Miningi Imibuzo—Zimbalwa Izimpendulo Ezanelisayo

EKUSENI ngoSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta, ngo-November 1, 1755, kwaba khona ukuzamazama okukhulu komhlaba edolobheni laseLisbon ngesikhathi zonke izakhamuzi zakhona zisesontweni. Kwabhidlika izinkulungwane zezakhiwo, kwafa izinkulungwane eziningi zabantu.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwaleso sigemegeme, umlobi ongumFulentshi uVoltaire wakhipha incwadi yakhe ethi Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne (Poem on the Lisbon Disaster), lapho akuchitha khona ukuthi leyo nhlekelele yayiyisijeziso esivela kuNkulunkulu ngenxa yezono zabantu. Eveza ukuthi kunzima ngomuntu ukuba aqonde noma achaze izinhlekelele ezinjalo, uVoltaire wabhala wathi:

Imvelo ayikhulumi, akusizi ukubuza yona;

Sidinga uNkulunkulu okhuluma nabantu.

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi uVoltaire wayengeyena owokuqala ukubuza imibuzo ngoNkulunkulu. Kuwo wonke umlando wesintu, izigemegeme nezinhlekelele bezilokhu zibangela imibuzo ezingqondweni zabantu. Ezinkulungwaneni ezidlule zeminyaka, inzalamizi uJobe, eyayisanda kufelwa yizo zonke izingane zayo futhi izwa iminjunju yesifo esibi, yabuza: “Kungani [uNkulunkulu] enika osenkathazweni ukukhanya, nokuphila labo abanomphefumulo omunyu?” (Jobe 3:20) Namuhla, abaningi bazibuza ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani ukuba uNkulunkulu omuhle futhi onothando kubonakale sengathi ubukele nje kube kunokuhlupheka nokungabi nabulungisa okungaka.

Lapho behlaselwa indlala, impi, ukugula nokufa, abaningi bakuphika ngokuphelele ukuthi ukhona uMdali osikhathalelayo isintu. Esinye isazi sefilosofi esingakholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona sathi: “Ayikho into engenza uNkulunkulu angabi nacala ngokuvumela ukuhlupheka kwengane, . . . ngaphandle-ke uma engekho.” Izigemegeme ezinkulu, njengokuQothulwa Kwesizwe kwangeMpi Yezwe II, zenza abantu bafike eziphethweni ezifana naleso. Phawula lokhu okwashiwo umlobi ongumJuda kwelinye iphephandaba elincane: “Isizathu esilula kunazo zonke salokho okwenzeka e-Auschwitz siwukuthi akekho uNkulunkulu ongangenela ezindabeni zabantu.” Ngokwenhlolo-vo eyenziwa eFrance ngo-1997, lapho iningi labantu lingamaKatolika, amaphesenti angaba ngu-40 abantu bakhona ayangabaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona ngenxa yokuqothulwa kwezinhlanga zabantu, njengalokho okwenzeka eRwanda ngo-1994.

Ingabe Kuyisithiyo Esibangela Ukungabi Nalukholo?

Kungani uNkulunkulu engangeneli avimbele izinto ezimbi zingenzeki? Omunye umbhalimlando ongumKatolika uthi kwabaningi lo mbuzo “uyisithiyo esikhulu esibangela ukungabi nalukholo.” Ubuza athi: “Ngempela, kungenzeka yini ukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu obukelayo kube kufa izigidi zabantu abangenacala futhi kubhuqwa isizwe sonke sabantu emhlabeni, angenzi lutho ukukuvimbela?”

Enye ingosi yomhleli ephephandabeni i-La Croix nayo yathi: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yizigemegeme zangesikhathi esidlule, izimo ezimbi ezidalwa ezobuchwepheshe, izinhlekelele zemvelo, ubugebengu obuhleliwe, noma ukufa komuntu esimthandayo, kukho konke lokhu abantu abashaqekile babheka ezulwini bebuza bethi, Uphi uNkulunkulu? Bafuna impendulo. Akayena yini Umuntu Omkhulu Ongenandaba, Umuntu Omkhulu Ongekho?”

UPapa John-Paul II wakhuluma ngale ndaba encwadini yakhe yobuphostoli ka-1984 i-Salvifici Doloris. Wabhala wathi: “Nakuba ukuba khona kwezwe kunjengokungathi kuvula amehlo omphefumulo womuntu ukuze abone ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, abone ukuhlakanipha, amandla nobukhulu bakhe, ububi nokuhlupheka kubonakala kuzisitha lezi zimfanelo zakhe, ngezinye izikhathi kakhulu impela nje, ikakhulukazi uma nsuku zonke sibona ukuhlupheka okuningi kangaka okungadingekile nezenzo ezimbi eziningi kangaka ezingakhishelwa isijeziso esifanele.”

Ingabe ukuba khona kukaNkulunkulu onothando oluphelele namandla onke, njengoba evezwa eBhayibhelini, kuyavumelana nokwanda kokuhlupheka kwabantu? Ingabe uyangenela ukuze avimbele izigemegeme ezenzeka kubantu ngabanye noma emaqenjini abantu? Ingabe kukhona asenzela khona namuhla? Uma sicaphuna amazwi kaVoltaire, ingabe ukhona “uNkulunkulu okhuluma nabantu” ongaphendula le mibuzo? Sicela ufunde isihloko esilandelayo ukuze uthole impendulo.

[Izithombe ekhasini 3]

Ukucekelwa phansi kweLisbon ngo-1755 kwabangela ukuba uVoltaire athi kunzima ngomuntu ukuba aqonde izenzakalo ezinjalo

[Imithombo]

Voltaire: From the book Great Men and Famous Women; Lisbon: J.P. Le Bas, Praça da Patriarcal depois do terramoto de 1755. Foto: Museu da Cidade/Lisboa

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Abaningi bayangabaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona ngenxa yemiphumela ebuhlungu yokuqothulwa kwezinhlanga zabantu njengalokho okwenzeka eRwanda

[Umthombo]

AFP PHOTO

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]

COVER, children: USHMM, courtesy of Main Commission for the Prosecution of the Crimes against the Polish Nation