“Azikho Izithuko Kulwimi Lwethu”

KUTHETHA ukuthini ukuthuka? Ukuthuka ‘kukubonakalisa indelelo, ukungambali okanye ungamkhathaleli umntu ngezenzo okanye ngendlela othetha ngayo.’ (The Greater Dictionary of Xhosa—Volume 3) Esi sichazi-mazwi siphinda sikuchaze “ukuthuka” ngokuthi: “Ukusebenzisa amazwi, amagama okugxeka, okunyelisa xa uthetha, ubhekisa (emntwini okanye entweni).” Ngelishwa, kumazwe amaninzi ukuthuka kuyinto eqhelekileyo. Nakuba ngaphambili yayingamadoda athukayo, namhlanje ingathi abafazi bathabath’ unyawo. Noko ke, kwezinye iintlanga ukuthuka bekungeyonto iqhelekileyo. Ngokomzekelo, khawuphulaphule oko kuthethwa ngumIndiya ongumApache uJames Kaywaykla.

UJames wazalwa malunga nowe-1873 eNew Mexico, eUnited States. Sel’ ekhulile, eneminyaka emalunga nama-90 ubudala, wabalisa oku kulandelayo:

“Ngenye intsasa ndavuswa lilizwi likaTatomkhulu. Wayehleli kwibala elingqongwe ngamatyholo, ejonge ilanga xa liphuma, yaye ecula iThe Morning Song. Le yingoma eculelwa u-Ussen . . . ebulelwa ngenxa yesinye sezipho zakhe ezikhulu—uthando phakathi kwendoda nomfazi, into engcwele kuma-Apache.a Aba bantu abaze baqhule ngendlela engcolileyo ngesini, yaye abasiqondi isizathu sokuba abeLungu bekujonga ukukhawula nokubeleka njengento ekunokuqhulwa ngayo. Kubo, oku kunjengokuliphatha njengelingento igama likaThixo. Ndineqhayiya ngento yokuba zingekho izithuko kulwimi lwethu. Siyambulela uMdali woBomi ngelungelo lokudala ezinye izidalwa.”—Native Heritage, ihlelwe nguArlene Hirschfelder.

Malunga neminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo, umpostile ongumKristu uPawulos wabhala esithi: “Makungaphumi lizwi libolileyo emlonyeni wenu, kodwa mayibe lelilungele ukwakha njengoko kusenokuba yimfuneko, ukuze libanike oko kukholekileyo abevayo.” Kwakhona wathi: “Uhenyuzo nako konke ukungahlambuluki nokubawa makungakhe kukhankanywe kwaukukhankanywa phakathi kwenu, kanye njengoko kubafaneleyo abantu abangcwele; kwanehambo elihlazo nentetho yobudenge nokuqhula okungamanyala, zinto ezo ezingafanelekanga, kodwa kunoko hlalani nibulela.”—Efese 4:29; 5:3, 4.

Sinokukushenxisa njani ukuthuka nentetho engamanyala entliziyweni, engqondweni nasemilonyeni yethu? Esi siluleko sikaPawulos esasisiya kwabaseFilipi sisenokusinceda sonke: “Okokugqibela, bazalwana, hlalani nicinga ngezinto eziyinyaniso, nezizezenkxalabo enzulu, nezibubulungisa, nezinyulu, nezithandekayo, nekuthethwa kakuhle ngazo, nezinesidima, nezincomekayo.”—Filipi 4:8.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 31]

All photos: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division; Apache symbol: Dover Publications, Inc.