Krisimisi—Neiko Yakakurumbira Kwazvo muJapan?
CHITENDERO muna Baba veKrisimisi chakakura pakati pavana vari munyika yechiBuddha nechiShinto yeJapan. Muna 1989, vana veJapan vakanyora tsamba 160 000 kuna Santa World muSweden. Hapana imwe nyika yakatumira dzinopfuura. Vakanyora tsamba dzacho vachikarira kugutsa chishuvo chomwoyo wavo, ingave toyi ye“Graphic Computer” yamayeni 18 000 ($680, Z.) kana kuti mutambo wevhidhio unogona kutakurwa wemayeni 12 500 ($475, Z.).
Kuvasikana vaduku veJapan, kuronga musi wokuvhakacha paMadekwana apamberi peKrisimisi kune revo chaiyo. “Mukuwirirana nokunzverwa kwemhandara,” inodaro Mainichi Daily News, “38 muzana vakati vakanga vatoita rongedzero dzaMadekwana apamberi peKrisimisi pachine mwedzi mberi.” Majaya ane vavariro dzisingaoneki mukuda kuva navasikana vavo paMadekwana apamberi peKrisimisi. “Pfungwa yakanaka ndeyokunyengetera pamwe chete chinyararire nomusikana wako,” yakakarakadza kudaro imwe magazini yamajaya. “Kuite kune imwe nzvimbo yakanaka. Ukama hwenyu huchakurumidza kuva hwapedyo zvikuru.”
Varume veJapan vanokarirawo kukumbira simba ramashiripiti kupfurikidza negamuchidzanwa ravo reKrisimisi rokutenga “keke rakanyerenyetwa” vari munzira yokuenda kumba vachibva kubasa. Kuita basa raSanta Claus kunofungidzirwa kuti kunotsiva kuregeredza mhuri rasara rose regore.
Zvamazvirokwazvo, Krisimisi yasimba pakati pavaJapan vasiri maKristu. Kutaura idi, 78 muzana yaavo vakanzverwa nekambani ine masupamaketi mazhinji yakati vanoita chimwe chinhu chaicho nokuda kweKrisimisi. Chiverengero chacho chikuru munyika umo 1 muzana bedzi yavagari vemo vanotaura kuti vanodavira chiKristu. Nepo vachitaura kuva vaBuddha kana kuti vaShinto, vanonzwa vakasununguka chaizvo vachifarikanya zororo re“chiKristu.” Mukarenda rayo rine misi yezvinoitika, pamwe chete nemitambo yeJapan, Imba yokunamatira yaShinto Ise yakakurumbira inoronga December 25 se“zuva rokuberekwa kwaKristu.” Zviono zvavasati vari maKristu zvakanyura mukupembera mukati meKrisimisi, zvisinei, zvinomutsa mubvunzo, wokuti:
Krisimisi Mutambo Waani?
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary rinorondedzera Krisimisi sa“mabiko echiKristu pana December 25 . . . ayo anorangaridza kuberekwa kwaKristu.” Yave ichirangarirwa senguva yokuti “maKristu” a“batane mukunzwa kwawo kwomufaro pazuva rokuberekwa kwaKristu.”
Avo vanochengeta Krisimisi somutambo worudzidziso chose chose vangawana avo vanoita kuti zuva iroro rive renyika nokupembera nokupa zvipo kuva vanoshatirisa uye kunyange vanotuka Mwari. “MuJapan tine kunyanyisa mukutengeserana kwakashata: hamuna Kristu,” akanyora kudaro mumwe muAmerica anogara muJapan. “KuwokuMadokero,” mumwe akanyora kudaro pamusoro peKrisimisi yeJapan, “harisati riri garukuni [risati richiwanzowanika mumisika yeJapan] rinoshaika, asi chinokosha zvikurusa chezvinhu, mudzimu.”
Chii, ipapoka, chiri mudzimu weKrisimisi? Mugariro womunamato wechechi nenziyo dzayo, muti weKrisimisi, uye makenduru, izvo nokuda kwavazhinji zvinoshandiswa nokuda kwerwendo rwazvo rutsvene rumwe rwegore negore rwokuenda kuchechi here? Kana kuti rudo, mufaro, uye kupa zvipo izvo zvinosunda vazhinji kuva vane rupo here? Runyararo runotekeshera panzvimbo inotarisana varwi nomuvengi apo varwi vanochengeta mazuva mashomanene o“rugare pasi pano” here?
Nenzira inoshamisa, mudzimu weKrisimisi unowanzokundikana kuunza rugare kunyange kumisha. Mukuwirirana nokunzvera kwa 1987 muEngland, kwakafungidzirwa kuti ‘mabopoto omudzimba’ aizotanga mu 70 muzana yemisha yeBritain mukati meKrisimisi gore iroro. Kurwira mari kwaizova chisakiso chikuru. Kunyanyonwisa uye kusaita basa romumwe mumhuri kunotungamirirawo kukurwa.
“Ndinoshamisika kana tisiri kushaiwa chimwe chinhu pamusoro perevo yechokwadi yeKrisimisi,” akanyora kudaro mumwe wokuMadokero anogara muJapan uyo akashanyira musha wake mukati menguva yeKrisimisi misi ichangobva kupfuura. “Dec. 25 ari wose, ndinonzwa chishuvo chimwe chetecho chokudzokera kurudzi rwuya rwechinyakare rweKrisimisi yekare kare—chinoitika chechihedheni chaichengeta nguva yomuchando apo zuva rinenge riri kure zvikurusa napasi kupfurikidza nokunamata miti nokuva namapati oudhakwa. Tichine misungo yose yechihedheni—miti yemistletoe, yeKrisimisi, yefir uye zvichingodaro—asi neimwe nzira Krisimisi haina kutongova imwe cheteyo chifo cheapo yakavhozhokerwa namaKristu ndokuchinjwa kuva mutambo worudzidziso.”
Nenzira isingarambwi, Krisimisi izororo rechihedheni. MaKristu apakuvamba haana kuichengeta “nemhaka yokuti airangarira kuchengetwa kwokuberekwa kwomunhu upi noupi kuva tsika yechihedheni,” inodaro The World Book Encyclopedia. Mitambo yechihedheni yeSaturnalia neGore Idzva manyuko okupembera nokupana zvipo.
Kana Krisimisi iri zvikurukuru yechihedheni, maKristu echokwadi anofanira kubvunza mubvunzo wokuti, Krisimisi ndeyamaKristu here? Ngationei izvo Bhaibheri rinotaura pamusoro pokuchengetwa kwezuva rokuberekwa kwaKristu.
[Bhokisi riri papeji 4]
Mavambo Okuchengeta Krisimisi
Kunyange zvazvo udzame chaihwoihwo hwakarasika mumhute yenguva yekare kare, zviratidzo ndezvokuti pakazosvika 336 N.V., chimiro chakati cheKrisimisi chakanga chichichengetwa nechechi yeRoma. “Musi weKrisimisi wakaiswa namaune pana December 25,” inotsanangura kudaro The New Encyclopædia Britannica, “kudzikatidza mutambo mukuru wamwari wezuva.” Ipapo pakanga pari apo vahedheni vakapinda mumapati okudhakwa mukati memitambo yezvose zviri zviviri Saturnalia yeRoma namabiko eCelt nechiGermany enguva yomuchando apo zuva rinenge riri kure zvikurusa napasi. The New Caxton Encyclopedia inotaura kuti “Chechi yakashandisa banza racho kuita kuti mitambo iyoyi ive yechiKristu.”