Izithombe Zenkolo—Uzibheka Kanjani?
NGO-1888 kwakukhona izikhukhula ezinkulu eCanton, eChina. Imvula ewumvimbi yabulala izitshalo. Bephelelwe ithemba abalimi bakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wabo uLung-wong ukuba umvimbi unqamuke, kodwa kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya. Bethukutheliswe ukunganaki kukankulunkulu wabo, bavalela isithombe sakhe ejele izinsuku eziyisihlanu! Eminyakeni ethile ngaphambili, yena lowonkulunkulu akazange ayinake imikhuleko yabo yokuba aphelise isomiso. Babopha isithombe sakhe ngamaketanga ngaphandle elangeni elikhipha inhlanzi emanzini.
Ngo-1893 isomiso sagadla iSicily. Ukumasha kwabenkolo, ukukhanyiswa kwamakhandlela emasontweni, nokuthandaza ezithombeni konke kwahluleka ukunisa imvula. Bephelelwe ukubekezela, abalimi bahlubula ezinye izithombe izambatho zazo, babhekisa ubuso bezinye odongeni, futhi baze ngisho bacwilisa ezinye ezizibeni zamanzi amahhashi! ELicata, “uSanta” Angelo wahlutshulwa, waboshwa ngamaketanga, wahlanjalazwa, futhi wasongelwa ngokulengiswa. EPalermo, eItaly, “uSanta” Joseph walahlelwa engadini ehangukile ukuba alindele imvula.
Lezi zenzakalo, ezilandiswe encwadini ethi The Golden Bough, ebhalwe nguMnumzan’ uJames George Frazer, zinezincazelo ezikhathazayo. Zibonisa ukuthi kokubili labo abathi bangamaKristu nabangewona amaKristu babonakala benemibono efanayo ngezithombe zenkolo. Kuzo zombili izigaba, abakhulekeli basebenzisa izithombe zabo njengendlela yokuxhumana ‘nosanta’ noma unkulunkulu. Futhi ngokuthakazelisayo, bonke bazama ukushukumisela “osanta” noma onkulunkulu babo abanwabulukayo esenzweni ngokubazwisa izimo ezibuhlungu abakhulekeli babo ababebhekene nazo!
Nokho, namuhla abaningi abasebenzisa izithombe zenkolo babengabheka izenzo ezinjalo njengokweqisa, mhlawumbe ngisho ezihlekisayo. Babengaphikisa ngokuthi kubo izithombe zimane nje ziyizinto ezihlonishwayo—hhayi ezikhulekelwayo. Bangase ngisho bathi izithombe, iziphambano, nemifanekiso yenkolo ependiwe ziyizinto ezivunyelwe ezisiza ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu. Mhlawumbe unomuzwa ofanayo. Kodwa umbuzo uwukuthi: UNkulunkulu uzizwa kanjani ngalokhu? Ingabe kungaba ukuthi ukuhlonishwa kwesithombe ngempela kufana nokusikhulekela? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi imikhuba enjalo empeleni iveza izingozi ezisithekile?