Ingabe Kumelwe Ugubhe UKhisimusi?

UKUZE kuboniswe ukufana nomehluko phakathi kwendlela yaseMpumalanga neyaseNtshonalanga yokugubha uKhisimusi, ukwaziswa okunikezwe lapha kungesimo sezincwadi ezimbili phakathi komlobi waseJapane nomngane wakhe waseNgilandi. Ukwaziswa kuzokusiza ukuba uphendule umbuzo othi: Ingabe kufanele ngigubhe uKhisimusi?

David Othandekayo,

Sekuyikho futhi. Abathengisi bahola abantu njengabapristi abakhulu. USanta Claus ungumphathi wezinhlelo. Amahlahla kaKhisimusi asebenza njengophawu lomkhosi. Futhi kunikelwa ngezipho zamakhekhe kaKhisimusi namathoyizi. Abathengisi basakaza inkolo kaKhisimusi eJapane. Umsebenzi wabo uye waba ngophumelela kakhulu emashumini amathathu noma amane eminyaka adlule. Isibalo esikhulu sabantu baseJapane siphendukele ‘kulenkolo’—okungenani ngezinsuku ezimbalwa ngonyaka!

Lokhu kuye kwangixaka. Bengilokhu ngizibuza ukuthi kungani abantu baseJapane abaningi kangaka, ngokuyinhloko abangewona amaKristu, begubha iholide “lobuKristu.” Baqala nini abantu baseJapane ukugubha uKhisimusi ngokwezinga elingaka? Yini eyimbangela yakho konke lokhu?

Lapho ngifuna isiqalo sikaKhisimusi waseJapane, ngathola lendaba ethakazelisayo. USōseki Natsume, umlobi omkhulu wenkathi yeMeiji (1868-1912), wathumela ikhadi likaKhisimusi lisuka eNgilandi liya kuShiki Masaoka, imbongi edumile, lichaza isimo esithakazelisa kakhulu sikaKhisimusi eLondon ekupheleni konyaka ka-1900. UShiki waze waqamba ngisho nehaiku, uhlobo olufishane kakhulu lwenkondlo yaseJapane, ngendlu encane yokukhulekela ngoSuku lukaKhisimusi. Ngokusobala, uKhisimusi wawuseyinto engajwayelekile ekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka eJapane. Ngakho, ngokuthe ngqó abantu baseJapane bawugubha nini uKhisimusi wabo wokuqala?

Ungase uthakazelele ukwazi ukuthi iziphathimandla ezithile zithi uKhisimusi wawugujwa esikoleni samantombazane eGinza ngonyaka wesishiyagalombili weMeiji (1875). Nokho “isiko lokugubha uKhisimusi aliqalanga ngempela ukuvelela eJapane kwaze kwaba u-1945,” kuphawula iThe Christian Century. Lokho kwakungesikhathi amaJapane ebona imikhaya yamasosha aseMelika nezithunywa zevangeli begubha uKhisimusi. Ngemva kokwehlulwa eMpini Yezwe II futhi beshiywa beze ngokomoya, cishe bonke abantu baseJapane badinga okuthile kokubathokozisa.

UKhisimusi wasenelisa leso sidingo. Njengoba ungase ucabange, abathengisi abachithanga-sikhathi ekusebenziseni imihlobiso kaKhisimusi ukuze bathuthukise izindali zabo zokuphela konyaka. Umhleli wephephandaba, uKimpei Shiba, uthi, imihlobiso kaKhisimusi “yasebenza njengomlingo ekudonseni abathengi.” Wanezela, “lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi lezi zinto zokuhlobisa zazikhanga futhi zibangela ukujabula.”

Kodwa, David, njengoba uhlala eNgilandi, ungase ungazi ukuthi abantu baseJapane babenesiko lokuphana izipho zokuphela konyaka esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba kufike izipho zikaKhisimusi. UDecember ubulokhu uyisikhathi senzuzo kubathengisi. Abantu abanemali eningi abayithole emabhonasini okuphela konyaka baphumela ukusakaza imali. Nokho, “lomoya [kaKhisimusi] wafaka abantu esimweni sokujabula, sokusaphaza futhi wababangela ukuba bathenge izipho zeosei-bo [izipho zokuphela konyaka] eziningi kunokuba babevame ukwenza, ngakho isiko lokusebenzisa imihlobiso kaKhisimusi liye laqhubeka,” kuchaza uMnu. Shiba.

Namuhla, izitolo ezinkulu nabathengisi kuhlanganyela esimweni esifanayo ukuze kuwusebenzise ngokunenzuzo “umoya kaKhisimusi” obonakala usebenza kahle kangaka. Abenzi bamathoyizi namabhikawozi babhekise ukunakekela kwabo kulomoya ukuze basebenzise ithuba lenkathi. NgoDecember, izindali eKiddy Land, isitolo esikhulukazi samathoyizi eJapane, ziye zaphakama ngokuphindwe kane kunangezinye izinyanga. Kucatshangelwa ukuthi amaphesenti ama-5 kuya kwayi-10 awo wonke amakhekhe enziwa eJapane unyaka ngamunye ayilokho okungabizwa ngokuthi “amakhekhe kaKhisimusi.”

Ngathola ukuthi abantu abathile bayacasuka ngoba ezentengiselwano zibusa inkundla kaKhisimusi eJapane. Ngokwesibonelo, iThe Daily Yomiuri icaphuna umuntu waseMelika osenesikhathi eside ehlala eJapane: “Abantu baseJapane baye basebenzisa cishe bonke ubuqili bukaKhisimusi kodwa ngandlela-thile umoya wenkathi awukho lapha.” Wayekhuluma ngesici esingokwenkolo sikaKhisimusi.

Lokhu kwangishukumisela ukuba ngibheke ohlangothini olungokwenkolo lukaKhisimusi. Abantu abasontayo bazisholo ukuthi uKhisimusi (uDecember 25) uwusuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Yeka indlela engamangala ngayo ukuthola kuyiEncyclopedia of Japanese Religions ukuthi akunabufakazi bokuthi uJesu wazalwa ngoDecember 25! Le-encyclopedia ithi: “Nakuba usuku lwangempela lokuzalwa kukaJesu lungaziwa, uKhisimusi uye wagujwa ngoDecember 25 kusukela ekhulwini lesithathu leminyaka . . . Lolusuku luwela cishe osukwini lwenjikalanga yasebusika, futhi lwathatha indawo yomkhosi wangaphambi kwesikhathi sobuKristu sokuzalwa kabusha kweLanga.” Ukuzalwa kabusha kwelanga? Ngacabanga ukuthi kwakufanele kube usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Nokho, amaKristu aqotho angawugubha kanjani umkhosi lowo ekuqaleni owawuwumkhosi wobuqaba wenjikalanga yasebusika? Kwakungelona usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu kodwa umkhosi wokuzalwa kabusha kwelanga. Abantu abasontayo baseNtshonalanga bangabagxeka kanjani abantu baseJapane njengabangenazimiso ekugubheni iholide “lobuKristu” kuyilapho bona ngokwabo ngokuyisisekelo benesiko elifanayo?

Ngakho, David, ngingajabula uma ungase ungiphendulele lemibuzo, njengoba ingephazamisa kakhulu.

Umngane wakho,

UIchiro

Ichiro Othandekayo

Ngikubonga kakhulu ngencwadi yakho echaza ukugujwa kukaKhisimusi ezweni lakini. Kusithakazelisa kakhulu thina baseNtshonalanga ukuzwa indlela abantu baseMpumalanga abagubha ngayo iholide laseNtshonalanga.

Uma ngikubeka ngokuqondile, uqinisile ngokuphelele ngokuthi uKhisimusi uyiholide lobuqaba. Cishe noma iziphi izincwadi zezikhombo ziyokutshela ukuthi umkhosi kaKhisimusi wadabuka emkhosini wobuqaba kaSaturnalia, umkhosi wamaRoma kankulunkulu wawo wezolimo uSaturn.

Yebo, njengoba nje nani bantu baseJapane niye nafaka uKhisimusi emasikweni enu obuBuddha nawobuShinto, namasonto eLobukholwa aye afaka imikhosi yobuqaba esikweni lawo “lobuKristu.” Ngokomqondo othile kungaba yisono ngisho nangokwengeziwe ngoba lapho amaJapane egubha uKhisimusi njengomkhosi wakwelinye izwe, abantu abasontayo bagubha umkhosi wobuqaba kaSaturnalia njengoKhisimusi “wobuKristu.”

Eqinisweni, kwake kwaba nesikhathi lapha eNgilandi lapho imikhosi yezwe neyenkolo kaKhisimusi yayisusiwe emthethweni njengomkhuba wobuqaba. Lokhu kwakungesikhathi iNgilandi ibuswa amaPuritans. EMassachusetts Bay Colony eNyakatho Melika, amaPuritans ayeshiye iNgilandi ngenxa yezinkolelo zawo avimbela futhi uKhisimusi abeka nenhlawulo yokwenza amadili ngalenkathi.

Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele uwazi umbono weBhayibheli wokuhlanganisa ubuKristu nezinkolo zobuqaba. “Maningaboshelwa ejokeni linye nabangakholwayo.” Yilokho umphostoli uPawulu akunxusa kweyesi-2 Korinte 6:14-16. Khona-ke evesini le-17 waqhubeka ecaphuna encwadini kaIsaya (52:11, ukuze uyibheke): “Ngakho-ke phumani phakathi kwabo, nahlukane nabo, isho iNkosi; ningathinti okungcolileyo.”

Singazehlukanisa kanjani nabangakholwa lapho sisagubha umkhosi odabuka ezinkolweni zobuqaba? Lombuzo uye washukumisela amaKristu amaningi aqotho ukuba ashiye isiko lawo lokugubha uKhisimusi. (Kuyoba okuthakazelisayo ngawe ukuvula iBhayibheli lakho kuMathewu 15:3-6 futhi ufunde amazwi kaJesu abhalwe lapho.) Nokho kunezizathu ezengeziwe zokugwema imikhosi enjalo.

Uma uDecember 25 engelona usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu, ukugubha lolosuku njengosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa kufana nokuqamba amanga. Njengoba nje uye washo encwadini yakho, umKristu othanda iqiniso noyalwa ukuba athembeke angakukhuthaza kanjani ukuqamba amanga? (Efesu 4:25) Kusukela osukwini ngokwalo kuya endabeni kaSanta Claus, uKhisimusi uye wagcwala amanga. Nokho, kusAmbulo 22:15 amaKristu atshelwa ukuthi “bonke abathanda nabenza amanga” bayogcina bengenaso isibusiso saphezulu sokuphila okuphakade.

Khona-ke, kungani labo ababizwa ngokuthi amaKristu eNtshonalanga begubha uKhisimusi? Esinye sezizathu ezentengiselwano, njengoba nje kunjalo ezweni lakini. Ngafunda ngomfundisi waseBaptist eUnited States owakhala: “Ukuba isici sezentengiselwano besisuswe ngokuphelele, abantu abaningi bebeyoba nomuzwa wokuthi abazange babe noKhisimusi. Kodwa isici esingokwenkolo besingasuswa ngokuphelele futhi inani elikhulu labantu belingenakuwuphawula umehluko.” Lamazwi asebenza naseNgilandi ngokufanayo.

Ngokuthakazelisayo, iBhayibheli lembula isibopho esiqinile phakathi kwezentengiselwano nalokho elikubiza ngokuthi “iBabiloni Elikhulu,” iBhayibheli (kusAmbulo 18:2, 11-19) lithi: “Nabathengisi bomhlaba bayalikhalela, balililele, ngokuba impahla yabo ayisathengwa-muntu . . . Abathengisi balezozinto abacetshisiwe yilo bayakumela kude ngokwesaba ukuhlupheka kwalo, bekhala belila.”

Uyalazi yini “iBabiloni Elikhulu”? Nokho, ubani oye wanikeza “abathengisi bomhlaba” lapha eNgilandi naseJapane izinzuzo ezinkulu ngokusakaza izimfundiso zamanga ngokuqondene noKhisimusi? Akuzona yini izinkolo zeLobukholwa? Yebo, ngiye ngafunda ezifundweni zami ukuthi “iBabiloni Elikhulu” limelele umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga, kuhlanganise neLobukholwa.

Yini ocabanga ukuthi kumelwe siyenze? Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ‘ngeBabiloni Elikhulu’ kwangisiza ukuba nginqume ukuthi yini okumelwe ngiyenze. IsAmbulo 18:4 siyanxusa: “Phumani kulo, bantu bami, ukuze ningahlanganyeli nalo izono zalo, nokuba ningamukeli okwezinhlupho zalo.”

‘Ukuphuma kulo,’ okungukuthi, ukushiya inkolo ekhuthaza amanga, kwasho isenzo esiwujuqu ngami. Kwakungelula ukugqashula kuwo wonke amasiko ahlanganiswe noKhisimusi. Lapha uKhisimusi uyiholide lobungane nelingokwenkolo ngokufanayo. Kwakufuneka ngiqunge isibindi ukuze ngehluke kwabanye. Amazwi engawathola kuzAga 29:25 abonakala ewusizo: “Ukwesaba abantu kubeka ugibe, kepha owethemba uJehova uyakulondeka.”

Ngafinyelela ekuqapheleni lamaphuzu ngosizo loFakazi BakaJehova. Izinkulungwane zabantu eNgilandi ziye zathatha isinyathelo esifanayo futhi ‘zaphuma eBabiloni Elikhulu’ nayo yonke imikhuba yalo yenkolo yamanga, kuhlanganise nomkhosi kaKhisimusi. Kodwa akusho ukuthi asimhloniphi uJesu Kristu. Siyamhlonipha, hhayi ngokubonisa “umoya kaKhisimusi” kanye ngonyaka kuphela, kodwa ngokubonisa umoya ofana nokaKristu unyaka wonke.

Umngane wakho oqotho,

UDavid

(Bheka eyabase-Efesu 4:20-24; Filipi 2:1-6; Kolose 3:1-14 ngokuqondene nomoya ofana nokaKristu abazama ukuwuhlakulela.—Umhleli.)

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]

Abathengisi banjengabapristi abakhulu. USanta Claus ungumphathi wezinhlelo

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

Abathengisi basebenzisa uKhisimusi ukuze bakhuthaze izindali zokuphela konyaka

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

Lokhu kwangishukumisela ukuba ngibheke ohlangothini lwenkolo lukaKhisimusi

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

“Ngakho-ke phumani phakathi kwabo . . . ningathinti okungcolileyo”

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

“Abathengisi bomhlaba bayakulikhalela, balililele”

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 7]

“Ukwesaba abantu kubeka ugibe, kepha owethemba uJehova uyakulondeka”