ABANTU ababesesikepeni basebezibona intaba eziluhlaza ezazingaphetsheya kolwandle njalo kwabacacela ukuthi basebengenile ethekwini leBelfast Lough. KwakungoMay 1910 futhi phakathi kwabantu ababesesikepeni kwakulomfowethu uCharles T. Russell. Lolu kwasekuluhambo lwakhe lwesihlanu esiya elizweni le-Ireland. Efika endaweni le umfowethu uRussell wabona izikepe ezinkulu ezazisakhiwa, esinye kwakuthiwa yi-Titanic lesinye okwakuthiwa yi-Olympic. * Buqamama kwakumi Abafundi beBhayibhili ababezomhlangabeza.

Eminyakeni engu-20 eyayidlulile umfowethu uRussell waqalisa ukuya kwamanye amazwe ukuze afikise izindaba ezinhle emhlabeni wonke. Uhambo lwakhe lokuqala lwalungoJuly 1891 futhi waya elizweni le-Ireland. Isikepe ayesigadile sadlula edolobheni leChicago futhi kumele ukuthi ukudlula endaweni le kwamkhumbuza imbali yabazali bakhe abake bahlala edolobheni leli. Umfowethu uRussell labangane bakhe bathi besedlula amadolobho amanengi babona ukuthi asesemanengi sibili amasimu alindele ukuvunwa.

Umfowethu uRussell wavakatshela e-Ireland kasikhombisa. Efika okokuqala abantu bakuthanda ayekufundisa futhi lokhu kwenza ukuthi abanengi bazolalela inkulumo zakhe nxa evakatshele elizweni leli. Ekufikeni kwakhe okwesibili ngoMay 1903 imihlangano ayenza eBelfast laseDublin yaphuma kumaphephandaba. URussell wabhala wathi “abantu bayilalela” inkulumo eyayilesihloko esithi “Isithembiso Esagcwalisekayo.” Inkulumo le yayikhuluma ngokholo luka-Abhrahama lezibusiso ezizatholwa ngabantu ngesikhathi esizayo.

Ngesikhathi umfowethu uRussell ethatha uhambo lwakhe lwesithathu esiya emazweni aseYurophu waphinda wavakatshela e-Ireland ngoba abantu bakhona babetshengise ukuthi bayazithanda inkulumo zakhe. Ngakho ngo-April 1908 abazalwane abahlanu bamhlangabeza ngesikhathi esehla eBelfast. Isihloko senkulumo kazulu ayezayikhuluma sasisithi “Ukususwa KoMbuso KaSathane” futhi saphuma emaphephandabeni. Enkulumeni le kwakulabantu abangaba ngu-300 futhi kwakulenye indoda eyayiphikisa kodwa abazalwane bayiphendula kuhle besebenzisa iMibhalo. Edolobheni leDublin kwakulenye indoda okwakuthiwa ngu-O’Connor eyayiphikisa okuzwayo futhi yayingumabhalani wesonto okuthiwa yi-YMCA. Indoda le yazama ukuhuga abantu ababelapho ukuthi bamelane laBafundi beBhayibhili. Kwenzakalani?

Ake sikubone ngelihlo lengqondo okungabe kwakusenzakala ngalesosikhathi. Indoda ethanda ukuzwa izindaba ezinhle ikhetha ukuyalalela inkulumo ephume ephephandabeni okuthiwa yi-Irish Times. Ekufikeni kwayo ewolu ifica kugcwele phamu futhi phambili kumi indoda elendevu egqoke ijazi elide elimnyama. Indoda le iyahambahamba esitejini itshumayela njalo isebenzisa iMibhalo ukuze yenze abantu bazwisise iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini. Lanxa  kungelamitshina yokukhulisa ilizwi, indoda etshumayelayo ikhuluma kuzwakale iwolu yonke. Ngemva kwenkulumo kuba lengxoxo futhi u-O’Connor labangane bakhe bazama ukuyiphikisa indoda le kodwa yona ibaphendula isebenzisa iBhayibhili. Bonke abalaleleyo baqakeza izandla betshengisa ukuthi bavumelana lendoda le. Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile indoda leyana efuna ukwazi iqiniso ilanda abazalwane ukuze izwe okunengi. Le yiyo indlela abantu abanengi abathola ngayo iqiniso ngaleyominyaka.

Uhambo lwesine lukamfowethu uRussell lwalungoMay 1909 njalo wagada isikepe okuthiwa yi-Mauretania. Umango lo wawumude kakhulu yikho wahamba lomfowethu uHuntsinger esenzela ukuthi abe ethayipha izihloko ezazizaphuma ku-Nqabayokulinda. Ngesikhathi ekhuluma inkulumo kazulu wonke eBelfast kwabuya abantu abangu-450 abanye baze bama ngoba kwakungasela ndawo yokuhlala.

Lasehambeni lwakhe lwesihlanu esike sakhuluma ngalo ekuqaliseni kwenzakala okufananayo. Ngemva kwenkulumo ayenza edolobheni leDublin umfowethu uRussell waba lengxoxo lesinye isikhwicamfundo sezokholo esasibuye lo-O’Connor njalo waphendula yonke imibuzo esasilayo. Abantu ababelapho bayikholisa kakhulu leyongxoxo. Ngelanga elilandelayo umfowethu uRussell labanye bakhe bagada isikepe esiya eLiverpool futhi sebefike khona bangena kwesinye okwakuthiwa yi-Lusitania * babuyela eNew York.

Izinkulumo zikamfowethu uRussell zaphuma emaphephandabeni langesikhathi ethatha uhambo lwakhe lwesithupha lolwesikhombisa ngo-1911. Ngokwesibonelo eBelfast aBafundi BeBhayibhili abangu-20 labanye abantu abangu-2 000 balalela inkulumo eyayilesihloko esithi “Ngemva Kwalokhu.” U-O’Connor waphinda wabuya eDublin lomunye umfundisi owayebuza imibuzo eminengi. Abantu ababelapho baqakeza besizwa indlela umfowethu uRussell ayemphendula ngayo esebenzisa iMibhalo. Ngomnyaka ofananayo uRussell wavakatshela amanye amadolobho futhi kwakusiba labantu abanengi ababezolalela izinkulumo zakhe. Waphinda watheleka njalo u-O’Connor elamanye amadoda angu-100 behlose ukuphazamisa umhlangano owawuseDublin kodwa abaphumelelanga.

Lanxa umfowethu uRussell kunguye owayesenza izinkulumo zikazulu wonke ngalesosikhathi wananzelela ukuthi kakho umuntu oqakatheke ukudlula abanye ngoba umsebenzi lo ngokaNkulunkulu. Izinkulumo zikazulu wonke ezazisenziwa ngalesosikhathi zaba yindlela enhle kakhulu yokufundisa abantu iqiniso. Kanti njalo zenza ukuthi izindaba ezinhle zifikiswe ebantwini abanengi futhi lokhu kwabangela ukuthi kubunjwe amabandla amatsha emadolobheni atshiyeneyo e-Ireland.​—Ezembali yethu ezivela eBritain.