Lapho Amathemba Okuthula Eshabalala
ABANTU abambalwa kakhulu babelindele ukuba u-1914 ube unyaka ongafani neminye. Eqinisweni, ikusasa labonakala likhanya ngokungavamile kubantu eminyakeni eyayingaphambili. Isayensi yayithuthuka ekumelaneni nezifo. Futhi kuthiwani ngempi? Phela, njengoba iphephandaba laseVatican iL’Osservatore Romano lasho ngoFebruary 1991, ngaphambi kuka-1914 umphakathi “wawukholelwa ukuthi impi yayisichithiwe yasiwa kude kakhulu nenkumbulo engokomlando” nanokuthi ekugcineni umuntu wayephila “enkathini lapho impi yayichithwe abantu kanye nohulumeni abakhanyiselwe.”
Nokho, u-1914 neminyaka eyalandela yayigcinele umphakathi owanelisekile izinto ezinonya ezazizowumangalisa. Eyokuqala kwakuyimpi okwakuthiwa iMpi Enkulu ka-1914-18 leyo eyashabalalisa amaphupho okuthula. Empeleni, iL’Osservatore Romano layibiza ngokuthi “ukuchithwa kwegazi okukhulu komlando wanamuhla, okuphawulwa phakathi kokunye, izinto zobuchwepheshe ezitholakele lezo ososayensi abakhulu bezizukulwane zangaphambili ababekholelwa ukuthi zinikezelwe ezinhlosweni zokuthula.” Impi yenza isayensi yaba inhlekisa njengendlela yokufinyelela ukuthula; esikhundleni salokho, isayensi yenza impi yaba namandla okubulala abantu abaningi engakaze ibe nawo ngaphambili.
Futhi lapho ukuchithwa kwegazi okukhulu sekuphelile, kwaqalisa okunye ukubulala. Umkhuhlane waseSpain wango-1918-19 wabulala abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-20—ukufa kwabantu okungaphezulu kakhulu kunokweMpi Enkulu ngokwayo. Kwathathwa izinyathelo ezinqala; kwamanye amazwe ukusakaza lesifo kwabhekwa njengecala lokwephula umthetho. Amaphoyisa ayebabopha ngisho nokubabopha abantu ababethimula emphakathini! Kodwa kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya. Njengesiphepho esinamandla, lesisifo sakhukhula ngokungaphazanyiswa kwaze kwaba yilapho siziyekela. Kwamanye amadolobha saqotha imbokodo nesisekelo. Izidumbu zanqwatshelaniswa ezindaweni zedolobha zokugcina izidumbu ezingakakhonjwa.
Inkathi yenguquko eyafika ngo-1914 yashiya umuntu ekhungathekile. Amathemba akhe akhohlisayo okunqoba impi nezifo, amaphupho akhe okuthula komhlaba okulethwe ukuhlakanipha komuntu, kwasala kudephuneke ngendlela edabukisayo. Futhi njengoba izinto zaziqhubeka ziba zimbi kakhulu, njengoba iMpi Enkulu yehliselwa ezingeni eliphansi lokuba iMpi Yezwe I yehliswa enye enkulukazi eyalandela, iMpi Yezwe II, njengoba izifo, ubumpofu, indlala, kanye nokungabi namthetho kwakuqhubeka kuqubuka ngezilinganiso eziwumqedazwe kuwo wonke umhlaba, izazi zomlando zaqala ukuqaphela u-1914 njengonyaka wenguquko enkulu emlandweni wesintu.
Kodwa ngokungafani nezwe lonke, Abafundi BeBhayibheli Bomhlaba Wonke (njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi) balindela ukuba u-1914 ube unyaka obaluleke kakhulu ngaphambili kakhulu kokuba ufike. Futhi eminyakeni eminingi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, oFakazi BakaJehova abazange bamangale ukubona izwe liwohloka liba ubishi eliyilo namuhla. Iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ziye zabasiza ukuba balindele lezizenzakalo nokuba babone ngisho nesikhathi esikhazimulayo sethemba elingalé kwalokhu. Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani? Lapho oFakazi BakaJehova bekuvakashela esikhathini esizayo, ungababuza ngakho. Noma ungabhalela abashicileli balomagazini.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 32]
Redrawn from artwork of Franklin Booth