“Kulowo Ophathiswe Umsebenzi”

KWASEKULENSUKU izulu lisina lomoya uvunguza, kodwa ngoMvulo mhlaka 1 September 1919 ilanga lalibalele futhi kubetha umoya oqandayo. Ngezikhathi zemini abantu abangaba yinkulungwane bathi gwaqa enkundleni eyayithwala abantu abangu-2 500 ukuze bazolalela ukuqala komhlangano owawusenzelwa eCedar Point, e-Ohio kweleMelika. Lathi lisiya ngomtsha wendoda kwafika uquqaba lwabantu abedlula 2 000. Abanye babefika ngezikepe, izimota langezitimela. NgoLwesibili inani labantu laqansa kakhulu okokuthi umhlangano wacina usenzelwa phandle kwenkundla ngaphansi kwemithunzi yezihlahla.

Imisebe yelanga eyayihlaba phakathi kwamahlamvu ezihlahla yayisenza kube angani kulemiceciso emihle phezu kwamajazi abazalwane ababelapho. Kanti njalo insiba ezazicecise izingowane zabodadewethu zaziphephezela ngenxa yomoyana owawuvela kuLake Erie. Omunye umzalwane uthi: “Kwakungani sisephakhi, kwakubukeka futhi kungelamisindo eminenginengi esiyijayeleyo ngale phandle, sasisepharadayisi sibili.”

Lanxa indawo le yayibukela, into eyayikhanya kakhulu yintokozo eyayithe bha ebusweni bomuntu wonke owayelapho. Elinye iphephandaba lase e-Ohio lathi, “abantu ababelapho babezinikele futhi bejabula okwamagama.” Umbuthano lo wabaduduza sibili Abafundi BeBhayibhili. Ngenxa yani? Ngoba babesanda kwedlula ebunzimeni obukhulu obabugoqela ukuphikiswa ngesikhathi sempi, iziphithiphithi emabandleni, ukuvalwa kweBhetheli yaseBrooklyn, ukubotshwa kwabanengi ngenxa yokutshumayela ngoMbuso kanye lokubotshwa kwabazalwane abangu-8 ababekhokhela njalo bagwetshelwa ukuyahlala ejele okweminyaka engu-20.a

Ngalesosikhathi sobunzima abanye abazalwane baphela amandla baswela lokuthi babambe ngaphi futhi bacina bewutshiya umsebenzi wokutshumayela. Kodwa abanengi babekezela babubhensela ubunzima obabukhona. Kwesinye isenzakalo enye inhloli yabika ukuthi lanxa Abafundi BeBhayibhili babesongelwa kabuhlungu, abanengi eyayixoxisana labo babesithi “sizaqhubeka sitshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu kuze kube sekucineni.”

Ngalesosikhathi Abafundi BeBhayibhili ababethembekile “babekubona ukuthi iNkosi iyabakhokhela, . . . bekhuleka zonke izikhathi becela ukuthi uNkulunkulu abaqondise.” Ngakho emhlanganweni lo owawuseCedar Point basebemanyene futhi bekholisa. Omunye udadewethu waveza umcabango owawuhlupha abanengi ababezibuza ukuthi “bazakwenelisa yini ukuqhubekela phambili ngenkonzo njalo batshumayele ngendlela ehleliweyo.” Bona ababekufuna nje yikuthi babuyele emsebenzini.

Iviki yonke abantu ababesemhlanganweni babezibuza ukuthi umelani u-“GA” owayebhalwe emaphepheni ohlelo lomhlangano, emakhadini okwamukela izivakatshi lakwamanye amabhakane ayegqagqele inkundla yomhlangano. Kwathi ngoLwesihlanu umfowethu uJoseph F. Rutherford wayihluba indlubu ekhasini. Watshela abantu abangu-6 000 ababesemhlanganweni lo ukuthi u-“GA” umela ukuthi The Golden Age. Leli kwakulibizo lemagazini entsha eyayisizasetshenziswa enkonzweni.b

Umfowethu uRutherford wakhuluma ngabanye bakhe abagcotshiweyo wathi: “Lanxa behlutshwa khathesi ukholo lwabo lwenza basibone ngelihlo lengqondo isikhathi esihle okumangalisayo esizayo lapho uMesiya esebusa . . . Bakubona kungumsebenzi wabo oyisiqokoqela ukumemezela ukuza koMbuso kaMesiya. Kuyingxenye yomsebenzi abawuphiwe nguNkulunkulu.”

I-Golden Age kwakuyimagazini emumethe iqiniso, enika ithemba futhi eqinisa ukholo. Yayizasetshenziswa ukuphemba indlela entsha yokufikisa iqiniso ebantwini abanengi ngokutshumayela endlini ngendlu. Lapho bonke ababekhona bebuzwa ukuthi ngobani ababefisa ukungena kulowomsebenzi, bonke bathi lothu! “Ngokuzimisela okukhulu bonke ababefuna ukulandela ezinyathelweni zikaJesu” bavungama bathi: “Thumela ukukhanya kwakho leqiniso Nkosi.” UJ. M. Norris uthi, “Kangisoze ngiyikhohlwe indlela esahlabela ngayo, kwaze kwangani lezihlahla ziyanyikinyeka!”

Ngemva kwalelohlandla abantu balayina okwamahola athile ukuze bathole imagazini le entsha. Abanengi bathokoza njengoMabel Philbrick owaze wathi: “Kwasijabulisa kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi sasesilawo futhi umsebenzi wokwenza.”

Abafundi BeBhayibhili abangaba ngu-7 000 basebezimisele ukuphuma bayelihaza iqiniso. Ephetshaneni elithi, Organization Method lasebhukwaneni elithi To Whom the Work Is Entrusted kwachazwa iziqondiso eziphathelane lomsebenzi lo. Umsebenzi lo wawusuzaqondiswa luHlangothi lweNkonzo olutsha olwalusemawofisini ethu amakhulu. Lasemabandleni kwakumele kubunjwe iKhomithi yeNkonzo njalo kukhethwe lomqondisi owayezakhokhela emsebenzini lo. Kanti njalo insimu kwakumele yehlukaniswe ibe yizigaba ezibunjwa yizindlu ezingu-150 kusiya kwezingu-200. Maviki wonke ngoLwesine ntambama kwakumele kwenziwe uMhlangano weNkonzo ukuze abazalwane batshelane okuhle abakuthole enkonzweni njalo bahambise imibiko yabo.

UHerman Philbrick uthi: “Sathi sesibuyele emakhaya ethu kasizange siphozise amaseko, sahle saqalisa ukungena endlini ngendlu.” Lakanye babebathola sibili abantu ababefuna ukuzwa izindaba ezinhle. UBeulah Covey wathi: “Kukhanya abantu babekuthakazelela ukuzwa ukuthi bazake baphile impilo engelabuhlungu ngoba babesanda kudlula ebuhlungwini obukhulu obabubangelwe yimpi.” U-Arthur Claus wabhala wathi: “Sasala sibambe owangaphansi sonke ebandleni sisizwa ukuthi ayemanengi kangakanani amamagazini ayehanjisiwe.” Ngezinyanga ezimbili nje kwasekuhanjiswe amakhophi e-Golden Age yokuqala angaba yi-500 000 futhi yayibalwa nyanga zonke ngabantu abangu-50 000.

Ku-Nqabayokulinda kaJuly 1 1920 kwaphuma isihloko esasisithi “Gospel of the Kingdom” (IVangeli LoMbuso). Ngemva kwesikhathi u-A. H. Macmillan wathi lesi kwakuyisihloko sokuqala inhlanganiso eyasisebenzisayo ukuze ikhuthaze bonke abafowethu labodadewethu ukuthi batshumayele ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Isihloko leso sakhuthaza wonke amaKhristu agcotshiweyo ukuthi “afakaze emhlabeni wonke ukuthi umbuso wezulu ususondele.” Lamuhla abazalwane bakaKhristu abayibo abaphathiswe umsebenzi lo batshumayela ilizwi ngentshiseko bencedisana lexuku elikhulukazi njengoba besalindele uMbuso kaMesiya.