Betelehemu​—Kodi Nchizindikiro cha Umodzi ndi Chikondi Chachikristu?

“BETELEHEMU . . . ndiumboni wa chikondi chosatha, ndiphunziro lakudzichepetsa.”​—Maria Teresa Petrozzi, mkozi wamkazi wa bukhu lakuti Bethlehem.

Kodi Betelehemu amatanthauza chofananacho kwa inu? Mwinamwake, popeza kuti anthu owona mtima mamiliyoni mazana ambiri, okonda mtendere padziko lonse amayang’ana mopembedza ku Betelehemu, makamaka m’nyengo ya Krisimasi. Iwo amakumbukira kuti mzinda waung’ono wa ku Middle East umenewu ndiwo malo obadwira a ‘Kalonga wa Mtendere,’ Yesu Kristu. Kwa zaka mazana ambiri anthu oyenda ulendo wachipembedzo athamangira kuno kudzawona amodzi a malo opatulika koposa a Chikristu Chadziko, ndipo mwinamwake kudzaŵalambira. Malowo ndi Phanga la Nativity, malo obadwira amwambo a Yesu Kristu. Iwo ali m’nyumba yocholoŵana yaikulu, yotchedwa Tchalitchi cha Nativity.​—Yesaya 9:6; Mateyu 2:1.

Komabe, kwenikweni, kodi malo opatulika amwambo ameneŵa atumikira monga maziko a umodzi, chikondi, ndi kudzichepetsa Kwachikristu? Kodi mungatsimikizire chiyani kuchokera ku zotsatirazi?

Maria Teresa Petrozzi, wolemba nkhani Wachikatolika akuthirira ndemanga yotere m’bukhu lakuti Bethlehem: “Kuyambira ndi zaka za zana la 16, [Betelehemu] anavutika ndi kulimbanirana ulamuliro koipa kokhetsa mwazi m’tchalitchi cha Nativity pakati pa Alatini [Aroma Katolika] ndi Agiriki [akhulupiriri a Greek Orthodox]. “Kulimbana kokhetsa mwazi” kochitika mobwerezabwereza kumeneku kofuna ulamuliro kaŵirikaŵiri kanazikidwa pa nyenyezi yasiliva yokhala mu Phanga la Nativity, imene iri pansi panthaka, kunsi kwa Tchalitchi cha Nativity. Nyenyezi imeneyi ikunenedwa kuti imazindikiritsa malo enieni obadwira Kristu. R. W. Hamilton akusimba motere m’bukhu lake lakuti The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem: “Nchodziŵika kwambiri kuti aŵiri a mafunso amkangano wapakati pa Falansa ndi Russia umene unachititsa nkhondo ya ku Crimea anakhudza kudzinenera kolimbanirana kusunga mfungulo za makomo aakulu a tchalitchicho ndi mphako [Phanga la Nativity], ndikubedwa kwachinsinsi kwa nyenyezi yasilivayo usiku wina mu 1847 limodzi ndi mawu ozokotedwa Achilatini amene adalembedwa paphale la marble pansi pa guwa lansembe la Nativity.”

Monga chotulukapo cha kukangana kosalekeza kwa zipembedzo kumeneku m’zaka mazana ambiri kolimbanirana kukhala ndi kuyenerera m’malo ameneŵa, “zoyenera za chipembedzo chirichonse zalembedwa mosamalitsa. Mwachitsanzo, pa nyali 53 za m’mphagamo, chipembedzo cha Franciscan chimaloledwa 19. Guwa Lansembe la Nativity nla Agiriki, ndipo Alatini saloledwa kuchitirapo mautumiki.”​—Historical Sites in Israel.

M’nyengo ya Krisimasi, ngati mkhalidwe wandale wachilola, zitaganya zamakono za chipembedzo cha Chikristu Chadziko zimachita Misa yawo ya Krisimasi ndipo zimaguba m’Betelehemu. Pa December 24 ndi 25, Alatini amaguba ndipo amakhala ndi Misa yapakati pausiku m’Tchalitchi cha Saint Catherine, pafupi ndi Tchalitchi cha Nativity, chimene tsopano chimagwiritsiridwa ntchito ndi matchalitchi a Greek ndi Armenian Orthodox. Pa January 6, matchalitchi a Greek, Syrian, ndi Coptic Orthodox amakondwerera Misa yawo ya Krisimasi. Pa January 18, Misa ya Krisimasi ya Armenian Orthodox imachitidwa, ndi ligubo pa January 19.

Kodi zomwe zakambidwazi zimasonyeza kuti malo amwambo opatulika a Betelehemu ali ‘umboni wa chikondi chosatha, phunziro m’kudzichepetsa’? Kuwonjezerapo, kodi amasonyeza chowonadi cha mikhalidwe ya kubadwa kwa Yesu? Mwachitsanzo, kodi iye anabadwa liti? Kodi iye anabadwiradi mu Phanga la Nativity? Ndipo kodi inuyo kapena winawake ayenera kulambira malo ake obadwira?

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 3]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.