Ingabe Izimpi Ziyohlala Zikhona?
NGOJULY 1, 1916, esifundeni sokulima esihle sasePicardy eNyakatho France, kwaqala iMpi Yokuqala yaseSomme. Ngemva kokudubula ngezinhlokohlela zezibhamu nokuhlasela ngezindiza, amabutho aseBrithani nawaseFrance aqalisa lokho ayenethemba lokuthi nakanjani kwakuzowahlakaza amabutho aseJalimane anamandla ayebhekene nawo. Kodwa awazange ahlakazwe. Kunalokho, ngosuku lokuqala, kwabulawa amasosha aseBrithani ayizi-20 000. Njengoba amasonto eqhubeka, impi yaqhubeka elokhu engahlakazeki. Ngo-October izikhukhula zezimvula zaguqula inkundla yempi yaba ulwandle lodaka. Kwathi kuba phakathi noNovember imiBuso Esizanayo yayisasondele ngamakhilomitha nje ayisishiyalombili. Phakathi nalesosikhathi, kwase kulahleke ukuphila kwamaJalimane ayizi-450 000, abaseFrance abayizi-200 000, nabaseBrithani abayizi-420 000. Amasosha angaphezu kwesigidi, iningi lawo kuyizinsizwa, abhubha kuleyompi!
Lesi kwakumane nje kuyisenzakalo esisodwa empini yezwe yokuqala. Futhi impi yezwe yokuqala kwakungeyodwa kuphela—nakuba kwakungembi kunazo zonke kuze kube yilesosikhathi—ezimpini ezingenakubalwa eziye zalwiwa kuwo wonke umlando. Yeka ukusaphazwa okungenangqondo kokuphila kwabantu!
Kungani abantu bephikelela bebulalana ngalendlela? Kunezici eziningi ezihilelekile, phakathi kwazo singabala ubugovu, isifiso, ukuhaha, kanye nokunxanela amandla nesikhundla. Enye imbangela yempi kuye kwaba ubuzwe. Ngempela, impi ibonisa ukuphawula okunembile ngomlando womuntu okutholakala eBhayibhelini: “Lapho umuntu ebusa omunye kube-ngukulimala kwakhe.”—UmShumayeli 8:9.
Inkolo nayo ngokuvamile iye yaphehla impi. Izimpi zenkolo zeNkathi Ephakathi zazilwiwa izizwe zenkolo ngenjongo engokwenkolo ngokusobala: ukubuyisela iPalestina kweLobukholwa. Kuzo zombili izimpi zezwe zalelikhulu leminyaka, abefundisi bezinkolo ezihlukahlukene baye bazama ukusebenzisa imizwa engokwenkolo yamasosha ukuba bawenze azimisele ngokwengeziwe ukubulala abakanye nawo abangakolunye uhlangothi. Futhi ezinye zezimpi ezidlangile kwamanje zinokuthintana okunamandla nenkolo.
Izinhlansi Zethemba
Ingabe likhona ithemba lokuthi ngolunye usuku izimpi ziyonqamuka? Yebo, likhona. UJesu Kristu ubizwa ngokuthi “iNkosi yokuthula.” Lapho efika emhlabeni, waphila ngokuvumelana naleligama, efundisa abantu ukuba bathande omakhelwane babo njengoba bezithanda. Wabatshela ngisho nokuthi bathande izitha zabo. (Isaya 9:6; Mathewu 5:44; 22:39) Ngenxa yalokho, labo abalalela izimfundiso zakhe ekhulwini lokuqala baba ubuzalwane obunokuthula, bezizwe zonke. Kwakungenakwenzeka ngabo ukuba bahlaselane ngempi. Nokho, ngeshwa, ukholo oluhlanzekile lwalamaKristu akuqala lwangcoliswa kamuva. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, amasonto azigaxa kwezombangazwe nezandla zawo zacwila egazini lezimpi zezizwe.
Esikhathini eside kamuva, izivunguvungu zenguquko zaqala ukuvunguza phezu kweYurophu. Kwabonakala sengathi isintu sasikhathala yizimpi ezinganqamuki. Ngo-1899 nango-1907, imihlangano yezizwe zonke yaqhutshwa eThe Hague, eNetherlands. Emhlanganweni ka-1899, kwenziwa isivumelwano ‘sokuQedwa Kwemibango Yezizwe Zonke Ngokuthula.’ Ngakho njengoba kwakungena ikhulu lama-20 leminyaka, abaningi babenethemba lokuthi izwe lalizokuyeka kancane kancane ukuthambekela kwalo ekuhlaseleni ngempi. Nokho, amathemba anjalo achithwa izibhamu zempi yezwe yokuqala. Ingabe lokhu kwakusho ukuthi amathemba esintu okuthula ayengeke agcwaliseke?
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]
Cover: Redrawn from artwork of Franklin Booth