Ukuguquka KukaConstantine—Waguqukelaphi?
UKUGUQUKA kokuzisholo kombusi wamaRoma uConstantine sekuyisikhathi eside kuthakazelisa abafundi bezenkolo. Ngokokulandisa kwakhe siqu, ngobusuku bangaphambi kwempi ngo-312 C.E., anqoba kuyo, uConstantine oyiqaba wabona umbono wesiphambano esasinesiqubulo esithi: “Nqoba ngaso [isibonakaliso].” ‘Waguquka’ ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho (ngo-313 C.E.) futhi waqeda ukushushiswa kwamaKristu embusweni waseRoma. UConstantine wakhuthaza uhlobo lobuKristu olwalusebenza ngalesosikhathi njengenkolo yoMbuso, futhi wangenela ngisho nasezingxabanweni zangaphakathi zesonto. Nokho, wenza futhi izenzo ezabangela ukungabaza ubuqotho bokuguquka kwakhe futhi akazange abhapathizwe kwaze kwaba ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe eminyakeni engama-24 kamuva.
Esihlokweni seBible Review, umqoqi wemali eyizinhlamvu futhi ofundela isiqu sobudokotela kwezenkolo uStanley A. Hudson wembula indlela izinhlamvu zemali ezenziwa phakathi nokubusa kukaConstantine ezinikela ngayo ngokwaziswa okuthile okuhlaba umxhwele ngalendaba. Kwakuvamile ukuba imali eyizinhlamvu yaseRoma ibonise onkulunkulu bamaRoma abathandwayo, kwaze kwaba sesikhathini sikaConstantine. Kodwa uHudson wabika ukuthi ngemva kokuguquka kukaConstantine, imikhuba yobuqaba yanyamalala kancane kancane—ngaphandle kowodwa. Imali eyizinhlamvu ebonisa uSol, unkulunkulu welanga—owayethandwa kakhulu uConstantine ngaphambili—yagaywa kakhulu. Ngani?
UHudson wasikisela izinto ezimbili okungenzeka zaziyizizathu. Okokuqala, ukuguquka kukaConstantine kungenzeka kwenzeka kancane kancane—naphezu kombono wakhe ophawulekayo. Noma uConstantine kungenzeka ukuthi waphambanisa uSol noJesu. Isyncretism (ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinkolelo) akuyona into engavamile ngisho nanamuhla. Ngokwesibonelo eLatin America, onkulunkulukazi bangaphambi kwenkathi kaColumbus uPacha-Mama noTonantzin basakhulekelwa ngegama leNcasakazi uMariya. Ngendlela efanayo, kungenzeka uConstantine wakhulekela uSol ngegama likaJesu.
Ukuhlanganiswa okunjalo kwezinhlobo ezihlukene zezinkolelo kungachaza isizathu sokuba uDecember 25, ‘usuku lokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakunqotshwa,’ ukhethwe njengosuku lokukhumbula ukuzalwa kukaJesu. Kungasisiza futhi ukuba sibone isizathu sokuba imali eyizinhlanvu eyagayelwa ukukhumbula ukufa kukaConstantine ibhalwe ukuthi “DV Constantinus” (“UConstantine Waphezulu”). Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi, naphezu kokuguquka kwakhe nokubhapathizwa kwakhe ekugcineni, uConstantine wayebhekwa njengonkulunkulu ngemva kokufa kwakhe, njengababusi bamaqaba ababemandulela.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 7]
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bequest of Mrs F. F. Thompson, 1926 (26.229)