embalwa phambilini. Satjhadela eWolweni LoMbuso elihlanu kweBethel yeLondon (iLondon Tabernacle yekadeni, umma abhabhadiselwa kiyo). UMzalwan’ uHughes wanikela ikulumwethu yomtjhado. Umma ka-Esther bekakhona, naye bekanethemba lezulwini. Umtjhadwami zange unginikele umngani othandekako nothembekileko kwaphela kodwana wanginikela ama-iri amanengi nobudlelwana obuhle, nomkhwekazi othanda izinto ezingokomoya bekwaba kulapho aqeda ikambo yakhe yephasini ngo-2000.

Ngemva komtjhadwethu, sino-Esther sahlala ngaphandle kweBethel. Nanyana ngaragela phambili ngitjhugululela iBethel, u-Esther wakhonza njengephayona elikhethekileko eParis. Wasiza abanengi baba ziinceku zakaJehova. Ngo-1964 samenywa bona siyokuhlala eBethel. Ngo-1976, nekuthonywa amaKomidi Wegatja, ngabekwa bona ngibe lilunga. Njengombana iimnyaka ikhamba, u-Esther bekasolo angisekela ngethando.

“NGEKHE NIHLALE NINAMI”

Ngezinye iinkhathi ngibe nelungelo lokuvakatjhela emzikhulu wephasi loke eNew York. Ngeenkhathezo, ngafumana isiluleko esihle esivela emalungwini ahlukahlukeneko weSihlopha Esibusako. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesinye isikhathi nengiveza ukutshwenyeka kwami ngokuhlangabezana nesikhathi sokwenza umsebenzi othileko, uMzalwana uKnorr wamomotheka wathi: “Ungatshwenyeki. Sebenza!” Iinkhathi ezinengi kusukela mhlokho, umsebenzi newupakelanako, kunokobana ngitatazele, ngivele ngithome ukusebenza, ngenze umsebenzi ngamunye ngesikhathi, ngokuvamileko ngiwuqeda ngesikhathi.

Ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu watjela abafundi bakhe: “Angekhe nihlale ninami.” (Mat. 26:11) Nathi njengezinye izimvu siyatjheja bona angeze sihlale sinabanakwabo bakaKrestu abazesiweko hlangana nathi. Ngalokho, ngikuqala njengelungelo elikhulu ukusebenzelana eduze nabanengi abazesiweko iimnyaka engaphezu kwama-70—ngethabo ngibambe umphetho wesambatho somJuda.

[Umtlolo waphasi]

[Umkhangiso osekhasini 21]

UMzalwana uKnorr wamomotheka wathi: “Ungatshwenyeki. Sebenza!”

[Iinthombe ekhasini 19]

(Ngesinceleni) Umma nobaba

(Ngesidleni) ngiseGiliyadi ngo-1948, ngembethe imbaji efuthumeleko engayinikelwa nguMma

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Ngitologela uMzalwan’ uLloyd Barry ekunikezelweni kwegatja leFrance ngo-1997

[Iinthombe ekhasini 21]

(Ngesinceleni) Ngino-Esther ngelanga lethu lomtjhado

(Ngesidleni) Sisemsebenzini wokufakaza