“Labo Abehlela Phansi Olwandle Ngemikhumbi”

NGAPHANDLE kwetheku laseGloucester, eMassachusetts, e-U.S.A., kume isithombe sethusi somuntu oqondisa umkhumbi, ohlose ukuwuqondisa phakathi nesivunguvungu. Lesi sithombe siyisikhumbuzo sezinkulungwane zabadobi baseGloucester okwaziwa kahle ukuthi bafela olwandle. Esiqwini salesi sithombe nasembhalweni oseduze kunamazwi eHubo 107:23, 24 athi: “Labo abehlela phansi olwandle ngemikhumbi, abahweba emanzini amaningi; Laba babona imisebenzi yeNkosi, nezimangaliso zayo ezinzulwini.”—King James Version.

Ukudoba endaweni enezinhlanzi eziningi e-Atlantic kuwumsebenzi oyingozi kakhulu. Phakathi neminyaka edlule, amadoda angu-5 368 aseGloucester, manje enezakhamuzi ezingaba ngu-30 000, kuthiwa afela olwandle ngesikhathi edoba. Itshe lesikhumbuzo lithi: “Abanye babulawa izivunguvungu eziyingozi namagagasi amakhulu ayevela enyakatho-mpumalanga. Abanye bafa bebodwa esikebheni esincane esadukelana nomkhumbi onoseyili owawubashiye ezindaweni zokudoba. Eminye imikhumbi yashayisana ngesikhathi kunezivunguvungu futhi ngokudabukisayo yacwila. Eminye yashayiswa izitimela zamanzi ngoba yayisemizileni yazo.”

Lesi sithombe siwubufakazi obudabukisayo bokukhandleka nezingozi abadobi abaye babhekana nazo emakhulwini eminyaka. Cabanga ngezinyembezi zokuphelelwa ithemba ezageleza kubantu ngenxa yokufelwa abayeni, obaba, abafowabo namadodana. Nokho, uJehova uNkulunkulu akabakhohlwa abafelokazi, izintandane, noma labo abafele olwandle. Umphostoli uJohane wakhuluma ngalesi senzakalo sesikhathi esizayo: “Ulwandle lwakhipha abafileyo ababekulo, nokufa neHayidesi kwakhipha abafileyo ababekukho.” (IsAmbulo 20:13) Lapho bevuswa, labo “abehlela phansi olwandle ngemikhumbi” bayoyibona ngempela “imisebenzi yeNkosi” emangalisayo.