Ingabe UKristu Usekhishiwe KuKhisimusi?
“Njalo ngiyahluleka ukwamukela ukuzijabulisa kwesikhathi sikaKhisimusi. Kimi kuye kwabonakala kungavumelani nakancane nokuphila nezimfundiso zikaJesu.”—UMohandas K. Gandhi.
ABANINGI bangamphikisa ngokuphelele uGandhi. Bangase bathi, ‘Sazini ngempela isikhulu sikahulumeni wamaHindu ngeholide lamaKristu?’ Nokho, kumelwe kuvunywe ukuthi uKhisimusi uye wasakazeka emhlabeni wonke, uthinta zonke izinkambiso zokuphila. Ngo-December ngamunye, leli holide libonakala likuyo yonke indawo.
Ngokwesibonelo, abantu base-Asia abangaba izigidi ezingu-145 bayawugubha uKhisimusi, okuyizigidi ezingu-40 ngaphezulu kunangeshumi leminyaka elidlule. Futhi, uma ngelithi “ukuzijabulisa,” uGandhi ayesho uhlangothi olungelona olungokwenkolo lukaKhisimusi wanamuhla, ukuthenga ngokweqile sonke esikubonayo, kunzima ukuphika ukuthi lesi sici salo mkhosi ngokuvamile kuba yisona esivelele kakhulu. Umagazini i-Asiaweek uyaphawula: “UKhisimusi e-Asia—kusukela ezibanini zawo eHong Kong kuya ezihlahleni zikaKhisimusi ezinde zasemahhotela eBeijing kuze kuyofika emibukisweni yokuzalwa kukaJesu phakathi nedolobha laseSingapore—ngokuyinhloko uyisenzakalo okungesona esingokwenkolo (okungesezentengiselwano ngokuyinhloko).”
Ingabe uKristu usekhishiwe ekugujweni kwanamuhla kukaKhisimusi? U-December 25 uye waqashelwa ngokomthetho kusukela ngekhulu lesine leminyaka C.E., lapho iSonto LamaRoma Katolika limisa lolo suku njengosuku olungokwenkolo lokugubha ukuzalwa kukaJesu. Kodwa ngokokuhlola okwenziwe muva nje e-United States, ngamaphesenti angu-33 kuphela alabo abahlolwa ayenomuzwa wokuthi ukuzalwa kukaKristu kuyisici esibaluleke kakhulu sikaKhisimusi.
Ucabangani? Ingabe ngezinye izikhathi uba nomuzwa wokuthi kukho konke lokhu kukhangisa okufundekelayo, ukuthengwa kwezipho okunezinkinga, ukuhlotshiswa kwezihlahla, ukuhlelwa nokuya emicimbini, ukuthunyelwa kwamakhadi—ngandlela-thile, uJesu uye washaywa indiva?
Abaningi babonakala benomuzwa wokuthi enye indlela uKristu angabuyiselwa ngayo kuKhisimusi iwukwenza imibukiso yoKuzalwa Kwakhe. Cishe uye wawabona amaqoqo anjalo emifanekiso emincane eyakhiwe, emelela umntwana uJesu esemkhombeni engungwe uMariya, uJosefa, abelusi abathile, “izazi ezintathu,” noma “amakhosi amathathu,” izilwane zasesitebeleni, nabanye ababukele. Ngokuvamile kuba nomuzwa wokuthi le mibukiso ikhumbuza abantu ngencazelo yangempela kaKhisimusi. Ngokwe-U.S. Catholic, “umbukiso unikeza umbono othuthukile kunalowo onganikezwa yinoma iliphi ivangeli, nakuba ubuye wenze lokhu kulandisa kube okungekhona nakakhulu okungokomlando.”
Nokho, kungenzeka kanjani ukuba umbukiso woKuzalwa KukaJesu usikisele ukuthi ukulandisa okusemaVangelini eBhayibheli akukhona okungokomlando? Empeleni, kumelwe kuvunywe ukuthi imifanekiso emincane eyakhiwe yapendwa ngobuciko yenza ukuzalwa kukaKristu kube sansumansumane noma inganekwane. Njengoba kuyindela yangekhulu le-13 leminyaka eyawenza wathandeka, umbukiso woKuzalwa KukaJesu wake waba nesizotha ngokufanele. Namuhla, njengezinye izinto eziningi ezihlobene naleli holide, imibukiso yoKuzalwa KukaJesu iye yaba ibhizinisi elikhulu. ENaples, e-Italy, uhide lwezitolo luthengisa imifanekiso eyakhiwe ebekwa emibukisweni yoKuzalwa KukaJesu noma ama-presepi, unyaka wonke. Eminye yemifanekiso ethandwa kakhulu akuyona eyezinto ezisekulandiseni kwamaVangeli, kodwa eyabantu abadumile banamuhla, njengoPrincess Diana, uMother Teresa, nomklami wezingubo zokugqoka uGianni Versace. Kwenye indawo, ama-presepi enziwa ngoshokoledi, i-pasta, ngisho nangamagobolondo asolwandle. Ungabona ukuthi kungani kunzima kangaka ukubona umlando emibukisweni enjalo.
Khona-ke, imibukiso enjalo yoKuzalwa KukaJesu ingawunikeza kanjani “umbono othuthukile kunalowo onganikezwa yinoma iliphi ivangeli”? Ingabe ukulandisa kwamaVangeli akukhona ngempela okungokomlando? Ngisho nalabo abangabaza kakhulu kumelwe bavume ukuthi uJesu wayengumuntu ongokoqobo nongokomlando. Ngakho kumelwe ukuba esikhathini esithile wayengumntwana wangempela, owazalelwa endaweni yangempela. Kufanele ukuba ikhona indlela engcono yokuthola umbono othuthukile wezenzakalo zangesikhathi sokuzalwa kukaJesu kunokumane sigqolozele umbukiso woKuzalwa Kwakhe!
Eqinisweni ikhona. Izazi-mlando ezimbili zabhala ukulandisa okuzimele kokuzalwa kukaJesu. Uma ngezinye izikhathi uba nomuzwa wokuthi uKristu ushaywa indiva kakhulu ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi, kungani ungazihloleli lokhu kulandisa? Kukho, ngeke uthole izinsumansumane noma izinganekwane, kodwa uzothola indaba ethakazelisayo—indaba yangempela yokuzalwa kukaKristu.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Border on pages 3-6, 8, and 9: Fifty Years of Soviet Art