“ZONKE iimfazwe ezakha zakho azithathi nto xa zithelekiswa nale igqugqisayo ngoku eYurophu.” IMboniselo yesiNgesi kaSeptemba 1, 1915, yayichaza njalo imfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala eyagqibela ngokubandakanya amazwe ayi-30. Ngenxa yentshutshiso eyayikho, le Mboniselo yathi: “Inkonzo [yoBukumkani] iye yaphazanyiswa eJamani naseFransi.”

Njengoko yayisiya iqatsela imfazwe yehlabathini lonke, aBafundi BeBhayibhile babengawuqondi ngokupheleleyo umgaqo wokungathathi cala kwezopolitiko kwamaKristu. Sekunjalo, babezimisele ukushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo. UWilhelm Hildebrandt wa-oda amaphecana esiFrentshi athi, The Bible Students Monthly, ukuze akwazi ukushumayela. Wayengayanga kuba nguvulindlela eFransi, kunoko wayelijoni laseJamani. Abantu baseFransi bothuka xa bebona ijoni ebelimele ukuba lilwa nabo, libashumayeza ngomyalezo woxolo.

Iileta ezazibhalwe kwiMboniselo zazichaza ngoninzi lwaBafundi BeBhayibhile baseJamani, ababeziva benyanzelekile ukuba bashumayele ngoxa besemkhosini. UMzalwana uLemke, owayesemkhosini waselwandle, wabalisa ngomdla awaba nawo amanye amajoni amahlanu awayekunye naye enqanaweni. Wathi: “Nakule nqanawa, ndivuna iziqhamo ezidumisa uYehova.”

UGeorg Kayser owayelijoni wabuya emfazweni engumkhonzi woThixo oyinyaniso. Yenzeka njani loo nto? Ngandlel’ ithile wafumana incwadi yaBafundi BeBhayibhile, wayithanda gqitha inyaniso yoBukumkani awayifundayo waza wayeka ukulwa imfazwe. Waye wazifunela umsebenzi ongenanto yakwenza nemfazwe. Emva kwemfazwe, waba nguvulindlela okhutheleyo kangangeminyaka emininzi.

Nangona aBafundi BeBhayibhile babengayiqondi ncam into yokungathathi cala kwezopolitiko, babahluke gqitha kubantu ababeyiqhwabel’ izandla imfazwe. Ngoxa iinkoleli zezopolitiko nezonqulo zaziyixhasa, aBafundi BeBhayibhile babexhasa “iNkosana yoXolo.” (Isa. 9:6) Nangona abanye abafundi  babelalanisa, babeqiniseke ngento efanayo naleyo yachazwa nguKonrad Mörtter owayenguMfundi WeBhayibhile. Wathi: “Ndandiqinisekile ukuba iLizwi likaThixo lithi umKristu akafanelanga abulale.”—Eks. 20:13. *

EJamani, apho kwakungekho mthetho ovumela ukuyekwa kwabantu abangafuni kuya emkhosini ngenxa yesazela, aBafundi BeBhayibhile abangaphezu kwe-20 abazange bavume ukubandakanyeka emkhosini. Abanye kwathiwa bagula ngengqondo, njengoGustav Kujath owasiwa kwisibhedlele sabantu abagula ngengqondo, waza wanyanzelwa ngeepilisi. UHans Hölterhoff naye owayengazange avume ukuya emkhosini, wavalelwa entolongweni. Xa wayelapho akazange avume ukwenza nawuphi na umsebenzi onento yokwenza nemfazwe. Oonogada bamqamangela iingalo de zandindisholo. Xa oko kungazange kusebenze, bamngcungcuthekisa besenza ngathi bayambulala. Nakuba kunjalo, uHans waqhubeka eqinile yade yaphela imfazwe.

Abanye abazalwana ababethunyelwa emkhosini abazange bavume ukuphatha izixhobo, kunoko bacela ukunikwa eminye imisebenzi engenanto yakwenza nemfazwe. * Omnye umzalwana owenza kanye oko nguJohannes Rauthe, ngoko wathunyelwa ukuba aye kusebenza esiporweni. UKonrad Mörtter wayenyamekela abantu abagulayo esibhedlele, yena uReinhold Weber engunesi. NoAugust Krafzig wayewuxabisa kakhulu umsebenzi wakhe kuba wawungenanto yakwenza nemfazwe. Ngenxa yendlela ababeyiqonda ngayo into oluyiyo uthando nokungagungqi, aba Bafundi BeBhayibhile kunye nabanye babezimisele ukukhonza uYehova.

Ngenxa yendlela ababeziphethe ngayo ngexesha lemfazwe, aBafundi BeBhayibhile bagadwa gqitha ngamapolisa. Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, aBafundi BeBhayibhile baseJamani kwafuneka baxoxe amatyala amaninzi ngenxa yomsebenzi wabo wokushumayela. Kwaye kwasekwa isebe lezomthetho eBheteli eseMagdeburg eJamani ukuze kuncedwe aba bazalwana.

AmaNgqina kaYehova aye awuqonda nangakumbi umbandela wokungathathi cala kwezopolitiko. Xa kwaqalisa imfazwe yehlabathi yesibini, aye azahlula ngokupheleleyo emkhosini. Ngenxa yoko, kwathiwa aziintshaba zelizwe laseJamani aza atshutshiswa kakhulu. Leyo ke siza kuthetha ngayo ngenye imini kumanqaku ethu athi “Siphakula Koovimba Bethu.”—Siphakula koovimba bethu kuMbindi Yurophu.