Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe Ukukhulekela Okhokho Kuwafanele AmaKristu?
ABANTU abaningi bayazi ukuthi ukukhulekela okhokho kufeza ingxenye enkulu ekuphileni kwezigidi zabantu, ikakhulukazi abalandeli bakaConfucius, amaBuddha, namaShinto. Kodwa ingabe bewazi ukuthi ukukhulekelwa kokhokho kuhlanganiswe nokuphila kwabantu baseAfrika futhi? Eqinisweni, izici zokukhulekela okhokho zingabonakala cishe kuzo zonke izinkolo, mhlawumbe ngisho nakweyakho. “Kwenzeka emhlabeni wonke,” kusho uprofesa wezifundo zenkolo waseNigeria.
Kuyini ukukhulekela okhokho? Mhlawumbe indlela okuqonda ngayo ivumelana nalencazelo: “Umkhosi wokuhlabela nokukhulekela isihlobo esifile, okusekelwe enkolelweni yokuthi imimoya [yabafileyo] ithonya izinto ezivelela abaphilayo.”—The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia.
Kanjalo, ekhaya lomkhulekeli wokhokho oshisekayo—ngokwesibonelo umBuddha ohlala eNingizimu-Mpumalanga yeAsia—ungase ubone ialtare elincane elinomfanekiso wesihlobo esifile obekwe waqhama. Lapha futhi ungase uhogele iphunga lempepho noma uzwe ukuhlatshelelwa kwemithandazo nokushaywa kwezandla. Ezikhathini eziningi, abakhulekeli abashisekayo babeka ukudla noma bahlele izimbali phezu kwealtare ngokwenzuzo yesihlobo sabo esifile.
Yiya kwelinye izwekazi, futhi uzothola ukuthi abantu abaningi baseAfrika “baphila nabafileyo babo,” Emazweni aseAfrika eningizimu yeSahara inkolelo evamile iwukuthi ubudlelwano nokukhulumisana kungenzeka phakathi kwabaphilayo nabafileyo. “Sonke thina ma-Afrika sinomuzwa wokuthi abazali bethu abafile nabanye baseduze nathi,” kusho umfundisi waseAfrika oholayo wenkolo yobuProthestani.
Emazweni amaningi aseAfrika, abafileyo basabhekwa njengezinhloko zemikhaya noma zemiphakathi ababeyingxenye yakho ngesikhathi besaphila. Balokhu “bengabaphathi abangokomoya bezindaba zomkhaya,” kusho uProfesa E. Bọlaji Idowu, encwadini yakhe iAfrican Traditional Religion—A Definition. Cishe akukho lutho olungenakubizelwa umoya wabafileyo ukuba ukuvumele noma ukwenqabe. Kanjalo, abafileyo babhekwa ‘njengezici ezihlanganisa umphakathi wabantu baseAfrika futhi ngokweThe New Encyclopœdia Britannica, ukubahlonipha kuthuthukisa “ubunye bomkhaya.”
Emazweni aseNtshonalanga—anjengeFrance noma iCanada—amasonto, izindawo zokukhulekela, noma amathempeli kunikezelwe kosanta, abangase babizwe ngokuthi abafileyo abangamaqhawe. Imithandazo ephuma ezindebeni zabazinikele iyaphindaphindwa phambi kwemifanekiso ethule. Noma abazinikele banikele ngezipho emfanekisweni osagolide beguqe ngamadolo futhi belule izandla. Yiqiniso, umbono wokuthi ukubonakalisa kwabo ukuzinikela kuwukukhulekela okhokho ubungabacasula abalandeli bezinkolo zeLobukholwa; kodwa umBuddha, umShinto, noma umuntu waseAfrika ozinikezele uyammoyizelisa. Uyazi ukuthi inhlonipho eboniswa ‘yilamaKristu’ ayihlukile kakhulu ezenzweni zakhe zokukhulekela.
Ukukhulekela Okhokho Kusekelwephi?
Umsuka wokukhulekela okhokho uyinkolelo yokuthi ofileyo uyaqhubeka ephila ngosizo lwesici somuntu esingafi. “Kuwukukholelwa ekungafini komphefumulo,” ngokomlobi uDamian Lwasa ongumKatolika waseUganda. Siqine kangakanani isisekelo sokholo olunjalo? Umfundisi waseSierra Leone uHarry Sawyerr uyavuma ukuthi abantu baseAfrika abazisholo ukuthi “abafileyo babo bayaphila ngokomoya benza lokhu ngaphandle kobufakazi obunqala.”
Eqinisweni, ngokweBhayibheli ayikho ingxenye yomuntu engokomoya ephilayo ngemva kokufa komzimba. UMdali ngokwakhe uthi: “Bheka, yonke imiphefumulo ingeyami, umphefumulo kayise njengomphefumulo womntwana; ingeyami; umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” (Hezekeli 18:4) Ososayensi nezisebenzi zokwelapha abazange bathole bufakazi bokuthi kukhona ingxenye yomuntu eqhubeka iphila lapho umzimba ufa.
Ngaphambi kukaConfucius noma uBuddha, indoda ehlakaniphile yangezikhathi zangaphambi kobuKristu yabhala: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi-lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5) Ngaphambidlana kwalokho, uJobe wathi: “Umuntu ofileyo uphelile; umuntu ogqabukileyo uphi na? Amadodana akhe ayakudunyiswa, engazi yena.” (Jobe 14:10, 21) Kanjalo, abafile abanakukhonza ‘njengabaphathi abangokomoya bezindaba zomkhaya.’ Umuntu “akayikuphatha-lutho” lapho efa.—IHubo 49:10, 17-19.
Cabangela lokhu: Ingabe abafile bayakudla ukudla okumnandi abakunikezwayo? Ingabe iqiniso lokuthi ukudla kushiywa kungathintiwe alibonisi yini ukuthi abafile abanamandla? Ngaphezu kwalokho, abafile abayiboni inhlonipho noma imihlatshelo okwenziwa izizukulwane eziphilayo. Njengoba bengaphili, abakwazi ukuba nesithakazelo emkhayeni wabo wangaphambili noma bangenele ezindabeni zawo. IBhayibheli lithi: “Abasenaso isabelo nanini kukho konke okwenziwa phansi kwelanga.”—UmShumayeli 9:6.
Liyini Ithemba Ngokhokho Bethu Abafileyo?
Khona-ke, ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi alikho ithemba lokuphinda ube nabathandekayo abafileyo? Akunjalo neze! Abantu abahlukaniswa ukufa kudala bayoba ndawonye futhi lapho belethwa ekuphileni ngovuko. UJesu wathembisa eBhayibhelini ukuthi ‘isikhathi siyeza, lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyakuzwa izwi layo baphume—Johane 5:28, 29.
Lelithemba lovuko lasiza ukushintsha ukuphila kowesifazane waseOkinawa owayekhulekela okhokho bakhe. Uyachaza: Isimo sami ngokuphila sashintsha. Ukuba umlandeli kaJesu Kristu kungisize ukuba ngizithande ngokwengeziwe izihlobo zami eziphilayo nabanye. Akunangqondo yini ngokwengeziwe ukuthanda abazali abaphilayo kunokuhlonipha okhokho abafileyo? (Efesu 6:2, 3) Uyaqhubeka: ‘Lapho ngiqaphela isizungu abazali asebekhulile abanaso namuhla, ngibonga kakhulu ukuthi ngafunda ukubonisa uthando lwangempela nenhlonipho kubazali bami ngesikhathi besaphila.’
Ngaphezu kwalokho, isizathu samaKristu esingathi sína sokwenqaba ukukhulekela okhokho siwukuthi kumelela inkambo yokuvukela umthetho kaNkulunkulu osobala: “Ungabi nabanye onkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami . . . ngokuba mina uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho nginguNkulunkulu onomhawu.” (Eksodusi 20:3, 5) Ngakho kunokuba ukhulekele izihlobo ezifile, lalela iseluleko seBhayibheli sokukhulekela uJehova, okunguYena yedwa ongenza ukuhlangana futhi nezihlobo ezifile kube nokwenzeka.—IsAmbulo 20:12, 13.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 26]
“Kepha abafileyo abazi-lutho.”—UmShumayeli 9:5