Isiphambano—Ingabe Siwuphawu LobuKristu?
EMAKHULWINI amaningi eminyaka iningi liye lamukela isiphambano njengesiwuphawu lobuKristu. Kodwa ingabe siyilo ngempela? Abaningi abaye bakukholelwa ngobuqotho lokho bayamangala ngempela ngokuthola ukuthi isiphambano asisetshenziswa eLobukholwa kuphela. Ngokuphambene, besisetshenziswa kabanzi ezinkolweni ezingezona ezobuKristu emhlabeni wonke.
Ngokwesibonelo, njengoba uHernán Cortés nebutho lakhe “lamaKristu” babelungiselela ukuhlasela uMbuso wama-Aztec ekuqaleni kwawo-1500, babephethe amafulege athi, “Masilandele uphawu lweSiphambano Esingwele okholweni lweqiniso, ngoba ngaphansi kwaloluphawu siyonqoba.” Kumelwe ukuthi bamangala ukuthola ukuthi izitha zabo ezingamaqaba zazihlonipha isiphambano esifana nesabo. Incwadi ethi Great Religions of the World ithi: “UCortés nabalandeli bakhe bathuthumela ngemihlatshelo yabantu yama-Aztec nalokho okwakunjengezenzo zobusathane zobuKristu: . . . behlonipha izimpawu ezifana nesiphambano zonkulunkulu bomoya nemvula.”
Ohlwini lomhleli lwephephandaba iNación, umbhali uJosé Alberto Furque uveza ukuthi engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu le-18 leminyaka, kwaqala “inkulumo-mpikiswano eshubile nevusa amadlingozi phakathi kwezazi zendabuko yabantu nabavubukuli ngokuqondene nemisuka nencazelo yezimpawu zesiphambano” abazithola eMelika Ephakathi neseNingizimu. Kuyakhanya ukuthi abathile babemagange ukuvikela isikhundla sesiphambano njengophawu oluvelele “lobuKristu” kangangokuthi baveza nemfundiso yokuthi ngandlela-thile abantu baseNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika babeshunyayeziwe ngaphambi kwesenzakalo esiphawulekayo sokuhambela kukaColumbus! Lemfundiso enomsuka ongaziwa kwadingeka ilahlwe njengengenasisekelo.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukuhlolwa okuqhubekayo kwalendaba kwaziqeda zonke izinkulumo-mpikiswano ezinjalo. UFurque uyaphawula: “Encwadini eyanyatheliswa yiSmithsonian Institution ngo-1893, kwavunyelwana ngokuthi isiphambano sase sihlonishwa kakade . . . isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokufika kwabantu bokuqala baseYurophu eNyakatho Melika, okusekela lemfundiso . . . yokuthi uphawu olunjalo lwalukhona kuyo yonke imiphakathi njengengxenye yokukhulekela okuyisiko kwamandla aveza ukuphila.”
IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi uJesu akazange ngempela abulawelwe esiphambanweni esivamile, kodwa kunalokho, esigxotsheni esivamile, noma kuyistau·rosʹ. Leligama lesiGreki, elivela kuMathewu 27:40, ngokuyisisekelo lisho isigxobo esimile esivamile noma ipali, njengalezo ezisetshenziselwa ukwakha izisekelo. Ngenxa yalokho, isiphambano asikaze simelele ubuKristu beqiniso. UJesu Kristu wabonakalisa “uphawu” lwangempela lobuKristu beqiniso lapho etshela abafundi bakhe: “Ngalokho bonke bayakukwazi ukuthi ningabafundi bami, uma nithandana.”—Johane 13:35.