Ngaba UKristu Usacingwa NgeKrismesi?
“Andizange ndikwazi ukuzamkela iziyolo zexesha leKrismesi. Ziye zabonakala kum zingangqinelani nobomi neemfundiso zikaYesu.”—Mohandas K. Gandhi.
ABANINZI basenokungavumelani ngokupheleleyo noGandhi. Basenokuzibuza, ‘Yintoni ebinokwaziwa ligosa laseburhulumenteni elingumHindu ngeholide yamaKristu?’ Noko ke, kumele kuvunywe ukuba, iKrismesi ityhutyhe lonke ihlabathi, yaziwa ziindidi zonke zabantu. Disemba ngamnye, le holide ibakho kuzo zonke iindawo.
Ngokomzekelo, abantu baseAsia abanokuba zizigidi ezili-145 bayayibhiyozela iKrismesi, abantu abangaphezulu ngezigidi ezingama-40 kwiminyaka elishumi edluleyo. Yaye ukuba xa ethetha “ngeziyolo” uGandhi wayethetha ngenkalo engenanto yakwenza nonqulo yeKrismesi yanamhlanje, umoya wempambano wokuthsafaza sonke esiwubonayo, kunzima ukusikhanyela isibakala sokuba le yeyona nkalo ibalasele gqitha kulo mbhiyozo. Iphephancwadi iAsiaweek lithi: “IKrismesi eAsia—ukususela kwizibane ezidanyazayo eHong Kong ukusa kwiYuletide [imithi emikhulu yeKrismesi] ekwihotele yaseBeijing nakwindawo enemifanekiso yokuzalwa kukaYesu kumazantsi edolophu eSingapore—iba sesona sihlandlo sikhulu (ingakumbi esokuthengisa).”
Ngaba kumbhiyozo wanamhlanje weKrismesi uye wakhutshelwa ngaphandle uKristu? Umhla wama-25 kuDisemba ubusoloko ubhiyozelwa ngokusemthethweni ukususela ngenkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, xa iCawa yamaRoma Katolika yamisela olo suku ukuze kukhunjulwe ukuzalwa kukaYesu. Kodwa ngokohlolisiso olwenziwe kutshanje eUnited States, ngama-33 ekhulwini kuphela kwabo kuye kwadliwan’ iindlebe nabo abaye bavakalelwa kukuba ukuzalwa kukaKristu yeyona nto ibalulekileyo ngeKrismesi.
Ucinga ntoni wena? Ngaba maxa wambi uvakalelwa kukuba kuyo yonke le mvula yezibhengezo, ingxaki yokuthengwa kwezipho, ukuhonjiswa kwemithi, ukuququzelelwa kwamatheko nokuya kuwo, ukuthunyelwa kwamakhadi—uYesu ngandlel’ ithile uye walahlelwa kwesinomhlwa?
Abaninzi bavakalelwa kukuba enye indlela yokubuyisela uKristu kwiKrismesi kungokubonisa umfanekiso wokuZalwa kwakhe. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uye wayibona loo mifanekiso, ebonisa umntwana onguYesu esemkhumbini ekunye noMariya, noYosefu, abelusi, “amadoda amathathu azizilumko,” okanye “ookumkani abathathu,” izilwanyana ezivalelweyo nababukeli abathile. Kuqhelekile ukuva abantu besithi le mifanekiso yenzelwe ukukhumbuza abantu ngeyona ntsingiselo yeKrismesi. Ngokutsho kweU.S. Catholic, “umfanekiso unikela umbono ocace kunayo nayiphi na ivangeli, nangona kwakhona ubonisa ukuba la mabali akazange aviwe nasembalini.”
Noko ke, umfanekiso ongokuZalwa kukaYesu ungabonisa njani ukuba amabali akwiincwadi zeVangeli zeBhayibhile akazange aviwe nasembalini? Kaloku, kumele kuvunywe ukuba imifanekiso ekroliweyo yenza kubonakale kulibali lakudala okanye intsomi ukuzalwa kukaKristu. Ngoxa le mifanekiso yenziwa yaduma okokuqala yimonki ethile ngenkulungwane ye-13, imifanekiso engokuZalwa kukaYesu ngelo xesha yayicacile ingenabugocigoci. Namhlanje, njengazo zonke izinto ezinxulumene nale holide, le mifanekiso ingokuZalwa kukaYesu iye yaphul’ uluthi kwezoshishino. ENaples, eItali, iivenkile eziliqela ziyithengisa le mifanekiso ingokuZalwa kukaYesu, okanye ipresepi, unyaka nje wonke. Eminye imifanekiso exhaphakileyo, asiyiyo nje eyabantu abakwiingxelo zeVangeli, kodwa yeyabantu abadumileyo bale mihla, njengoPrincess Diana, uMother Teresa, nomyili weempahla uGianni Versace. Kwezinye iindawo, ipresepi yenziwa ngetshokolethi, ipasta, kwanangoonokrwece. Usenokusiqonda isizathu sokuba kunzima ukubona oko kunxulumene nembali kule mifanekiso.
Ngoko ke, ngaba imifanekiso engokuZalwa kukaYesu enjalo inokunikela “umfanekiso omhle ngakumbi kunawo nawuphi na onokunikelwa yivangeli”? Ngaba iingxelo ezikwiincwadi zeVangeli azikho embalini ngokwenene? Kwanabo baqinisa iintloko bamele bavume kuba uYesu wayengumntu owayekho embalini. Ngoko ke ngokuqinisekileyo ngaxa lithile wayengumntwana, owazalelwa kwindawo ethile. Kufanele kubekho indlela ebhetele ecacisa ngokweenkcukacha iziganeko ezingokuzalwa kwakhe kunokubuka nje imifanekiso yokuZalwa kuphela!
Eneneni ikho. Ababhali-mbali ababini babhala iingxelo ezahlukeneyo ezingokuzalwa kukaYesu. Ukuba maxa wambi uvakalelwa kukuba uKristu akakhathalelwa amaxesha amaninzi ngexesha leKrismesi, kutheni ungazihloleli ezi ngxelo ngokwakho? Kuzo, akuyi kufumanisa amabali akudala okanye iintsomi, kodwa ibali elichukumisayo—ibali lokwenene elingokuzalwa kukaKristu.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 3]
Border on pages 3-6, 8, and 9: Fifty Years of Soviet Art