“Ayiphathwa Nangegama Inhlamba Olimini Lwethu”

IYINI inhlamba? ‘Iyinkulumo ethukayo, noma ehlambalazayo.’ (I-American Heritage Dictionary) Esinye isichazamazwi sichaza igama eliyisenzo elithi “hlambalaza” ngale ndlela: “Ukuphatha (into engcwele) njengengengcwele, ukungayihloniphi, noma ukuyedelela.” Ngeshwa, emazweni amaningi inhlamba isiyinkulumo evamile. Nakuba esikhathini esidlule abantu besilisa babebekwa icala ngokusebenzisa inkulumo enjalo eyinhlamba, namuhla kuya kuvama ukuzwa abesifazane besebenzisa inhlamba. Nokho, kwezinye izizwe inhlamba ibilokhu ingeyona indlela yazo yokukhuluma yemihla ngemihla. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela ubufakazi obunikezwa uJames Kaywaykla, umNdiya ongumApache.

UJames wazalwa cishe ngo-1873 eNew Mexico, e-United States. Esekhulile impela, cishe eneminyaka engu-90 ubudala, walandisa lokhu okulandelayo:

“Ngolunye usuku ekuseni ngavuswa izwi likamkhulu. Wayehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla ebheke ngaselangeni njengoba liphuma, futhi wayecula Ingoma Yokusa. Lena ingoma esidumisa ngayo u-Ussen . . . simbonga ngesinye sezipho zakhe ezinkulu kunazo zonke—uthando phakathi kowesilisa nowesifazane, lolo isizwe sama-Apache esilubheka njengento engcwele.a Asilokothi sintele ngobulili, futhi asiyiqondi neze indaba yokuthi Amehlo Amhlophe [abelungu] antela ngokuhlala kwesisu nangokubeletha. Lokho, kulesi sizwe, kufana ncimishí nokulisebenzisa ngeze igama likaNkulunkulu. Ngiyaziqhenya kakhulu ngokuthi ayiphathwa nangegama inhlamba olimini lwethu. Maqondana nelungelo lokuba nengxenye ekutholeni abantwana, sibonga uMdali Wokuphila.”—I-Native Heritage, eyahlelwa u-Arlene Hirschfelder.

Cishe eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule, umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu wabhala: “Makungaphumi lizwi elibolile emilonyeni yenu, kodwa noma yiliphi izwi elakhayo kuye ngokwesidingo, ukuze lidlulisele okuhle kwabezwayo.” Wabuye wabhala: “Ubufebe nokungcola kwazo zonke izinhlobo noma ukuhaha makungaphathwa nakuphathwa phakathi kwenu, njengoba nje kufanele abantu abangcwele; noma ukuziphatha okuyihlazo noma inkulumo yobuwula noma ukuntela okuyichilo, izinto ezingafaneleki, kodwa kunalokho makube ukubonga.”—Efesu 4:29; 5:3, 4.

Umuntu angayikhipha kanjani ngokuphelele inhlamba kanye nokuntela okuyichilo enhliziyweni, engqondweni nasemlonyeni wakhe? Iseluleko uPawulu asinika abaseFilipi singasisiza sonke: “Bazalwane, noma yiziphi izinto eziyiqiniso, noma yiziphi izinto ezibaluleke ngempela, noma yiziphi izinto ezilungileyo, noma yiziphi izinto ezihlanzekile, noma yiziphi izinto ezithandekayo, noma yiziphi izinto okukhulunywa kahle ngazo, noma yibuphi ubuhle obukhona nanoma yini ekhona ekufanelekelayo ukudunyiswa, qhubekani nicabanga ngalezi zinto.”—Filipi 4:8.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 31]

All photos: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division; Apache symbol: Dover Publications, Inc.