Inhlekelele Yeqhwa
“INHLEKELELE engokwemvelo embi kunazo zonke emlandweni wesizwe.” I-Toronto Star yasibiza kanjalo lesi siphepho semvula eyiqhwa sango-January esahlasela izifundazwe zaseCanada, i-Ontario, iQuebec neNew Brunswick. E-United States, uMongameli uBill Clinton wabiza iMaine neNew Hampshire kanye nezingxenye zaseVermont nezingxenye eziyinhloko eNew York njengeziyizindawo zenhlekelele ezazizothola usizo kuhulumeni.
Cishe abantu abangu-35 bafa ngenxa yalesi siphepho esathatha izinsuku ezinhlanu sihambisana nemvula ebandayo. Ngokuvamile imvula enjalo ithatha amahora ambalwa kuphela, kodwa kulokhu umoya ofudumele ohamba ngaphezulu wawume ngaphezu komoya obandayo. Ngakho-ke lapho imvula ifika phansi, yayiba yiqhwa ngokushesha. Lokhu kwakwenza izingqimba zeqhwa ezazifinyelela kumasentimitha angu-8. Ngenxa yesisindo seqhwa, kwawa izihlahla eziningi, izintambo zikagesi, nezigxobo ezihlukahlukene zamandla kagesi, okwakunemiphumela eyethusayo.
EQuebec, izigxobo zikagesi eziningi ezenziwe ngensimbi futhi eziphakeme zawa njengokungathi zenziwe nge-tinfoil. Omunye umshayeli owayekhathazekile walandisa: “Ngabona [isigxobo esiphakeme] sishwilana phambi kwami njengokungathi senziwe ngepulasitiki. Sashwilana kabili, sabe sesiba yindilinga futhi savithika. Izintambo zikagesi zazigcwele yonke indawo emgwaqweni omkhulu. Ngemva kokuwa kwesokuqala, kwalandela ezinye ezintathu eceleni kwaso.”
Ukwanda kweqhwa kwawisa izintambo zikagesi ezingaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-120 000, ezanele ukuzungeza umhlaba izikhathi ezintathu! ECanada, abantu abayizigidi ezintathu kuya kwezine babengenawo ugesi nokokubasa, abanye kwaze kwaphela amasonto amathathu nangaphezulu.
EMaine, lapho uMbusi u-Angus King amisa khona umthetho wesimo esibucayi, abangaphezu kuka-200 000 babengenawo ugesi. “Lena inhlekelele enkulu kunazo zonke zalolu hlobo ezake zahlasela leli lizwe,” kusho lo mbusi. UMbusi waseNew York uGeorge Pataki wathi: “Wonke amadolobha awanawo ugesi.”
Ngasogwini oluseningizimu yoMfula iSt. Lawrence, izigxobo zamandla kagesi ezenziwe ngokhuni ezingu-30 000 zacekeleka phansi phakathi nesiphepho. Ngemva kwamahora angu-17 emvula ebandayo, uJim Kelly, ohlala eduze nalowo mfula enyakatho yeNew York, wabhala: “Asisakwazi ukulunguza phandle ngamafasitela. Akusona nje isithwathwa noma umhwamuko kodwa yiqhwa eliqinile. Umsindo uqhamuka nxazonke zendlu.”
UKelly wachaza: “Kude lé uzwa imisindo enjengokudubula kwesibhamu. Kuthi Qhu! Kuthule. Qhu! Kuthule. Qhu, qhu!” Kamuva, wathola ukuthi le misindo kwakungeyezihlahla ezazephuka nezigxobo zocingo ezazephuka ngokungazelelwe.
Ngokuphambene, izwe lalibukeka lilihle ngokukhangayo, ngisho noma inhlekelele yayilicekele phansi. Kwakwesatshwa ukuthi kungenzeka i-Ontario yayilahlekelwe izihlahla ze-maple eziyizigidi ezingu-20, okwakuzokhinyabeza imboni kasulubha we-maple. Omunye umlimi wakhala: “Izihlahla seziyizinti nje ezibheke phezulu.”
“Inkundla Yempi Enhle”
Lesi esingenhla kwakuyisihloko se-Toronto Star esasichaza iMontreal, idolobha laseCanada okungelesibili ngobukhulu. “Imigwaqo lapha kubonakala sengathi ishaywe amabhomu!” kubabaza esinye isakhamuzi. Umonakalo owawenzekile endaweni yaseMontreal iyodwa waqala walinganiselwa ngaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-1785 zamaRandi.
Isakhamuzi saseBelleville, e-Ontario, sathi: “Kubonakala sengathi bekunempi yenuzi. Kunothuli olumhlophe kuyo yonke indawo, kuyethusa.” Wakubiza ngokuthi “ubuhle obethusayo.”
Isonto elalandela isiphepho, lapho amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu ayengakabi nawo ugesi futhi amakhaza eshubis’umnkantsha, amaphoyisa aqala ukukhipha abantu emizini yabo ebayisa ezindaweni zokukhosela. “Siyabacela noma siyabatshela?” kubuza isikhulu esithile.
“Kumelwe baphume,” kuphendula ophethe. “Kodwa batsheleni kahle.” Wanezela: “Ubungacabanga ukuthi isikhathi sempi.”
Izinhlekelele Ezacishe Zenzeka
Ngenxa yokungabi bikho kukagesi ezindaweni eziningi eMontreal, amarobhothi acima futhi isimiso somzila ohamba ngaphansi savalwa. Ngosuku lokugcina lwesiphepho, iziteshi ezine kwezinhlanu eziphehla amandla kagesi eziphakela idolobha zase zingasasebenzi noma seziwile. Kwaba namiphi imiphumela?
“Ntambama sazithola sibona inkathi yobumnyama eMontreal—singenamanzi,” kuchaza uNdunankulu waseQuebec uLucien Bouchard. “Kwakukhona amanzi ayengasiqhuba amahora amabili ngoba izikhungo ezimbili zamanzi zazivaliwe.” Njengoba abantu babesebenzisa amakhandlela futhi kunokwenzeka ukuba amanzi angabi khona nhlobo, ayemakhulu amathuba okuba kwenzeke inhlekelele.
Kwagwenywa enye inhlekelele cishe emasontweni amabili kamuva lapho isixuku sabantu abangu-1889 sasihlangene emhlanganweni wesifunda eHholo LoMhlangano LoFakazi BakaJehova eMontreal ngo-January 24. Ebusuku, iMontreal yayimbozwe iqhwa elishibilikayo eliwugqinsi olungamasentimitha angu-20, futhi phakathi nesimiso somhlangano sasekuseni, umonakalo wabonakala ezindongeni nasophahleni lwangaphakathi. Isimiso santambama sahoxiswa, futhi kwanxuswa labo ababekhona ukuba bahambe baye emakhaya, bashintshe okokugqoka, babuye bazosebenza.
Phakathi nehora izisebenzi zokuzithandela ezingu-300 ezaziphethe amafosholo, amapiki nezinye izinto zokusebenza zaqala ukususa uphahla olukhulu olungamamitha-skwele angu-7100. Ngemva kokuba sekususwe iqhwa elingaphezulu, kwatholakala ukuthi ezindaweni eziningi iqhwa laliwugqinsi olungaphezu kwamasentimitha angu-60! Kwasetshenziswa amasaha kagesi ukuze kusikwe iqhwa libe izingcezu eziyizikwele, futhi zadonselwa onqenqemeni lophahla zawiselwa phansi. Kwasuswa amathani eqhwa acishe abe ngu-1600! Lapho sekuhlolwa kamuva kwatholakala ukuthi ngenxa yalokho okwenziwa, uphahla lwabuyela endaweni yalo, futhi imifantu ezindongeni yavaleka. Isimiso saphinde saqala ngokuphephile ngeSonto ekuseni.
Basizana
Yiqiniso, abanye abantu kule ndawo babefuna ukuzuza ngokuhlupheka kwabanye phakathi nesikhathi semvula namakhaza, kodwa njengasekhulwini lokuqala, abaningi babonisa “umusa wobuntu ongaphezu kovamile.” (IzEnzo 28:2) I-Daily Sentinel yaseRoma, eNew York, yakhuluma ngoFakazi BakaJehova abaphuma bayosiza abantu: “Amadoda ahlangana eHholo LoMbuso eWatertown ukuze ahleleke futhi ukusuka lapho abelwa ezindlini ezihlukahlukene zamalungu awo. Kodwa babesiza nomakhelwane kuyo yonke imigwaqo.”
Lesi sihloko sathi le mizamo yokusiza ababesosizini yahlelelwa abantu “abangaphesheya endaweni yase-Adams, ePotsdam, eMalone, e-Ogdensburg, ePlattsburgh, eMassena, eGouverneur nase-Ellenburg.” Ezinye izisebenzi zokuzithandela zabasa umlilo kwamanye amakhaya amahora ambalwa ngokuwayinda injini. Ngokudabukisayo, ezindaweni eziningi izinga lokushisa lalehle laba ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa ngemva kwesiphepho.
Ngesinye isikhathi amaphoyisa abona oFakazi bevakashela imizi futhi acabanga ukuthi bangamasela. Lapho oFakazi bechaza ukuthi babenzani, elinye lamaphoyisa lathi, ngemva kwesiphepho, uyise ohlala eMontreal wayesizwe oFakazi BakaJehova, ngisho noma ayengeyena uFakazi KaJehova. Le ndodana yalubonga ngokwazisa usizo olwanikezwa uyise.
Izindawo ezazithintwe kakhulu isiphepho kwakungamadolobha acishe abe yikhulu aseningizimu yeMontreal endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi “unxantathu wobumnyama.” Kwaze kwaphela izinsuku eziyishumi ngemva kwesiphepho, lawa madolobha engakabi nawo ugesi. Eqinisweni, kwaze kwaphela inyanga abantu abaningi bengenawo ugesi! Ihhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova eduze neToronto lenza amalungiselelo okuba kuyiwe khona ngokukhethekile ukuze kunikezwe usizo kulabo abakule ndawo. Izinto ezihlanganisa amalambu kawoyela, amabhetri, namalambu akhanyisa ngamabhetri zathuthwa ngamaloli zayiswa esikhungweni sokwaba esasikhethiwe, zabe sezabelwa labo ababeswele.
Kwenziwa namalungiselelo okuba abadala abangamaKristu bathole ukuthi yini eyayidingwa yilabo ababehlala kulezi zindawo. Elinye iqembu labadala lavakashela amabandla angu-11 ngesonto elilodwa, liqhuba imihlangano eminingi ekhuthazayo. Ngemva kwale mibuthano, lapho kwakunikezwa khona isikhuthazo esingokomoya, akekho owayefuna ukuphindela ekhaya. Abantu bamane bahlala nje bangathi nyaka, bexoxa beqhathanisa okwakwenzekile, bejabulela ukuba ndawonye. Eqinisweni, inani lababeba khona njalo emihlanganweni lalihlala liphakeme emasontweni alandela isiphepho.
Abaningi ababenokokubasa, njengesitofu sezinkuni noma injini yokuphehla ugesi, bamukela labo ababengenakho okokubasa emakhaya abo. Abanye oFakazi babenabantu abaningi abafinyelela ku-20 ababehlala nabo. Futhi abaningi okungebona abakule ndawo eyayingenawo ugesi bahlalisa abanye. Ngokwesibonelo, oFakazi baseSept-Îles, idolobha eliqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha angu-800 ukusuka ‘kunxantathu wobumnyama,’ bahlalisa imikhaya engu-85.
OFakazi ababehlala ezindaweni zasemaphandleni ezikude, njengeRimouski, bacanda izinkuni bazithumela ngomkhumbi. Abanye bathatha isikhathi bebhala imibhalo ezingodweni ababezithumela. Omunye uFakazi wahlanganyela isipho sakhe sezinkuni nomakhelwane wakhe ongeyena uFakazi, owathola ugodo olwalubhalwe umbhalo weHubo 55:16 othi: “UJehova uzakungisindisa.” Ephethe ugodo ngesandla, umakhelwane wabheka phezulu wabe esethi: “Ngiyabonga, Jehova.”
Yisiphi Isifundo Esitholakala Kukho Konke Lokhu?
Abaningi bashaqeka ngokuba yingcuphe kwamandla kagesi nanokuthembela kwabo kuwo. “Ngiyakutshela, uma sesakha umuzi omusha,” kusho enye indoda, “kuzoba khona isitofu sezinkuni, kuzoba khona injini . . . , futhi kuzoba khona nesitofu segesi.”
Cishe emasontweni ayisithupha ngemva kwesiphepho, omunye umhlaziyi wacabanga: “Kwakuyinqwaba yeqhwa, ubumnyama obukhulu, isikhathi esiningi sokucabanga, okulula kakhulu ukukwenza uma ithelevishini icishile.” Wabe esephawula: “Simangazwe ukubona ukuthi kulula kangakanani ukuba silinyazwe isimo sezulu.”
Abafundi beBhayibheli bacabanga ngesithembiso soMdali sokubuyisela umhlaba ekubeni yipharadesi lembulunga yonke ngemva kokususa lesi simiso sezinto, njengoba alisusa izwe elinjalo ngaphambili. (Mathewu 24:37-39; 2 Petru 2:5) Ebhekisela emgodleni wezikhali angazisebenzisa, uNkulunkulu uyabuza: “Wake wangena ezinqolobaneni zeqhwa, wabona izinqwaba zesichotho [kuhlanganise nemvula eyiqhwa] engiziqongelele isikhathi sokuhlupheka nosuku lokulwa nolwempi, na?”—Jobe 38:22, 23.
[Isithombe ekhasini 17]
Izigxobo zikagesi eziphakeme zaphuka njenge-“tinfoil”
[Isithombe ekhasini 18]
Inhlekelele eyayingenzeka yagwenywa lapho izisebenzi zokuzithandela zisusa isithwathwa neqhwa ophahleni lweHholo LoMhlangano
[Isithombe ekhasini 18]
Izinkuni ezanikwa izisulu zesiphepho