Ukubanga Indawo “Engcwele”
NGO-JULY 15, 1099, iMpi Yenkolo Yokuqala, eyagunyazwa upapa waseRoma, yawufinyelela umgomo wayo wokubusa iJerusalema. Ukucekwa kwabantu kwakwesabeka! Ukuphela kwezakhamuzi ezasinda kwakungumbusi nomlindi wakhe, ngemva kokuba kugwazwe ngesizumbulu semali. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Crusades, umfundisi u-Anthony Bridge ubika okwenzeka kuzo zonke ezinye izakhamuzi ezingamaSulumane nezingamaJuda: “Amabutho eMpi Yenkolo athi angadedelwa ngaphakathi komuzi, asina azibethela anelisa iqungo elikhulu nelesabekayo. . . . Abulala wonke amadoda, abesifazane nezingane ayezithola emzini . . . Lapho kungasekho muntu ababengambulala, laba banqobi bashaya udwendwe emigwaqweni yomuzi . . . baya eSontweni Lethuna Elingcwele beyobonga kuNkulunkulu.”
Kusukela ekunqobeni kwale mpi yenkolo, ukuba khona kweLobukholwa eJerusalema kuye kwaphawulwa ukungqubuzana phakathi kwamaRoma Katolika, ubu-Orthodox baseMpumalanga nezinye izinkolo okuthiwa ziwubuKristu. Ngo-1850 impikiswano eyayiphakathi kwabaholi besonto abahlukahlukene bebanga izindawo ezingcwele zaseJerusalema namaphethelo yaba yimbangela enkulu yeMpi YaseCrimea. INgilandi, iFrance neSifunda Sama-Ottoman kwalwa neRussia kwaphuma izidumbu ezingaphezu kwengxenye yesigidi.
Le mpi ayizange ikuqede ukubanga kweLobukholwa iJerusalema nezindawo zalo ezingcwele. Ama-Ottoman, ayebusa lelo zwe ngaleso sikhathi, azama ukuletha ukuthula ngokwabela izinkolo ezihlukahlukene lezi zindawo ezingcwele. Encwadini yakhe ethi This Is Jerusalem, uDkt. Menashe Har-el uyachaza: “Lesi simiso samukelwa . . . yiZizwe Ezihlangene ngeZwi Lesinqumo Lezabelo lango-November 1947. Ngakho siyingxenye yomthetho womhlaba wonke.” Ngenxa yalokho, iSonto Lethuna Elingcwele liye labelwa amaRoma Katolika, amaGreki Obu-Orthodox, abase-Armenia, abaseSiriya namaCopt. Ekugcineni, abaseTopiya bagomela ukuthi leli sonto lingelabo ngokuhlalisa amanye amalungu ezindlwaneni ezisophahleni. Abaningi babheka iSonto Lethuna Elingcwele njengendawo engcwele kunazo zonke yeLobukholwa. Ligcwele izindawana zokuthandazela nezithombe. Enye indawo okuthiwa ingcwele, iGordon’s Calvary, ihlonishwa amanye amaProthestani njengendawo okuthiwa uJesu wabulawelwa kuyo futhi wangcwatshwa kuyo.
Kudala, uJesu watshela owesifazane owayekholelwa ezindaweni ezingcwele: “Ihora liyeza lapho ningayikukhulekela uBaba kulentaba noma eJerusalema. . . . Abakhulekeli beqiniso [bayokhulekela] uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:21-24) Ngakho, amaKristu eqiniso awahloniphi izindawo ezingcwele. Ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema elingathembekile amabutho amaRoma ngo-70 C.E. kuyisixwayiso kweLobukholwa. Ukukhulekela kwalo izithombe, ukuhlukana nokuchitha kwalo igazi kukubonisa kungamanga ukuzisholo kwalo ukuthi liwubuKristu. Ngakho-ke, lizobhekana nezenzakalo uNkulunkulu aye wazibikezela ngokuqondene nazo zonke izinkolo ezakha iBabiloni Elikhulu.—IsAmbulo 18:2-8.