“Sinentshiseko Nothando Okwengeziwe Ezinhliziyweni Zethu Kunanini Ngaphambili”

NgoLwesihlanu ekuseni ngo-September 1922 ilanga lase liqalile ukushisa njengoba abantu abangu-8,000 benqwabelene ehholo. Usihlalo wenza isaziso sokuthi phakathi nalesi simiso esibalulekile, wonke umuntu uvumelekile ukuba aphume kodwa akekho ozovunyelwa ukuba aphinde angene ehholo.

Ngemva kokuqalisa isimiso ngokucula izingoma, uJoseph F. Rutherford waya phambili endaweni yesikhulumi. Abantu abaningi ababethamele lesi simiso babelangazelela ukuzwa ukuthi uzothini. Abambalwa babengakwazi ukuzibamba, behla benyuka njengoba kushisa. Ngezwi eliqinile isikhulumi sabacela ukuba bahlale phansi balalele. Njengoba inkulumo iqhubeka, abantu babezibuza ukuthi elani leli shadi eligoqiwe phezulu.

UMfoweth’ uRutherford wakhuluma ngesihloko esithi: “UMbuso wezulu usondele.” Kwaphela ihora nesigamu izwi lakhe elinamandla lilokhu liphindaphindeka ezindongeni zehholo, njengoba ekhuluma ngendlela abaprofethi basendulo ababememezela ngayo ngesibindi ngoMbuso ozayo. Efinyelela umvuthwandaba, wabuza: “Ingabe niyakholwa ukuthi iNkosi yenkazimulo isikuqalile ukubusa kwayo?” Ababekhona baphendula, bamemeza bathi: “Yebo!”

Ngezwi elikhulu uMfoweth’ uRutherford wathi: “Khona-ke buyelani ensimini, nina madodana kaNkulunkulu ophezukonke! Bhekani, iNkosi iyabusa! Nina ningamanxusa ayo okuyimemezela. Ngakho-ke memezelani, memezelani, memezelani.”

Ngaleso sikhathi, ishadi eligoqekile laqaqeka kahle, laveza isiqubulo esithi: “Memezelani iNkosi noMbuso wayo.”

URay Bopp uyakhumbula: “Izilaleli zavukwa amadlingozi.” U-Anna Gardner wathi: Kwaba sengathi “kundindizela ihholo ngenxa yomsindo omkhulu wehlombe.” UFred Twarosh wathi: “Bonke abantu basukuma kanye kanye bama ngezinyawo.” U-Evangelos Scouffas yena wathi: “Kwakungathi kunento esishisayo ezihlalweni zethu ngoba sabe sesisukuma, amehlo ethu ehlengezela izinyembezi.”

Abaningi ababesemhlanganweni base beqalile kakade ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso. Kodwa manje bathola umfutho wokufeza injongo entsha. U-Ethel Bennecoff wachaza ukuthi Abafundi beBhayibheli benza lo msebenzi “benentshiseko nothando olwengeziwe ezinhliziyweni zabo kunanini ngaphambili.” U-Odessa Tuck, owayeneminyaka engu-18 ngaleso sikhathi, wahamba emhlanganweni ezimisele ukuphendula isicelo esithi, “Ubani ozohamba?” Wathi: “Ngangingazi ukuthi kuyiwa kuphi, kuyiwa kanjani noma kuyokwenziwani. Into nje engangiyazi ukuthi ngangifuna ukuba njengo-Isaya, owathi: ‘Nangu mina! Thuma mina!’” (Isaya 6:8) URalph Leffler yena wathi: “Ngalolo suku oluvelele kwaqala umkhankaso wokushumayela ngoMbuso osugcwele umhlaba wonke namuhla.”

Yingakho nje lo mhlangano wango-1922 eCedar Point, e-Ohio, waba ingqophamlando emlandweni woFakazi BakaJehova! UGeorge Gangas wathi, “Lowo mhlangano wangishukumisela ukuba ngizimisele ukungaphuthi emhlanganweni.” Uma ekhumbula kahle, akakaze aphuthe emhlanganweni. UJulia Wilcox wabhala: “Ngivele ngiphelelwe amazwi okuchaza indlela engijabula ngayo, njalo lapho izincwadi zethu zikhuluma ngomhlangano wango-1922 eCedar Point. Ngihlale ngithi, ‘Ngiyakubonga, Jehova ngokungivumela ngibe lapho.’”

Kungenzeka abaningi kithi namuhla banezinkumbulo ezifanayo ezimnandi zomhlangano, ikakhulukazi owabenza bajabula futhi wavuselela intshiseko nokuthanda kwabo uJehova neNkosi yakhe. Njengoba sicabanga ngalezo zinkumbulo, nathi sishukumiseleka ukuba sithi, “Ngiyakubonga, Jehova ngokungivumela ngibe lapho.”