‘Ukushumayela Ivangeli’ Ngomsebenzi Wokuthuthukisa Umphakathi
UKUO TUNG, insizwa engumBuddha yaseHong Kong, wathola imfundo yasekholiji. UHsiu Ying, umama waseTaiwan, wathola ukwelapha okwakudingeka kakhulu ekuguleni okungathi sína kwendodana yakhe. Yini lezenzakalo ezimbili ngokusobala ezingahlangene ezifana ngayo?
UKuo Tung wayengenakucabanga ngisho nokucabanga ngemfundo yasekholiji. Kodwa ngenxa yesonto asonta kulo, iminyango yamvulekela. Ngokufanayo, inqubo yokwelapha enemicikilisho eyayidingwa indodana kaHsiu Ying yayitholakala kuphela esibhedlela sesonto esisendaweni yakubo. Futhi, ngenxa yobuhlobo nesonto, inkinga yaxazululwa.
Indaba kaKuo Tung nekaHsiu Ying ayiyona neze engavamile. Izinkulungwane zabantu base mazwe ni asathuthuka ziye zathutheleka ezikoleni, ezibhedlela, ezindlini zezintandane, nakwezinye izakhiwo zomphakathi ezingezamasonto. Ngalendlela ziye zazizuzela inzuzo enkulu yezinto ezibonakalayo. Futhi kulokhu, ngokuzihlanganisa nesonto abaningi babo baye basiza ekugcwaliseni izinhlu zamalungu esonto.
Umkhuba Onomlando Omude
Yebo, izikole nezibhedlela zamasonto aziyona into entsha. Eqinisweni, kusukela ezinsukwini zakudala lapho izithunywa zevangeli zazithunyelwa kulokho abanye abaye bakubiza ngokuthi amazwe obuhedeni anobutha, izikole nezibhedlela ziye zabhekwa njengendlela ephumeiela kakhulu yokuvula amasimu amasha nokuzuza ukwethenjwa nobungane babantu bendawo.
Ngokwesibonelo, ichaza isimo saseNdiya ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19leminyaka, incwadi ethi Nineteen Centuries of Missions (1899) ithi: “Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi izithunywa zevangeli zihlanganyela ngobuqotho emsebenzini wobuvangeli, kodwa futhi zisebenza ngempumelelo ephawulekayo emsebenzini wemfundo, wezokwelapha nowezenana.” Uba yini umphumela? “Indawo ngayinye enesithunywa sevangeli inezikole zayo zasemini, izikole zemisebenzi yezandla nalezo okufundwa kuhlalwa kuzo, isikole esiphakeme noma ikholiji, futhi cishe endaweni ngayinye, kukhona nesikole sabefundisi.”
Ikhuluma ngengxenye yomsebenzi we zokwelapha “emkhankasweni wezithunywa zevangeli,” lencwadi iyaqhubeka: “Ngaso sonke isikhathi udokotela wamukelekile, futhi ukwelapheka okungokomzimba akufaki nje kuphela ithemba kudokotela, kodwa ngokuvamile kulandelwa ukholo enkolweni ayifundisayo. Ngokuvamile wonke amadolobhana aholwa njengokomphumela wezokwelapha, ukuba ayeke ukukhulekela izithombe futhi amukele imfundo yobuKristu.”
Lokho okwakwenzeka eNdiya kwenzeka futhi nakwamanye amazwe aseMpumalanga Ekude, eNingizimu Melika, naseAfrika. Umqondo wokushumayela ivangeli ngezindlela zokuthuthukisa umphakathi wawusuchumile. Imiphakathi yezithunywa zevangeli yase Yurophu naseMelika, kokubili engamaKatolika nengamaProthestani, yathumela izisebenzi zayo kulezindawo futhi yamisa izindawo zezinkonzo zayo nezikole zayo, izibhedlela, nezinye izakhiwo. Konke lokhu kwabonakala kuphumeiela kakhulu ekukhangeni abantu bendawo kangangokuthi umsebenzi onjalo womphakathi ngokushesha waba yingxenye eyinhloko yomsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli zaphesheya osekelwa amasonto.
Phakathi neminyaka lezakhiwo zamasonto ziye zakhula zathatha indawo ebaluleke kakhulu emiphakathini yawo. Izikole namayunivesithi awo ngokuvamile ayizakhiwo ezinesithunzi kakhulu nezilandelelwa kakhulu zemfundo ephakeme. Ngokuvamile, izibhedlela zawo zihlonyiswe kahle kakhulu futhi zihambisana nesikhathi. Futhi, ezindaweni eziningi, lapho ohulumeni becindezelwe kanzima izinkinga ezinkulu zomphakathi, ziyemukelwa, noma futhi zinikezwe udumo.
Akukho kungabaza ngokuthi izinkonzo ezinikezwa ngohlelo olunjalo ziye zaphumela enzuzweni enkulu yomphakathi okhonzwa ngaleyondlela. Izikole namayunivesithi amasonto kuye kwanikeza izinkulungwane ezingokoqobo zabafundi imfundo abebengeke bayithole ngenye indlela. Izibhedlela ezinjalo nemithola-mpilo kuye kwasiza abantu abaningi ngokungenakubalwa ezindaweni ezingazodwa nezisasilele emuva. Ngokwesibonelo, umsebenzi wokusiza umphakathi ka-Albert Schweitzer ‘noMama’ uTeresa, waziwa kahle ezweni lonke futhi bobabili baye bazuza umklomelo wokuthula kaNobel.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umuntu kumelwe abuze: Ingabe ivangeli lomphakathi liyifinyelele ngempela injongo yalo? Ingabe liye labenza baba amaKristu angempela labo abaye bazuza emisebenzini yomusa? Ingabe liye lanikeza abantu ukholo nethemba leqiniso? Okubaluleke ngisho nangokwengeziwe, kumelwe sibuze: Ingabe yilokho uJesu ayenakho engqondweni lapho ethuma abalandeli bakhe ukuba ‘bashumayele ivangeli ezweni lonke’?—Mathewu 24:14.