“ZONKE izimpi ezidlule. . . ziwubala uma ziqhathaniswa nempi eqhubeka njengamanje eYurophu.”[2] INqabayokulinda ka-September 1, 1915, yayichaza ngaleyo ndlela impi yezwe yokuqala, eyagcina ihlanganisa amazwe angaba ngu-30.[3] Ngenxa yale mpi, INqabayokulinda yabika: “Umsebenzi [woMbuso] ngokwezinga elithile uye wavinjelwa, ikakhulukazi eJalimane naseFrance.”

Bebhekene nale mpi yomhlaba wonke, abaFundi beBhayibheli babengasiqondi ngokuphelele isimiso sobuKristu sokungathathi-hlangothi. Nokho, babezimisele ukumemezela izindaba ezinhle. Efuna ukwenza ingxenye yakhe emsebenzini woMbuso, uWilhelm Hildebrandt wa-oda amakhophi amapheshana ayenesihloko esithi The Bible Students Monthly ngesiFulentshi. Wayengakhonzi njengephayona eFrance, kunalokho wayeyisosha laseJalimane. Leli sosha elalibhekwa njengesitha, ligqoke izingubo zempi, lashumayeza abantu baseFrance—ababemangele—ngesigijimi sokuthula.

Izincwadi ezanyatheliswa kuyi-Nqabayokulinda zibonisa ukuthi abaFundi beBhayibheli baseJalimane abaningana bazizwa bebophekile ukuba bahlanganyele izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso ngesikhathi besempini. Umfoweth’ uLemke owayesebuthweni lasemanzini, wabika ukuthi abantu abahlanu ayesebenza nabo babonisa isithakazelo. Uyabhala, “Ngisho naphakathi emkhunjini, ngivuna izithelo kube udumo kuJehova.”

UGeorg Kayser waya empini eyisosha, wabuyela ekhaya eyinceku kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Kwenzekani? Ngandlela-thile wathola incwadi yabaFundi beBhayibheli, futhi wamukela iqiniso loMbuso ngenhliziyo yonke wabeka phansi izikhali. Wabe esenza umsebenzi ongahileli ukuphatha isibhamu. Ngemva kwempi, wakhonza njengephayona elishisekayo iminyaka eminingi.

Nakuba abaFundi beBhayibheli babengayiqondi ngokuphelele indaba yokungathathi-hlangothi, indlela yabo yokucabanga nokuziphatha yahluka  ngokuphelele emibonweni nasezenzweni zabantu ababesekela impi. Ngesikhathi abezombusazwe nabaholi benkolo besekela imizamo yempi, abaFundi beBhayibheli babambelela ‘eSikhulwini Sokuthula.’ (Isaya 9:6) Nakuba abanye bengazange babambelele ngokuqinile ekungathathini-hlangothi, babesalikholelwa iqiniso eliyisisekelo elashiwo umFundi weBhayibheli uKonrad Mörtter: “Njengoba iBhayibheli lisho, ngaqonda ngokuphelele ukuthi umKristu akufanele abulale.”—Eks. 20:13. *

EJalimane—izwe elalinomthetho ophoqa wonke umuntu ukuba aye empini—abaFundi beBhayibheli abangaphezu kuka-20 benqaba ukuya empini. Abanye kubo kwathiwa bagula ngegqondo, njengoGustav Kujath, owavalelwa endaweni yabagula ngengqondo futhi wajovwa ngemilaliso. UHans Hölterhoff naye owenqaba ukuya empini, wavalelwa ejele futhi nakhona akazange avume ukwenza imisebenzi ehlangene nempi. Abaqaphi bambopha bamqinisa wangakwazi ngisho nokunyakaza. Lapho behluleka ukuphula ubuqotho bakhe, abaqaphi benza sengathi balungiselela ukumbulala. Nokho, uHans waqhubeka eqotho phakathi naleyo mpi.

Abanye abazalwane ababizelwa empini, benqaba ukuphatha izikhali kunalokho bacela ukwenza imisebenzi engahileli ukulwa. * UJohannes Rauthe wenza lokhu futhi wathunyelwa kujantshi wesitimela ukuba ayosebenza khona. UKonrad Mörtter wasebenza esibhedlela, uReinhold Weber waba umhlengikazi. U-August Krafzing kwamthokozisa ukwazi ukuthi umsebenzi wakhe wawungahileli ukuphatha izikhali. Laba baFundi beBhayibheli nabanye abanjengabo babezimisele ukukhonza uJehova ngokuvumelana nokuqonda kwabo uthando nokwethembeka.

Ngenxa yokuziphatha kwabo phakathi nempi, abaFundi beBhayibheli babhekwa ngeso lokhozi. Phakathi neminyaka eyalandela, abaFundi beBhayibheli eJalimane kwadingeka babhekane namacala asenkantolo ayizinkulungwane ngenxa yokushumayela kwabo. Ukuze libasize, ihhovisi legatsha laseJalimane lamisa umnyango wezomthetho eBethel eMagdeburg.

OFakazi BakaJehova baqhubeka bethuthukisa ukuqonda kwabo indaba yokungathathi-hlangothi kobuKristu. Lapho kugqashuka impi yezwe yesibili, abazange bathathe uhlangothi, bazihlukanisa ngokuphelele empini. Yingakho babebhekwa njengezitha zoMbuso waseJalimane futhi beshushiswa ngonya. Kodwa leyo indaba okuzobuye kuxoxwe ngayo esihlokweni esithi, “Okuvela Ezinqolobaneni Zethu.”—Okuvela ezinqolobaneni zethu eYoruphu Ephakathi.