Kodi Isitala Imatanthauzanji kwa Inuyo?

NTHAŴI ndi 8:30 madzulo. M’tchalitchi chimene chakhalako kwa zaka 300 kumpoto kwa Afirika, adikoni okwanira 20 ovala mikanjo yoyera akuimba ndi kuomba ng’oma zawo. Fungo la libano likufalikira kuchokera m’mbale zofukizira. Tsopano gulu la ansembe ligwamo m’dzoma limenelo, akuŵerenga Baibulo m’Chigeez, chinenero chakale chopembedzera. Olambira akumvetsera. Oŵerengeka okha a opezekapo ndiwo akumva mawu a chinenerocho. Dzomalo lipitiriza mpaka 3 kololo m’maŵa.

Mu Vatican City, papa akuchititsa Misa yapadera. Opezekapo pamsonkhano wapadera umenewu ndiwo bungwe lonse la nduna zoimira Vatican, pamodzi ndi mazana a akadinala, aprileti, ansembe, ndi avirigo ndi zikwi za alaliki oyendayenda.

Pandunji pa Atlantic, mu New York City, apolisi aika mipiringizo kuletsa galimoto kuti zisaloŵe mumsewu waukulu wa Fifth Avenue wokongoletsedwa mochititsa kaso. Ligubo la nzika za New York zovala mosangalatsa—amuna ndi zisoti zotambalala ndi majekete aatali kumbuyo ndi akazi ovala zipeŵa zazikulu zokongola—akuyenda chovina mumsewuwo ndi chisangalalo chachikulu.

Kodi chimenechi nchochitika chotani? Phwando la Isitala. Kuzungulira dziko lonse, pali anthu amene amalemekeza kwambiri phwando lachipembedzo limeneli. Ena alitcha mayi wa mapwando ndi festum festorum—mawu Achilatini akuti “phwando la mapwando.”

Kodi Nlofunika Motani kwa Inuyo?

Kodi mumaiwona motani Isitala? Kodi mumadziŵa chifukwa chimene anthu amachitira phwando lake? Ambiri samadziŵa. Kupenda kochitidwa m’Briteni kunasonyeza kuti nzika 1 mwa 3 zirizonse za ku Briteni sizimadziŵa zimene Isitala imatanthauza. Komabe, m’Briteni, ndi m’maiko ena ambiri padziko lonse, Isitala idakali phwando lofunika koposa la Chikristu Chadziko.

Malinga nkunena kwa The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Isitala “ndiphwando lalikulu la Chaka cha Tchalitchi Chachikristu, kuchita phwando la Chiukiriro cha Yesu Kristu patsiku lachitatu pambuyo pa Kupachikidwa kwake.” Bukhu lakuti Easter—Its Story and Meaning limafotokoza kuti Isitala ndilo “phwando lalikulu koposa la Chaka Chachikristu, lochitidwa ndi chikondwerero chachikulu koposa, chifukwa chakuti limalonjeza chiukiriro chofananacho kwa onse amene analandira Chikhulupiriro cha Kristu.” Kodi kuchita phwando la Isitala mumakuwona mwamphamvu chotero? Kodi mumakhulupiriradi kuti Isitala imayambukira ziyembekezo zanu za moyo wamtsogolo?

Ambiri samaiwona Isitala kukhala yolemekezeka chotero. Polankhula za malonda a Isitala, nyuzipepala ina inatcha Isitala kukhala “Nkhani Yogulitsidwa Koposa.” Inawonjezera kuti: “Isitala, tchuthi chofunika koposa cha Akristu, yakhala tchuthi chachikulu chachiŵiri choperekerapo mphatso, anatero opanga zidoli.” Ndithudi, chachikulu koposa ndicho Krisimasi, ndipo nduna zina za tchalitchi zimalingalira kuti kuwona Krisimasi monga phwando wamba ndiko kwachititsa Isitala nayonso kuwonedwa monga phwando wamba.

Mwachitsanzo, panyengo ya Isitala ya 1989, opanga masiwiti mu United States anakonzekera kupeza ndalama zofika pa $815 miliyoni. Ili nyengo yaikulu yachiŵiri yogulitsa kwambiri masiwiti mu United States pambuyo pa Krisimasi. Kampani ina imapanga mitundumitundu ya masiwiti a Isitala oumbidwa monga akalulu.

Malinga nkunena kwa The Detroit News, Jack Santino, profesa wa njira za moyo wofala ndi wamakono pa Yunivesiti ya Bowling Green State mu Ohio, anavomereza kuti kuchititsa Isitala kukhala phwando wamba ‘kuli “kwa” chitaganya cha anthu amakono otanganitsidwa ndi ozoloŵera moyo wakugula ndi kugulitsa zinthu.’ Nyuzipepalayo inawonjezera kuti “kalulu [wa Isitala]—osati chiukiriro—ndiye wakhala chinthu chachikulu cha Isitala.”

Yangokhala Imodzi ya Maholide

Kuchigawo Chakumpoto cha Dziko, Isitala imadziŵitsa kuyambika kwa nyengo ya mphakasa ndipo kaŵirikaŵiri pamakhala tchuthi cha mlungu umodzi wa ana asukulu ndi akukoleji. Choncho kumene zimakhala zotheka, achichepere ambiri amakachita mapwando onkitsa kumalo otentha kumagombe. Ena amawona nyengo ya Isitala kungokhala mapeto a nyengo ya maseŵera otsetsereka pachipale chofeŵa—mwaŵi wawo womalizira wakuchita maseŵerawo.

Ku Norway, kumene pafupifupi 88 peresenti ya anthu onse ali a tchalitchi cha boma cha Lutheran Evangelical, pafupifupi 14 peresenti okha a ofunsidwa m’kupenda kwaposachedwapa ndiwo anati angakonde kupita kutchalitchi pa Isitala. Pafupifupi 75 peresenti anavomereza kuti sanawonenso Isitala monga holide yachipembedzo. Iwo anati angakonde kukachita maseŵera otsetsereka pachiphale chofeŵa.

Kwa anthu ambiri, zina za ziphiphiritso zofunika za Isitala zakhala zizindikiro za zosangulutsa ndi maseŵera. Mwachitsanzo, dzira, mwina ndilo chizindikiro chokondedwa koposa cha Isitala m’maiko ambiri. Kuphiphiritsira kwa dzira nkwachipembedzo kwambiri. Kumalingaliridwa kuti chiukiriro cha Yesu Kristu chimaimiridwa ndi moyo watsopano umene umatuluka m’dzira limene limawoneka kukhala lopanda moyo. Chifukwa chake, mwambo wakukometsera mazira ndi mawonekedwe okongola ndi kulembapo zithunzithunzi ndimbali yofunika kwambiri pochita phwando la Isitala.

Koma kwa ena, phindu lenileni la dzira la Isitala limangokhala kusangalatsira ana. M’tauni lina, maseŵera a ana akufunafuna mazira obisidwa ndi anzawo amathera m’kumenyana ndi mazirawo! “Kwa ana,” akutero Robert J. Myers m’bukhu lake lakuti Celebrations, “Isitala imatanthauza kusanguluka, kuchita zinthu zodabwitsa, ndipo mwina kukhala ndi masiwiti ambiri kufikira tsiku la Halloween!”

M’mawu, Isitala ikupitirizabe kukhala phwando lolemekezeka koposa pakati pa maholide achipembedzo a Chikristu Chadziko. Komabe, malinga nzochitika, zikuwonekera kuti anthu owonjezerekawonjezereka samaiwona kukhala yofunika kwenikweni, amaiwona kungokhala imodzi ya maholide basi. Koma bwanji ponena za inu? Kodi Isitala imatanthauzanji kwa inuyo? Musanayankhe funso limeneli, kodi simuyenera kufunsa choyamba kuti: ‘Kodi Isitala imatanthauzanji kwa Mulungu? Kodi kuchita phwandolo kumamkondweretsa iye? Kodi Akristu amafunikiradi kuchita phwando la Isitala?’

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 4]

Ziphiphiritso za Isitala zakhala zizindikiro za zosangulutsa ndi maseŵera