Lapho Amasonto Efika ETahiti

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ETAHITI

EKUPHELENI kwekhulu le-18 umoya wobuvangeli waqala ukusakazeka kulo lonke elaseYurophu. EBrithani, uWilliam Carey owayezoba isithunywa sevangeli, washukumisa izinhliziyo zamaProthestani ngokuwanxusa ngobuqotho ukuba ayoshumayela ezindaweni ezazingakathintwa, kuhlanganise neTahiti. UCarey wayeshukunyiswa umyalo uJesu awunika abalandeli bakhe wokuba benze abafundi babantu kuzo zonke izizwe. (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Ngo-1802, incwadi edayiswa kakhulu yomlobi ongumFulentshi uFrançois-Auguste-René de Chateaubriand ethi Le Génie du christianisme (Ubuhlakani BobuKristu) nayo yayizoshukumisa intshiseko yezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKatolika.

Ngokushesha izinhlangano zezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKatolika namaProthestani zaqala ukusakazeka. Ngo-1797 i-London Missionary Society yathumela izithunywa zevangeli ezingu-29 eTahiti. Ngo-1841 kwafika iqembu lamaKatolika ehlelo lamaPicpus Fathers, futhi ngemva kweminyaka emithathu kwafika namalungu eSonto LamaMormon. Kodwa kungakabiphi, izifiki eziningi zaphambuka emsebenzini wazo oyinhloko ongokomoya futhi zahileleka kwezombangazwe nezohwebo. Kungani?

Abalingani Bama-ariʽi

Ekuqaleni, izimfundiso zezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaProthestani azamukelekanga kahle. Ngokomlobi othile, “umyalezo wazo wawugxile kakhulu esihogweni somlilo nesibabule kunasozweleni nasekuthandeni umakhelwane.” Ngaphandle kwalokho, njengoba abashumayeli baqaphela ngokushesha, akekho owayengaba nesibindi sokubhapathizwa njengomKristu kuqala kunama-ariʽi, noma amakhosi, nawo ayenegunya ngokwenkolo. Ngakho, izithunywa zevangeli zanquma ukugxila emakhosini.

Inkosi ethile ngokukhethekile, uPomare II, yazamukela izithunywa zevangeli, izibheka njengabalingani kwezomnotho nakwezempi. Nazo zabheka uPomare njengethuluzi lokuthuthukisa izithakazelo zazo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kusukela ekuqaleni izithunywa zevangeli zaba nethonya elikhulu ngokuba abaxhumanisi phakathi kwabantu baseTahiti namatilosi ayefika njalo ezothenga izinto ezithile.

Ethemba ukuthi izithunywa zevangeli zazizomsiza ekuqhubekiseleni phambili izinhloso zakhe zezombangazwe nokuthenga izikhali ayezidinga, uPomare waba nesithakazelo esigijimini sazo, futhi ngo-1811, wacela ukuba abhapathizwe. Ngonyaka owalandela wabhala incwadi eveza isifiso sakhe. Kodwa kwaphela iminyaka engu-8 isicelo sakhe singamukelwa, ngoba izithunywa zevangeli zazinomuzwa wokuthi kuwukuhlakanipha ukubona ukuthi wayezophila yini ngempela ngokuvumelana nezindinganiso zeBhayibheli zokuziphatha okuhle.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uPomare waphumelela ekuzibonakaliseni eyinkosi engenakwehlulwa yesiqhingi saseTahiti neziqhingi ezingomakhelwane, ezakha iqoqo leziqhingi iSociety Islands. Waphinde wacela ukubhapathizwa. Ekugcineni, ngo-1819, izithunywa zevangeli zavuma.

Umphumela walokho wabonakala ngokushesha. Ingakapheli neminyaka emihlanu, cishe zonke izakhamuzi zaseSociety Islands, intshonalanga yedlanzana leziQhingi zaseTuamotu kanye nengxenye yeziQhingi zase-Austral zase zizibiza ngamaKristu.

UMthetho KaPomare

“Ukuguquka” kwabo bonke abantu bakulezi ziqhingi kwakuhilela ukwamukela izindinganiso ezintsha, amasiko nemithetho balahle emidala. Ukuze enze lokho, uPomare wayethembele ezithunyweni zevangeli. Kwatholakala ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi eside zifisa ukushintsha amasiko abomdabu futhi zinciphise igunya lenkosi. Ngenxa yalokho, izithunywa zevangeli zasamukela isicelo sikaPomare futhi zashaya imithetho emisha eyayihlanganisa “izimiso ezivamile zomthetho-sisekelo waseBrithani, izindinganiso zemibhalo, nemikhuba yezizwe ezingamaKristu,” ngokusho kwencwadi ethile. Ngemva kokubukezwa kaningi kwale mithetho, inkosi yamukela imithetho eyaba ngeyoqala ukuba ibhalwe phansi eTahiti. Yabizwa ngokuthi uMthetho KaPomare.

UMthetho KaPomare waba yisibonelo eziqhingini ezingomakhelwane, lapho kwashaywa khona imithetho efanayo. Lo mthetho wawufuna ukuba kugcinwe iSabatha nakanjani; wawuhlanganisa nezijeziso ngamacala anjengokuphinga, isithembu, ukweba nokuvukela; futhi wawukhipha isigwebo sentambo ngokubulala umuntu nezinsana. Zonke izinhlobo zokuzijabulisa okuxekethile zenqatshelwa.

Ukuhileleka Kwezombangazwe

Izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaProthestani “zazingene shí kwezombangazwe zalesi siqhingi,” kusho incwadi ethi Where the Waves Fall. “Ngaphandle nje kokufeza indima yazo yokusakaza ivangeli, zase zingabahleli bempi, abeluleki bezomnotho, ongqondongqondo bezombangazwe kanye nabasunguli bezomthetho nomthetho-sisekelo.” Ngokufanayo, izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaMormon namaKatolika zaqondisa izindaba zezenhlalo nezombangazwe eziqhingini ezazihlala kuzo. Esiqhingini saseTubuai esiseziQhingini zase-Austral, isithunywa sevangeli esithile esingumMormon sagomela: “Uhulumeni ulawulwa yisonto. . . . Ngingundunankulu walesi siqhingi.” EziQhingini zaseGambier, amaKatolika aba nethonya elifanayo, omunye umfundisi waze wathatha nesikhundla sokuba isikhulu sikahulumeni.

Esikhundleni sokugxila ezintweni ezingokomoya, lezi zithunywa zevangeli “zakhetha ukusakaza ivangeli ngezombangazwe,” kusho isazi-mlando uClaire Laux. Zabheka lokhu njengendlela ephumelela kakhulu yokuthola imiphumela. Ngokwenza kanjalo, zenza ngokuphambene neziqondiso zabaphathi bamasonto azo. Noma kunjalo, kuze kube namuhla, inkolo nezombangazwe kusahlangene eFrench Polynesia.

Indima Yezohwebo

UProfesa Niel Gunson wase-University of Canberra e-Australia uthi kwezinye izithunywa zevangeli, “ezombangazwe zazivula ithuba elikhulu kwezohwebo.” Izithunywa zevangeli eziningi zaba abahwebi—zidayisa, ziqashisa futhi zakha imikhumbi yezohwebo. Ezinye zazinamapulazi, zitshala i-arrowroot, ikhofi, ukotini, umoba nogwayi.

Izithunywa zevangeli zachuma kwezentengiselwano kangangokuba kwaphela iminyaka engu-25 zilawula uhwebo phakathi kwe-Australia neTahiti, ikakhulukazi ngobhekeni namafutha kakhukhunathi. Kodwa ezinye zaziphazanyiswa yile mikhuba futhi zanxusa i-London Missionary Society ukuba ingenele. Ezinye zazinomuzwa wokuthi uhwebo lwalubalulekile ekufinyeleleni imigomo yazo engokwenkolo. Kanjani?

Kusukela ngesikhathi ezafika ngaso, izithunywa zevangeli zasebenzisa ulwazi lwazo lobuchwepheshe nempahla ezaziyenzile ukuze zikhange abantu bakulezi ziqhingi. Zicabanga ukuthi “ukuphucula” abantu kwakuyobenza bajabule, lezi zithunywa zevangeli zakhuthaza ukuzikhandla nokuchuma ngezinto ezibonakalayo, zisho nokusho ukuthi ukuchuma ngezinto ezibonakalayo kwakuwuphawu lwesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu.

Ingabe Kwakuwukuguquka Kwangempela?

Kamuva isazi-mlando se-London Missionary Society sabhala ukuthi ukuguqulwa kwabantu abaningi ngokushesha kulezi ziqhingi “akubangelwanga izisusa zokuziphatha okuhle, ingasaphathwa inkolo engokomoya nokushintsha kwenhliziyo.” UGunson uthi ukuguqulwa kwabantu baseTahiti “kwakumane kuwukufezeka kwesifiso sikaPomare II, kusekelwé emikhubeni yenkolo (hhayi ezinkolelweni) zezithunywa zevangeli zamaNgisi.”

Abantu abaningi baseTahiti babebe amaKristu ngegama nje, futhi ingakapheli neminyaka emingaki, ubuqaba babuya ngezinkani ngenhlangano yezenkolo okuthiwa i-Mamaia. I-Mamaia, eyayiwuhlobo lokukhulekela olunokuziphatha okuxekethile eyamukelwa ngisho nayinkosazana, yayixuba izici zobuKristu nezinkolelo nezindlela ezingokwesiko.

Kwakunokuphikisana okukhulu phakathi kwamaqembu obuProthestani—ayehlanganisa abaseSheshi, abalandeli bakaCalvin, namaWeseli—futhi kunenzondo phakathi kwamaProthestani namaKatolika. Incwadi ethi The Cambridge History of the Pacific Islanders ithi: “Abantu bakulezi ziqhingi babengawuboni umehluko phakathi kwalezi zinkolo, futhi babengawuqondi umbango ononya owawukhona phakathi kwabantu ababethi bangabazalwane.” Ngokwesibonelo, lapho izithunywa zevangeli ezimbili ezingamaKatolika zifika eTahiti, owayeyisithunywa esivelele esingumProthestani wathi mazixoshwe. Lesi senzo sabangela ukushuba kwesimo sezombangazwe phakathi kweBrithani neFrance, okwacishe kwaholela empini. Ekugcineni, iBrithani yavuma lapho iFrance ithi iTahiti kufanele ibe ngaphansi “kwesivikelo” seFrance.

Ifa Elihle

Okuhle ukuthi izithunywa zevangeli eziningi zokuqala zakukhuthaza kakhulu ukufunda futhi zasiza ekuqedeni ukubulawa kwezinsana, ubuzimu nokwenziwa kwemihlatshelo ngabantu. Nakuba ezinye izithunywa zevangeli kungenzeka zaziqinile futhi zinokhahlo, zazama ukuthuthukisa ukuziphatha kwabantu bakulezi ziqhingi.

Isipho sezithunywa zevangeli esiphawuleka kakhulu kwakuwukuhumushela iBhayibheli olimini lwesiTahiti. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokwenza kanjalo, zazisa abantu igama likaNkulunkulu, elisaziwa kakhulu kulezi ziqhingi.a—IHubo 83:18.

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“Aniyona Ingxenye Yezwe”

Lawo mazwi, ashiwo uJesu Kristu, ayisimiso esiqondisa abalandeli bakhe beqiniso. (Johane 15:19) Empeleni, leso simiso sibalulekile kubo kangangokuba uJesu wathandaza kuNkulunkulu, ethi: “Abayona ingxenye yezwe, njengoba nje nami ngingeyona ingxenye yezwe.” (Johane 17:16) Ngenxa yalokho, uJesu akazange ahileleke kwezombangazwe, futhi akazange azisebenzisele ukuthola abalandeli. Wakulahla nokuphishekela ingcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo—okungesinye isibonakaliso somoya wezwe. Kunalokho, wakhuthaza ukuphila okulula okugxile ekuzuzeni ingcebo engokomoya. (Mathewu 6:22-24, 33, 34) Abalandeli bakhe beqiniso balingisa isibonelo sakhe.

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Ukufika kwezithunywa zevangeli zokuqala, ngo-1797

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The Granger Collection, New York

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Isithunywa sevangeli nabaseTahiti abaguqukile, cishe ngo-1845

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INkosi uPomare II

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ITahiti nenhloko-dolobha, iPapeete

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Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme

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Left: Photo by Henry Guttmann/Getty Images; right: Collection du Musée de Tahiti et de ses Îles, Punaauia, Tahiti