UMichael Faraday—Isazinzulu Nendoda Yokholo

“Ichule Lokuqala Lombane.” “Esona sazinzulu sibalaseleyo sakha saphila.” Ezi ziindlela ezimbini achazwa ngazo uMichael Faraday, owazalwa ngowe-1791 eNgilani, okwathi ukufumanisa kwakhe ukusebenza kombane nemagnethi kwakhokelela ekuvelisweni kwenkqubo yokuhanjiswa kombane namandla ombane.

LO KAFARADAY wayehlohla ngokubanzi ngolwazi ngemichiza nangezinto zemvelo kwiRoyal Institution eLondon. Izifundo zakhe ezazicetyelwe ukuyenza ithandeke inzululwazi zanceda abantu abaselula ukuba baqhelane nemibandela enzulu. Wawongwa ziiyunivesithi ezininzi. Sekunjalo wayekuphepha ukuba ngundaba-mlonyeni. Wayeyindoda eyayizinikele gqitha kunqulo, ekuvuyela kakhulu ukuba yodwa kwindlu yayo enamagumbi amathathu nokuba kunye nentsapho yayo nabo yayikhonza nabo. UFaraday wayelilungu labo wayebachaza ‘njengehlelo elincinane kakhulu nelidelekileyo lamaKristu, elalisaziwa njengabalandeli bakaSandeman.’ Yayingoobani abo? Yintoni ababekholelwa kuyo? Yaye oku kwamchaphazela njani uFaraday?

Abalandeli BakaSandeman

“Ukudibana kokuqala kwentsapho yakwaFaraday necawa yabalandeli bakaSandeman kwaqiniswa ngoomawokhulu bakaMichael Faraday,” utsho njalo uGeoffrey Cantor, umbhali wencwadi ethi Michael Faraday: Sandemanian and Scientist. Banxulumana nabalandeli bomlungiseleli ohambahambayo ngezonqulo owayenezinxulumani ezazixhasa inkolo yabalandeli bakaSandeman.

URobert Sandeman (1718-71) wayengumfundi kwiyunivesithi yase-Edinburgh, efunda izibalo, isiGrike, nezinye iilwimi xa ngenye imini waphulaphula owayefudula engumfundisi waseRhabe uJohn Glass eshumayela. Into awayivayo yambangela ukuba ayishiye iyunivesithi, abuyele kowabo ePerth, khon’ ukuze athelele uGlass nezinxulumani zakhe.

Ngeminyaka yee-1720, uJohn Glass waqalisa ukuthandabuza ezinye iimfundiso zeCawa yaseSkotlani. Ukufunda kwakhe iLizwi LikaThixo kwamkhokelela kwisigqibo sokuba uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli ekuthethwa ngalo eBhayibhileni lwalufanekisela uhlanga lokomoya olwalunabemi abaphuma kwiintlanga ezininzi. Wayengasiqondi kwaphela isizathu sokuba kubekho icawa eyahlukileyo yohlanga ngalunye.

Engasaneliswa ziimfundiso zecawa yakhe yaseTealing, ekuphumeni kweDundee, eSkotlani uGlass warhoxa kwiCawa yaseSkotlani waza walungiselela ukuba neentlanganiso zakhe. Abantu abamalunga nekhulu bamlandela, yaye kwasekuqaleni, bakufumanisa kuyimfuneko ukulondoloza umanyano kuluhlu lwabo. Bagqiba ukuba balandele imiyalelo kaKristu, ebhalwe kuMateyu isahluko 18, indinyana 15 ukusa kweye-17, ukuzinzisa naziphi na iimbambano ezazisenokubakho. Kamva baba neentlanganiso zeeveki ngeeveki apho babesithi abo bonqulo olufanayo bahlanganisane ukuze bathandaze baze bavuselelane.

Xa iqela labantu laqalisa ukuza rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaqela awahlukahlukeneyo, kwafuneka amadoda okusingatha imbopheleleko ukuze abe liliso kunqulo lwabo. Kodwa ngoobani ababefaneleka? UJohn Glass nezinxulumani zakhe banikela ingqalelo ekhethekileyo koko umpostile uPawulos wakubhalayo ngalo mbandela. (1 Timoti 3:1-7; Tito 1:5-9) Abazange bafumane nto ithethwayo ngemfundo yaseyunivesithi okanye ngemfuneko yokwazi isiHebhere nesiGrike. Ngoko ke emva kokuqwalasela ngomthandazo ukhokelo lweZibhalo, banyula amadoda afanelekayo ukuba abe ngabadala. Abo banyanisekileyo kwiCawa yaseSkotlani bakujonga “kufana nokunyelisa” ngomntu ongafundanga “noliqaba elingazi nto okanye elikhuliswe ngamahlwempu” ukuhanahanisa ngokungathi uyayazi iBhayibhile nokushumayela isigidimi sayo. Xa uGlass nabo wayekhonza nabo ngowe-1733, bakha iholo yabo yokuhlanganisana kwidolophu yasePerth, abefundisi basekuhlaleni bazama ukunyanzelisa oomantyi ukuba babagxothe kuloo dolophu. Bafa namthanyana, yaye loo mbutho wanda.

URobert Sandeman watshata umafungwashe kaGlass yaye, xa wayeneminyaka engama-26 ubudala waba ngumdala kwibandla lasePerth labalandeli bakaGlass. Wayeneembopheleleko ezinzima kakhulu njengomdala kangangokuba wagqiba ukuba makanikele ngexesha lakhe lonke kumsebenzi wokwalusa. Kamva, emva kokufa komfazi wakhe, uRobert “ngochulumanco olukhulu wavuma ukuya kukhonza iNkosi naphi na apho kukho imfuneko,” itsho njalo ingxelo echaza ngobomi bakhe.

Abalandeli BakaSandeman Bayanda

USandeman ngenzondelelo wandisa ubulungiseleli bakhe ukususela eSkotlani ukusa eNgilani, apho ayesanda khona amaqela amatsha abo wayekhonza nabo. Ngelo xesha, kwakukho ukuphikisana okukhulu phakathi kwabalandeli bakaCalvin abangamaNgesi. Bambi kubo babekholelwa ukuba bamiselwa kwangaphambili ukuba basindiswe. Kwelinye icala, uSandeman, waba kwicala labo babesithi ukholo lwalufuneka ukuze umntu asindiswe. Ukuxhasa le mbono, wapapasha incwadi eyashicilelwa izihlandlo ezine yaza kwakhona yashicilelwa yangamahlelo amabini eMerika. Ngokutsho kukaGeoffrey Cantor, ukupapashwa kwalo mqulu “kwakusesona siganeko siphambili esabangela ulwando kwelo hlelo [labalandeli bakaSandeman] kunokuba luphelele eSkotlani apho laliqale khona.”

Ngowe-1764, uSandeman, ephelekwa ngabanye abadala abangabalandeli bakaGlass, wasinga eMerika, utyelelo olwaxhokonxa imbambano nenkcaso. Sekunjalo, laphumela ekumiselweni kweqela elifanayo lamaKristu eDanbury, eConnecticut.a Kulapho, uSandeman wafela khona, ngowe-1771.

Iinkolelo Zonqulo ZikaFaraday

UMichael oselula wazamkela iimfundiso zabalandeli bakaSandeman kubazali bakhe. Wafunda ukuba abalandeli bakaSandeman babezahlula kwabo babengayiqheliseli into eyayifundiswa yiBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, bakwala ukuba nenxaxheba kwinkonzo yomtshato wamaTshetshi, bekhetha ukuphelelisela imisitho yabo yomtshato kuphela koko kwakufuneka ngokwasemthethweni.

Ukuthobela urhulumente, kodwa bengathabath’ icala kwezobupolitika, yinto ababesaziwa ngayo abalandeli bakaSandeman. Nangona babengamalungu ahloniphekileyo ebutho loluntu, babengafane bazamkele izikhundla zaseburhulumenteni. Kodwa phantsi kweemeko ezimbalwa apho babezamkela kuzo, babeziphepha iinyewe zobupolitika. Ukungajiki noba sekumnyam’ entla kule ndlela kwabazisela ingcikivo. (Thelekisa uYohane 17:14.) Abalandeli bakaSandeman babekholelwa ekubeni uBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini lilungiselelo elifezekileyo lorhulumente. Lo kaCantor uthi babezijonga ezobupolitika ‘njengomdlalo ongcolileyo oyinkqubo embi yokuziphatha.’

Nangona babahlukile kwabanye, babengenasimo sengqondo sokuhanahanisa kwabaFarisi. Bathi: “Sikubona kunyanzelekile ukuba siwuphephe uMoya neZenzo zabaFarisi bamandulo, ukongezelela iZono okanye imiThwalo kuleyo iseZibhalweni; nokwenza iLizwi likaThixo lingasebenzi ngeZithethe zabantu okanye indlela yabo yokuCinga.”

Bamkela oko kuthethwa ziZibhalo ngokususa kubudlelane naliphi na ilungu elalisithi libe linxila, umphangi, umhenyuzi, okanye umntu owayesenza ezinye izono ezinzulu. Ukuba umoni wayeguquka ngokunyanisekileyo, babezama ukumbuyisela. Kungenjalo, babelandela umyalelo weZibhalo ‘wokumshenxisa umntu ongendawo.’—1 Korinte 5:5, 11, 13.

Abalandeli bakaSandeman babewuthobela umyalelo weBhayibhile wokukhwebuka egazini. (IZenzo 15:29) UJohn Glass wayemi ngelokuba abantu bakaThixo babemele bawuthobele umthetho owawusalela igazi kanye njengokuba uThixo wayalela abantu bokuqala ukuba bangadli kwisiqhamo somthi wokwazi okulungileyo nokubi. (Genesis 2:16, 17) Ukungathobeli umyalelo wokuzila igazi kwakufana nokwala ukusebenzisa ngokufanelekileyo igazi likaKristu, oko kukuthi ukusihlawulela esonweni. UGlass waqukumbela wathi: “Oku kwalelwa kokudliwa kwegazi kwakusoloko, yaye kuseyeyona nto ebalaseleyo nebaluleke kakhulu.”

Ukuqiqa ngeZibhalo kwabalandeli bakaSandeman kwabanceda ukuphepha imigibe emininzi. Ngokomzekelo, kumbandela wokuzonwabisa, bakhangela kwimiyalelo kaKristu njengesikhokelo. Bathi: “Asinakuba nasibindi sakubeka Mithetho apho uKristu angazange ayibeke, singenakuphosa kwelokulibala nayiphi na kwesiyinikiweyo. Ngoko ke, njengokuba singenakuwufumana othi uKuzonwabisa akuvumelekanga, nokuba kukwiindawo zikawonke-wonke okanye ngasese, sikujonga nakuphi na ukuzonwabisa njengokusemthethweni logama nje kunganxulumananga neeMeko ezisisono sokwenene.”

Nangona abalandeli bakaSandeman babebambelele kwiimbono ezininzi ezazisekelwe ngokuchanileyo eSibhalweni, abazange bakuqonde ukubaluleka kowona msebenzi owenziwa ngamaKristu okwenyaniso, oko kukuthi, ngamnye wayemele ashumayele iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani kwabanye. (Mateyu 24:14) Kodwa, iintlanganiso zabo zazivuleleke kumntu wonke. Yaye babezama ukunika nabani na obabuzayo isizathu sethemba labo.—1 Petros 3:15.

Zazisichaphazela njani isazinzulu uMichael Faraday ezi nkolelo?

UFaraday Umlandeli KaSandeman

Nangona wayebekekile, ehloniphekile yaye esothulelw’ umnqwazi ngenxa yokufumanisa kwakhe izinto ezifihlakeleyo, uMichael Faraday wayephila ubomi obuqhelekileyo. Xa abantu abadumileyo babesifa yaye abo babesaziwa luluntu kwakulindeleke ukuba babekho kwimingcwabo yabo, uFaraday wayesaziwa ngokungabikho kwimingcwabo enjalo, isazela sakhe sasingamvumeli ukuba aye aze abandakanyeke kwinkonzo yeCawa yaseTshetshi.

Njengesazinzulu uFaraday wayenamathele ngokusondeleyo koko wayenokukungqina kuyinyaniso. Ngoko ke wakuphepha ukunxulumana ngokusondeleyo nabantu abafundileyo ababebalaselisa iingcamango zabo abangaqinisekanga ngazo baze babe ngakwicala lazo. Njengokuba wakha waxelela abaphulaphuli abathile, ‘into eyinyaniso esisiseko ayinakuze iguquguquke, ubungqina bayo busoloko buyinyaniso.’ Wayichaza inzululwazi njengexhomekeke ‘kwizibakala eziqwalaselwe ngenyameko.’ Equkumbela enye yeentetho zakhe ngamandla asisiseko endalo, uFaraday wakhuthaza abaphulaphuli bakhe ukuba bacamngce “ngaLowo wabadalayo.” Wandula wacaphula amazwi ompostile uPawulos ongumKristu owathi: “Kuba iimpawu zakhe ezingabonakaliyo zibonwa ngokucacileyo ukususela ekudalweni kwehlabathi kuse phambili, ngenxa yokuba ziqondeka ngezinto ezenziweyo, kwanamandla angunaphakade nobuThixo bakhe.”—Roma 1:20.

Into eyayimenza ahluke kangaka uFaraday kwezinye izazinzulu ezininzi yayingumnqweno wakhe wokufunda iNcwadi kaThixo ephefumlelweyo neyendalo. UCantor uthi: “Ngoxa wayengumlandeli kaSandeman wafumanisa indlela yokuthobela imithetho kaThixo yokuziphatha nethemba ngobomi obungunaphakade. Ngoxa wayesisazinzulu wayesondelelene ngokupheleleyo nemithetho kaThixo yemvelo athe wayinyulela ukulawula indalo.” UFaraday wayekholelwa ukuba “igunya elipheleleyo leBhayibhile alinakujongelwa phantsi yinzululwazi, kunoko inzululwazi, ukuba isetyenziswa ngendlela yokwenyaniso yobuKristu ingakhanyisa incwadi kaThixo yendalo.”

UFaraday ngokuthobeka walala iwonga abanye ababefuna ukumnika lona. Ngokungaguquguqukiyo akazange abonakalise umdla wokuba sisithwala-ndwe, wayethanda ukubizwa ngokuthi ‘Mnumzana Faraday.’ Wachitha ixesha lakhe elininzi kwimisebenzi yakhe njengomdala, kuquka ukuhamba rhoqo ukusuka kwikomkhulu ukuya kwidolophana eyiNorfolk ukunyamekela amakholwa angamaqela amancinane akwafana naye awayehlala apho.

UMichael Faraday wafa ngomhla ka-Agasti 25, 1867, waza wangcwatyelwa kumangcwaba aseHighgate emntla London. Umbhali ngobomi babantu uJohn Thomas usixelela ukuba uFaraday “wadlulisela kwisizukulwana esilandelayo ubungqina obucacileyo boko kwaphunyezwa yinzululwazi ngaphezulu kwaso nasiphi na esinye isazinzulu ngendalo, yaye imiphumo esebenzisekayo yoko wakufumanisayo yaba nempembelelo enkulu kumgaqo-siseko wobomi bempucuko.” USarah, owayengumhlolokazi kaFaraday wabhala oku: “Ndingalatha kwiTestamente eNtsha njengeyayisisikhokelo nomthetho wakhe; kuba wayeyigqala njengeLizwi likaThixo . . . eliwabophelela ngokulinganayo amaKristu anamhlanje njengakwixesha eyabhalwa ngalo”—ubungqina obubalaseleyo besazinzulu esasibambelele ngokuqinileyo elukholweni.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

Ebekwe esikhundleni njengomhlohli kwiRoyal Institution yaseBritani, uMichael Faraday wenza inzululwazi yathandwa kangangokuba nabaselula bayiqonda. Icebiso lakhe kwabanye abahlohli lineengongoma eziluncedo afanele amaKristu anamhlanje afundisa esidlangalaleni aziqwalasele.

◻ “Intetho ayimele ikhawuleziswe yaye iquphe nto leyo enokuphumela ekubeni ingaqondwa, kunoko kumele kuthiwe chu nayo kungangxanywa.”

◻ Isithethi sifanele sizabalazele ukuvusa umdla wabaphulaphuli baso “xa siqalisa ukunikela intetho yaye ngamacandelo alungiselelwe kakuhle, ngendlela engenakuphawulwa ngabaphulaphuli, sibagcine benomdla logama nje umbandela esithetha ngawo uvumela oko.”

◻ “Umhlohli uphelelwa ngokupheleleyo sisidima sakhe sobuntu xa ephuma emxholweni kuba efuna ukucel’ injezu yaye efuna ukunconywa.”

◻ Ngokusetyenziswa kolwandlalo uthi: “Ndisoloko ndizifumanisa ndibophelelekile . . . ukwenza ucwangciso [lombandela] ephepheni yaye ndizalisa iindawo endiza kuzikhumbuza ngazo, enoba kungokunxibelelanisa okanye ngenye indlela. . . . ndiba nothotho lwemixholo nemixholwana elungeleleneyo, yaye ngokusuka kuyo ndicwangcisa eyona nto ndiza kuthetha ngayo.”

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Both pictures: By courtesy of the Royal Institution