NYAKA ngamnye, bangaphezu kwezigidi ezithandathu abantu abathatha uhambo oluya kwihlathi elisemagqagaleni elikwiShima Peninsula, eJapan. Sukube besiya kwiNdawo Engcwele Enkulu Yase-Ise, ebekunqulelwa kuyo kangangamawaka amabini eminyaka uthixokazi welanga wamaShinto, uAmaterasu Omikami. Abanquli baqala bazicoce ngokuhlamba izandla nemilomo yabo. Emva koko, bema phambi kweholo yokunqulela yendawo engcwele, benze isithethe sokugoba, baqhwabe izandla, baze bathandaze kulo thixokazi. * AmaShinto avumelekile ukuba aye nakwezinye iicawa, kwaye amanye amaBhuda, nabo bazibiza amaKristu nabezinye iinkonzo ababoni nto ityhulu ngokwenza izithethe zamaShinto kule ndawo ingcwele.

Iinkonzo ezininzi eziphambili zeli hlabathi zineendawo ezingcwele zazo, * kwaye izigidi ngezigidi zabantu ziyazityelela. Kumazwe abizwa ngokuba ngawamaKristu kukho iicawa neendawo ezingcwele ezininzi ezakhelwe uYesu, uMariya kunye neengcwele. Ezinye zakhiwa kwiindawo apho kuthiwa kwakwenzeke iziganeko ekuthethwa ngazo eBhayibhileni okanye apho kuye kwenzeka “imimangaliso” yakutshanje okanye ke kwiindawo ekugcinwe kuzo izinto zakudala zonqulo. Abantu abaninzi baya kwiindawo ezingcwele kuba bekholelwa ukuba imithandazo yabo iya kuvakala bhetele xa bethandazela apho. Kwabanye, ukufika nje kwindawo engcwele emva kohambo olude kuyindlela ababonisa ngayo ukuba bazinikele kunqulo lwabo.

Ngaba ayanda amathuba okuba imithandazo nezibongozo zivakale zize ziphendulwe xa zisenziwa kwindawo engcwele? Ngaba uThixo uya kuvuya xa ebona ukuzinikela kwabantu abathatha uhambo besiya kunqulela kwiindawo ezingcwele? Ngamany’ amazwi, ngaba amaKristu afanele anqulele kwiindawo ezingcwele? Iimpendulo zale mibuzo aziyi kusichazela indlela esifanele sikujonge ngayo ukunqulela kwiindawo ezingcwele kuphela, kodwa ziya kusinceda siqonde nokuba yiyiphi indlela yokunqula ayithandayo uThixo.

Xa uYesu wayencokola nebhinqa elingumSamariya waveza indlela uThixo akujonga ngayo ukunqulela kwiindawo ezingcwele. UYesu wayedlula eSamariya, ibe waphumla kwiqula elikufutshane nesixeko saseSikare. Wancokola nebhinqa elalize kukha amanzi equleni. Njengoko babencokola, eli bhinqa lachaza ukuba amaYuda ayenqula ngendlela eyahluke kakhulu kweyamaSamariya. Lathi: “Ookhokho bethu babenqula kule ntaba; kodwa nina nithi iseYerusalem indawo apho abantu bafanele banqule khona.”—Yohane 4:5-9, 20.

Le ntaba lalithetha ngayo eli bhinqa yayiyiNtaba  YeGerizim, ekumgama oziikhilomitha ezimalunga neziyi-50 kumntla weYerusalem. AmaSamariya ayakhe itempile kule ntaba, ebhiyozela kuyo imisitho enjengePasika. Kodwa ke, kunokuba uYesu ahlale kumahluko okhoyo phakathi kwakhe neli bhinqa, wathi kulo: “Ndikholelwe, mfazindini, liyeza ilixa ekuya kuthi ngalo ningamnquli uBawo kule ntaba okanye eYerusalem.” (Yohane 4:21) Yayisothusa nyhani le nto, ingakumbi xa ithethwa ngumYuda! Yintoni eyayinokubangela ukuba kuyekwe ukunqula uThixo kwitempile yaseYerusalem?

UYesu wongeza wathi: “Liyeza ilixa, nangoku selikho, xa abanquli bokwenyaniso baya kumnqula uBawo ngomoya nenyaniso, kuba, eneneni, uBawo ufuna abanjalo ukumnqula.” (Yohane 4:23) Kangangamakhulu eminyaka, amaYuda ayejonga itempile yawo entle kunene njengeyona ndawo yawo yokunqulela. Ayesiya kuyo kathathu ngonyaka ukuze abingelele kuThixo wawo, uYehova. (Eksodus 23:14-17) Kodwa uYesu wathi yayiza kutshintsha yonke loo nto baze “abanquli bokwenyaniso” banqule “ngomoya nenyaniso.”

Itempile yamaYuda yayisisakhiwo sokoqobo esasikwindawo yokoqobo. Kodwa umoya nenyaniso ayizozinto zibambekayo, kwaye akunakuzigcina kwindawo ethile kuphela. Lilonke, uYesu wayechaza ukuba unqulo lwamaKristu enene lwalungayi kuphelela okanye luxhomekeke kwisakhiwo okanye kwindawo ethile, enoba yiNtaba YeGerizim, itempile eseYerusalem, okanye nayiphi na enye indawo engcwele.

Xa wayencokola nebhinqa lomSamariya, uYesu waveza nento yokuba ‘kwakusiza ilixa’ lokuba kwenzeke olu tshintsho kunqulo lukaThixo. Laliza kufika nini? Elo lixa lafika xa uYesu wafa njengedini waza waphelisa indlela yokunqula yamaYuda eyayisekelwe kuMthetho kaMoses. (Roma 10:4) Kodwa ke, uYesu wathi: ‘Nangoku selikho elo lixa.’ Kwakutheni? Kaloku yena njengoMesiya wayesele eqokelela abafundi ababeza kuthobela umyalelo awawukhupha emva koko, esithi: “UThixo unguMoya, nabo bamnqulayo bamele banqule ngomoya nenyaniso.” (Yohane 4:24) Kuthetha ntoni ke ukunqula ngomoya nenyaniso?

Xa uYesu wayethetha ngokunqula ngomoya, wayengathi makunqulwe ngendlela enehlombe nedlamke ngokubaxiweyo. Kunoko, wayethetha ngokukhokelwa ngumoya oyingcwele kaThixo, phakathi kwezinye izinto okhokela indlela esiziqonda ngayo iZibhalo. (1 Korinte 2:9-12) Kwaye inyaniso athetha ngayo uYesu lulwazi oluchanileyo lweemfundiso zeBhayibhile. Ngoko, kunokuba sinqulele kwindawo ethile ekhethekileyo, uThixo uya kulwamkela unqulo lwethu ukuba  luhambisana noko kufundiswa yiBhayibhile kwaye lukhokelwa ngumoya oyingcwele.

AmaKristu amele akujonge njani ke ukuthatha uhambo oluya kwiindawo ezingcwele nokunqulela kuzo? Xa sicinga ngomyalelo kaYesu othi abanquli benene banqula uThixo ngomoya nangenyaniso, kucacile ukuba unqulo olwenziwa kwiindawo ezingcwele aluyonto ikhethekileyo kuBawo wethu osezulwini. Ukongezelela koko, iBhayibhile iyasichazela indlela uThixo akujonga ngayo ukuhlonelwa kwezithixo xa kunqulwa. Ithi: “Sabani kulo unqulo-zithixo,” iphinde ithi “zilindeni kuzo izithixo.” (1 Korinte 10:14; 1 Yohane 5:21) Ngoko, umKristu wenene akayi kunqulela kuyo nayiphi na indawo ejongwa njengengcwele okanye ekhuthaza ukunqulwa kwezithixo. Lilonke ke, ngenxa yendlela nje eziyiyo ezi ndawo zingcwele, amaKristu enene ayakuphepha ukunqulela kuzo.

Kodwa ke, le nto ayithethi kuthi iLizwi likaThixo alivumi ukuba ube nendawo okhetha ukuthandaza, ukufunda okanye ukucinga kuyo ngezinto ozifundileyo. Indawo yokuhlanganisana elungiswe kakuhle nenesidima iyafaneleka ukuba kufundelwe yaye kuxutyushwe izinto eziseBhayibhileni. Kanti ke akukho nto iphosakeleyo nangokwenza izikhumbuzo, ezinjengamatye abekwa kumangcwaba abantu abaswelekileyo. Asenokuba yindlela nje yokubonisa ukuba siyamkhumbula okanye siyamthanda loo mntu uswelekileyo. Kodwa ke, ukujonga loo ndawo njengendawo engcwele okanye ukunqula imifanekiso okanye izinto ezikuyo kuyangqubana namazwi kaYesu.

Ngoko, akuyomfuneko ukuya kwindawo engcwele kuba sinethemba lokuba uThixo uya kusiva bhetele xa sithandazela kuyo. Kananjalo uThixo akayi kukuthanda okanye akunike iintsikelelo ezikhethekileyo kuba uye wathatha uhambo oluya kwindawo engcwele. IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba uYehova uThixo, “iNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, akahlali zitempileni zenziwe ngazandla.” Kodwa le nto ayimenzi abe kude nathi. Sinokuthandaza kuye aze asive noba siphi na ekubeni “engekude kuye ngamnye wethu.”—IZenzo 17:24-27.