Basuka Sebelesifiso Esikhulu Sokutshumayela

BASEBETHE gwaqa abantu abangu-8 000 sebelindele ukuthi umhlangano uqalise. KwakungoLwesihlanu ngo-September 1922 njalo ilanga lahle laqalisa ukutshisa ekuseni. Umgcinisihlalo wenza isaziso sokuthi loba ngubani owayezaphuma phandle wayengasoze avunyelwe ukungena futhi kuleyowolu.

Kwaqalwa ngokuhlatshelwa izingoma zoMbuso ngemva kwalokho umfowethu uJoseph F. Rutherford wema phambili eselindele ukuqalisa inkulumo yakhe. Kwasekubaphuzele abanengi ukuthi uhlelo luqalise. Umfowethu uRutherford wabacela ngomusa ukuthi bahlale phansi balalele. Yathi iqalisa inkulumo abantu kabazange balinanzelele ilembu elalithandelwe kuhle ephahleni.

Isihloko senkulumo kamfowethu uRutherford sasisithi, “Umbuso Wezulu Ususondele.” Enkulumeni le umfowethu wachaza indlela abaphrofethi bakudala abangazange besabe ngayo ukukhuluma ngoMbuso. Esezaqeda inkulumo yakhe umfowethu uRutherford wabuza wathi: “Liyakholwa yini ukuthi iNkosi yoMbuso isiqalile ukubusa?” Ababekhona baphendula bathi: “Ye!”

Ngemva kwalokho wathi: “Yikho tshumayelani, lina zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke! Khangelani, iNkosi isibusa! Liyizisebenzi zayo eziyikhankaselayo. Ngakho-ke memezelani, memezelani, memezelani iNkosi loMbuso wayo.”

Esetsho njalo ilembu elalisephahleni latshombululwa futhi lalibhalwe ukuthi “Memezelani INkosi LoMbuso Wayo!”

Umfowethu uRay Bopp wathi: “Abantu ababelapho bathaba bafa.” Udade okuthiwa ngu-Anna Gardner yena wathi “saqakeza kwaze kwanyikinyeka umduli.” Ikanti umfowethu uFred Twarosh wathi: “Sonke esasilapho sathi lothu kanyekanye.” U-Evangelos Scouffas wathi, “Kwakungani kulokuthile okwakusiphakamise ezitulweni njalo sonke sasukuma amehlo esehlengezela izinyembezi.”

Abanengi ababesemhlanganweni lo babevele betshumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso. Ngakho inkulumo le yenza baba ledlabuzane lokuqhubeka ngomsebenzi. Udade Ethel Bennecoff ubika ukuthi bonke aBafundi beBhayibhili ababekhona basuka sebelesifiso esikhulu sokwenza okunengi emsebenzini wokutshumayela. Udade Odessa Tuck yena wayeleminyaka engu-18 ngalesosikhathi futhi uthi wasuka emhlanganweni lo eselayo impendulo yombuzo othi, ‘Ngubani ozahamba?’ Uthi: “Ngangingakwazi ukuthi ngizakuya ngaphi lokuthi ngizahamba ngani. Engasengikufuna yikulingisela u-Isaya owathi: ‘Ngilapha. Thuma mina!’” (Isaya. 6:8) Umfowethu uRalph Leffler uthi: “Emhlanganweni lo kulapho okwaqalisa khona umkhankaso wokutshumayela ngoMbuso olokhu usenziwa lamuhla emhlabeni wonke.”

Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi umhlangano ka-1922 wawumnandi sibili ngoba lalamuhla kusakhulunywa ngawo. Umfowethu uGeorge Gangas wathi: “Umhlangano lo wangenza ngaba lesifiso sokuthi ngingaphuthi eminye imihlangano loba sekutheni.” Lakanye awukho umhlangano awuphuthayo. Udade Julia Wilcox wathi: “Ngeke ngiyichaze intokozo engiba layo nxa amabhuku ethu ekhuluma ngomhlangano owawuseCedar Point. Ngihlala ngimbonga uJehova ngokungivumela ukuthi ngingene umhlangano lo.”

Lathi lamuhla ikhona imihlangano esingeke siyikhohlwe ngenxa yokuthi yasenza saba lesifiso esikhulu sokudumisa uNkulunkulu lesokusekela iNkosi ayikhethileyo. Ukucabanga ngemihlangano enjalo kwenza simbonge uJehova ngokusivumela ukuthi siyingene.