“Thandanani”

“Ngilinika umlayo omutsha wokuthi lithandane. Thandanani ngendlela lami engilithande ngayo. Nxa lithandana, abantu bonke bazakwazi ukuthi lingabafundi bami.”—UJOHANE 13:34, 35.

Kutshoni? UJesu watshela abafundi bakhe ukuthi bathandane njengendlela yena ayebathanda ngayo. Wayebathanda okungakanani uJesu? Wayebathanda kakhulu kungelani lokuthi abantu bangalesosikhathi babebandlululana ngemihlobo futhi bekhangelela phansi abesifazana. (UJohane 4:7-10) Uthando yilo olwenza ukuthi uJesu asebenzise isikhathi sakhe lamandla akhe ukuze ancede abanye. (UMakho 6:30-34) UJesu watshengisa ukuthi wayebathanda kakhulu abantu. Wathi: “Ngingumelusi omuhle. Umelusi omuhle unikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yezimvu zakhe.”—UJohane 10:11.

AmaKhristu Akuqala Atshengisa Njani Ukuthi Ayathandana? AmaKhristu akuqala ayebizana ngokuthi “mfowethu” loba “dadewethu.” (UFilimoni 1, 2) Abantu bonke babesamukelwa ebandleni ngoba amaKhristu ayekholwa ukuthi “akulamehluko phakathi komJuda lomGrikhi, bonke baleNkosi yinye.” (KwabaseRoma 10:11, 12) Sekudlule iPhentekhosti lika-33 C.E, abafundi eJerusalema “babethengisa impahla yabo lezinto zabo, besebesabelana imali yakhona labanye bonke kusiya ngokuthi ngamunye wabo wayeswelani.” Babekwenzelani lokhu? Kwakuzanceda ukuthi labo ababesanda kubhabhathizwa bahlale eJerusalema njalo baqhubeke“bezinikele ukulalela imfundiso yabaphostoli.” (ImiSebenzi 2:41-45) Babekwenzelani lokho? Kungakafiki iminyaka engu-200 abaphostoli befile, uTertullian wabhala okwakhulunywa ngabanye mayelana lamaKhristu wathi: “Bayathandana kakhulu . . . njalo ngamunye wabo uzimisele ukufela omunye.”

Ngobani Abakwenzayo Lokhu Lamuhla? Ibhuku elithi The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1837) lachasisa ukuthi eminyakeni edlulileyo labo ababezithi bangamaKhristu “babezondana ukwedlula labo abangakholwayo.” Abachwayisisayo e-U.S. bathole ukuthi abantu abasontayo futhi inengi labo abazithi ngamaKhristu bayabandlulula abantu ngemihlobo. Abantu abangena isonto yinye emazweni atshiyeneyo abenelisi ukuncedana nxa kungaba lobunzima ngoba abamanyananga.

Ngo-2004, ngemva kokuthi iFlorida ihlaselwe yiziphepho ezine ngenyanga ezimbili kuphela, umgcinisihlalo we-Florida’s Emergency Operations Committee wakhangelisisa efuna ukubona ukuthi izindleko zazisetshenziswa ngendlela eqondileyo yini. Wathi kwakungela elinye iqembu elalihleleke njengelaboFakazi bakaJehova njalo wazimisela lokubancedisa ngakho konke ababekudinga. Ngo-1997, iqembu laboFakazi bakaJehova elincedisa nxa kulomonakalo laya eDemocratic Republic of Congo lisiyancedisa abazalwane labanye abangasibo oFakazi bakaJehova. Babaphathela imithi lokudla lezigqoko. OFakazi bakaJehova e-Europe bona babehambise iminikelo etshiyeneyo okokuthi nxa ihlangene yayibiza amamiliyoni emali yaseMelika.