OMUSALABA anzibirwe n’erisikibwa n’obukekulhu bw’abandu. E kitabu The Encyclopædia Britannica kikahulha omusalaba “mw’akaminyikalho kakulhu ak’edini ey’Ekikrisitayo.” N’omwa bine bithya, Abakrisitayo ab’ekwenene sibali kolesaya omusalaba omw’iramya. Busana naki?

Enzumwa nkulhu yiri yithi Yesu Kristo mwatha holera okwa musalaba. Ekinywe eky’Ekigiriki ekikahindulhawa mwa “musalaba” ni stau·rosʹ. Kikamanyisaya “ekikondo ekimene.” E The Companion Bible yikakanganaya yithi: “[Stau·rosʹ] sikiri manyisaya emithi ibiri eyitsutsikenie haghuma . . . Omwa mubughe ow’Ekigiriki owasakangawa mwe [Ndaghano Nyihya-Nyihya] simuli ekinywe ekikamanyisaya emithi ibiri eyitsutsikenie haghuma.”

Omw’amasako mangi, abasakangi be Biblia bakakolesaya ekindi kinywe bakanza erimanyisya ekindu ekya Yesu akwirako. Ky’ekinywe  ky’Ekigiriki xyʹlon. (Emibiri 5:30, NW; 10:39, NW; 13:29, NW; Abanya Galatia 3:13; 1 Petero 2:24, NW) Ekinywe eki kikamanyisa “erisiforo,” “omwigho, kutse omuthi.”

Erisoborera ekyaleka ibabya bakahanika abandu b’okwa muthi, ekitabu Das Kreuz und die Kreuzigung (Omusalaba n’Eribambwa), ekyasakawa na Hermann Fulda, kikabugha kithi: “Emithi siyabya ehosi-hosi omwa bitsweka ebya babya bakahanikira mw’abandu. Busana n’ekyo, ibakatsimba ekikondo ky’omuthi ky’omwa kithaka. Okwa kikondo eki, ibakahanika kw’ebyalha n’erilhandya kw’ebisandu by’abandu abakathwa ebilhayiro, neryo iba baboha kutse eribakongomerera mw’emisumali.”

Aliriryo, obwema kundu obulengire bukalhua omwa Kinywe kya Nyamuhanga. Omukwenda Paulo akabugha athi: ‘Kristo abirithuthongolya okw’ithakirwa ly’Emighambo, inyabirithakirwa omwa mwanya wethu, kusangwa kisakire kithi, Obuli mundu oyuhanikirwe okwa muthi ni muthakirwa.’ (Abanya Galatia 3:13) Hano Paulo akakanaya omwatsi owali omwa Eryibuka Ebihano 21:22, 23, owakakanaya ndeke-ndeke okwa muthi, butsira omusalaba. Kundi erihanikwa ng’eryo erikakolha omundu mwa ‘muthakirwa,’ sikyangabere kibuya Abakrisitayo erihira omw’amanyumba abu mw’ebisasani bya Kristo inyanahanikirwe.

Ahabw’emyaka 300 Kristo aliholire, sihali obwema obukakanganaya buthi abakayahulha mw’Abakrisitayo mubakolesya omusalaba omw’iramya. Aliriryo, omwa kighonye kyakani, Omuthabali w’ekikafiri ya Constantine mw’ingira omwa Kikrisitayo ekikakangiriraya amabehi neryo mwakulha-kulhania omusalaba ng’akaminyikalho k’akyo. Mbulha Constantine abya n’ekighendererwa ekisosire kithi, omusalaba syabya ahambire oku Yesu Kristo nahake. Erithwalira haghuma, omusalaba atsukire omwa kikafiri. Ekitabu New Catholic Encyclopedia kikaligha kithi: “Omusalaba akabanika omwa mirwa ey’embere w’Ekikrisitayo eriasa n’eyithe y’Ekikrisitayo.” Eyindi myatsi muthina-muthina yikasosekanaya omusalaba ng’eriramya ery’obuhangwa haghuma n’emirwa ey’ekikafiri ey’olhuthetho.

Ibbwa kwesi, ekyaleka, akaminyikalho ak’ekikafiri aka ikakulha-kulhanibwa niki? Obundi, banza abakafiri kibolhobere eriligha “Ekikrisitayo” kyabu. N’omwa bine, e Biblia yikatsweba ndeke-ndeke eriramya akaminyikalho kosi-kosi ak’ekikafiri. (2 Abanya Korinto 6:14-18) Kandi Amasako akakunga eriramya lyosi-lyosi  ery’ebisasani. (Eriluayo 20:4, 5; 1 Abanya Korinto 10:14) Busana n’ekyo, Abakristayo ab’ekwenene bawithe esyonzumwa mbuya erithendi kolesya musalaba omw’iramya. *