1924​​—Kwiminyaka Elikhulu Eyadlulayo

BASHUMAYELA NGEREDIYO

Kwaphela unyaka onento abazalwana baseBheteli besakha isitishi serediyo iWBBR eStaten Island, eNew York City. Baqala ngokulungisa umhlaba, emva koko bakha indlu enkulu eyayiza kuhlala abasebenzi, nenye eyayiza kuhlala izinto zokusebenza. Ukugqiba kwabo baqokelela izinto ezaziza kusetyenziswa kwirediyo. Zazikho ke neengxaki ekwakufuneka bazilungise.

Kwaba nzima kubazalwana ukufaka ieriyeli enkulu yeso sitishi. Kaloku kwakufuneka ixhonywe phakathi kweepali ezimbini eziziimitha eziyi-61 ubude, yabe yona iziimitha eziyi-91. Ekuqaleni yabohlula. Kodwa ngenxa yokuba babethembele ngoYehova, bade bakwazi ukuyifaka. UCalvin Prosser owayesebenza apho wathi: “Ukuba sasikwaze kwasekuqaleni ukuyifaka, sasiza kuzingomb’ izifuba sithi, ‘Niyayibona into esiyenzileyo?’” Abazalwana bazukisa uYehova ngomsebenzi awayebancede bawenza, kodwa zazingekapheli iingxaki.

Yayingekaxhaphaki into yokusasaza ngerediyo, ngoko kwakungekho lula ukufumana ubuxhakaxhaka bayo. Abazalwana bafumana isixhobo sokusasaza esasingekho sitsha, awayezakhele sona omnye umntu. Endaweni yokusebenzisa isandisi-lizwi, basebenzisa ifowuni yasendlini. Ngobunye ubusuku ngoFebruwari, abazalwana bagqiba ekubeni khe basasaze, babone ukuba ziyasebenza na ezi zixhobo. Ngoko bacula iingoma zoBukumkani. UErnest Lowe uthetha ngento ehlekisayo eyenzekayo. Uthi bathi besacula kwafowuna uJaji Rutherford,b owayebamamele kwirediyo yakhe malunga neekhilomitha eziyi-25 ukusuka apho babekhona.

UMzalwan’ uRutherford wathi: “Cimani loo nto. Nivakala ngathi niziikati ezitswinayo.” Abazalwana baba neentloni, bakhawuleza bayicima. Kodwa babeqinisekile ukuba sebekulungele ukusasaza.

Nge-24 kaFebruwari, 1924, xa kwakuqalwa ukusasaza ngeWBBR, uMzalwan’ uRutherford wathi “iza kusetyenziselwa ukwenza umsebenzi abawuthunywe nguKumkani uKristu.” Wathi esi “sitishi senzelwe ukunceda abantu bayiqonde iBhayibhile nendlela elibaluleke ngayo ixesha esiphila kulo.”

Zahamba kakuhle nyhani izinto kolo sasazo lokuqala lweWBBR. Kangangeminyaka eyi-33 abantu bakaYehova babesasaza iinkqubo zabo kwesi sitishi.

ZANGE BOYIKE UKUGXEKA ABEFUNDISI

NgoJulayi 1924, aBafundi BeBhayibhile baba nendibano eColumbus, eOhio. Iindwendwe ezazilapho zaziphuma emhlabeni wonke. Iintetho zazinikelwa ngesiArabhu, ngesiFrentshi, ngesiJamani, ngesiGrike, ngesiHungary, ngesiLithuania, ngesiNgesi, ngesiPolish, ngesiRashiya, ngeelwimi zaseScandinavia, ngesiTaliyane nangesiUkraine. Ezinye iintetho zasasazwa kwirediyo, kwalungiselelwa nokuba yonke imihla iphephandaba lasekuhlaleni libhale ngezinto ezazisenzeka kuloo ndibano.

NgoLwesine, nge-24 kaJulayi, abazalwana ababesendibanweni abangaphezu kwe-5 000 baya entsimini. Bahambisa iincwadi eziphantse zibe yi-30 000, baqalisa namawaka ezifundo zeBhayibhile. Xa iMboniselo yayithetha ngolu suku yathi “lolona suku lwendibano lwalumnandi kakhulu.”

Enye into eyenza umdla kule ndibano yenzeka ngoLwesihlanu, nge-25 kaJulayi. Ngaloo mini, uMzalwan’ uRutherford wafunda iphepha elaligxeka abefundisi engoyiki. Wathi ziinkokheli zepolitiki, abefundisi noosomashishini abenza abantu bangayifundi inyaniso engoBukumkani uThixo aza kubusebenzisa ukuze asikelele abantu. Eli phepha lachaza nokuba la madoda aye “aluxhasa uManyano Lwezizwe, esithi ‘luyindlela uThixo alawula ngayo emhlabeni.’” ABafundi BeBhayibhile kwakufuneka babe nesibindi ukuze baxelele abantu lo myalezo.

Xa yayichaza indlela le ndibano eyabakhuthaza ngayo abazalwana noodade, iMboniselo yathi: “Lo mkhosi mncinci weNkosi owawukwiNdibano eyayiseColumbus waphuma apho unokholo olomeleleyo . . . , ungoyiki nantoni na eyayinokwenziwa ziintshaba zawo.” Omnye umzalwana owayekuloo ndibano, uLeo Claus, uthi: “Saphuma kuloo ndibano sitshiseka, sifuna ukuya kuxelela abantu lo myalezo.”

Ngo-Oktobha, aBafundi BeBhayibhile baqalisa ukusasaza iimiliyon zamaphecana athi Ecclesiastics Indicted, awayethetha ngomyalezo owawufundwa nguMzalwan’ uRutherford. UFrank Johnson owabelwa umhlaba kwidolophu iCleveland ekwiphondo laseOklahoma, eUnited States, wakhawuleza wagqiba ukuwahambisa loo maphecana kusashiyeke imizuzu eyi-20 ngaphambi kokuba alandwe ngabazalwana noodade awayehamba nabo. Wayengenakusuka nje alinde nokuba kuphi, kuba amadoda ahlala kuloo dolophu nawayeyicaphukela into yokuba eshumayela ayemkhangela. Ngoko wagqiba ekubeni azimele kwicawe eyayikufutshane. Kuloo cawe wafika kungekho mntu waza wafaka iphecana kwiBhayibhile yomfundisi, amanye wawabeka kuzo zonke izitulo ezazilapho. Emva koko wakhawuleza waphuma. Kodwa abazalwana noodade awayebalindile babengekazufika, ngoko waya kwezinye iicawe ezimbini, wafika wenza into efanayo.

Ukuphuma kwakhe apho, wakhawuleza wabuyela kulaa ndawo wayeza kulandwa kuyo ngabazalwana noodade. Wazimela emva kwenye igaraji yepetroli, egade la madoda ayemkhangela. Adlula apho ngemoto, kodwa zange ambone. Athi xa esand’ ukugqitha bafika abazalwana noodade awayebalindile, bamthatha, bahamba.

Nantsi into ayikhumbulayo omnye umzalwana. Uthi: “Sathi xa siphuma kuloo dolophu, sadlula kweza cawe zintathu wayeshiye amaphecana kuzo uFrank. Phambi kwecawe nganye kwakume abantu abamalunga ne-50. Abanye babefunda loo maphecana, abanye bewaphakamisile ukuze umfundisi awabone. Sasinda ngokulambisa. Sambulela uYehova uThixo wethu ngokusinceda siyazi into emasiyenze ukuze sixelele abantu umyalezo wakhe, singakhange sifunyanwe ngabantu ababengafuni sishumayele.”

NAKWAMANYE AMAZWE BASHUMAYELA NGESIBINDI

Nakwamanye amazwe aBafundi BeBhayibhile bashumayela ngesibindi. Kumantla eFransi, uJózef Krett washumayela kubantu basePoland ababesebenza emgodini. Wayeza kunikela intetho ethi “Uvuko Lwabantu Abaswelekileyo Lukufutshane.” Xa abazalwana noodade babehambisa izimemo zaloo ntetho kubantu baloo dolophu, umfundisi wecawe yalapho wathi kumarhamente akhe angakhe alinge aye apho. Waba ngathi uthetha emoyeni. Abantu abangaphezu kwe-5 000 baya kumamela loo ntetho, nomfundisi wayelapho. UMzalwan’ uKrett wamema umfundisi ukuba aye kuthethelela izinto azikholelwayo, kodwa zange avume. UMzalwan’ uKrett wanika abantu zonke iincwadi awayenazo, kuba wayebabona ukuba bakufuna nyhani ukwazi iLizwi LikaThixo.​—Amos 8:11.

EAfrika, uClaude Brown washumayela iindaba ezilungileyo eGold Coast, ebizwa ngokuba yiGhana ngoku. Iintetho awayezinikela neencwadi awayezihambisa zanceda ekubeni inyaniso ikhawuleze iviwe ngabantu abaninzi beli lizwe. UJohn Blankson owayefundela ukuba yipharmacist waya kumamela enye yeentetho zikaMzalwan’ uBrown, emva koko wabona ukuba uyifumene inyaniso. Uthi: “Kwandivuyisa nyhani ukwazi inyaniso kangangokuba ndandingonqeni ukuthetha ngayo kubantu endifunda nabo.”

Ngenye imini uJohn waya eTshetshi eyokubuza umfundisi walapho ngemfundiso kaBathathu Emnye, awayeyazi phofu ukuba ayisuki kwiZibhalo. Umfundisi wamgxotha, emngxolisa esithi: “AwungomKristu wena, ungokaMtyholi. Hamb’ apha!”

Ukufika kwakhe endlini, uJohn wambhalela ileta loo mfundisi emcela ukuba badibane kwindawo enabantu ukuze bathethe ngale mfundiso kaBathathu Emnye. Umfundisi wamphendula ngokumthumela kwiofisi katitshal’ omkhulu. Ukufika kwakhe eofisini, utitshala wambuza ukuba yinyani na into yokuba ubhalele umfundisi.

UJohn wathi: “Kunjalo Mhlekazi.”

Utitshala wathi uJohn makabhale ileta axolise kumfundisi. Nantsi into awayibhala kuloo leta:

“Mhlekazi, utitshala uthi mandikubhalele ileta ndixolise ngento endiyithethileyo kuwe. Ndingayenza ke loo nto, ukuba nawe uyavuma ukuba izinto ozifundisayo aziyonyani.”

Othukile utitshala wathi, “Blankson, yile nto ofuna ukuyibhala kule leta?”

“Ewe Mhlekazi. Ayikho enye into endinokuyibhala.”

“Uza kugxothwa. Ungayithetha njani into enje kumfundisi wecawe karhulumente, uphinde ulindele ukuba uza kuqhubeka ufunda kwesi sikolo?”

“Kodwa Mhlekazi, . . . xa wena usifundisa, ze kubekho izinto esingaziqondiyo, asikubuzi imibuzo?”

“Niyandibuza.”

“Yiloo nto kanye ke endiyenzileyo Mhlekazi. Ela nene belisifundisa iBhayibhile, ndaza ndalibuza umbuzo. Ukuba lona alikwazi ukuwuphendula umbuzo wam, kutheni kufuneka ibe ndim ocela uxolo kulo?”

UBlankson zange agxothwe, zange abhale neleta ecela uxolo.

UMDLA WEZINTO EZAZIZA KWENZEKA

Xa yayishwankathela izinto ezenzekayo ngaloo nyaka, iMboniselo yathi: “Sinokuthetha la mazwi athethwa nguDavide: ‘Uza kundixhobisa ngamandla okulwa idabi.’ (INdu. 18:39) Lo ibingunyaka okhuthaza kakhulu kuba siye sayibona indlela iNkosi esincede ngayo kumsebenzi wayo . . . Abakhonzi bayo abathembekileyo . . . Bebeshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo bevuya.”

Ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyaka, abazalwana bacinga ngokwakha esinye isitishi serediyo. Esi sitishi serediyo sakhiwa kufutshane neChicago. Sasibizwa ngegama elithi LIZWI. Ngoko babesebenzisa isixhobo esinamandla kakhulu esasiza kwenza nabantu abahlala kude kakhulu bawuve umyalezo woBukumkani. Wawuza kuviwa nangabantu abahlala kumantla eKhanada.

Ngo-1925 uYehova wayeza kunceda aBafundi BeBhayibhile basiqonde ngendlela entsha iSityhilelo isahluko 12. Loo ndlela intsha yayiza kubakhubekisa abanye bade bayeke nokukhonza uYehova. Kodwa abaninzi babeza kukuvuyela ukwazi into eyenzeka ezulwini, nendlela eyayiza kubenza bazive ngayo abantu bakaThixo le ndlela intsha basiqonda ngayo iSityhilelo 12.