Ngaba Iicawa Zinokuhlangulwa?
“ABANTU baseBritani basakholelwa kuThixo kodwa abafuni kuzinikela kuKristu,” utsho njalo uStephen Tirwomwe, ongumfundisi waseUganda. Malunga nama-20 eminyaka eyadlulayo, wasinda cebetshu xa icawa yakhe eUganda yayibhangisa amalungu ayo eyayiwagqala njenganenkathazo. Ngoku ushumayela kwiimbutho zokuzonwabisa eLeeds, eNgilani, kangangemizuzu elishumi ngaphambi kokuba abaphulaphuli bakhe badlale ibingo.
Kanti naphesheya kweAtlantiki, kwelaseMerika, uMbutho wamaTshetshi osandul’ ukumiselwa nawo ukwajamelene nentlekele efanayo yokomoya. IWeb site esemthethweni yalo mbutho ikhupha ingxelo ethi: “Ngoku iUnited States inabona bantu baninzi ehlabathini abathetha isiNgesi abangahambi cawa nabangakholwayo. Sifuna uncedo oluvela kwamanye amazwe.” Ngenxa yokuwa phantsi kwamalinge awo okudala iinguqu kwicawa yawo, lo mbutho usandul’ ukumiselwa wasilahla isithethe sawo sonqulo waza wazimanya neenkokeli zaseAsia nezaseAfrika ngelokuzibongoza ukuba “zithumele abavangeli eUnited States.”
Kodwa kutheni ngoku sekufuneka ukuba abavangeli baseAfrika, baseAsia, nabakuMbindi noMzantsi Merika ‘bahlangule imiphefumlo’ yabantu abakumazwe obuKristu eYurophu nakuMntla Merika?
Ngoobani Eneneni Abahlangulwayo?
Ngaphezu kwamakhulu amane eminyaka eyadlulayo, kuye kwakho uthotho lwabavangeli abazinikeleyo baseYurophu abahamba baya kushumayela eAfrika, eAsia, kwiPasifiki, nakuMzantsi Merika, mazwe lawo awayengamathanga eYurophu. Babezise unqulo lwabo kula mazwe awayegqalwa njengawobuhedeni. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, nayo iMerika yathumela abavangeli kumazwe awayengamathanga ayo, baza babodlula abo baseYurophu, kuba bakwazi ukutyala imibutho yabo yonqulo ehlabathini lonke. Ngoku iimeko zitshintshile.
“Iziko [lobuKristu] litshintshile,” utsho njalo uAndrew Walls, ongumseki nomalathisi weZiko Lezifundo ZobuKristu kuMazwe AngengowaseNtshona. Ngeminyaka yee-1900, ama-80 ekhulwini abo babezibanga bengamaKristu babeseYurophu nakuMntla Merika. Kodwa namhlanje ama-60 ekhulwini abo bonke abo bazibanga bengamaKristu bahlala eAfrika, eAsia, nakuMbindi noMzantsi Merika. Iphephandaba lakutshanje linikela ingxelo ethi: “Iicawa zamaKatolika eYurophu zixhomekeke kubefundisi bakwiiPhilippines nabaseIndiya,” yaye “umfundisi omnye kwabathandathu kwicawa yamaKatolika eMerika ngowelinye ilizwe.” Abavangeli baseAfrika, ubukhulu becala abasuka eGhana, abashumayela kwiiNetherlands, bathi “abemi belo bathe ti ziziyolo.” Bona abavangeli baseBrazil balwa iimfazwe zomnqamlezo kwimimandla eyahlukahlukeneyo yaseBritani. Omnye umbhali uthi: “Imibutho yobuKristu ihlehlel’ emva.”
Imeko Iba Mandundu Ngakumbi
Bafuneka ngamandla abavangeli eYurophu nakuMntla Merika, njengoko abantu baloo mazwe bethe ti ziziyolo. Elinye iphephancwadi lithi: “EScotland angaphantsi kwe-10 ekhulwini amaKristu aya rhoqo ecaweni.” Kanti ambalwa nangakumbi eFransi naseJamani. Elinye iphephandaba lona lathi: “Bamalunga nama-40 ekhulwini abemi baseMerika baze babe ngama-20 ekhulwini abaseKhanada abaya rhoqo ecaweni.” Kodwa xa sijonga kwiiPhilippines, sifumanisa ukuba bamalunga nama-70 ekhulwini abantu abaya rhoqo ecaweni, yaye kukwanjalo nakwamanye amazwe asakhasayo.
Enye into ephawuleka nangakumbi kukuba, amarhamente akummandla oseMazantsi kweIkweyitha abambelele kakhulu kwizithethe zonqulo kunalawo akuMntla weIkweyitha. Ngokomzekelo, uhlolisiso olwenziwa kumarhamente amaKatolika aseUnited States nawaseYurophu lubonise ukuba akabathembi abefundisi bawo yaye alwela ukuba nawo anikwe amalungelo angakumbi ecaweni kuquka namabhinqa. Kanti wona amaKatolika akuMzantsi weIkweyitha asagcine isithethe secawa kule mibandela. Njengoko liqhubeka lisanda inani labantu abaxhasa unqulo kwimimandla esemazantsi, kubonakala ukuba oko kuza kudala iingxwabangxwaba ekuhambeni kwexesha. UPhilip Jenkins, ongumphengululi wezembali nowonqulo, uthi: “Kubonakala ukuba kwiminyaka elishumi okanye engamashumi amabini ezayo, buya kube bufiphele ubuKristu kokubini kummandla osemantla nosemazantsi kweIkweyitha.”
Ngenxa yoku, okaWalls uthi eyona nkalo ingundoqo ngoku kukuba “kunokwenzeka njani ukuba amaKristu aseAfrika, nawaseAsia, nawakuMntla noMzantsi Merika, nawaseYurophu amanyane elunqulweni.” Ubungathini wena? Ngaba iicawa zinokusinda kweli hlabathi lahlukahlukeneyo? Siyintoni isiseko somanyano lokwenene lobuKristu? Inqaku elilandelayo liza kunikela iimpendulo ezingokweZibhalo, kwanobungqina obucacileyo bokuba sele likho kakade iqela elandayo lamaKristu amanyeneyo ehlabathini.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]
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AP Photo/Nancy Palmieri