Sinokufunda Ntoni Kwiziganeko Zembali?

“Ayikho into ebaluleke kubabhali-mbali njengokucacisa unobangela weziganeko.”—UGERALD SCHLABACH, ISEKELA LIKANJINGALWAZI WEZEMBALI.

ABABHALI-MBALI badla ngokubuza ukuba, Iziganeko ezithile zenzeka njani yaye kutheni zenzeka? Ngokomzekelo, imbali isixelela uBukhosi baseRoma bawa. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze buwe? Ngaba kwakungenxa yokuqhatha okanye kwakungenxa yokuthanda uyolo? Ngaba obu bukhosi babungalawuleki nemikhosi yabo idyakraza imali? Ngaba iintshaba zeRoma zazininzi yaye zinamandla kakhulu?

Kutshanje, ubuKomanisi baseMpuma Yurophu, obakha basisisongelo eNtshona, ngokucacileyo bawa ngesiquphe kwilizwe emva kwelinye. Kodwa siyintoni isizathu soko? Yaye sinokufunda ntoni apho? Le yimibuzo ezanywa ukuphendulwa ngababhali-mbali. Kodwa xa bephendula le mibuzo, umkhethe wabo usichaphazela ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo isigqibo abasithabathayo?

Ngaba Imbali Inokuthenjwa?

Ubukhulu becala ababhali-mbali bafana nabecuphi kunezazinzulu. Bayaphanda, baphakamise imibuzo baze bagxeke iingxelo zeziganeko zexa elidluleyo. Bazama ukufumana inyaniso kodwa usukelo lwabo alucaci. Inxalenye yesizathu kukuba baphanda kakhulu ngabantu, yaye ababhali-mbali abanakufunda iingqondo zabantu—ingakumbi iingqondo zabantu abafileyo. Ababhali-mbali basenokuba baye basela iingcamango kunye nomkhethe. Ngenxa yoko, maxa wambi eyona mbali isemagqabini sukuba nje iziingcamango zombhali-mbali.

Kambe ke, ukuvelisa kombhali-mbali izimvo zakhe akuthethi ngokuzenzekelayo ukuba imbali ayibhalayo ayichananga. Amabali eBhayibhile akuSamuweli, ooKumkani, nakwiziKronike aquka iingxelo ezifanayo ezabhalwa ngabantu abahlanu abahlukeneyo, kodwa aziphikasani okanye zibe nendawo engachananga. Kunjalo ke nangeencwadi ezine zeVangeli. Ababhali beBhayibhile abaninzi bade babhale ngeentsilelo zabo nangeempazamo zobudenge—nto leyo ongenakufane uyibone kwiincwadi eziqhelekileyo.—Numeri 20:9-12; Duteronomi 32:48-52.

Ngaphandle komkhethe, enye inkalo ebalulekileyo ofanele uyiqwalasele xa ufunda imbali ziintshukumisa zombhali. UMichael Stanford uthi kwiA Companion to the Study of History: “Nayiphi na imbali ebaliswa ngabantu abasemagunyeni, okanye ngabantu abanyolukele igunya okanye ngabahlobo babo, imele igocagocwe ngenyameko.” Kwakhona iintshukumisa zidla ngokuthandabuzeka xa iincwadi zembali ngokuchuliweyo nangendlela ebonakalayo zikhuthaza ubuhlanga okanye ukuthanda izwe. Okulusizi kukuba, maxa wambi ezi zinto zidla ngokufumaneka kwiincwadi zesikolo. Isindululo sikarhulumente sakha satsho ngeliphandle kwelinye ilizwe, ukuba injongo yokufundisa izifundo zembali “kukomeleza ubuzwe nokuthanda ilizwe ezintliziyweni zabantu. . . kuba ukwazi iziganeko zexa elidluleyo zelizwe kuyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ekuvuseleleni ukuthanda ilizwe.”

Imbali Etshintshiweyo

Maxa wambi, imbali ayibi namkhethe nje kuphela kodwa iyatshintshwa. Ngokomzekelo, incwadi ethi Truth in History ithi kwindawo eyayisakuba yiSoviet Union “lasuswa igama elithi Trotsky kwingxelo, ukuze kube ngathi alizange libekho eli komanisi.” Wayengubani uTrotsky? Wayekhokela iMvukelo yaseRashiya yamaBolshevik yaye wayelilandela likaLenin. Emva kokufa kukaLenin, uTrotsky wangquzulana noStalin, wagxothwa kuMbutho wamaKomanisi waza ekugqibeleni wagwintwa. Igama lakhe lada lacinywa nakwiintyila-lwazi zaseSoviet. Ukugqwethwa ngendlela efanayo kwembali, de kutshiswe neencwadi ezingafunwayo, bekuyinto eqhelekileyo phantsi kolawulo loozwilakhe.

Noko ke, ukutshintsha imbali yinto endala, eyaqala ubuncinane ngexesha lokuqala kweYiputa neAsiriya. Oofaro ookumkani nabalawuli abanekratshi nabanamabhongo babeqinisekisa ukuba imbali engabo yayibazukisa ngokugqithiseleyo. Ngoko izinto abazifezileyo zazidla ngokubaxwa, ngoxa nantoni eyimpoxo okanye engabazukisiyo, njengokoyiswa emfazweni, yayiyayazwa, icinywe, okanye maxa wambi kunganikelwa ngxelo ngayo. Ngokwahluke kwaphela, imbali yakwaSirayeli ebhalwe eBhayibhileni iquka iintsilelo nozuko lookumkani nabalawulwa ngendlela efanayo.

Ababhali-mbali bakuhlola njani ukuchana kwemibhalo emidala? Bayithelekisa neengxelo ezindala zerhafu, imithetho, izibhengezo zokuthengiswa kwamakhoboka, ezoshishino, iileta zabantu neengxelo, imibhalo ekwiingceba zezitya zomdongwe, iingxelo zemithwalo yenqanawa nezinto ezifumaneka emangcwabeni. Ezi ngxelo zisecaleni zidla ngokuyicacisa ngakumbi imbali ebhaliweyo. Xa kukho inkcazelo engekhoyo okanye ukungaqiniseki, ababhali-mbali abanyanisekileyo badla ngokuyichaza loo nto, nangona besenokufaka ezabo iingcinga ukuvala ezo zikhewu. Enoba kutheni, abafundi abakrelekrele badla ngokujonga imbekiselo engaphezu kwenye ukuba bafuna ingcaciso echanileyo.

Phezu kwalo nje ucelomngeni ajamelana nalo umbhali-mbali, incwadi yakhe inokunikela okuninzi. Enye incwadi yembali ithi: “Nangona kunzima ukubhala ngayo,. . . imbali yehlabathi ibalulekile, ingakumbi kuthi.” Ngaphandle kokuba isikrobisa kwiziganeko zexa elidluleyo, imbali inokusenza siyiqonde kakuhle imeko yoluntu namhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, sikhawuleza sifumanise ukuba abantu bamandulo babenemikhwa efanayo neyabantu namhlanje. Le mikhwa ingapheliyo iye yanegalelo kakhulu kwimbali, mhlawumbi ibangela abantu bagqibe kwelokuba into ekhe yenzeka ezimbalini ihlal’ ihlale yenzeke. Kodwa ngaba kunjalo ngokwenene?

Ngaba Into Eyakha Yenzeka Ezimbalini Ihlal’ Ihlale Yenzeke?

Ngaba sinako ukuqikelela ikamva ngokuchanileyo sithabathela koko kuye kwenzeka kwixa elidluleyo? Iziganeko ezithile ziphinda zenzeke. Ngokomzekelo, owayesakuba nguSosiba kwiLizwe laseUnited States, uHenry Kissinger wathi: “Nayiphi na impucuko ekhe yakho iye yaphelela ekuwohlokeni.” Wongezelela ngelithi: “Imbali yingxelo yemigudu eye yasilela, ulangazelelo olungakhange luzaliswe. . . . Ngoko njengombhali-mbali, kufuneka wazi ukuba intlekele ayiphepheki.”

Azikho iintlobo ezimbini zobukhosi eziwa ngendlela efanayo. IBhabhiloni yawiswa ngobusuku ngamaMedi namaPersi ngowama-539 B.C.E. IGrisi yahlulahlulwa yalawulwa zizikumkani ezininzi emva kokufa kuka-Aleksandire Omkhulu, ekugqibeleni yaxhom’ izandla kwiRoma. Noko ke, ukuwa kweRoma kuseyinto eshukuxwa shushu. Umbhali-mbali uGerald Schlabach uphakamisa le mibuzo: “Yawa nini iRoma? Ngaba yawa ngokwenene? Kukho tshintsho luthile olwenzeka eNtshona Yurophu phakathi kowama-400 C.E. nowama-600 C.E. Kodwa kwaqhubeka okungakumbi.”a Licacile elokuba, ezinye iinkalo zembali ziphinda zenzeke ngoxa kungenjalo ngezinye.

Enye yezinto esizifunda rhoqo kwimbali kukusilela kolawulo lomntu. Ebudeni bayo yonke iminyaka oorhulumente abalungileyo badla ngokonakaliswa kukuzingca, ukwenza phambi konyawo, ukubawa, ubuqhetseba, umkhethe yaye ngokungakumbi ukunyolukela igunya. Ngenxa yoko, kwixa elidluleyo bekukhuphiswana ngezixhobo, kungabanjelelwa kwizivumelwano, kuziimfazwe, kungonwatywanga libutho labantu kukho ugonyamelo, ubutyebi bungabiwa ngendlela eyiyo nemeko yezoqoqosho iwohlokile.

Ngokomzekelo, qwalasela oko kuthethwa yiThe Columbia History of the World ngempembelelo eyaba nayo impucuko yaseNtshona kwihlabathi liphela: “Emva kokuba uColumbus noCortes bexelele abantu baseNtshona Yurophu ngeengenelo abanokuzifumana, bawafuna ngamandla amaguquka, ingeniso nodumo yaye impucuko yaseNtshona yangena ngesinyanzelo kwihlabathi lonke. Benomnqweno wokuzikhulisa nokuba nezixhobo ezinamandla, aboyisi bafaka ihlabathi ngenkani kumagunya amakhulu aseYurophu. . . Ngokufutshane nje, abantu bala mazwekazi [iAfrika, iAsia namazwe aseMerika] baba ngamaxhoba okuxhatshazwa ngokungenalusini nangokungapheliyo.” Hayi indlela ayinyaniso ngayo la mazwi aseBhayibhileni kwiNtshumayeli 8:9, athi: ‘Umntu ulawula umntu ibe kukwenzakala kwakhe’!

Mhlawumbi yile ngxelo ibuhlungu eyabangela esinye isithandi sobulumko somJamani sithi ekuphela kwento esinokuyifunda kwimbali kukuba umntu akafundi nto kwimbali. UYeremiya 10:23 uthi: “Ayikho semntwini wasemhlabeni indlela yakhe. Asikokomntu ohambayo ukwalathisa inyathelo lakhe.” Ukungakwazi ukwalathisa amanyathelo ethu kufanele kusixhalabise kakhulu namhlanje. Ngoba? Kungenxa yokuba sithwaxwa ziingxaki ezingathethekiyo. Ngoko ngaba sinako ukuhlangabezana nazo?

Iingxaki Ezingathethekiyo

Kuyo yonke imbali yoluntu, awuzange umhlaba uthwaxwe ziindlela eziliqela zokutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi, ukukhukuliswa komhlaba, intlango, ukuphela ngendlela engaphaya kwengqondo kwezityalo nezilwanyana, ukutshatyalaliswa kweozone, ungcoliso, ukuqatsela kobushushu bomhlaba, ukuphela kweelwandlekazi, nabantu abaninzi ngokugqithiseleyo.

Incwadi ethi A Green History of the World ithi: “Olunye ucelomngeni olujamelene noluntu lwanamhlanje kukuguquka kwezinto ngokukhawuleza.” UEd Ayres, umhleli wephephancwadi iWorld Watch ubhala athi: “Sijamelene nento engaphaya kwamandla ethu kodwa singayiqondi loo nto thina, nangona bubuninzi ubungqina boko. Kuthi ke loo ‘nto’ isithwaxa gqitha ziinguqu ezinkulu ezibakho kwindalo nakwimeko-bume yehlabathi.”

Ethetha ngezi ngxaki, umbhali-mbali uPardon E. Tillinghast uthi: “Ibutho labantu lisinge ezingxakini ezingaphaya kwamandla ethu, yaye uninzi lwethu luyazoyika iingxaki. Iingcungela zababhali-mbali zinokunikela luphi ukhokelo kubantu abafathulayo namhlanje? Akubonakali ngathi lukho.”

Iingcungela zababhali-mbali zisenokungazi ukuba mazenze ntoni okanye zicebise zithini, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo ngoMdali wethu. Enyanisweni, waxela kwangaphambili eBhayibhileni ukuba kwimihla yokugqibela, ihlabathi liya kuba ‘kumaxesha amanqam ekunzima ukujamelana nawo.’ (2 Timoti 3:1-5) Kodwa uThixo wenze nenye engaphezu kwenokwenziwa ngababhali-mbali—uye wabonisa nesicombululo, njengoko siza kubona kwinqaku elilandeyo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 5]

“Nayiphi na imbali ebaliswa ngabantu abasemagunyeni. . . imele igocagocwe ngenyameko.”—NGUMICHAEL STANFORD, UMBHALI-MBALI

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

Umlawuli uNero

[Inkcazelo]

Roma, Musei Capitolini

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]

Ukutyhubela imbali ‘umntu ulawule umntu yaba kukwenzakala kwakhe’

[Inkcazelo]

“The Conquerors,” by Pierre Fritel. Includes (left to right): Ramses II, Attila, Hannibal, Tamerlane, Julius Caesar (center), Napoléon I, Alexander the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, and Charlemagne. From the book The Library of Historic Characters and Famous Events, Vol. III, 1895; planes: USAF photo