U-1921 Sekuleminyaka Engu-100 Wedlula

INQABAYOKULINDA kaJanuary 1 1921 yabuza aBafundi beBhayibhili umbuzo othi, ‘Yiwuphi umsebenzi esikhangelele ukuwenza lonyaka?’ Yabakhuthaza ukuthi bakhuthale emsebenzini wokutshumayela, yasifaka lamazwi atholakala ku-Isaya 61:1, 2 athi: ‘UJehova ungigcobile ukuba ngitshumayele izindaba ezinhle kubayanga. Ukumemezela umnyaka womusa kaJehova, losuku lokuphindisela kukaNkulunkulu wethu.’

BATSHUMAYELA NGESIBINDI

ABafundi beBhayibhili kwakumele babe lesibindi ukuze baphumelele emsebenzini wokutshumayela. Kwakufanele batshumayele “izindaba ezinhle” kwabamnene baphinde batshele abantu abenza izinto ezimbi ‘ngosuku lukaNkulunkulu lokuphindisela.’

Umfowethu uJ. H. Hoskin owayehlala eCanada kazange ayekele ukutshumayela izindaba ezinhle lanxa wayephikiswa. Ngelinye ilanga ngo-1921 umfowethu uHoskin wahlangana lomfundisi weMethodist. Waqalisa ingxoxo ngokuthi: “Ngithemba sizakuba lengxoxo emnandi yeBhayibhili. Lanxa kungaba lalapho esingavumelani khona ngifisi ukuthi sixoxe size siyephetha singazange siphikisane njalo sixabane.” Kodwa lokho akuzange kwenzakale. Umfowethu uHoskin wathi: “Singakakhulumi okuyangaphi, [umfundisi lo] watshaya isivalo ngolaka okukuthi ngangicabanga ukuthi iglasi elalisesivalweni lizaphahlazeka.”

Umfundisi lo watshinga esithi: “Hambani liyetshumayeza abahedeni.” Umfowethu uHoskin kazange amphendule kodwa wathi esehamba wazitshela ukuthi umfundisi lo nguye kanye umhedeni.

Ngelanga elilandelayo umfundisi lo wathi etshumayela esontweni yakhe wakhuluma izinto ezimbi kakhulu ngomfowethu uHoskin. Umfowethu uthi: “Waxwayisa abalandeli bakhe ngami ebatshela ukuthi ngiliqili lokucina lokuthi kwakumele ngidutshulwe.” Lokhu akuzange kumqede amandla umfowethu kodwa waqhubeka etshumayela futhi banengi ababemlalela. Wathi: “Ngakholisa kakhulu ukutshumayela edolobheni leli. Abanye babesithi, ‘Siyazibonela ukuthi ungumuntu weNkosi.’ Babezimisele ukungincedisa ngaloba yini engangiyiswela.”

UKUFUNDA UWEDWA LOKUFUNDA LIYIMULI

ABafundi beBhayibhili babehlala bebhala imibuzo lezimpendulo zeBhayibhili kumagazini okwakuthiwa yi-The Golden Age.a Lokhu babekwenzela ukuncedisa abantu ukuthi balizwisise ngcono iBhayibhili. Uhlelo lwabantwana lokufunda iBhayibhili lwalusiba lemibuzo abazali ababeyixoxa labantwababo. Abazali “babebuza abantwababo imibuzo le besebebancedisa ukuthi badinge izimpendulo eBhayibhilini.” Kwakusiba lemibuzo elula eyayifundisa abantwana ngeBhayibhili. Omunye wakhona wawusithi, “Kulamabhuku amangaki eBhayibhilini?” Omunye wemibuzo owawunceda abasakhulayo ukuthi babe lesibindi sokutshumayela ngothi, “Kambe wonke umKhristu uzahlukuluzwa yini?”

Kwakuphinda kube lemibuzo lezimpendulo zeBhayibhili ezazinceda labo ababelolwazi olujulileyo ngeBhayibhili. Izimpendulo zakhona zazitholakala ebhukwini elithi Studies in the Scriptures Volume 1. Inhlelo lezi zanceda abantu abanengi kakhulu kodwa i-The Golden Age kaDecember 21 1921 yathi inhlelo lezi zazingasoze ziqhubeke zidindwa. Kungani kwaba lotshintsho lolu?

IBHUKU ELITSHA

Ibhuku elithi *The Harp of God*

Ikhadi elibhalwe amakhasi okumele abalwe

Ikhadi elilemibuzo

Ababekhokhela ngalesosikhathi bananzelela ukuthi okwakuzanceda ababefundiswa iBhayibhili yikuthi bafunde indaba eyodwa ngasikhathi sinye. Yikho ngoNovember 1921 kwaba lebhuku elithi The Harp of God. Ababelesifiso sokufunda abaphiwa ibhuku leli babhaliswa ohlelweni lokufunda iBhayibhili. Umuntu ngamunye wayesenelisa ukuzifundela eyedwa. Uhlelo lolu lwanceda abanengi bafunda ukuthi inhloso kaNkulunkulu yikuthi abantu bathole ukuphila okungapheliyo. Lwalusebenza njani?

Kwakusithi umuntu angamukela ibhuku, aphiwe ikhadi elincane elalibhalwe amakhasi okwakumele awabale ebhukwini. Ngeviki elandelayo wayethunyezelwa ikhadi elalilemibuzo emayelana lalokho ayekubalile. Ekucineni kwekhadi kwakubhalwa amanye amakhasi okwakumele awabale.

Kwakuthatha amaviki angu-12 ukuthi umfundi aqede ibhuku leli. Iviki ngayinye, iklasi kumbe ibandla eliseduzane laye lalimthumezela ikhadi. Izikhathi ezinengi ababethumeza amakhadi la ngabagugileyo lababengenelisi ukutshumayela endlini ngendlu. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Anna K. Gardner weMillvale ePennsylvania eMelika wathi: “Ibhuku elithi The Harp of God lamnceda kakhulu udadewethu uThayle ukuthi enze okunengi emsebenzini wokutshumayela. Wayengenelisi ukuhamba kodwa maviki wonke wayesenelisa ukuthumeza amakhadi alemibuzo.” Kwakusithi umuntu angaqeda uhlelo lolu, abesevakatshelwa ngomunye osebandleni ukuze amncedise afunde okunengi okuseBhayibhilini.

UMSEBENZI OKUMELE WENZIWE

Kwathi umnyaka ususiyaphela umfowethu uJ. F. Rutherford wabhalela wonke amaklasi incwadi. Wathi yena, “lonyaka banengi abatshelwe izindaba ezinhle njalo banengi kakhulu abathuthukileyo ukwedlula kweminye iminyaka.” Waqhubeka wathi: “Kusaselomsebenzi omkhulu okumele wenziwe. Khuthazani abanye ukuthi labo bawenze umsebenzi lo obusisekileyo.” Kuyazikhanyela ukuthi lokhu yikho kanye aBafundi beBhayibhili abakwenzayo. Ngomnyaka ka-1922 batshumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso ngesibindi ukwedlula lokho ababekwenze kweminye iminyaka.

Abangane Abalesibindi

ABafundi beBhayibhili batshengisa ukuthi bayathandana sibili ngoba babencedisana. Indaba elandelayo itshengisa ukuthi babengabangane abalesibindi ‘abazalelwe izikhathi zenhlupheko.’—Zaga. 17:17.

NgoLwesibili mhlaka 31 May 1921 eyinye indoda ensundu eyayihlala edolobheni leTulsa e-Oklahoma eMelika yavalelwa ejele isetheswa icala lokuhlasela owesifazana omhlophe. Ngemva kwalokho amadoda amhlophe ayesedlula 1 000 alwa leqembu elincane lamadoda ansundu. Kungakayi ngaphi amadoda la amhlophe ayesesilwa labantu beGreenwood, lapho okwakuhlala khona abantu abanengi abansundu. Agqekeza izindlu lamabhizimusi edlula 1 400 futhi atshiya etshisile. Imibiko ithi kwafa abantu abangu-36 kodwa kukhanya angani abafayo bayafika 300. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi umsindo lo wabizwa ngokuthi yi-Tulsa Race Massacre.

Umfowethu uRichard J. Hill, umfundi weBhayibhili onsundu owayehlala eGreenwood walandisa okwenzakalayo. Wathi: “Ngobusuku okwaba lomsindo lo, kwakulilanga lethu lemihlangano yebandla. Sathi siqeda isifundo sethu, sezwa kukhala inkafulakufa esidikidikini sedolobho. Saze sayalala kulokhu kuyisoleso.” NgoLwesithathu ekuseni mhlaka 1 June izinto zazingasamanga kuhle. “Kwafika abanye abantu basitshela ukuthi nxa sasifuna ukuphila kwakumele sihle siqonde ewolu kaManisipala eyakhonapho edolobheni.” Umfowethu uHill lomkakhe kanye labantwababo abahlanu bahle bathi nyawo mbeletha baqonda ewolu yeTulsa. Bathi befika lapho bafica kulamadoda labesifazana abangaba ngu-3 000 ababelindwe ngamasotsha ayebizwe ukuthi azothulisa umsindo owawusukhona.

Ngalesosikhathi umfowethu omhlophe okuthiwa ngu-Arthur Claus waqunga isibindi wenza into emangalisayo. Uthi: “Ngathi ngisizwa ukuthi abantu babegqekeza eGreenwood futhi betshisa lezindlu ngabona kungcono ukuthi ngiyekhangela umngane wami okuthiwa nguHill.”

Umfowethu okuthiwa ngu-Arthur Claus wafundisa abantwana abangu-14 esebenzisa ibhuku elithi The Harp of God

Wathi efika endlini kamfowethu uHill wathola kulenye indoda emhlophe eyayithwele umbhobho. Indoda le yayingumakhelwane kamfowethu uHill njalo yayingumngane wakhe. Yayicabanga ukuthi uClaus wayengomunye wezigelekeqe ezazivuse umsindo. Yamtshingela isithi, “Ufunani lapha?”

UClaus wathi, “Aluba ngamtshela into engazwakaliyo wayezaluthela enyameni uhlamvu.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Ngamtshela ukuthi uHill ngumngane wami lokuthi ngangihlala ngifika emzini wakhe.” UClaus lendoda le bayilinda indlu kamfowethu uHill njalo kayizange igqekezwe.

Kusenjalo uClaus wezwa ukuthi umfowethu uHill lemuli yakhe babesewolu kaManisipala. UClaus watshelwa ukuthi abantu abansundu babengeke baphume kungelancwadi eyayisayinwe nguBarrett owayeyisikhulu samasotsha. UClaus wathi: “Kwakunzima ukubona isikhulu lesi. Ngathi ngisitshela ukuthi ngifuna ukuhamba lemuli le, sangibuza sathi: ‘Uzabanakekela yini uphinde ubaphe abakudingayo?’ Ngahle ngavumela phezulu.”

Eseyiphiwe incwadi uClaus wahaluzela elubangise ewolu kaManisipala. Wafika wayipha elinye isotsha elalikhonapho. Lona lathi: “Phela incwadi le ivela kuBarrett ngokwakhe. Uyakwazi ukuthi nguwe umuntu wokuqala ukuzolanda abantu lapha?” Isotsha leli lancedisa umfowethu uClaus ukuthi adinge uHill lemuli yakhe. Sebebatholile baminyezelana emoteni kaClaus beluqondise emzini kamfowethu uHill.

Umfowethu uClaus wayinakekela kuhle kakhulu imuli kamfowethu uHill. Abanye bathi bebona uthando lesibindi umfowethu uClaus ayelaso basala bengelankani. Umfowethu uClaus wathi: “Umakhelwane owancedisa ekuvikeleni indlu kamfowethu uHill wabathanda kakhulu oFakazi bakaJehova. Abantu abanengi baba lesifiso sokuzwa izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso ngoba bazibonela ngawabo ukuthi kasilabandlululo. Akula loyedwa phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu ozibona engcono kulomunye.”

a I-The Golden Age yatshintshwa ibizo yathiwa yi-Consolation ngo-1937 kwathi ngo-1946 yabizwa ngokuthi yi-Vukani!