IBetlehema—Uphawu Lobunye BobuKristu Nothando?
“IBETLEHEMA . . . iwubufakazi bothando olungenasiphelo, iyisifundo sokuthobeka.”—Maria Teresa Petrozzi, umlobi wencwadi ethi Bethlehem.
Ingabe iBetlehema isho okuthile okufana nalokho kuwe? Mhlawumbe kunjalo, njengoba amakhulu ezigidi zabantu abaqotho, abathanda ukuthula emhlabeni wonke babheka iBetlehema ngokuyihlonipha, ikakhulukazi phakathi nesikhathi sikaKhisimusi. Bayaqaphela ukuthi lomuzi omncane oseMpumalanga Ephakathi uyindawo okwazalelwa kuyo “iNkosi yokuthula,” uJesu Kristu. Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka abathatha uhambo lokuyokhulekela baye bathutheleka lapha ukuze bavakashele enye yezindawo ezingcwele kakhulu zeLobukholwa, futhi mhlawumbe ukuze bayidumise. Leyo uMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu, indawo engokwesiko okwazalelwa kuyo uJesu Kristu. Usesakhiweni esikhulu, esingokomlando esibizwa ngokuthi iSonto Lokuzalwa KukaJesu.—Isaya 9:6; Mathewu 2:1.
Nokho, empeleni, ingabe lezindawo ezingcwele ezingokwesiko ziye zasebenza njengezindawo okugxiliswe kuzo ubunye bobuKristu, uthando, nokuthobeka? Yini ophetha ngayo kulokhu okulandelayo?
Umbhali ongumKatolika uMaria Teresa Petrozzi uyaphawula kwethi Bethlehem: “Kusukela ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka, [iBetlehema] yaba nemibango enzima nechitha igazi phakathi kwamaLatin [amaRoma Katolika] namaGreki [amakholwa obuOrthodox angamaGreki] efuna ukuba negunya esontweni lokuZalwa KukaJesu.” ‘Lemibango echitha igazi’ eyenzeka njalo ngenxa yokufuna ukulawula ivame ukugxila enkanyezini yesiliva eMhumeni Wokuzalwa KukaJesu, ongaphansi komhlaba, ngaphansi kweSonto Lokuzalwa KukaJesu. Lenkanyezi kuthiwa iwuphawu lwendawo yangempela yokuzalwa kukaKristu. UR. W. Hamilton uyabika encwadini yakhe ethi The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem: “Kwaziwa kahle kakhulu ukuthi emibili yemibuzo empikiswaneni ephakathi kweFrance neRussia eyaholela empini yaseCrimea yayiphathelene nokufuna kwababangisanayo ukuba nezihluthulelo zeminyango emikhulu yesakhiwo esikhulu sesonto nezegumbi elingaphansi [uMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu], kanye nokuntshontshwa okuyimfihlakalo ngobunye ubusuku ngo-1847 kwenkanyezi yesiliva enombhalo wesiLatin eyayibekwe etsheni eliwugqinsi lemabula ngaphansi kwealtare lokuZalwa KukaJesu.”
Ngenxa yezingxabano eziqhubekayo eziphakathi kwezinkolo kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka ngokuba namalungelo kulezindawo, “amalungelo enkolo ngayinye manje abhalwe phansi ngokucophelela. Ngokwesibonelo, ezibanini ezingu-53 ezisemhumeni, amaFranciscan avunyelwa kwezingu-19. IAltare Lokuzalwa KukaJesu lingelamaGreki, futhi amaLatin awavunyelwe ukwenza izinkonzo lapho.”—Historical Sites in Israel.
Phakathi nesikhathi sikaKhisimusi, uma isimo esingokombangazwe sivuma, ngamunye wemiphakathi yenkolo ekhona yeLobukholwa wenza iMisa likaKhisimusi wawo siqu futhi ube nodwendwe oludabula eBetlehema. NgoDecember 24 no-25, amaLatin aba nodwendwe neMisa laphakathi kwamabili eSontweni LikaSaint Catherine, eduze neSonto Lokuzalwa KukaJesu, manje elihlanganyelwa amaGreki namasonto obuOrthodox bama-Armenia. NgoJanuary 6, amasonto obuOrthodox bamaGreki, bamaSiriya, nobamaCopt agubha amaMisa awo kaKhisimusi. NgoJanuary 18, kwenziwa iMisa LikaKhisimusi LobuOrthodox Bama-Armenia, nodwendwe ngoJanuary 19.
Ingabe lokhu okungenhla kusikisela ukuthi izindawo ezingcwele ezingokwesiko zaseBetlehema ‘ziwubufakazi bothando olungenasiphelo, isifundo sokuthobeka’? Ngaphezu kwalokho, ingabe zibonisa iqiniso ngezimo zokuzalwa kukaJesu? Ngokwesibonelo, wazalwa nini? Ingabe ngempela wazalelwa kulokho manje okuwuMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu? Futhi ingabe wena nanoma ubani omunye kufanele udumise indawo azalelwa kuyo?
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.