U-1914—Unyaka Wenguquko
KUZOBA iminyaka engu-75 edlule kulelihlobo (enhla nenkabazwe) lapho inhlamvu eyodwa yesibhamu yathatha khona ukuphila kweNkosana uFerdinand yaseHungary eAustria. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, yaqalisa uchungechunge lwezehlakalo ezaphumela empini yokuqala yeplanethi yethu yembulunga yonke—July 28, 1914.
Ababhali nezazi-mlando babhekisela ngokuphindaphindiwe kuleyompi eyesabekayo (nasonyakeni eyokheleka ngawo) njengenkathi yenguquko, noma umugqa ohlukanisayo emlandweni wesintu. Ingabe u-1914 wawuwunyaka onjalo ngempela esintwini?
Phawula lokho okubhalwa uJohn Wilson kuyi Globe and Mail yaseToronto, eOntario, eCanada: “IMpi Yezwe Yokuqala imi njengengqophamlando emlandweni wanamuhla.” Nakuba konke lokho okwasala kuleyompi yembulunga yonke kuyimisele emilé utshani, ombayimbayi abathombile, izikhumbuzo, namathuna, uMnu. Wilson uthi lesosikhathi asenzanga lutho lokuthambisa ukubaluleka kuka-1914 njengonyaka wenguquko.
“Umbono wangenkathi yokubusa kukaQueen Victoria wenqubekela phambili yokuhlela izwe elingcono kakhulu kunawo wonke akhona waphela ngokufa okwesabekayo kwabayizigidi ezingu-10,” kusho uWilson. “Ukucabanga nokugxeka kwanamuhla kwavela ebuzeni nasezinkulumweni ezihlabayo zaseVimy naseFlanders [eFrance entshonalanga naseBelgium]. Singabhekisela kwabesifazane beminyaka yawo-1920 noma abalimi abasala dengwane beminyaka yawo-1930 ngokukhululeka okukhulu kunokuba singabhekisela kubakhi bemibuso nezazi zokuziphatha bangesikhathi sangaphambi kuka-1914. IMpi Enkulu iyinkathi yenguquko, . . . olunye uhlangothi lwayo yisikhathi esidlule esingaziwa esihlehlela emuva emlandweni.”
Kodwa yilokho okwenzeka ngo1914 okufakazela isikhundla sawo njengonyaka wenguquko. Ikude kakhulu nokuba ibe “impi yokuqeda zonke izimpi” eyayihloselwe ukuba ibe yiyo, iMpi Yezwe 1 yamane yalethela izwe uhlobo olusha lwezimpi. Emalahleni ayo ashunqa intuthu kokheleka iMpi Yezwe II—omunye umkhosi ka-1989. Eminyakeni engamashumi amahlanu edlule, ngoSeptember 1, 1939, iJalimane yahlasela iPoland, kwase kuqala impi yezwe yesibili. Njengoba yabulala abantu abayizigidi ezingu-55, eqinisweni yayenza yabonakala ingelutho iMpi Yezwe 1, futhi yaletha ukwesaba okusha, okwesabekayo ezingqondweni zabantu; futhi ayizange iyiqede impi. Kusukela ngo-1945 cishe izimpi ezingu-150 ziye zabulala abantu abacishe babe izigidi ezingu 20!
Ngo-1914 isintu sangenela inkathi embi. Njengoba umlobi uWilson ekubeka: “Kuthoba inhliziyo ukukhumbula ukuthi, kukho konke ukwesabisa kwemisele yempi, ngemva kuka 1918 umphakathi wawukhathalela ukungcwaba abafile emigodini embiwe yalandelana nokubakhumbula. Siphila ngaphansi kosongo lwembubhiso yembulunga yonke amasosha abhubhisa iVimy Ridge angenakuyicabanga. Uma kuba khona enye impi yezwe, ubani oyokwenzela abafile amatshe ezikhumbuzo?
Ngaphambili kakhulu kuka-1914, abaFundi BeBhayibheli abathembekile (njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi) kakade base bekhomba phambili kulowonyaka njengonyaka wenguquko emlandweni wesintu. Ngokokubala kweBhayibheli iminyaka okuthembeke kakhulu, sonke lesisimiso sezwe sezinto sangenela inkathi entsha ngo-1914, inkathi engumvuthwandaba iBhayibheli elibhekisela kuyo ‘njengezinsuku zokugcina.’—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5; Mathewu 24:1-14.
Nokho, iBhayibheli liphawula inkathi ‘yalezizinsuku zokugcina’ njengengaphezu nje kokuba inkathi enezinkinga. Iyisikhathi futhi sethemba. Engalokothi avumele umuntu ukuba azibhubhise empini yokugcina yezwe, uNkulunkulu uthembisa ukungenela futhi avive impi nabo bonke abagcwalisa umhlaba ngobudlova. Ngalesosikhathi zonke izikhali zempi ziyobhujiswa phakade. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke, sonke isintu siyofunda izindlela zokuthula, hhayi zempi. (Isaya 2:2-4; Luka 21:28; IsAmbulo 16:14) Yeka ushintsho okuyoba yilo! Ngokuqinisekile, leyo kuyoba inkathi yenguquko enkulu kunazo zonke emlandweni wesintu.