Ukuguquka KukaConstantine—Eguqukela entwenini?
IBANGO lokuba umlawuli ongumRoma UConstantine waguquka liyinto eyabangela umdla kwakude kudala kubaphengululi bezonqulo. Ngokutsho kwengxelo yakhe, ngobusuku obabungaphambi kwedabi elalingowama-312 C.E., awoyisayo kulo, UConstantine owayengumhedeni wabona umbono womnqamlezo owawunombhalo othi: “Lo [ngumqondiso] othetha uloyiso.” Kungekudala emva koko “waguquka” (ngowama-313 C.E.) waza wakuphelisa ukutshutshiswa kwamaKristu kubukhosi baseRoma. UConstantine wakhuthaza uhlobo lobuKristu olwalukho ngoko njengoko sibazi namhlanje njengonqulo lweLizwe, ibe waxolelanisa kwiimpikiswano zasekuhlaleni zecawa. Noko ke, wakwenza nezinto ezabangela ukuba sithandatyuzwe isibakala sokuba wayeguquke ngokwenene yaye akazange abhaptizwe de kwangaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe kwiminyaka emalunga nama-24 kamva.
Kwinqaku elikwiBible Review, uStanley A. Hudson, umqokoleli weengqekembe zemali nowayefundela ubugqirha kwezakwalizwi watyhila indlela iingqekembe zemali ezaziveliswa ebudeni bolawulo lukaConstantine eziyinikela ngayo inkcazelo ethile ebangel’ umdla kulo mbandela. Kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo ukuba iingqekembe zaseRoma zibe nomfanekiso woothixo abathandwayo ngabantu baseRoma, de kwalixesha likaConstantine. Kodwa uHudson wanikela ingxelo yokuba emva kokuguquka kukaConstantine, imifanekiso yobuhedeni yaya incipha ngokuncipha—ngaphandle komnye. Iingqekembe ezazinomfanekiso kaSol, uthixo welanga—ezazithandwa nguConstantine ngaphambili—zaveliswa kakhulu. Kwakutheni?
UHudson ucingela kwizinto ezimbini. Okokuqala, ukuguquka kukaConstantine kusenokuba akuzange kube yinto eyenzeka ngokukhawuleza—phezu kwayo nje imibono yakhe ekhwankqisayo. Okanye enyanisweni UConstantine usenokuba wabhidanisa uSol noYesu. Ukudibana kweentlobo ezahlukahlukeneyo zeenkolelo akunto ingaqhelekanga nanamhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, kuMzantsi Merika, izithixokazi zokuqala zaseColumbia uPacha-Mama noTonantzin zisanqulwa phantsi kwegama likaMariya oNgcwele. Ngendlela efanayo, UConstantine usenokuba wanqula uSol ecinga ukuba nguYesu.
Ukudibana okunjalo kweentlobo ezahlukahlukeneyo zeenkolelo kwakuya kusicacisa isizathu sokuba uDisemba 25, ‘umhla wokuzalwa kwelanga elingoyiswayo,’ wanyulwayo njengomhla wokukhumbuza ukuzalwa kukaYesu. Kwakhona kwakuya kusinceda ukuze sibone isizathu sokuba kwingqekembe eyaveliswayo ekhumbuza ngokufa kukaConstantine kukho umbhalo othi “DV Constantinus” (“Uthixo UConstantine”). Oku kubonisa ukuba, phezu kwako nje ukuguquka nokubhaptizwa kwakhe ekugqibeleni, UConstantine wayegqalwa njengothixo emva kokufa kwakhe, kanye njengokuba kwakunjalo ngabalawuli bobuhedeni ababengaphambi kwakhe.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bequest of Mrs. F. F. Thompson, 1926 (26.229)