ABANTU amamiliyoni barakunda umusaraba kandi barawubaha. Igitabu kimwe (The Encyclopædia Britannica) kivuga ko umusaraba ari “ikimenyetso nyamukuru kiranga idini ry’abakirisu.” Ariko rero, abakirisu b’ukuri ntibakoresha umusaraba mu gusenga. Kubera iki?

Imvo nyamukuru ituma batawukoresha ni uko Yezu Kristu atapfiriye ku musaraba. Ijambo ry’ikigiriki rikunda guhindurwa  ngo “umusaraba” ni stau·rosʹ. Ahanini risobanura “ikigiga gishinze.” Bibiliya imwe (The Companion Bible) ivuga iti: “Iryo jambo [Stau·rosʹ] ntiryigera risobanura ibibaho bibiri binyuranijwe mu buryo ubwo ari bwo bwose . . . Mu rurimi rw’ikigiriki rwo [mw’Isezerano Rishasha], nta ciyumviro na kimwe cerekeye ibibaho bibiri kirimwo.”

Mu vyanditswe bitari bike, abanditsi ba Bibiliya bakoresha irindi jambo igihe bariko baravuga ikintu Yezu yapfiriyeko. Ni ijambo ry’ikigiriki xyʹlon. (Ivyakozwe 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Abagalatiya 3:13; 1 Petero 2:24) Iryo jambo risobanura gusa “urubaho” canke “inkoni, ikibando kibure igiti.”

Mu gusigura igituma kenshi bicira abantu ku giti gisanzwe, igitabu citwa Umusaraba be n’ukubambwa (mu kidagi), canditswe na Hermann Fulda kivuga giti: “Ibibanza vyatorwa ngo bimanikwemwo abantu ku mugaragaro ntivyama birimwo ibiti. Ni co gituma bashinga mw’ivu igikingi gisanzwe. Kuri ico gikingi ni ho inkozi z’ibibi zamanikwa, zikamanikwa amaboko agoroye kandi araba hejuru, akenshi n’amaguru akaba yaba agoroye, ayo maboko be n’amaguru bikabohwa canke bigakomerwamwo imisumari.”

Ariko rero, ikimenyamenya kijijura kuruta ni ikiva mw’Ijambo ry’Imana. Intumwa Paulo avuga ati: “Kristo yaducunguye umuvumo w’ivyagezwe, yacitse ikivume kubgacu; kuko handitswe ngw ‘Azoba avumwe umuntu wese amanitswe ku giti.’” (Abagalatiya 3:13, Bibiliya Yera) Ng’aho Paulo yasubiyemwo amajambo ari mu canditswe co mu Gusubira mu vyagezwe 21:22, 23, ahavuga mu buryo butomoye igiti, aho kuvuga umusaraba. Kubera ko umuntu yishwe gutyo yaca aba “ikivume,” ntivyoba vyiza abakirisu basharije amazu yabo mu kuyamanikamwo ibishusho vya Kristu ari ku musaraba.

Nta cerekana yuko mu myaka 300 yakurikiye urupfu rwa Kristu, abavuga ko ari abakirisu bakoresha umusaraba mu gusenga. Ariko rero, mu kinjana ca kane Umwami w’abami Konsitantino yarabaye umuyoboke w’ubukirisu bwari bwataye inzira, maze aremesha ivy’uko umusaraba uba ikimenyetso kiburanga. Icatumye Konsitantino abigira caba ikihe, ico tuzi coco ni uko umusaraba ata sano wari ufitaniye na Yezu Kristu. Nkako, umusaraba ukomoka mu bapagani. Igitabu kimwe (New Catholic Encyclopedia) ciyemerera giti: “Umusaraba warakoreshwa mu mico kama  y’abantu b’imbere y’ubukirisu no mu mico kama y’abatari abakirisu.” Izindi ncabwenge zitandukanye zarerekanye ko umusaraba ufitaniye isano n’ivyo gusenga ibidukikije be n’imihamuro y’abapagani ijanye n’igitsina.

Ni kubera iki none ico kimenyetso gikomoka ku bapagani cashizwe imbere? Bisa n’uko vyagizwe kugira ngo vyorohere abapagani kwemera icitwa ngo ni ubukirisu. Ariko rero, Bibiliya iriyamiriza ivyo gukunda ikimenyetso ico ari co cose gikomoka mu bapagani. (2 Abakorinto 6:14-18) Ivyanditswe birabuza kandi ubwoko bwose bwo gusenga ibigirwamana. (Kuvayo 20:4, 5; 1 Abakorinto 10:14) Ni co gituma abakirisu b’ukuri bafise imvo yumvikana yo kudakoresha umusaraba mu gusenga. *