Imali Nezimiso Ezinhle—Isifundo Esisithola Emlandweni

NGO-APRIL 7, 1630, abantu abangaba amakhulu amane bahamba ngemikhumbi emine besuka eNgilandi beya eMelika. Abaningi kubo babeyizifundiswa, abanye bengosomabhizinisi abaphumelelayo, abanye bengamalungu ephalamende imbala. Izimo zomnotho zazizimbi kakhulu ezweni labo. IMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu yaseYurophu (1618-1648) eyayiqhubeka yayenza izimo zibe zimbi nakakhulu. Ngakho, nakuba babengazi ukuthi iyozala nkomoni, bashiya imizi, amabhizinisi nezihlobo zabo beyofuna amadlelo aluhlaza.

Nokho, lelo qembu elalihlalele ethembeni lalingebona nje abathengisi ababezama ukubamba ithuba lokuceba. LalingamaPuritan ashisekayo ayebalekela ukushushiswa ngokwenkolo. * Umgomo wangempela wala maPuritan kwakuwukwakha umphakathi owesaba uNkulunkulu, lapho wona nezizikulwane zawo babengachuma khona ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo kodwa bangayekethisi izindinganiso zeBhayibheli. Ngemva nje kokufika eSalem, eMassachusetts, amaPuritan azithathela indawo encane eseduze nogu. Abiza leli khaya lawo elisha ngokuthi iBoston.

Ubunzima Bokulinganisela

UJohn Winthrop owayengumholi nombusi wawo wenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukuwakhuthaza ukuba acebe bese esiza umphakathi kuleli koloni elisha. Wayefuna abe nakho kokubili, imali nezimiso ezinhle. Kodwa ukulinganisela kwaba nzima. Ebona ukuthi lokhu kwakungaletha izinselele, wakhuluma kakhulu nabantu bakubo ngendima yomcebo emphakathini owesaba uNkulunkulu.

UWinthrop wayefana nabanye abaholi bamaPuritan ngoba wayekholelwa ukuthi ukuphishekela umcebo ngokwako akukubi. Wayethi injongo eyinhloko yengcebo ukusiza abanye. Ngakho ukuceba komuntu kakhulu kwakuyosho ukuthi wayezoba usizo kakhulu. Isazi-mlando uPatricia O’Toole sithi: “Indaba yokuceba yayiwaphazamisa kakhulu amaPuritan. Ingcebo yayiwuphawu lokuthi uNkulunkulu uyakubusisa ibuye futhi ibe isilingo esinamandla esingenza umuntu awele esonweni sokuziqhayisa . . . nasezonweni zenyama.”

 Ukuze kugwenywe izono ezingabangelwa ukuceba nokutamasa, uWinthrop wanxusa abantu ukuba balinganisele futhi bazithibe. Nokho, kungakabiphi, isifiso sabantu bakubo sokugaya imali sathanda ukushayisana nemizamo yakhe yokubaphoqa ukuba benze izinto ezibonisa ukuthi besaba uNkulunkulu nokuthi bayathandana. Abantu ababengavumelani nemibono yakhe baqala ukumphikisa bethi uzenza ungqo shishilizi ezindabeni zabo ezingamthinti. Abanye baqala ukufaka umoya wokuba kukhethwe umkhandlu owawuzokwenza izinqumo. Abanye bavele babonisa ukuthi bazizwa kanjani ngokuthutha bayohlala endaweni engumakhelwane iConnecticut ukuze bakwazi ukuphishekela izinto abafuna ukuziphishekela.

U-O’Toole uthi: “Amathuba okuceba, ukuchuma nokubuswa ngentando yeningi kwaba izinto ezaziwafaka ugqozi kakhulu amaPuritan aseMassachusetts, futhi kwakuwenza afise njalo ukuzichumisa engayigqizi qakala imibono kaWinthrop yokusebenzisa umcebo ukuze kuzuze wonke umuntu.” UWinthrop washona eyisichaka ngo-1649, eneminyaka engu-61 ubudala. Nakuba leli koloni elintekenteke lakwazi ukuqhubeka likhona naphezu kobunzima obuningi, uWinthrop wafa lingagcwalisekanga iphupho lakhe.

Ukufuna Kuyaqhubeka

UJohn Winthrop akuyena ukuphela komuntu owayefisa ukubona umhlaba ongcono. Minyaka yonke, abantu abangamakhulu ayizinkulungwane basuka e-Afrika, eNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia, eMpumalanga Yurophu naseLatin America baye kwamanye amazwe beyofuna ukuphila okungcono. Abanye babo bakhuthazwa izincwadi eziningi ezintsha, izingqungquthela nezingosi ze-Internet eziba khona unyaka nonyaka ezithi zinikeza imfihlo yokuceba. Kusobala ukuthi abaningi basalwela ukuba nemali, benethemba lokuthi abasoze baziyeka izimiso zabo ezinhle.

Uma sikhuluma iqiniso, imiphumela iye yadumaza. Kuvame kakhulu ukuba labo abafuna ukuceba bagcine sebeziyekile izimiso zabo futhi ngezinye izikhathi ngisho nokholo lwabo ngenxa yengcebo. Ngakho-ke ungase ubuze kufanele: “Umuntu angaba yini umKristu weqiniso ngesikhathi esifanayo acebe? Kuyoke kwenzeke yini ukuba kube nomphakathi owesaba uNkulunkulu ocebile ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo nangokomoya.” IBhayibheli liyayiphendula le mibuzo njengoba sizobona esihlokweni esilandelayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 3]

Boats: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck; Winthrop: Brown Brothers