Myaka Iili 100 Iyainda​—1916

KUMATALIKILO kwamwaka wa 1916, Nkondo Mpati, kumbele iyakazyikwiitwa kuti Nkondo Yakusaanguna Yanyika Yoonse, yakacili kulwanwa kwaciindi ciinda kumwaka omwe. Bantu banji kapati bakajaigwa munkondo eeyi.

Ngazi Yamulindizi yamu January 1, 1916, yakaamba kuti: “Cintu cimwi nkondo mpati yaku Europe ncoyacita nkupa kuti bantu batalike kubikkila maano kumakani aabukombi alimwi abuumi bwabo bwakumbele.” Cibalo ncimunya eeco cakazumanana kwaamba kuti: “Atuzibikkile maano zyoolwe nzyotujisi, kutabi muntu uutyompwa pe; toonse atube basungu kubelekela Leza akwiiminina mulumbe wakwe.”

Lugwalo lwamwaka wa 1916 lwakakulwaizya bakwesu kuzumanana “kuyuma mulusyomo” kweelana alugwalo lwa Baroma 4:​20 mu Bbaibbele lya King James Version. Basikwiiya Bbaibbele banji bakacita oobo, alimwi Jehova wakabalongezya kapati.

Babelesi Beendeenda Bakali Kukulwaizya

Babelesi beendeenda ibaiminina Watch Tower Society bakali kuswaya dolopo adolopo, kabayaabukulwaizya akubapa malailile Basikwiiya Bbaibbele. Mu 1916, babelesi beendeenda basika ku 69 bakeenda makkilomita aayinda ku 750,000 mumulimo wabo.

Naakali kupa makani kumuswaangano wacooko mudolopo lya Norfolk, Virginia, mubelesi umwi weendeenda, mukwesu Walter Thorn, wakeezyanisya nkondo ya Munakristo ku Nkondo Mpati, wakati: “Kweezyeezyegwa kuti kuli bantu basika kumamiliyoni aali 20 kusikila ku 30 ibalwana nkondo eeyi. . . . Pele kuli nkamu aimbi [yabasikalumamba] iitazyibidwe abantu banyika. Mbaasikalumamba ba Mwami, alimwi mbubonya mbuli mpi ya Gideoni, abalo balalwana, pele tababelesyi zilwanyo izilibonya ameso. Balwanina kasimpe abululami alimwi balwana nkondo mbotu yalusyomo.”

Kuzumanana Kubeleka Nomuba Mumapenzi Aankondo

Mu France, bantu bainda kumiliyoni yomwe bakacisigwa naa kujaigwa mu Nkondo Yakusaanguna yaku Somme, eeyo yakalwanwa kumamanino aamwaka wa 1916. Kumasena aambi aamu France, bakwesu ibasungu bakagwasyilizya tubunga naa mbungano, noliba leelyo nocakali kukatazya kucita boobo akaambo kankondo. Mu Ngazi Yamulindizi ya January 15, 1916, kwakasimbidwe lugwalo lwaba Joseph Lefèvre, Basikwiiya Bbaibbele ibakatija mudolopo lya Denain, France, mobakali kukkala ciindi nolyakasaalwa abasikalumamba bana Germany mu 1914. Bakatijila kumusanza ku Paris ooko nkobakatalika kuyanzana akabunga ka Basikwiiya Bbaibbele komwe buyo ikakali mudolopo eeli. Nokuba kuti bakali kuciswa-ciswa, mbobakasikila buyo ooko, bakatalika kweendelezya miswaangano yoonse.

Kumbele, ba Théophile Lequime, abalo ibakatija kuzwa ku Denain bakasangana ba Lefèvre. Kumatalikilo Mukwesu Lequime wakaunka ku Auchel, France, ooko nkwaakatalika kusandulula zibalo zyamu Ngazi Yamulindizi mpoonya akutumina bakwesu mumasena aambi aamu France aatakali mumaanza aabasikalumamba. Wakabona kuti azwe buyo mu Auchel ciindi beendelezi babasikalumamba nobakatalika kumulanga munzila iitali kabotu akaambo kamulimo ngwaakali kucita. Ciindi Mukwesu Lequime naakasika mu Paris, Mukwesu Lefèvre wakalimvwa kuti mipailo yakwe yaingulwa.

Mulimo wabo mu Paris wakalongezyegwa. Mukwesu Lefèvre wakaluula kuti: “Lino tujisi kabunga kabantu basika ku 45 . . . Ibunji bwabo babubona bubotu alimwi acoolwe cakulyaaba kuli Leza, alimwi bayaambele kapati kumuuya. Banabunji mukabunga balajanika kumuswaangano wamvwiki amvwiki wakwaamba zyakuluula zipa bumboni.”

Bakazumanana Kutatola Lubazu Munkondo

Ciindi noyakazumanana nkondo, bakwesu banji bakalangana apenzi lijatikizya kutatola lubazu munkondo. Mucisi ca Great Britain, kwakabikkwa mulawo uujatikizya kulembwa busikalumamba wakuti Military Service Act, walo iwakali kwaamba kuti basankwa boonse ibajisi myaka yakuzyalwa iili 18 kusikila ku 40 beelede kunjizyigwa busikalumamba. Nokuba boobo, Basikwiiya Bbaibbele banji cabusicamba bakazumanana kutatola lubazu munkondo.

Mucikozyanyo, Ngazi Yamulindizi ya April 15, 1916, yakajisi lugwalo lwaba W. O. Warden baku Scotland. Bakaamba kuti: “Umwi wabana bangu basankwa lino ulaamyaka iili 19. Kusikila lino wapa bumboni kujatikizya Mwami kwiinda mukukaka kulembwa mulimo wabusikalumamba, alimwi ikuti naa caamba kuti uladubulwa akaambo kakucita boobo, ndisyoma kuti Leza ulamugwasya kukakatila kukasimpe akubululami.”

James Frederick Scott, mupainiya imukubusi waku Edinburgh, Scotland, wakabetekwa akaambo kakukaka kuunka kuyoolembwa mulimo wabusikalumamba. Pele nkuta noyakamvwa bumboni boonse, yakakosola kuti Mukwesu Scott “wakajisi lwaanguluko lwakukaka kweelana acibeela cimwi ca Mulawo,” aboobo yakaamba kuti unyina mulandu.

Nokuba boobo, ibambi banji bakabakakila kubapa lwaanguluko ilwakali mu Mulawo ooyu. Kuzyikusika mu September, lipooti mu Ngazi Yamulindizi ya October 15, 1916 yakaamba kuti, akati kabakwesu bali 264 ibakalomba kuti batanjili mulimo wabusikalumamba, ibali 23 bakapegwa mulimo uutajatikizyi busikalumamba, mpoonya ibambi aaba basyaala, bamwi akati kabo “ibakapedwe zisubulo ziindene-indene,” bakabikkwa “kubeleka milimo Iiyandika Mucisi, mbuli kupanga migwagwa, kusya akupwayaula mabwe, aimbi iili boobo.” Bakwesu bosanwe buyo mbabakapegwa lwaanguluko lwakukaka mulimo wabusikalumamba.

Ba Charles Taze Russell Bafwa

Mu October 16, 1916, ba Charles Taze Russell, ibakali kusololela akati ka Basikwiiya Bbaibbele aciindi eeco, bakabweza lweendo lwakuyaabupa makani kumbo lyacisi ca United States. Tiibakapiluka kuŋanda pe. Masyikati muli Bwabili, mu October 31, Mukwesu Russell wakafwa mucitima ku Pampa, Texas, kajisi myaka yakuzyalwa iili 64.

Bakwesu banji kunyina ngobakali kuyeeyela kuti inga wabweza busena bwa Mukwesu Russell. Pepa lyaamba mbozyakeelede kubelesyegwa zintu nzyaakasiya, ilyakamwaigwa mu Ngazi Yamulindizi ya December 1, 1916, lyakatondezya nzyaakali kuyanda kujatikizya mulimo ngwaakali kusololela kwaciindi cilamfwu. Nokuba boobo, kwakacili mubuzyo wakuti: Ino nguni uutiibweze busena bwakwe mumulimo ooyu?

Mubuzyo ooyu wakali kuyoovwiilwa kumuswaangano waamwaka wa Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, walo iwakali kuyoocitika kumatalikilo aamwaka wa 1917. Aabo ibakajanika bakavwoota, eelyo mavwooti akatondezya kuti boonse bakajisi muzeezo omwe. Nokuba boobo, mumyezi yakatobela, cakalibonya kuti muzeezo ooyu omwe ngobakajisi wakali wakaindi kaniini buyo, nkaambo masunko mapati akali kubalindila bakwesu.