Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe Imikhosi KaNcibijane IngeyamaKristu?
EMIPHAKATHINI yamaShayina, iziqhumane L ziqhuma ubusuku bonke. EJapane, izinsimbi ezisemathempelini amaBuddha zincencetha emoyeni izikhathi eziyi-108. EUnited States, izinsimbi, amahooter ezimoto, namakhwela kuyezwakala phakathi kwamabili. Konke kwenziwa ngeNkathi kaNcibijane.
Ingabe bewazi ukuthi wonke lomsindo, noma uba izinhlobo ezihlukene, ekuqaleni wawenzelwa isizathu esisodwa esiyisisekelo: ukuvimbela amademoni nokuhlanzela abantu unyaka ozayo? Abantu abaningi bacabangela inhlokomo nomsindo weNkathi kaNcibijane njengomkhosi ojabulisayo ohambisana nemikhosi eyimicikilisho kaNcibijane. Kodwa uyini umbono wakho ngemikhosi kaNcibijane? Ingabe iyavumelana neBhayibheli?
Ukuphuza Ngokweqile Nokuminza
UMircea Eliade, uprofesa owaziwa emhlabeni wonke womlando wezenkolo, uchaza isiko elihlangene neNkathi kaNcibijane “njengesikhathi esiphakathi kweCarnival, Saturnalia, ukubuyiselwa emuva kwesimiso esivamile, ‘ukucula nokudansela onkulunkulu.’” Ngakhoke emazweni amaningi, umphumela ngokuvamile uba imikhosi yokuzitika ngokudakwa.
Ngokwesibonelo, eJapane, osomabhizinisi basebenzisa ibonenkai (amaphathi okukhohlwa unyaka omdala) njengezaba zokuphuza ngokweqisa. Lawa alandelwa ishinnenkai (amaphathi kaNcibijane) lapho kuba khona ukudla okwengeziwe kanye nokuphuzwayo. Ngenxa yalokho, “izilo” ziyadlanga ezitimeleni zakusihlwa phakathi nalesikhathi sonyaka. EJapane, igama elithi “izilo” libhekisela ezidalweni ezivunyelwayo kulenkathi yonyaka.
Ingabe ukwenza ngalendlela noma ngisho nokubekezelela ihlazo elinjengaleli akusilulazi isithunzi somuntu? Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa amaKristu eRoma: “Asihambe ngokufaneleyo njengasemini, kungabingokuminza nokudakwa . . . kodwa yembathani iNkosi uJesu Kristu, ninganakekeli inyama kuvuswe izinkanuko.” (Roma 13:13, 14) Ungacabanga yini ngoJesu elungiselela abafundi bakhe iphathi eqokomisa ukuphuza ngokweqisa nokuminza? Lutho neze!
Ukubhekisela kukaPawulu ‘ekuminzeni nasekudakweni’ kwakuhlanganisa imikhosi kaNcibijane. Ngani? Incwadi iChristmas Traditions, kaWilliam M. Auld, ithi: “Kusukela esikhathini sikaJulius Cæsar [46 B.C.E.] uJanuary 1 waphawula ukuqala konyaka womphakathi futhi wawuyinkathi yeholide.” Ngokungaphezulu, uAuld wembula ukuthi “okungenani kwakuvame ukuba kube nedili nenjabulo izinsuku ezintathu.”
Ingabe Kuwukuhaha?
EMpumalanga, abantu bagubha isiko lokupha izingane izipho ezikhethekile zemali phakathi neholide likaNcibijane. Amashayina asebenzisa amaphakethe abomvu emali. Akholelwa ukuthi umbala obomvu ngeke nje kuphela ulethe inhlanhla nokuchuma kodwa futhi uxosha ububi. Nokho, abantu baseJapane, basebenzisa izimvilophu ezincane ezimhlophe ezinezimpawu zenhlanhla kuzona. Lemikhuba ithuthukisani?
“Ngangivame ukubheka phambili kuleloholide likaNcibijane,” kukhumbula indoda yaseJapane, “futhi ukukhathalela kwami okuyinhloko kwakuwukuthi ngangiyothola amaotoshidama (isipho semali sikaNcibijane) angakanani ngalowonyaka.” Ingabe lelisiko lalingazithinta izingane? Yebo, kuphendula uhlu IweVox Popuii, Vox Dei ephephandabeni laseJapane iAsahi Shimbun, oluthi: “Izingane ngokuyimfihlo zilinganisa abantu abadala ngesisekelo senani le’otoshidama’ eziyithola kubo.” Ingqikithi yemali enikezwayo iye yaqhubeka ikhula, ifinyelela cishe amayen angama-20 000 (R300) ngengane ngayinye ngo-1985.
Ingabe lelisiko alinakukhuthaza ukuhaha? Abantu abadala bashisekela ukuba nesithunzi ngokwengeziwe kanti izingane zishisekela imali eningi. Lokhu kuyiyo kanye indlela iVine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words echaza ngayo igama elithi “ukuhaha” elitholakala kweyoku-1 Korinte isahluko 6, okusho ukuthi, “(ukushisekela) ukuba nokuningi.”
Luhlobo luni lomzali okhuthaza ukuhaha ezinganeni zakhe futhi azivumele ukuba zihlakulele “ukuthanda imali”? lBhayibheli lixwayisa ngokuthi “ukuthanda imali kuyimpande yakho konke okubi.”—1 Thimothewu 6:10.
Kodwa kunezizathu ezengeziwe zokukhathazeka ngemikhosi kaNcibijane.
Indabuko Engeyinhle?
Ake sithi uthola umfula onamanzi acwebile, akulingela ukuba uwaphuze. Nokho, uma ukhuphuka wenyusa umfula, uthola abantu abagxumeke amathende begeza amathini abo okudla angcolile nezingubo zabo ezingcolile kulawomanzi. Ingabe ubusayoqhubeka ufuna ukuphuza amanzi futhi uzifake engozini yokuthola isifo? Kungashiwo okufanayo ngamasiko emikhosi kaNcibijane. Nakuba eminye imikhosi ingase ibonakale ilungile kubantu, uJehova, uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli, uwubonile umthombo wayo.
Nokho, siwutholaphi umbhalo wakudala kakhulu womkhosi kaNcibijane? “Incazelo yakudala kakhulu yomkhosi kaNcibijane esiyaziyo ivela eMesopotamia, yasendulo,” kuphendula uTheodor Gaster encwadini yakhe iNew Year—its History, Customs and Superstitions. Izibhebhe zobumba ezichaza umkhosi kaNcibijane zilandisa “uhlelo lwezinkonzo olwalwenziwa eBabiloni kusukela ezinsukwini zakudala zenkulungwane yesibili B.C.”
Unyaka waseBabiloni waqala cishe ngobusuku obulingana nemini yasentwasahlobo—ngenyanga kaMarch. Umkhosi wathatha izinsuku eziyi-11 futhi wawugxile ekukhulekelweni kukaMarduk, unkulunkulu womuzi waseBabiloni. Izici zomkhosi kaNcibijane waseBabiloni, njengemidlalo yabahlekisi emdlalweni namasiko okuzala, kusagujwa phakathi nemikhosi kaNcibijane emhlabeni wonke. Umbukiso wabahlekisi edolobheni lasePhiladelphia (U.S.A.) ngoSuku lukaNcibijane nomkhosi wokuzala oba khona eDolobheni laseAkita (Japane) ngoJanuary 17 kuyizibonelo nje ezimbili zezinto ezisele ezinjalo.
uNkulunkulu ubheka imikhuba engokwenkolo eyadabuka eBabiloni njengengcolile. Ubhekisela embusweni wezwe wenkolo yamanga, namasiko awo adabuka eBabiloni lasendulo, ‘njengeBabiloni Elikhulu’ futhi uyaxwayisa: “Phumani kulo, bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli nalo izono zalo, nokuba ningamukeli okwezinhlupho zalo.” (IsAmbulo 18:2, 4) Ngakho-ke, njengoba izici zemikhosi kaNcibijane zidalula imisuka yayo yobuqaba, abantu abafuna ukulalela iBhayibheli bayoyigwema imikhosi enjalo.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 21]
Nakuba eminye imikhosi ingase ibonakale ilungile kubantu; uJehova uNkulunkulu uwubonile umthombo wayo