Isivuno SeLobukholwa EAfrika
IPHUPHO likaCharles Lavigerie lokuguqula iAlgeria ibe “izwe lobuKristu” labonakala liyilokho nje—iphupho. Namuhla, amaphesenti angu-99 abantu baseAlgeria angamaMuslim, futhi eLobukholwa liye langaba namandla ezingxenyeni ezinkulu zaseNyakatho Afrika. Kodwa kuthiwani ngezinye izingxenye zalelizwekazi?
“UbuKristu,” kusho uDkt. J. H. Kane, kuyiConcise History of the Christian World Mission, “buye baguqula abantu abaningi baseAfrika Ebuswa AbaNsundu kunakwamanye Amazwe Asathuthuka esewonke.” Nokho, ingabe labantu abaguqukile bangamaKristu ngempela? “Enye ingozi enkulu esontweni laseAfrika,” kuvuma uDkt. Kane, “iwubuKristu obuhlanganiswe nobuqaba.” Futhi, amazwi athi “isonto laseAfrika” ayigama elingafanele. Kunezinkulungwane zamasonto aseAfrika, ngalinye linendlela yalo yokukhulekela. Kungani?
Ukuhlwanyela Izimbewu Zokungezwani
Izimbewu zokungezwani zahlwanyelwa ngisho nangaphambi kokuba abavangeli beze ngemikhumbi kwelaseAfrika. ILondon Missionary Society yathola amalungu avela emasontweni ahlukahlukene, futhi kwaba nezimpikiswano ezishubile ezingokwezimfundiso phakathi kwabavangeli ohambweni lwabo lokuya ezabelweni zabo. Lezingxabano nakanjani zaziyoshuba nakakhulu ngemva kokuzinza kwabo ezindaweni ababethunyelwe kuzo.
“Abavangeli,” kubhala uProfesa Robert Rotberg encwadini yakhe ethi Christian Missionaries and the Creation of Northern Rhodesia 1880-1924, “balwa bodwa ngenzondo kanye nabaqondisi babo baphesheya kwezilwandle, ngokuvamile okwakulimaza izinhloso zabo zobuvangeli. . . . Abavangeli kwabonakala sengathi bachitha isikhathi esiningi namandla bebhala ngalezingxabano njengoba benza lapho befuna ukufeza umsebenzi wabo wokuguqula abantu.”
Ngezinye izikhathi, izingxabano zabavangeli zaziphumela ekwakhekeni kwamaqembu abavangeli abangayo. Amaqembu abavangeli amaKatolika kanye nawamaProthestani ancintisana kakhulu ngabantu abaguqulayo. Lokhu kungabikho kobunye okufanayo kwakuyobonakala nakanjani phakathi kwabantu abaguqukile. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi izigidi zama-Afrika endabuko zawashiya amasonto amaqembu abavangeli futhi zaziqalela amasonto azo.
“AmaSonto Azimele AseAfrika,” kubhala isazi-mlando esingumvangeli uDkt. Kane, “atholakala kulo lonke elaseAfrika . . . Sekukonke kunamaqembu acishe abe izinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa kulenhlangano.” Akukhona kuphela ukuncintisana phakathi kwabavangeli ababenezinkolelo eziphikisanayo okwakuyimbangela yalokhu. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Missionaries, uGeoffrey Moorhouse uchaza ukuthi enye imbangela yalokhu “kuqembuka kwabansundu” ‘yayiwukucasulwa ukuba sesigabeni esiphakeme kwabamhlophe.’
Ingabe BangamaKristu Noma Bangabasekeli Bokucwasana Kwezinhlanga BaseYurophu?
“Abavangeli,” kuvuma uDkt. Kane, “babezibona bephakeme kakhulu.” ‘Babekholelwa ukuthi inkolo yobuKristu kumelwe ihambisane nempucuko yaseYurophu kanye nobuholi baseYurophu,’ kusho uAdrian Hastings encwadini yakhe ethi African Christianity.
UCharles Lavigerie ongumFulentshi wayengomunye wabaholi babavangeli owayenalowombono. Omunye kwakunguJohn Philip, umphathi weqembu labavangeli leLondon Missionary Society eAfrika eseningizimu. “Abavangeli bethu,” eqhosha ngo-1828, “ . . . badlulisela nakwezinye izindawo izithakazelo zaseBrithani, ithonya laseBrithani, kanye nombuso waseBrithani. Nomaphi lapho umvangeli eqala ukufuna angabaguqula phakathi kwesizwe esingaphucukile, luyaphela ubandlululo lesosizwe esinalo ngohulumeni osibusayo wakwelinye izwe; ukuncika kwaso kulowombuso kuyakhula ngokuvezwa kwezinto ezingezona izidingo zangempela; . . . ngokushesha kuba nezimboni, ukuhweba, kanye nezolimo; futhi wonke umuntu oguqukile oqotho phakathi kwaso . . . uba ngumhlobo kanye nomngane wombuso wakwelinye izwe.”
Ingabe kukhona okumangalisayo ekutheni ohulumeni baseYurophu babona abavangeli abanjalo bengamanxusa awusizo okwandisa amakoloni? Ngokwabo, abavangeli bakwamukela ukunqotshwa kweAfrika ibe yikoloni. Njengoba eMhlanganweni Womhlaba Wonke Wabavangeli wango-1910 e-Edinburgh bathi: “Bekuyoba . . . okungenakwenzeka ukuba njalo kubekwe umngcele phakathi komgomo wabavangeli kanye nomgomo kaHulumeni.”
Babusa Njengamakhosi EAfrika
Ukuze babonise ukuthi banegunya, abanye abavangeli babethembela emandleni ezempi ombuso obusa lelokoloni. Amadolobha angasogwini lolwandle ngezinye izikhathi ayecekelwa phansi imikhumbi yempi yaseBrithani enombayimbayi ngoba abantu abahlala kulamadolobhana babenqabe ukwamukela igunya labavangeli. Ngo-1898, uDennis Kemp, umvangeli ongumWeseli eNtshonalanga Afrika, wazwakalisa “ukuqiniseka” kwakhe “okungaguquki kokuthi iButho LaseBrithani Nemikhumbi Yempi namuhla kusetshenziswa uNkulunkulu ukuze afeze injongo yaKhe.”
Ngemva kokuba sebezinzile, abavangeli ngezinye izikhathi babeqhwaga imibuso yezwe yezinduna. “Abavangeli baseLondon,” kubhala uProfesa Rotberg, “ngokuvamile babesebenzisa amandla ukuze balondoloze umthetho wabo wombuso. Ithuluzi ababelithanda kakhulu ababezwakalisa ngalo ukungavumelani kwabo nokuthile kwakuyicikoti, isiswebhu eside esenziwa ngesikhumba semvubu esishukiwe. Ngalo, ama-Afrika ayebhaxabulwa ngokukhululekile cishe nganoma yisiphi isizathu.” “Um-Afrika othile owayeguqukile,” kuphawula uDavid Lamb encwadini yakhe ethi The Africans, “ukhumbula umvangeli waseSheshi eUganda owayaziwa ngelithi Bwana Botri ngokuvamile owayehla epulpiti phakathi nenkonzo ukuze ayobhaxabula ama-Afrika ayefike sekwephuzile.”
Eshaqiswe izenzo ezinjalo, umvangeli, uJames Mackay, wayisa isikhalo kubaqondisi beLondon Missionary Society. “Kunokubhekwa njengabantu abamhlophe ababalethela izindaba ezinhle zothando lukaNkulunkulu,” wabika, “siyaziwa futhi siyesatshwa.”
Izimpi Zezwe
“Iminyaka eyikhulu nangaphezulu,” kusho incwadi ethi The Missionaries, “[ama-Afrika] ayetshelwa ngokuqhubekayo nangokunamandla ukuthi ukulwa kanye nokuthambekela kobudlova okwakuvezwa ukulwa kwakungenazithelo futhi kukubi.” Khona-ke, ngo-1914, kwaqubuka iMpi Yezwe I phakathi kwamazwe okuthiwa awobuKristu aseYurophu.
“Abavangeli cishe bazo zonke izizwe bashukunyiswa ukuba bahileleke eMpini Enkulu,” kuchaza uMoorhouse. Okuyinto eyabenza bahlazeka, abavangeli banxusa abantu abaguqukile abangama-Afrika ukuba bathathe uhlangothi. Abanye abavangeli bahola ngisho namabutho aseAfrika ukuba aye empini. Umphumela wempi uvezwe kahle uProfesa Stephen Neill encwadini yakhe ethi History of Christian Missions: “Izizwe zaseYurophu, nokuzisholo kwazo ngamazwi amakhulu ukuthi ubuKristu kanye nempucuko okwazo kuphela, zangenela ngokungaboni nangokudideka empini yombango eyayizozishiya zimpofu ngokwezomnotho futhi zingenamandla namancane.” “IMpi Yezwe Yesibili,” kuqhubeka uNeill, “yamane yaqedela lokho eyokuqala eyase ikufezile kakade. Izinhloso zokuziphatha okuhle kwaseNtshonalanga zabonakala ziwubuzenzisi; ‘eLobukholwa’ ladalulwa njengeliyinganekwane. Kwakungasenakwenzeka ukukhuluma ‘ngeNtshonalanga YobuKristu.’”
Ngokuqondakalayo, ukuqembuka kwabansundu kwanda ngemva kweMpi Yezwe I. Kodwa kuthiwani ngama-Afrika ayesanamathele emasontweni eLobukholwa? Ingabe ngemva kwalokho bafundiswa iqiniso elivela eBhayibhelini?
Izinkolelo Zama-Afrika Ngokhokho
Abavangeli beLobukholwa bayilahla imikhuba engokwenkolo yama-Afrika, enjengokuya kubabhuli ukuze bashweleze kokhokho babo abangasekho. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abavangeli baphikelela befundisa ngokuthi umuntu unomphefumulo ongafi. Babuye bathuthukisa nokuhlonishwa kukaMariya kanye ‘nokwawosanta.’ Lezimfundiso zafakazela inkolelo yama-Afrika yokuthi okhokho babo abafa bayaphila. Futhi, ngokuhlonipha izithombe ezingokwenkolo, ezinjengesiphambano, abavangeli bakwenza kwafaneleka ukusebenzisa kwama-Afrika iziphandla njengento yokuzivikela emimoyeni emibi.
UProfesa C. G. Baëta encwadini yakhe ethi Christianity in Tropical Africa uyachaza: “Kungenzeka ngomuntu waseAfrika ukuba acule ngentshiseko eSontweni, athi ‘Anginaso esinye isiphephelo,’ nakuba esafake isiphandla noma yikuphi emzimbeni, noma ukuba akwazi ukuphuma eSontweni aqonde ngqó kumbhuli, ngaphandle komuzwa wokuthi kunesimiso esithile asephulayo.”—Qhathanisa noDuteronomi 18:10-12 kanye neyoku-1 Johane 5:21.
Abavangeli abaningi batshela ama-Afrika ukuthi okhokho bawo abangamaqaba babehlushwa esihogweni somlilo nokuthi ayeyokwehlelwa inhlekelele efanayo uma enqaba ukwamukela izimfundiso zabavangeli. Kodwa imfundiso yokuhlushwa phakade iyaphikisana nezinkulumo ezicacile ezitholakala kulo kanye iBhayibheli abavangeli abenza umzamo omkhulu wokulihumushela ezilimini zama-Afrika.—Genesise 3:19; Jeremiya 19:5; Roma 6:23.
Eqinisweni, iBhayibheli lithi imiphefumulo yabantu abanesono iyafa futhi lithi “abafileyo abazi-lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekeli 18:4) Ngokuqondene nama-Afrika angazange athole ithuba lokuzwa ngeqiniso leBhayibheli, anethuba lokuba ahlanganiswe ‘ovukweni lwabafileyo’ oluzayo ‘lwabalungile nolwabangalungile.’ (IzEnzo 24:15) Abantu abanjalo abavusiwe bayofundiswa ngelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lokusindiswa. Khona-ke, uma besabela ngokwazisa othandweni lukaNkulunkulu, bayovuzwa ngokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi.—IHubo 37:29; Luka 23:43; Johane 3:16.
Kunokuba lifundise lamaqiniso eBhayibheli amangalisayo, eLobukholwa liye lalahlekisa ama-Afrika ngezimfundiso zamanga nangobuzenzisi obungokwenkolo. Ngokuqinisekile, indima abavangeli beLobukholwa ababa nayo ekunqotshweni kweAfrika yaba ikoloni ayisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Ngokuphambene, uJesu wathi uMbuso wakhe “awusiwo owalelizwe” futhi wathi abalandeli bakhe beqiniso ngokufanayo babengeke ‘babe abezwe.’ (Johane 15:19; 18:36) AmaKristu okuqala ayengamanxusa kaJesu Kristu, hhayi awohulumeni bezwe.—2 Korinte 5:20.
Ngakho, isivuno saseAfrika seLobukholwa sisonke singesingajabulisi, sinokungezwani okushaqisayo, ukungethembani, kanye “nobuKristu obuhlanganiswe nobuqaba.” Ubudlova obuye baphawula izingxenye eziningi “zobuKristu” zaseAfrika ngokuqinisekile abuhambisani nezimfundiso ‘zeNkosi Yokuthula.’ (Isaya 9:6) Izithelo zomsebenzi weLobukholwa eAfrika zingokuphambene kakhulu namazwi uJesu awasho ngabalandeli bakhe beqiniso. Ethandaza kuYise wasezulwini, uJesu wacela ukuba “bapheleliswe ebunyeni, ukuze izwe lazi ukuba wena ungithumile.”—Johane 17:20, 23; 1 Korinte 1:10.
Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi wonke umsebenzi wobuvangeli eAfrika uye waba ukwehluleka? Lutho neze. Izithelo ezinhle zomsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu eqiniso eAfrika nakuwo wonke umhlaba kuzoxoxwa ngazo ezihlokweni eziqala ekhasini 10.
[Isithombe ekhasini 6]
Abaholi babavangeli bekhulu leminyaka eledlule, abanjengoJohn Philip, babekholelwa ukuthi impucuko kanye nobuKristu kwaseYurophu kwakufana
[Umthombo]
Cape Archives M450
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Abavangeli beLobukholwa bakhuthaza izinkolelo zama-Afrika ngokhokho ngokusakaza izimfundiso ezingekho eBhayibhelini, ezinjengomphefumulo ongafi
[Umthombo]
Courtesy Africana Museum, Johannesburg