Ugwayi Nabefundisi

EMINYAKENI engaphezu kwengu-115 edlule, udokotela wezokwelapha uJohn Cowan wabhala incwadi enesihloko esithi, The Use of Tobacco vs. Purity, Chastity and Sound Health. Ngenxa yalokho okuye kwafundwa eminyakeni yamuva ngokuphathelene nemiphumela elimazayo kagwayi, ukuphawula kwakhe ngokubhenywa kwawo abefundisi kwakuhlabe esikhonkosini futhi kuyafaneleka kunoma ubani ofuna ukukhonza uNkulunkulu namuhla. Esahlukweni sesine, esikhuluma ngomphumela wokuziphatha wokubhema ngwayi, uDkt. Cowan uyaphawula:

“Uma ukubhema ugwayi kungalungile emzimbeni—njengoba kuye kwaboniswa ngokucacile—kumelwe futhi kube okungalungile ngokokuziphatha; ngoba kuwumthetho wemvelo ukuthi ‘noma yini eyonakalisa noma elimaza umzimba, yonakalisa nesimiso sezinzwa, futhi ngaso konakala ubuchopho, kanjalo nengqondo.’ Ingqondo yomuntu—imicabango yakhe, amazwi akhe, izenzo zakhe, kuthonywa yindlela asebenzisa ngayo noma asebenzisa kabi ngayo umzimba wakhe. Ugwayi, nakho konke nje okuhlobene nawo, ungcolile—futhi uma ukulimala okubangelayo kunganakwa—imizwa nezenzo ezihlanzekile, ezimsulwa, ezilungile, ezinhle, kungakheka noma kuhlakulelwe kanjani engqondweni. Ake sithi—uma into enjalo ibingase icatshangwe—uKristu, lapho ephila ukuphila kwaKhe okuyisibonelo emhlabeni—eshumayela futhi efundisa ngokuhlanzeka, ubumsulwa, uthando nokuphana—wayefuquza ugwayi, ewubhema ngamakhala futhi ewuququda ngomlomo. Ingabe kwawona nje umcabango onjalo awuzwakali yini uwukuhlambalaza? Kodwa nokho abefundisi—abalandeli, abashumayeli, nabachazi bemithetho yakhe nezimfundiso—bangcolisa imizimba yabo futhi bonakalisa imiphefumulo yabo ngalolukhula olungcolile, olunoshevu. Ingabe amadoda anjalo, noma abalandeli bawo, bangaphila ukuphila okunjengokukaKristu—ukuphila okusezingeni eliphezulu kokuziphatha okuhle? Angikholwa.

“Uma ungase ukwazi, ungazama yini ukuhlanganisa engqondweni yakho, umuntu ominzayo, umlutha wotshwala, noma umuntu obhemayo, nobungcwele benhliziyo? Kunokuthile okungavamile, okucasulayo, okunyanyekayo uma uhlanganisa lemiqondo. Njengoba nje ukulangazela komzimba nezinzwa zangaphandle konakala, kanjalo nomuntu wangaphakathi, isimo sokuziphatha, uyonakala. Umoya omsulwa ngeke, futhi awukwazi, ukuhlala endaweni engcolile. Kunokuhlangana okungokwemvelo phakathi kwezinto ezingokwenyama nezingokomoya, okwenza izimfanelo zokunye zibonise isimo sokunye. Uprofesa wenkolo noyisigqila sikagwayi . . . Angase avume, ngakho konke ukuthembeka nobuqotho, ukuthi ukubhema ugwayi kuwumkhuba omubi, ongalungile ngokokuziphatha; nokho angase athole okushukumisayo ngaphakathi, umthetho wezitho zakhe, ongewona ongokwemvelo, umshukumisela ngokuqaleka okungapheli ekuqhubekeni nalomkhuba, futhi lomthetho ongewona ongokwemvelo ungase ube namandla ngaphezu kwengqondo yakhe engokwemvelo nonembeza kuhlangene. Ingabe ukubhema ugwayi akukhona yini ukwephulwa okusobala komunye wemithetho kaNkulunkulu efakwe emizimbeni yethu? Ingabe ukwephulwa kwanoma yimuphi wemithetho kaNkulunkulu akusona yini isiphambeko nesono? Futhi uma umuntu ephila ngomkhuba wokwephula omunye wemithetho kaNkulunkulu, ngeke yini kube lula futhi kube ngokwemvelo ukudlulela phambili aphule eminye imithetho? Futhi okokugcina, umuntu angabhekwa kanjani njengomfundisi oziphethe kahle, kodwa, ngokuziphatha kwakhe siqu, abe etusa kwezinye izidalwa ukuphila kokuqhubeka neziphambeko ngokumelene nemithetho yokuphila kwakhe?”