UYehova Ube Nathi

Ngokubaliswa nguSimon Kraker

“BAWO, luhlobo luni lomsebenzi endifanele ndiwufune?”

“Kaloku, Simon, wuqwalasele ngenyameko lo mbandela kuba andinakukwenzela isigqibo.”

“Ewe Bawo, kodwa ngamava akho unokwazi bhetele!”

“Mhlawumbi, Simon. Kukho imisebenzi emininzi yokuqwalaselwa, ibe yonke ibonakala inomtsalane, kodwa nguwuphi oya kukwenza wonwabe gqitha?”

“Yonke ilungile, Bawo. Ndiye ndacinga ngomculo, ukudanisa, ukuba ngugqirha nokuba ngumfundisi. Ndinomdla kuwo ngamnye wale misebenzi.”

Ngewawenze luphi ukhetho? Ngewawuthabathe liphi inyathelo? Emva ekuqaleni kweyee-1920, kwenzeka into ethile kwintsapho yakokwethu eyaba nomphumo kukhetho lwam lomsebenzi. Makhe ndikuxelele ngayo.

Abazali bam, uMary noJoseph, bobabini bazalelwa eAustria, kodwa batshatela eUnited States. Ngaphambi kokuba bafudukele eUnited States, uBawo wayelibambe kakhulu elaseYurophu njengomdlali wexilongo ohlawulwayo. Ngoko ke, waqinisekisa ukuba bonke abantwana bakhe abasibhozo babengenamfundo nje yasesikolweni kuphela kodwa babekwaneyomculo. Ndandingumdlali wefidyoli kwiorchestra yentsapho.

NjengamaRoma Katolika, uBawo noMama bafuna ukuba thina sonke sikhuliselwe enkonzweni. Ndikhumbula iBhayibhile yamaRoma Katolika esasinayo endlwini yethu. Yayinkulu, inomnqamlezo wegolide owawunamathiselwe kwiqweqwe layo elilukhuni, ibe yayibhalwe ngesiJamani sakudala. Ndandiqhelene kakuhle nayo kangangokuba ndandingayigqala ngokuphakamileyo iBhayibhile njengeLizwi likaThixo.

Ekuqalekeni kweyee-1920, olunye unqulo lwalusasaza iincwadana zeBhayibhile zesisa phambi kweCawa yethu yomTrinity Ongcwele kwisixeko saseCleveland, eOhio. Sonke sazithabatha saya nazo ekhaya saza sazithelekisa neBhayibhile yethu. Zazipapashwe ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile, njengokuba amaNgqina kaYehova ayesaziwa njalo ngelo xesha. Enye incwadana endiyikhumbula ngokukhethekileyo ngenxa yokuba yenza uMama wonwaba yayingombandela ongemeko yabafi. Waphulukana noonyana bakhe ababini besebancinane. Ngokuphuma kuloo ncwadana wafunda ukuba babengaphili elimbo okanye besiva iintlungu kwintlambululo-miphefumlo okanye esihogweni kodwa babengazinto engcwabeni, belindele uvuko. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Yohane 11:24, 25) Enjani intuthuzelo oko okwayizisayo kungekuphela nje kuMama kodwa kuthi sonke!

Ukwenza Ukhetho

Iinyaniso ezingokweZibhalo zazisiya zicaca ngokucaca njengokuba Abafundi BeBhayibhile abathetha isiJamani (Bibelforscher) babetyelela ikhaya lethu. Njengokuba sasifumana ulwazi olungakumbi ngeBhayibhile, sazifumanisa sisiba kude lee necawa yamaKatolika. Oku kwabangela ukudideka kum. Ekuzalweni kwam ndabizwa ngokuba ndinguSimon, ekubhaptizweni kwam kwathiwa ndinguPeter, ekuqinisweni kwam kwathiwa ndinguJoseph. Ndaba ngumlungiseleli womfundisi, ndandifunde ukwenza imithandazo neMithendeleko ngesiLatini, yaye ndandenze imisebenzi eyahlukahlukeneyo engokonqulo. Abazali bam baba nethemba lokuba ndandisenokuba ngumfundisi, ibe uzimiselo lwam lwalukukuba nesabelo esizeleyo ngakumbi kubomi obungokonqulo.

Noko ke, ndazifumanisa ndingenamdla kangako kumathemba am okuqala omsebenzi. Kwakungasenguwo umbandela ongendlela endandinokonwabisa ngayo abantu, ukuba yimbaleki edumileyo, okanye ukuba ngugqirha. Endaweni yoko, ndandinokwenza ntoni ukunceda abanye ngokomoya? Ukuba ngumfundisi wamaRoma Katolika andizange ndikubone kusisicombululo.

Umdla nomsebenzi wabazali bam waphethukela ‘kwiindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo’ njengokuba zazivakaliswa ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile, ibe kwaba njalo nangowam. (Mateyu 24:14) Ngowe-1924 uMama noBawo baqalisa ukushumayela “iindaba ezilungileyo” kwindlu ngendlu, yaye ndabapheleka. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, xa ndandine-12 leminyaka ubudala, uBawo waqonda ukuba ndandinokushumayela ndindodwa. Ngoko wandinika iBhayibhile elingene ipokotho yokuyisebenzisa kumsebenzi wam wokushumayela. Ngaphambi kokuba ndigqibe kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo ngowe-1929, ndenza isigqibo sokuzahlulela kuThixo.

Amanqanaba Angokobuthixo

Xa ndicinga emva ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-60 ukususela oko intsapho yakowethu yaqalisa ukuba nesabelo ekushumayeleni uBukumkani, ndiyaqonda ukuba siye sadlula amanqanaba amaninzi kuhambelo-phambili lwentlangano kaThixo ebonakalayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1925 IMboniselo [yesiNgesi] yapapasha inqaku elithi “Ukuzalwa Kohlanga.” Ndavuyiswa kukufunda ukuba uYehova uhlanganisa abantu abanyanisekileyo kuzo zonke iintlanga ukuba babe ngabantu bakhe. Loo ngongoma ingokweZibhalo yandichukumisa ngokwenene! Kwakutheni? Kwakungenxa yokuba elumelwaneni lwam, ikhethe nxamnye namaYuda nabantsundu lalinamandla. Kodwa uhlanga lukaThixo lukhululekile kuyo yonke imiqobo eyahlulayo—eyobuhlanga, eyobupolitika, eyorhwebo, eyomkhosi neyamahlelo. (IZenzo 10:34, 35) Hayi indlela ekwachulumancisa ngayo ukufunda ingcaciso yesiprofeto sikaIsaya isahluko 66 nokubona ukuzaliseka kwaso ngomhla wam!

Indibano yowe-1928, eyayiseDetroit, eMichigan, yayisesinye isiganeko esingobuthixo kwintsapho yakowethu. Oko kwakuyinyaniso ngenxa yezizathu ezibini. Kwakuyindibano yokuqala abaya kuyo abazali bam. Ibe ekubuyeleni kwabo ekhaya, thina bantwana sachatshazelwa ngokunzulu xa ihlombe labo lokuvuyela ukwenza okungakumbi enkonzweni kaYehova lathi laphuphuma.—Roma 12:11.

Kwathi ke ngowe-1931 intlangano kaThixo yaneendaba ezichulumancisayo kuthi. Safumana igama elitsha—amaNgqina kaYehova. Elinjani ukukhetheka ilungelo, lokuthwala igama likaThixo phambi kwabantu naphambi kwezithunywa zezulu!—Isaya 43:10-12.

Andisayi kuze ndiwulibale unyaka we-1935, xa ukufaniswa ‘kwezinye izimvu’ ‘nesihlwele esikhulu’ kwathi kwacaca. (Yohane 10:16; ISityhilelo 7:9) Oku kwanceda abantu abaninzi—kuquka nam—ukuba bathabathe inyathelo lokubhaptizwa. Kwimihla yam yangaphambili enyanisweni ubhaptizo aluzange lugxininiswe. Ekubeni ndandisele ndibahlulele ubomi bam kuYehova uThixo, ndabona ukuba kwakufanelekile ukufuzisela oko kuzahlulela ngokubhaptizwa emanzini.

Unyaka we-1938 wawungomnye wokulungelelwaniswa kwakhona okungokobuthixo. Ngaphambi kwelo xesha, kwakukho indawo enye esisazulu yokuhlanganisana kwamaNgqina kaYehova eCleveland—iHolo Enkulu, eyayisetyenziswa ngamaJamani, amaPolish, amaNgesi namanye amaqela eelwimi. Emva kowe-1938 intlangano kaThixo yalungiselela ukuba kumiselwe amabandla kumacandelo ahlukahlukeneyo esixeko. UBawo nabakhuluwa bam abathile bamiselwa njengezicaka ebandleni. Esam isabelo sasikwisebe lamaphephancwadi.

Unyaka we-1939 wezisa esinye isiganeko esingenakulibaleka esanceda ukomeleza ukholo lwam kuYehova nakwintlangano yakhe ebonakalayo. Njengokuba imfazwe yayisondela, IMboniselo [yesiNgesi] yapapasha inqaku elalinomxholo othi “Ubundilele.” Ngokuphuma kweli nqaku, ndafunda ukuba abantu bakaThixo babemele babe noxolo nabantu bonke, kwanaphakathi kwezisongelo zemfazwe. Ngokunombulelo, oku kwandilungiselela amaxesha anzima endandiza kujamelana nawo.

Kwakhona ngowe-1939 ndaya kwisiXeko saseNew York okwesihlandlo sokuqala. Apho ndeva umongameli wesibini we Watch Tower Society uJ. F. Rutherford, ethetha eMadison Square Garden. Iintshaba ezingokonqulo, ezimalunga nama-500, zazama ukuyichitha loo ntlanganiso ngokungxola njengokuba uMzalwan’ uRutherford wayethetha. Kodwa konke oko akuzange kuncede. Waqhubeka nentetho yakhe wada wayiphetha, yaye abaphulaphuli basabela ngokunehlombe.

Okusesentliziyweni yam nokusakhumbulekayo engqondweni yam yindibano yezizwe ngezizwe yowe-1942 eyaqhutyelwa kwidolophu yakowethu, eCleveland. Intetho yesidlangalala eyabhengezwa ngokubanzi yayisithi “Uxolo—Ngaba Lunokuhlala Luhleli?” Kwanikelwa ubungqina obungokweZibhalo ukubonisa ukuba naluphi na uxolo Iwekamva olwenziwe ngumntu alunako ukuhlala luhleli.

Ukuvavanywa Kokholo

Kwaba ngelo xesha olwathi ukholo lwam lwavavanywa kwimbambano yobundilele. Ndandingumphathi kwicala elithengisa iintsimbi zemoto kwikampani yeemoto yakwaGeneral Motors. Babendivumele ukuba ndisebenze okwethutyana, ngaloo ndlela bendenza ukuba ndiwugcine umsebenzi wam wokuba ngumlungiseleli wonqulo ukwindawo yokuqala. Kodwa ngenxa yemfazwe eyayibhuqa yaye ngoku ibandakanya iUnited States, ngaba ndandinokuba nesabelo emfazweni okanye ndandinokuzama ukufumana isiqinisekiso sokukhutshwa kwinkonzo yasemkhosini ngenxa yomsebenzi wam wempangelo? Andizange ndikhethe cala. Ndandingumlungiseleli omiselweyo yaye ndandinelungelo elingokwasemthethweni lokukhutshwa kwinkonzo yasemkhosini. Noko ke, iBhunga Lenkonzo Yokhetho alizange livume.

IBhunga lathi: “Unokuya emkhosini oxhobileyo uze usebenze khona njengomlungiseleli.” Ndaphendula ndathi “Andinako. Isizathu sam esingokwesazela sikukuba ndingumlungiseleli wevangeli, yaye ndiye ndabunikela ubomi bam kuloo msebenzi.”

“Kodwa unokukwenza oko nasemkhosini.”

Ndathi “Andinako. Kuphela ndinokukhonza abantu abangoowethu ‘ngeendaba ezilungileyo’ njengokuba zifumaneka eBhayibhileni.”

Ityala lam lasiwa kwinkundla ephakamileyo. Enkundleni ndalatha ngokuphandle ukuba uBawo wabaleka eAustria waza weza eUnited States ngenxa yeenkolelo zakhe ezingokonqulo nxamnye nokuphatha izixhobo nokuba yinxalenye yasemkhosini.

Ijaji yathi, “Kodwa bekungayi kufuneka ukuba ulwe. Ngenxa yemvelaphi nemfundiso yakho, uya kuba ngumthandazeli womkhosi omhle.”

“Mhlekazi, ndinokukwenza njani oko? Ukuba ngenxa yesazela andinako ukuphatha izixhobo, kunokwenzeka njani ukuba ndikhuthaze abanye ukuba benjenjalo?”

Ubomi Basentolongweni

Phezu kwabo nje ubungqina obubhaliweyo bokuba ndingumlungiseleli wevangeli, ekupheleni kowe-1943 ndavalelwa iminyaka emihlanu kwintolongo karhulumente eseLewisburg, ePennsylvania. Noko ke, kwakungekuphela kwam iNgqina eLewisburg, kuba kwakukho nabanye abazalwana abamalunga nama-50 ababelapho. Ngexesha endakhululwa ngalo, inani lalisele landile laya kutsho kuma-200.

Intolongo yayigubungele umhlaba ongaphezu kwama-400 eehektare. Ngaphakathi kwakukho izakhiwo zokuhlala abantu abangabaphuli-mthetho abayingozi kakhulu, ikampu yefama eyayihlala abo bathenjiweyo, nelali encinane apho umfundisi, amajoni, namanye amalungu entolongo ayehlala khona. AmaNgqina ayedla ngokwabelwa kwikampu yasefama. Umsebenzi wam wawukukuqhubela amabanjwa ekampu yasefama ukuya nokubuya kwiindawo zawo zokusebenza.

Xa ndafikayo okokuqala, iintlanganiso ezingokonqulo noncwadi lwethu zazingavunyelwa. Kanti sasilifumana rhoqo iphephancwadi IMboniselo. Kwakusenzeka njani oku? Abahambi abathile ababehamba kumacandelo angamahlathi ababesiya elalini nakwizakhiwo zentolongo babesithi ngokungavakaliyo bawise amaphephancwadi ecaleni kwendlela ngengxowa. Mna okanye omnye umzalwana wayesiza kuthabatha ingxowa aze adlulisele oko ikuquletheyo kwinxalenye yabazalwana. Enye indlela esasilufumana ngayo uncwadi yayingobubele belinye lamajoni awayehlala elalini leyo. Lalishiya amaphephandaba amadala endlwini yalo. Xa kwakufika ixesha lokuthabatha amaphephandaba, ngokufuthi sasifumana amaphephancwadi ethu phakathi kwamaphephandaba amadala. Kamva, umfundisi wasivuma isicelo sethu sokuqhuba iintlanganiso rhoqo nokufumana uncwadi lweBhayibhile.

Ngenye imini xa ndehlisa iqela labasebenzi kwintsimi yomfundisi, ndothuka kakhulu. Kwiimpahla zam, ndandifihle incwadi yoMbutho ethi The Truth Shall Make You Free. Ngoxa abasebenzi babesenza umsebenzi wokuhombisa nowokusika, ndahlala elorini ndaza ngokulumkileyo ndakhupha incwadi. Kodwa khawuthelekelele nje umothuko endaba nawo xa intombazana encinane yomfundisi yathi ngequbuliso yatsiba ivela ngasemva kwam yaza yathi, “Ha! Ufunda ntoni?”

Ekubeni yandiqubula ndinencwadi ekwakumele ukuba ngenene isele esiseleni sam, ndayixelela ukuba yincwadi ecacisa iBhayibhile. Yafuna ukwazi ngokude kwangakumbi njengokuba ndayibonisa omnye wemifanekiso yencwadi. Wawungendoda ehleli phantsi, ikhulula iintambo emilenzeni yayo. Ndathi, “Abantu abaninzi banje. Babotshelelwe ziingcamango zonqulo lobuxoki, yaye uYesu ufuna ukubakhulula kuba wathi: ‘Inyaniso iya kunikhulula.’”—Yohane 8:32.

Ngosuku olulandelayo unina walo mntwana wathi: “Simon, intombi yam indixelele konke ngengxoxo obunayo nayo ngokuphathelele iBhayibhile nencwadi oyibonise yona. Iye yachukumiseka kakhulu, ibe oko kuye kwavakala kukokomdla nakum.” Okuvuyisayo kukuba, esi siganeko sakhokelela kwimiphumo encumisayo.

Ndahlala ngaphantsi kwesiqingatha sesigwebo sam sasentolongweni. Emva kokukhululwa kwam ngowe-1946, ndakhawuleza ndangenelela ubulungiseleli bobuvulindlela bexesha elizeleyo kwakhona.

Inkonzo YaseBheteli

Indibano engokoButhixo engeeNtlanga Ezonwabileyo, eyaqhutyelwa eCleveland ngowe-1946, yayilelinye inqanaba elibalulekileyo ebomini bam. Kukuloo ndibano endathi ndabhalisela ukuza eBheteli-kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo kwikomkhulu lehlabathi leWatchtower Society eBrooklyn, eNew York.

Abameli ababini boMbutho, Umzalwana uMilton Henschel noRobert Morgan, banikela inkcaza emfutshane engenkonzo yaseBheteli, bandula ke badlan’ iindlebe nabo babekho. Ndaya kubo ndithandabuza. Phofu ke, lakuba udliwanondlebe luqalisile, ndabafumanisa benobubele yaye bethobekile.

Omnye waba bazalwana wandibuza wathi “Kutheni ufuna ukukhonza eBheteli nje?”

Ndaphendula ndathi, “Ndenza konke endinokukwenza enkonzweni kaYehova njengovulindlela. Kodwa ukuba ndinokuya eBheteli, ndiqinisekile ukuba ndinokwenza okungakumbi.”

Omnye wathi, “Ukuba uza eBheteli, ngokuqinisekileyo uya kwenza okungakumbi.”

Wayenyanisile! Ukususela kusuku lwam lokuqala eBheteli, ngoFebruwari 18, 1947, ndayifumanisa inkonzo apho iyeyomdla kakhulu yaye ivuza. Ndimbulela yonke imihla uYehova kuba isandla sakhe saye sandikhokelela kweli lungelo linandiphekayo lenkonzo.—2 Tesalonika 3:5.

Ubungqina Bomoya KaThixo Esiye Sabubona

Emva kweminyaka engama-45 yokuhlala kwam ndingatshatanga ngenxa yoBukumkani, ndafumana ‘umfazi wam onesidima’, uGrace Suiter, kanye apho kwiBheteli yaseBrooklyn. (IMizekeliso 31:10) Weza eBheteli ngowe-1939 evela kuMbindi-ntshona, nangona yena nentsapho yakowabo bafunda inyaniso eCalifomia.a Ukususela ekutshateni kwethu ngowe-1959, siye safumanisa ukuba uYehova unabo bamthanda nabamkhonza ngokuthembekileyo.

Ngeendlela ezininzi mna noGrace wam endimthandayo singabemvelaphi efanayo. Sobabini sazalwa ngowe-1914, zombini iintsapho zakokwethu zazifuna inyaniso engokonqulo, ibe sobabini saqalisa ukuba nesabelo ngokukhutheleyo kunye nabazali bethu ekushumayeleni kwindlu ngendlu kubudala obufanayo—be-12. Ukongezelela, njengesibini esitshatileyo kwinkonzo yaseBheteli, hayi indlela ekuvuyisa ngayo ukuba namava kunye enyathelo lokuqala elikhuthazayo elithatyathwe yintlangano kaYehova ukutyhalela phambili umsebenzi wokunikela ubungqina “kude kuse nasekupheleni komhlaba”!—IZenzo 1:8.

Ngaba siyazisola ngenxa yokuba siye sangaphantsi kwesandla sikaThixo? Akunjalo kuGrace! Uthi, “Ngokukhonza kwethu apha eBheteli asikhange sityebe ngezinto eziphathekayo zehlabathi. Kanti ubomi bethu buye baba bobutyebileyo ngendlela engakumbi ehlala ihleli. Nakubeni singenabo abantwana bokwemvelo, ngokuqinisekileyo sinabaninzi bokomoya.”

Nam andizisoli! Ukhetho lwethu lokudumisa uYehova kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo ibe lolona lulungileyo. Siye saphila ubomi obupheleleyo ngenjongo ezukileyo, siyabulela ngokuba “ngaphantsi kwesandla esinamandla sikaThixo.”—1 Petros 5:6.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Abazali bam, uJoseph noMary

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

USimon nomfazi wakhe, uGrace