Ingabe Zikhona Izingelosi Phakathi Kwethu?
Kwenzeka ngokushesha okukhulu. Ejulile emicabangweni futhi engakuqapheli okwenzekayo endaweni akuyo, uMarilynn wazihambela nje waqonda kujantshi wesitimela. Engazelele, wezwa ukundindizela okukhulu. Waphakamisa amehlo, wathola ukuthi wayemi emzileni eqondene ngqó nesitimela esizayo! UMarilynn wema wathi khímilili, kwaphela nasozwaneni. Isitimela sasiseduze kakhulu kangangokuthi wayekwazi ukubona amehlo aluhlaza nobuso bomshayeli wesitimela obushwaqiswe ukwesaba. UMarilynn akazange nanini akulibale okwenzeka ngokulandelayo. “Kwakunjengokungathi ngidudulwa umdondoshiya ngemuva,” esho. “Ngandiza ngisuka emzileni ngayophonseka emalahleni laphaya.” Ehuzuke kancane, uMarilynn wasukuma ukuze abonge umhlengi wakhe—kodwa akabonanga muntu! Waphetha ngokuthini? “Ingelosi ewumbheki wami isindise ukuphila kwami,” kusho uMarilynn. “Bekungaba ubani nje omunye?”
KUNGAZELELWE izwe elinokungabaza libonakala selishabasheka ngezingelosi. Eminyakeni yamuva, kuye kwakhulunywa ngezidalwa zasezulwini emibukisweni yethelevishini, kumabhayisikobho, ngisho nasemdlalweni othile waseshashalazini eBroadway. Izincwadi ezikhuluma ngezingelosi zihamba phambili ezincwadini zenkolo ezithengwa kakhulu. Kunamaqembu, imihlangano yokufundisa, namaphephandaba akhuluma ngezingelosi. Kuye kwenziwa izinhlelo zokukusiza—njengoba esinye isihloko sikubeka kanjalo—ukuba uvumele “‘ingelosi yakho engaphakathi’ kuwe” isebenze.
Abathengisi bawasebenzisa kahle amathuba avelayo aleli sasasa lezingelosi ngokuba batuse uhide olungapheli lwemikhiqizo ethengwayo. “Noma yini enezingelosi ihamba phambili,” kusho umninisitolo obambisene nomunye e-United States. Ngaphezu kwentilibathwa yezincwadi ezithengiswayo, ubala “imifanekiso yezingelosi eyenziwe ngetshe, iziqhano, odoli, izikibha, izithombe namakhadi emikhonzo”—konke kwakha lokho enye intatheli ekubiza ngokuthi “izinzuzo zasezulwini.”
Kodwa lokhu akuyona nje imfashini, kuphikelela abasekeli bezingelosi. Ukuze basekele abakushoyo, banikeza ubufakazi emva kobunye—ukunqwamana nezingelosi “ekuphileni okungokoqobo.” Abanye bathi babone ingelosi isesimweni somuntu. Abanye babone ukukhanya, bezwa izwi, bezwa besindwa othile, noma bezwa beshukunyiswa okuthile abakholelwa ukuthi kunobungelosi. Abaningi, njengoMarilynn, bathi ingelosi yasindisa ukuphila kwabo.
Kwenzekani? “Ngicabanga ukuthi isimo esingokomoya sesiyaphinda siyavuka,” kusho uJoan Wester Anderson, oye wabhala izincwadi ezimbili ezikhuluma ngokunqwamana nezinto “ezingaphezu kwezivamile.” U-Alma Daniel, owasiza ekulotshweni kwenye incwadi, uyiqhubekisela phambili lendaba. Uthi izingelosi “manje zinikezwé umyalo wokuba zizenze zaziwe ukuze kufinyelelwe abantu abaningi ngokwengeziwe. Okwenza sibone okuningi kangaka okuphathelene nazo ukuthi zifuna kube kanjalo. Yizona ezikwenzayo.”
Ingabe lokhu kunjalo ngempela? Noma ingabe kunokunye okuthile okubangela leli huha lezingelosi elikhona manje? Ukuze sithole impendulo, kumelwe sihlole iZwi likaNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli liqukethe iqiniso ngezingelosi, njengoba sizobona.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]
Pages 3 and 4: The New Testament: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources, by Don Rice/Dover Publications, Inc.