NGA-MAY 1910 bagibeli bemkhumbi bebabuka buhle betintsaba nekuphuma kwelilanga njengobe umkhumbi wendlula i-Belfast Lough. Charles T. Russell bekagibele lomkhumbi futsi besekaya kwesihlanu e-Ireland. Umzalwane Russell wabona imikhumbi lemibili lebeyisakhiwa, lebitwa ngekutsi yi-Titanic ne-Olympic. * Esikhumulweni semikhumbi bekuneBafundzi BeliBhayibheli labebalindzele kufika kwakhe.

Eminyakeni lengu-20 ngaphambi kwaloko, umzalwane Russell bekafuna indlela lekahle yekusakata tindzaba letimnandzi emhlabeni wonkhe futsi wancuma kuvakasha kulamanye emave. Wacala ngekuvakasha e-Ireland, ngaJuly 1891. Nakagibele umkhumbi lobitwa ngekutsi yi-City of Chicago, Russell wabuka lilanga lishona ngaseQueenstown futsi kungenteka wakhumbula ngesikhatsi batali bakhe bamchazela ngendzawo labebahlala kuyo kadzeni. Njengobe bengca emadolobheni kanye nasetindzaweni tasemakhaya letinhle babona kutsi kunensimu ‘lese ilungele kuvunwa.’

Umzalwane Russell wavakashela e-Ireland tikhatsi letingu-7. Kusukela ekuvakasheni kwakhe kwekucala bantfu lebebete kutolalela tinkhulumo takhe bebandza futsi ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi baba tinkhulungwane. Ekuvakasheni kwakhe kwesibili ngaMay 1903 imihlangano yaseBelfast naseDublin beyikhangiswa emaphephandzabeni. Russell wachaza kutsi bantfu bebasitsandza kakhulu sihloko lesitsi “The Oath-Bound Promise” lebesimayelana nekukholwa kwa-Abrahama kanye netibusiso letitawutfolwa bantfu esikhatsini lesitako.

Ngesikhatsi avakasha e-Europe, Russell waya nase-Ireland ngoba bantfu balapho bebatsandza kufundza ngaNkulunkulu. Ekuseni nga-April 1908, nakefika esikhumulweni semikhumbi lesiseBelfast wahlangabetwa bazalwane labasihlanu. Entsambama ngalelolanga bantfu labacishe babe ngu-300 beta kutolalela inkhulumo yelinyenti lenesihloko lesitsi “The Overthrow of Satan’s Empire.” Emkhatsini wabo bekunalenye indvodza lephikisako kodvwa bakhona kuyincoba ngoba bebanelikhono lekusebentisa kahle imiBhalo. EDublin umphikisi lobekatimisele, umnumzane O’Connor lobekangumabhalane we-YMCA wetama kwenta tilaleli letingetulu kwa-1 000 kutsi timelane neBafundzi BeliBhayibheli. Kwagcina kwentekeni?

Asesicale sicabange kutsi yini leyenteka ngalelolanga. Indvodza lebeyinesifiso sekwati emaciniso laseBhayibhelini yakhetsa kuyolalela inkhulumo yelinyenti lebeyikhangiswe ephephandzabeni lebelibitwa ngekutsi yi-The Irish Times. Yetama kamatima kuze itfole indzawo yekuhlala kulelihhola lebeligcwele. Yalalelisa njengobe indvodza lenetimvu nesilevu legcoke lijazi lelidze lelimnyama ibeka  inkhulumo. Njengobe sikhulumi sibeka lenkhulumo, besihambahamba esiteji sishukumisa umtimba, sichaza kahle imiBhalo futsi sisita tilaleli kutsi tiwacondze kahle emaciniso laseBhayibhelini. Ngisho noma bekute umbhobho, livi lesikhulumi belivakala kahle kulo lonkhe lihholo futsi loko kwenta letilaleli takhona kulalelisisa kwaze kwaphela li-awa nehhafu. Nasekusikhatsi sencenye yemibuto netimphendvulo, O’Connor kanye nebangani bakhe bamphikisa kodvwa ngekuhlakanipha wakhona kusekela loko lekakushoko ngemiBhalo. Tilaleli tashaya tandla kute tikhombise kutsi tiyavumelana nesikhulumi. Naseyiphelile lemphikiswano, lendvodza lebeyinesifiso sekufundza ngaNkulunkulu yaya kulabazalwane kute ifundze lokwengetiwe. Banyenti bantfu labafundza liciniso ngalendlela.

Ekuvakasheni kwakhe kwesine nga-May 1909, uMzalwane Russell wasuka eNew York ngemkhumbi lobitwa ngekutsi yi-Mauretania, futsi wahamba neMzalwane Huntsinger kuze ambhalele tihloko te-Sicongosekulindza nabasemkhunjini. Ngesikhatsi uMzalwane Russell abeka inkhulumo eBelfast, bekunetilaleli letingu-450, futsi leticishe tibe ngu-100 betimile ngobe bekute indzawo yekuhlala.

Kulokuvakasha kwakhe kwesihlanu kwenteka lokufanako. Ngemuva kwenkhulumo yelinyenti layibeka eDublin, umfundisi lodvumile lebekete na-O’Connor watitfolela timphendvulo letisekelwe eBhayibhelini temibuto labenayo futsi loko kwatijabulisa tilaleli. Ngelilanga lelilandzelako, bagibela umkhumbi loya eLiverpool lapho khona befike bagibela umkhumbi lobitwa ngekutsi yi-Lusitania baya eMelika. *

Nga-1911, ekuvakasheni kwaRussell kwesitfupha nekwesikhombisa kwabekwa tinkhulumo telinyenti lebatikhangisiwe. Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli labangu-20 bangenisa tivakashi letingu-2 000 lebetitolalela inkhulumo lenesihloko lesitsi “Hereafter.” O’Connor waphindze weta eDublin nalomunye umfundisi lowabuta imibuto kodvwa tilaleli tashaya tandla tivumelana netimphendvulo letisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Kuwo lowo mnyaka kwavakashelwa lamanye emadolobha futsi bantfu labanyenti beta kutolalela letinkhulumo. O’Connor kanye nemadvodza langu-100 baphindze bafuna kuphatamisa umhlangano lobewuseDublin, kodvwa ngemdlandla tilaleli tasekela sikhulumi.

Nobe uMzalwane Russell bekunguye lobekavame kubeka tinkhulumo telinyenti ngaleso sikhatsi, wabona kutsi “kute umuntfu lobaluleke kakhulu” ngobe “lona ngumsebenti waNkulunkulu hhayi webantfu.” Tinkhulumo lebetikhangiswa taba yindlela lekahle yekufundzisa emaciniso laseBhayibhelini. Waba yini umphumela? Tinkhulumo telinyenti tasita ekusakateni tindzaba letimnandzi futsi kwaba nemabandla lamanyenti emadolobheni ase-Ireland.​—Lokuvela emtatjeni wetfu eBritain.