Isivuno SeNgqobhoko EAfrika
IPHUPHA likaCharles Lavigerie lokuguqulela iAlgeria ‘kuhlanga lobuKristu’ langqineka likoko—iliphupha. Namhlanje, ama-99 ekhulwini abemi baseAlgeria ngamaSilamsi, yaye iNgqobhoko iye yaphelelwa ngamandla kwimimandla emikhulu yakuMntla Afrika. Kodwa kuthekani ngenye inxalenye yelo lizwekazi?
UGqr. J. H. Kane kwiA Concise History of the Christian World Mission uthi: “UbuKristu buye baguqula abangakumbi kwiAfrika yabaNtsundu kunakwinxalenye yonke yaMazwe Asakhasayo edityanisiwe.” Noko ke, ngaba ngokwenene la makholwa angamaKristu? UGqr. Kane uvuma ngelithi: “Enye ingozi enkulu ngecawa yabaNtsundu kukudityaniswa kobuKristu neengcamango zobuhedeni.” Kwakhona, ibinzana lakhe elithi ‘icawa yabaNtsundu’ lisetyenziswe phosakeleyo. Ngokoqobo kukho amawaka eecawa zabaNtsundu, nganye inqula ngeyayo indlela. Kutheni kunjalo nje?
Ukuhlwayela Iimbewu Zokungamanyani
Iimbewu zokungamanyani zazihlwayelwe kwanangaphambi kokuba abavangeli becawa baqalise uhambo lwabo ngolwandle lokuya eAfrika. UMbutho Wabavangeli Becawa WaseLondon wafumana amalungu kwiicawa ezahlukeneyo, yaye kwabakho iingxwabangxwaba ezishushu zeemfundiso phakathi kwabavangeli becawa kuhambo lwabo oluya kwizabelo zabo. Kwakuqinisekile ukuba ingxabano yayiza kuba mbi ngakumbi emva kokuba babefumene indawo yokuhlala apho babenezabelo zecawa khona.
UNjingalwazi uRobert Rotberg ubhala oku kwincwadi yakhe ethi Christian Missionaries and the Creation of Northern Rhodesia 1880-1924, “Abavangeli becawa balwa ngokukrakra omnye nomnye kuquka nabalathisi babo baphesheya kweelwandle, ngokuqhelekileyo besonakalisa iinjongo zabo zobuvangeli. . . . Abavangeli becawa babebonakala bechitha ixesha namandla amakhulu bebhala ngezi ngxabano njengoko babesenjenjalo ekufuneni ukufeza inguquko.”
Maxa wambi, iingxabano zabavangeli becawa zaziphumela ekubeni kusekwe iicawa ezingavaniyo. Iicawa zamaKatolika nezamaProtestanti zakhuphisana ngokukrakra ngamaguquka. Oku ngabikho komanyano kufanayo kwakumele kubonakale phakathi kwamakholwa abo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha izigidi zabaNtsundu zazinikela umva iicawa zabavangeli zaza zabumba ezazo iicawa.
Umbhali-mbali okwangumvangeli wecawa uGqr. Kane ubhala oku, “Iicawa ZaseAfrika Ezizimeleyo zifumaneka kulo lonke eli laseAfrika . . . Xa kudityaniswa kukho amaqela ahlukeneyo anokuba ngamawaka asixhenxe kulo mbutho.” Ukhuphiswano phakathi kwabavangeli becawa ngenxa yeenkolelo ezingqubanayo zazingekuphela konobangela woku. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Missionaries, uGeoffrey Moorhouse ucacisa ngelithi omnye unobangela ‘wokuqhekeka kwabantu abantsundu kwiicawa ezasekwa ngabavangeli yayikukucekisa ukuziphakamisa kwabantu abamhlophe.’
Ngaba BabengamaKristu Okanye BengabaMhlophe Abanobuhlanga?
UGqr. Kane uvuma ngelithi: “Abavangeli becawa babeziphakamisile.” Kwincwadi yakhe ethi African Christianity uAdrian Hastings uthi: ‘Babekholelwa kwelokuba unqulo lwamaKristu lumele luphelekwe yimpucuko yaseYurophu luze lukhokelwe ngabantu baseYurophu.’
Indoda engumFrentshi uCharles Lavigerie wayeyenye inkokeli eyayingumvangeli wecawa eyayinale mbono. Enye yayinguJohn Philip, intsumpa yeecawa zoMbutho Wabavangeli Becawa WaseLondon kumazantsi eAfrika. Ngowe-1828 waqhayisa ngelithi: “Abavangeli bethu becawa . . . bandisa izilangazelelo zaseBritani, iimpembelelo nobukhosi baseBritani. Naphi na apho umvangeli wecawa wayesenza umsebenzi wakhe wokufuna amakholwa phakathi kwesizwe esasingayazi impucuko, ukulucekisa kwaso ulawulo lwamathanga kwaphela; ukuxhomekeka kwaso kwithanga kwandiswa kukufuna izinto ezenziwe ngumntu; . . . imizi-mveliso, urhwebo, nezolimo zihambele phambili ngokukhawuleza; yaye wonke umntu olikholwa elizinikeleyo phakathi kwabo . . . uba ngumncedisi nomhlobo worhulumente wethanga.”
Ngaba ke kuyamangalisa ukuba oorhulumente baseYurophu babona abavangeli becawa abanjalo njengoothunywashe abaluncedo ekwandisweni kwamazwe angamathanga? Bona ke, abavangeli becawa bakwamkela ukwahlulahlulwa kweAfrika ibe ngamazwe angamathanga. Njengoko bavakalisayo kwiNkomfa Yehlabathi Yabavangeli Becawa e-Edinburgh ngowe-1910: ‘Bekungasayi kwenzeka ngamaxesha onke ukuba kwahlulwe phakathi kwenjongo yabavangeli becawa nenjongo kaRhulumente.’
Balawula NjengooKumkani EAfrika
Ukuze baqinisekise igunya labo, abanye abavangeli becawa babeqamele ngamandla emikhosi ekumazwe angamathanga. Maxa wambi iidolophu ezingaselunxwemeni zazitshatyalaliswa ngeenqanawa zokulwa ezazineenkanunu zaseBritani ngenxa yokuba abemi bezo dolophu bengavumi ukwamkela igunya labavangeli becawa. Ngowe-1898, uDennis Kemp, umvangeli wecawa ongumWesile kwiNtshona Afrika, wavakalisa “inkolelo yakhe eqinileyo yokuba uMkhosi Wasemhlabeni Nowaselwandle waseBritani namhlanje usetyenziswa nguThixo ukuze kufezwe injongo Yakhe.”
Emva kokuba bezinzile, maxa wambi abavangeli becawa babethabathela kubo igunya leenkosi zezizwe. Unjingalwazi uRotberg ubhala oku: “Abavangeli becawa abavela eLondon ngokuthe rhoqo babesebenzisa amandla ukuze balondoloze umthetho wabo wobuthixo. Isixhobo ababesithanda ababesithi ngaso bazise ukungamkeli kwabo into ethile sasiyicikoti, isabhokhwe eside esenziwe ngofele lwemvubu olusukiweyo. Abantu abaNtsundu babetywatyushwa ngaso kanobom nangayo nayiphi na into eyayicingelwa isisizathu.” Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Africans, uDavid Lamb uthi, “Elinye ikholwa eliNtsundu likhumbula omnye umvangeli wecawa waseTshetshi eUganda owayesaziwa ngokuba nguBwana Botri owayethi ngokuthe rhoqo ehle kwiqonga lokushumayela ebudeni benkonzo ukuze ayokutywatyusha abaNtsundu abafike emva kwexesha ngoswazi.”
Othuswe zizenzo ezinjalo, omnye umvangeli wecawa, uJames Mackay, wadlulisela isikhalazo kubalathisi boMbutho Wabavangeli Becawa WaseLondon. Walumkisa ngelithi: “Kunokuba sigqalwe njengabantu abamhlophe ababaphathele iindaba ezilungileyo zothando lukaThixo, siyaziwa yaye siyoyikwa.”
Iimfazwe Zehlabathi
Incwadi ethi The Missionaries ithi: “Kangangenkulungwane nangaphezulu [abantu abaNtsundu] baye baxelelwa rhoqo nangamandla ukuba umlo nalo lonke utyekelo olungaphucukanga oluwubangelayo lwalungenaziqhamo yaye lwalukhohlakele.” Ngoko, ngowe-1914, iMfazwe Yehlabathi I yaqhambuka phakathi kweentlanga zaseYurophu ekuthiwa zingamaKristu.
OkaMoorhouse uchaza oku: “Abavangeli becawa phantse bazo zonke iintlanga babandakanywa kwiMfazwe Enkulu.” Behlazisiwe, abavangeli becawa babongoza amakholwa aNtsundu ukuba athabathe icala. Bambi abavangeli becawa bade bakhokelela imikhosi yabaNtsundu edabini. Umphumo wemfazwe uchazwa kakuhle nguNjingalwazi uStephen Neill kwincwadi yakhe ethi History of Christian Missions: “Iintlanga zaseYurophu, zenza amabango abaxiweyo okuba zizo ezizise ubuKristu nempucuko, ziye zagxalathelana ngokudideka kwimfazwe yamakhaya eyayiza kuzishiya zihlwempuzekile ngokwezoqoqosho yaye zingenaso nesincinane isidima.” UNeill uqhubeka esithi: “IMfazwe Yehlabathi Yesibini kuphela yagqibezela oko eyokuqala yayisele ikufezile. Ukuzambathisa ufele lwegusha kwabantu baseNtshona kwabonakala kungamampunge; ‘iNgqobhoko’ yabhencwa njengeyintsomi ngokupheleleyo. Kwakungasenzeki ukuba kuthethwe ‘ngeNtshona yamaKristu.’”
Kuyaqondakala ukuba ukuqhekeka kwabantu abantsundu kwathabath’ unyawo emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Kodwa kuthekani ngabantu abaNtsundu ababambelela kwiicawa zeNgqobhoko? Ngaba emva koko bafundiswa inyaniso ephuma eBhayibhileni?
Iinkolelo Zabantsundu Kwiminyanya
Abavangeli beNgqobhoko balugweba uqheliselo lonqulo lwabaNtsundu, olunjengokuya kumagqirha ukuze baxolise iminyanya yabo efileyo. Kwangaxeshanye, abavangeli becawa bagxininisa ukuba bonke abantu banomphefumlo ongafiyo. Bakwaphakamisa ukuhlonelwa kukaMariya ‘neengcwele.’ Ezi mfundiso zaqinisekisa inkolelo yabaNtsundu yokuba iminyanya yabo efileyo isaphila. Kwakhona, ngokuhlonela imifanekiso eqingqiweyo yonqulo, njengomnqamlezo, abavangeli becawa banikela isizathu sokusebenzisa kwabaNtsundu amakhubalo njengendlela yokuzikhusela kwimimoya engendawo.
UNjingalwazi uC. G. Baëta kwincwadi yakhe ethi Christianity in Tropical Africa uthi: “Kuyenzeka ukuba umntu oNtsundu eCaweni alicule ngenzondelelo iculo elithi, ‘Andinagwiba limbi ngaphandle kukaThixo’, ngoxa esenekhubalo ndaweni ithile emzimbeni, okanye akwazi ukuba aphume eCaweni aye ngqo kwigqirha lakhe, engenaluvo lokuba waphula nawuphi na umgaqo.”—Thelekisa iDuteronomi 18:10-12 neyoku-1 kaYohane 5:21.
Abavangeli becawa abaninzi baxelela abantu abaNtsundu ukuba ookhokho babo ababengabahedeni babethuthunjiswa esihogweni somlilo nokuba ilishwa elifanayo liya kubehlela ukuba babesala ukwamkela iimfundiso zabavangeli becawa. Kodwa imfundiso yokuthuthunjelwa ngonaphakade iyangqubana neenkcazelo ezilula ezikule Bhayibhile kanye abavangeli becawa benza umgudu omkhulu wokuba bayiguqulele kwiilwimi zabaNtsundu.—Genesis 3:19; Yeremiya 19:5; Roma 6:23.
Enyanisweni, iBhayibhile ithi imiphefumlo yabantu abanesono iyafa nokuba “abafileyo abazi lutho.” (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekile 18:4) Abantu abaNtsundu abangazange bafumane ithuba lokuba beve ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile, banethemba lokuqukwa ‘kuvuko oluzayo lwamalungisa nolwabangemalungisa.’ (IZenzo 24:15) Abavukileyo abanjalo baya kufundiswa ngelungiselelo likaThixo losindiso. Kuya kwandula ke, ukuba basabela ngokunoxabiso kuthando lukaThixo, bavuzwe ngobomi obungunaphakade kwiparadisi esemhlabeni.—INdumiso 37:29; Luka 23:43; Yohane 3:16.
Kunokufundisa ezi nyaniso zeBhayibhile zimangalisayo, iNgqobhoko iye yabalahlekisa abantu abaNtsundu ngeemfundiso zobuxoki nangohanahaniso lonqulo. Ngokuqinisekileyo, indima yabavangeli beNgqobhoko ekoyisweni kweAfrika ibe ngamazwe angamathanga ayixhaswa yiBhayibhile. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, uYesu wathi uBukumkani bakhe “asibubo obeli hlabathi” nokuba ngokufanayo abalandeli bakhe bokwenyaniso ‘babengayi kuba ngabehlabathi.’ (Yohane 15:19; 18:36) AmaKristu angaphambili ayengabameli bakaYesu Kristu, kungekhona aboorhulumente behlabathi.—2 Korinte 5:20.
Ngenxa yoko, xa sisonke isivuno seNgqobhoko eAfrika sesingavuyisiyo, siphawulwa kukungamanyani okothusayo, kukungathembani ‘naluqheliselo lokudibanisa ubuhedeni nobuKristu.’ Ugonyamelo oluye lwaphawula imimandla emininzi “yamaKristu” yaseAfrika ngokuqinisekileyo aluvisisani neemfundiso ‘zoMthetheli Woxolo.’ (Isaya 9:6) Isiqhamo somsebenzi weNgqobhoko eAfrika sichasene ngokungqalileyo namazwi kaYesu angabalandeli bakhe bokwenyaniso. Emthandazweni wakhe kuYise wasemazulwini, uYesu wacela ukuba “babe ngabazalisekileyo ntweninye; ukuze liqonde ihlabathi ukuba wena undithumile.”—Yohane 17:20, 23; 1 Korinte 1:10.
Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba wonke umsebenzi wobuvangeli eAfrika uye wasilela? Akunjalo konke konke. Isiqhamo esilungileyo somsebenzi wobuvangeli bobuKristu bokwenyaniso eAfrika nakulo lonke ihlabathi siza kuxutyushwa kumanqaku alandelayo ukususela kwiphepha 10.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]
Iinkokeli ezingabavangeli becawa zenkulungwane edluleyo, njengoJohn Philip, zazikholelwa kwelokuba impucuko yaseYurophu nobuKristu zaziyinto efanayo
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Cape Archives M450
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Abavangeli becawa beNgqobhoko bakhuthaza iinkolelo zabaNtsundu zeminyanya ngokusasaza iimfundiso ezingekho Bhayibhileni, ezinjengokungafi komphefumlo
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Courtesy Africana Museum, Johannesburg