Ingabe Wake Wadunyazwa Yigama?
WAKE wayithenga impahla enegama elikhangayo, kodwa kamuva wathola ukuthi igama layo aliyifanele? Wadumazeka, akunjalo? Ngokunokwenzeka wanquma ukuba ungabuye uyithenge leyompahla. Izigidi zabantu namuhla ziye zaba nokuhlangenwe nakho okufanayo ngenkolo. Ekuqaleni zakhangwa igama “lobuKristu” zase zidunyazwa yilokho ezakubona futhi zahlangabezana nakho.
Ngokwezibalo, cishe oyedwa kwabane emphakathini wezwe ucatshangelwa ukuba umKristu. EMelika naseYurophu isilinganiso siphakeme kakhulu. Kodwa ingabe izibalo zinikeza umbono oyiqiniso? Kuthiwani ngawe? Ingabe wabhapathizelwa enkolweni yobuKristu? Uma kunjalo, ingabe uzicabangela njengomKristu? Noma ingabe kumane kuyigama nje?
Ukuze sifanekise ukuthi sisho ukuthini, ake sithathe izibonelo ezimbili, iSpain, izwe lamaKatolika, neUnited Kingdom, izwe lamaProthestani. Enye i“encyclopedia” ibeka ukungena kwenkolo eSpain phakathi nawo-1960 ngendlela elandelayo: AmaRoma Katolika, 31 200 000; amaProthestani, 43 000; amaJuda, 5 000. Ngakho-ke, ngokwenkolo, iSpain yayinamaKristu angamaphesenti ayi-99,85. Nokho, njengasemazweni amaningi, iSpain inalo inani labangakholelwa kuNkulunkulu, abangakholelwa kuNkulunkulu ngoba bengamboni, amaKatolika namaProthestani abuthakathaka. Ngokuqinisekile amaphesenti ayi-99,85 awayi esontweni masonto onke, hhayi ngisho minyaka yonke.
Okufanayo kungashiwo ngeUnited Kingdom, nakuba kungezinga eliphakeme. I“encyclopedia” efanayo ibeka inani labantu benkolo ngendlela elandelayo: ISonto laseSheshi, 27 500 000; elamaRoma Katolika, 6 000 000, namanye amanani ezinkolo ezingabaliwe eziyinhloko. Bangaki kulabobantu abayizi-27 500 000 abangamaSheshi ngokoqobo? Bambalwa kakhulu, uma wahlulela ngokwezilinganiso ezingokomthetho. Akuyi ngisho namaphesenti ayi-10 ngesikhathi esivame ukuba nabantu abaningi somkhosi wamaIsta.
Ngakho-ke lokhu kubonisani? Ukuthi ngokuvamile kukhona umahluko phakathi kwegama lesonto nalokho elikukhiqizayo. Kungenye into ukuthi ungumSheshi noma ungumKatolika, kodwa kungenye indaba ukuba yilungu elingokoqobo lalezozinkolo. Ngokufanayo, kungenye into ukuthi ungumKristu, kodwa ngokuqinisekile kuyindaba ehlukile ukuba umKristu, noma ukuba umuntu onjengoKristu.
‘Nakuba kunjalo-ke uyini umKristu?’ ungase ubuze. Imibono iyehlukahlukana kulokhu, kodwa ake ubone ukuthi owakho uyavumelana yini nemibono elandelayo nethandwayo:
Noma ngubani okholelwa kuJesu Kristu.
Noma ngubani owabhapathizelwa esontweni lobuKristu.
Noma ngubani oyilungu noba-khona esontweni lobuKristu.
Noma ngubani ongamlimazi umakhelwane wakhe futhi omsizayo lapho engase akwazi.
Noma ngubani ophila ngeBhayibheli.
Yilabo aba“zalwe ngokusha” kuphela.
Yilabo kuphela abakholelwa kupapa.
Yebo, imibono miningi futhi yehlukahlukene, kakhulu kangangokuba umlobi ongokwenkolo ofundisa eyunivesithi uNinian Smart washukunyiselwa ukuba alobe: “UbuKristu buyimfihlo enkulu yezinkolo ezinkulu. . . . Buqala ngenkolo yobuOrthodox yaseMpumalanga, kuye kubuKatolika, kwedlulele nasemasontweni nasemahlelweni amakhulu nahlukahlukene obuProthestani. . . . Buvumela impi nokuthula, nezindela nezimpi zezwe, ukubusa kobushiqela nokweningi, ukushumayela namasiko, ulwazi lwezwe nalabo abalwenqabayo ulwazi.”
Kodwa ingabe lokho kuyiqiniso ngempela? Ingabe ubuKristu boqobo buyayemukela impi, izimo zezwe neminye imisebenzi eminingi ephikisanayo eye yavunyelwa kweLobukholwa kulamashumi eminyaka ambalwa okugcina? Buyini ubuKristu boqobo? Futhi ingabe ubuKristu banamuhla bungokoqobo?