Ezivela Ezinqolobaneni Zethu

Ukuhamba Nama-Pilgrim

“NGEKE nje ngikwazi ukuya endlini ngendlu!” Yeka ukuthi baningi kangakanani abafundelwayo abaye bazizwa ngale ndlela lapho becabanga ngokushumayela kubantu abangabazi! Nokho, la mazwi angenhla ayevela esikhulumini seningi esingumakadebona nesasingumfundisi weBhayibheli obizwa ngokuthi i-pilgrim (igama elalisetshenziselwa ababonisi abajikelezayo bakuqala).

Abafundi abaningi be-Zion’s Watch Tower ababeshiye amasonto abo babelangazelela ukuzihlanganisa nalabo ababomele iqiniso leBhayibheli njengabo. Lo magazini wakhuthaza abafundi bawo ukuba bafune abanye ababenokholo olufana nolwabo futhi bahlangane ndawonye njalo ukuze batadishe iBhayibheli. Kusukela ngo-1894, i-Watch Tower Society yathumela abameleli bayo abajikelezayo ukuba bahlangane namaqembu ayecele ukuvakashelwa. La madoda angomakadebona nayesebenza ngokuzikhandla kamuva abizwa ngokuthi ama-pilgrim, ayekhethwa ngenxa yobumnene bawo, ulwazi lweBhayibheli nekhono elihle lokukhuluma nokufundisa nangokubonisa kwawo ubuqotho esihlengweni. Ukuhambela okuvamile kwakuthatha usuku olulodwa noma ezimbili kuphela ezaziba matasa. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli abaningi baqala inkonzo yasensimini ngokusakaza izimemo zenkulumo yeningi eyayizonikezwa umbonisi ojikelezayo. Ngemva kwenkulumo yakusihlwa ayinikeza esikoleni, uHugo Riemer, kamuva owaba ilungu leNdikimba Ebusayo, waphendula imibuzo yeBhayibheli kwaze kwaba ngemva kwamabili. Ekhathele kodwa ejabule, wathi umhlangano “ubumuhle.”

INqabayokulinda yathi “injongo eyinhloko” yokuhambela kombonisi ojikelezayo kwakuwukwakha “abendlu yokholo” ngokuqhuba imihlangano emizini yabakholwayo. AbaFundi BeBhayibheli abavela ezindaweni eziseduze babeza bezolalela izinkulumo, futhi kwakuba nesikhathi semibuzo nezimpendulo. Ngemva kwalokho kwakuba isikhathi sokubungazana njengamaKristu. Eseyintombazane, uMaude Abbott waya enkulumweni yasekuseni, okwathi ngemva kwayo bonke bahlala etafuleni elikhulu elalisegcekeni. “Kwakusindwe ngobethole—inyama yengulube, inkukhu ethosiwe, izinhlobonhlobo zezinkwa, uphaya nekhekhe! Wonke umuntu wasina wazibethela, kwabe sekuthi ngehora lesibili ntambama sahlangana ukuze silalele enye inkulumo.” Nokho, uyavuma, “Ngaleso sikhathi wonke umuntu wayesozela.” UBenjamin Barton, owajikeleza isikhathi eside wake wathi, ‘Ukube ngangidla zonke izibiliboco ezazibekwa phambi kwami, ngabe ngafa kudala.’ Ekugcineni, incwadi eyayivela endlunkulu eBrooklyn yeluleka odadewethu ababenza la malungiselelo ngezinhloso ezinhle ukuthi kungaba ngcono uma benganikeza abajikelezi “ukudla okuphekwe ngendlela elula nendawo yokulala engenaziphazamiso.”

Laba bajikelezi babenekhono elihle kakhulu lokufundisa, besebenzisa amashadi, imidwebo nanoma yini ababengayisebenzisa ukuze benze indaba iphile. Izinkulumo zikaR. H. Barber “zazihlale zithakazelisa.” UW. J. Thorn owayenjengobaba wayekhuluma “njengenzalamizi yasendulo.” Ngolunye usuku behamba ngemoto yohlobo lwe-A Ford, uShield Toutjian wamemeza kungazelelwe, “Misa imoto!” Waphuma ngokushesha, wakha izimbali zasendle wabe esefundisa ayehamba nabo okuthile ngendalo kaJehova ayengakuhlelanga kusengaphambili.

Umsebenzi walaba bajikelezi wawunezinselele  eziningi, ikakhulu kulabo abase bekhulile ngeminyaka. Nokho, kwabanye uvivinyo olukhulu kwaba ushintsho endleleni okwenziwa ngayo lo msebenzi. Manje kwase kuzolindeleka ukuba bahole emsebenzini wokushumayela endlini ngendlu. INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi ka-March 15, 1924, yathi “omunye wemisebenzi eyinhloko” wamaKristu eqiniso “ukufakaza ngoMbuso. Abajikelezi bathunyelwa ngaleyo njongo.”

Kusobala ukuthi abanye abajikelezi lwabacasula lolu shintsho, ngoba bayeka ukujikeleza, abanye ababenganelisekile baze basungula amaqembu abo enkolo. URobie D. Adkins ukhumbula ukuthi omunye umjikelezi owayeyisikhulumi esihle kakhulu wakhononda: “Into mina engiyaziyo ukushumayela endaweni yesikhulumi. Ngeke nje ngikwazi ukuya endlini ngendlu!” UMfoweth’ u-Adkins uyakhumbula: “Ngemva kwalokho, ngambona emhlanganweni omkhulu ngo-1924 eColumbus, e-Ohio. Wayedabukisa kakhulu, emi yedwa ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla, enesizungu ebe ephakathi kwezinkulungwane zabazalwane abajabule. Angiphindanga ngambona. Wayishiya inhlangano ngemva nje kwalokho.” Ngesikhathi esifanayo, “abazalwane abaningi abajabule babedlula ngakuye bephethe izincwadi beya ezimotweni zabo,” kubonakala ukuthi bamagange ukuyofakaza endlini ngendlu.—IzE. 20:20, 21.

Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi abajikelezi abaningi nabo lwalubaqeda uvalo njengalabo ababethunyelwe ukubaqeqesha, bawenza ngentshiseko lo msebenzi. Ekhuluma ngokufakaza endlini ngendlu, omunye umjikelezi okhuluma isiJalimane, uMaxwell G. Friend (Freschel), wabhala, “Le ngxenye yomsebenzi wabajikelezi inezela ezibusisweni zokuhambela kwabo.” Umjikelezi uJohn A. Bohnet wabika ukuthi iningi labazalwane lakwamukela ngenhliziyo yonke ukugcizelelwa komsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso. Ngokusho kwakhe, iningi labo “lalikushisekela kakhulu ukuyibamba lapho ishisa khona.”

Kuyo yonke le minyaka, abazalwane abajikelezayo abathembekile baye baba ithonya elihle. UNorman Larson, osekuyisikhathi eside enguFakazi wathi, “Ukubaluleka nezinzuzo zokuba khona kwabajikelezi kwakusobala, ngisho nami ngangikubona lokho yize ngangisengumfana. Benza lukhulu ekungiqondiseni endleleni efanele.” Kuze kube namuhla, ababonisi abajikelezayo abazidelayo nabaqotho bayaqhubeka besiza abakholwa nabo ukuba bathi, “Singashumayela endlini ngendlu!”

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Kwakuba usuku olujabulisayo lapho kufike umjikelezi!

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Ngo-1905 uBenjamin Barton wahambela izindawo ezingu-170

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UWalter J. Thorn wayengumjikelezi, eteketiswa ngokuthi uPappy ngenxa yesimo sakhe sokuba ubaba nesifana nesikaKristu

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UJ. A. Browne wathunyelwa eJamaica njengomjikelezi ngawo-1902 ukuze ayoqinisa futhi akhuthaze amaqembu amancane angu-14

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Umsebenzi wabajikelezi bakuqala wakha ukholo, waqinisa ubunye bobuKristu futhi wenza abazalwane basondelana nenhlangano