Ukusuka Emavukeleni Amnyama Kuya KoFakazi BakaJehova

Uhambo Olude Ukusuka Emandleni Abamnyama Kuya Ekudumazekeni Wokudlulela Ekukhanyiselweni

ABAFUNDI abamhlophe ngesonto labo lokujwayezwa eYunivesithi yaseTufts engxenyeni enkulu yaseBoston babefunda ngamakilasi futhi bejwayela amagceke nezakhiwo zeYunivesithi. Abafundi abamnyama babehlangana nabantu abanjengoAngela Davis, oDick Gregory, amaMuslim aMnyama. Futhi bengazi abaphathi besikole, kwakungena nezigebengu ezivela enhlanganweni yamavukela. Zafika nabaqaphi bazo siqu ukuzositshela ukuthi kwenzekani nokuthi kumelwe senzeni ukuze sithuthukise ukuvukela. Zasivula amehlo ukuze senze izenzo ezimbi futhi zasishukumisela ukuba sibone isidingo samandla abamnyama. Uma uneminyaka eyi-17 ubudala uyashesha ukushukunyiswa ukungalungi, futhi ngasibona isidingo sokuba mnyama kakhulu.

Kwakungu-1969 futhi kungunyaka wami wokuqala eTufts. Isizathu sokuhlola ubumnyama bami ngokushesha sase sifikile. Kwakwakhiwa amakamelo okulala kunezisebenzi ezimbalwa kakhulu ezimnyama. Ekuseni sasisesakhiweni. Sasinabavela ngaphandle komphakathi abafika nezibhamu nezinye izikhali. Samisa okaputeni. Ngangingukaputeni kwesinye seziteshi. Nganginabesifazane abathathu. Sasinemisakazo yethu yokukhuluma futhi sazivalela ngaphakathi.

Kodwa lapho zifika emsebenzini lezozisebenzi ezakhayo, uthi zake zathukuthela! Zona zazizofuna isinkwa. Kwakungahlangene nebala. Kwakuthinta imikhaya yazo. Zafuna ukusidla luhlaza! Amaphoyisa afika ngesikhathi, egqokele izibhelu ephethe izinduku zezibhelu ezingamasentimitha angama-30 ubude ngaphezu kokuvamile. Aba udonga phakathi kwethu nezisebenzi, ukulwa kwanqamuka.

Ngangifunda emayunivesithi amabili ngalowonyaka. Ngangibhaliswe eTufts kodwa ngihlanganyela esimisweni sokushintshana iTufts eyayinaso neMassachusetts Institute of Technology. EMIT isazi esimnyama sesayensi yemvelo esikoleni sabaneziqu seza kimi. Emtatsheni wezincwadi eMIT, kunokwaziswa okuningi kakhulu ngamabhomu nezindala zokulwa. Lesisazi sesayensi esimnyama sathi kimi: “Bheka, mfowethu, uma ufuna ukuwadiliza [amakamelo okulala ayakhiwa] kwalani—ungunjiniyela, akunjalo?”

Ngathi, “Yebo.” Wathi, “Mina ngingenza initro futhi asivele siwadilize wonke.” Kodwa ngangingakulungele lokho.

Igama lami nginguLarry Whitehead. Ngazalelwa ewashington, D.C, ngakhulela eArlington, eVirginia. Ngahlangabezana nokudelelwa okuningi, okukhulu nokuncane, okwakubhekiswe kwabamnyama. Ngaqeda unyaka wokuqala ngifunda nabamhlophe esikoleni esiphakeme—leyonkathi yenziwa lukhuni ukuba khona kweKu Klux Klan neqembu lamaNazi eVirginia. Ngangilokhu ngibazonda abamhlophe, kodwa iTufts eyangifundisa ukulwa.

UMadeline Uyangijoyina ETufts

Ngonyaka olandelayo kwafika uMadeline eTufts—izinwele ezinkulu eziyisihluthu, izithombe ezinkulu ezibonisa izibhakela ezimnyama, nayo yonke imidwebo yaMandla Abamnyama. Uyachaza ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani kuye:

“Kwakuhlukile kimi. Lapho ngifika eTufts, ngase ngivele ngiyivukela. Ngakhulela endaweni yabamhlophe; isikole esiphakeme sasinabamhlophe ikakhulukazi; abangane bami abaningi babemhlophe. Kodwa ngonyaka wami we-11, kwaqala isibhelu endaweni yokudlela—kwakubulewe uMartin Luther King, futhi abantu babethukuthele ezindaweni eziningi. Ngakho endaweni yokudlela kwalwa abamnyama nabamhlophe. Kwadingeka ukuba bavale isikole. Ngashaqeka lapho abangane bami abamhlophe engangikhule nabo bebonisa inzondo nabutha obungaka. Kwangenza ngaba nenzondo. Ngenza izinguquko ezinkulu. Ngazigunda zonke izinwele zami, ngazikhulisa zaba isihluthu, futhi ngashisekela aMandla Abamnyama. Lapho ngifika eTufts, inzondo yami ngabamhlophe yayisikhule kakhulu.”

Mina noMadeline sashiseka enhlanganweni yabamnyama eTufts. Kwakuyinkathi yoshintsho olukhulu. Kwakwenzeka izinto ezinkulu emagcekeni ezikole. Impi yaseVietnam yayisematheni. iNhlangano Yombuso Weningi yayisebenza ngentshiseko. Ukusetshenziswa kwemilaliso kwakusaqala futhi kuthuthuka ngamandla. Mina noMadeline sasingayisebenzisi imilaliso, kodwa labo esasijwayelene nabo babengayisebenzi nje kuphela kodwa futhi babeyidayisa.

ITufts kwakuyisikole esinabamhlophe ikakhulukazi, kodwa babebavumela abamnyama ukuba babe namaqembu, sasinenhlangano ethiwa iAfro Society Black Orientation. Ngaba umongameli wenhlangano ethiwa iAfroAmerican Society nowobumbano lwabansundu edolobheni lonke. Ukubulawa kukaMartin Luther King kwabangela okuningi kwalokhu kubhikisha kwabamnyama, ukufa kukaMalcolm X kwanezela emfuthweni wakho, futhi lapho bobabili uJack noBob Kennedy bebulawa, (‘babengabantu abamhlophe abahle’ abahlukile), kwashiya abamnyama bezizwa bengenathemba.

Sasifuna okuthile okusahlukanisayo. Saqala ukufunda izincwadi zikaMarcus Garvey, Back to Africa, nezikaJames Baldwin. Amabhayisikobho ethu ayebonisa izindlela zamaphekula, abamnyama besebumpofini futhi bebandlululwa. Ayebonisa abesifazane bama-Arabhu ababenelungelo lokungena ezindaweni abanye abantu ababengenakungena kuzo, ngakho bangena namabhomu bewanamathisele emizimbeni yabo futhi baqhumisa lezozindawo—banikela ngokuphila kwabo ngenxa yaleyonjongo. Ngakho sasifundiswa ukuba senze okufanayo.

Sifundisa “Inkolo Emnyama”

Ngangilokhu ngikholelwa kuNkulunkulu, ngimfuna. (IzEnzo 17:27) Kodwa wacishe wangilahlekela ngokuphelele ngo-1970. ETufts sasifundisa isifundo esasibizwa ngokuthi iNkolo Emnyama. Eqinisweni sasiwukuhlasela iBhayibheli. AmaMuslim Amnyama ayenethonya kuso, futhi ayethi abantu abamhlophe abeza kuwe neBhayibheli bangoDeveli. Ikakhulukazi labo abanamehlo aluhlaza nezinwele ezimhlophe. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uJesu wayemnyama futhi enezinwele ezifana noboya bezinyane lemvu.

Sasikulelizinga nesifundo lapho ngihlangana noTim Sieradski. Wayemkhulu, enezinwele ezimhlophe, namehlo aluhlaza, futhi weza ephethe iBhayibheli ngesandla sakhe —udeveli omhlophe onamehlo aluhlaza uqobo! Noma ngacabanga kanjalo. Wayengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Lapho efika emnyango wami, ngacabanga ngathi: ‘Ake ubheke lodeveli omkhulu onamehlo aluhlaza ezama ukungifundisa iBhayibheli.’ Kodwa ngokushesha ngathola ukuthi wayelazi iBhayibheli, futhi ngangifuna angikhombise eBhayibhelini lapho kuthi khona izinwele zikaJesu zazinjengoboya bezinyane lemvu.

Esikhundleni salokho wakhuluma ngokuphela kwalelizwe, nemibhalo yokufakazela lokho. Njengonjiniyela, ngase ngizitholele ngokwesayensi ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona. Ngangingaqiniseki ngeBhayibheli—ngangingakaze ngilitadishe. UTim wafunda umbhalo owangihlaba umxhwele: “Wazenza izizwe zonke ngagazi linye ukuba zakhe ebusweni bomhlaba.” (IzEnzo 17:26) Ngakho ngamlalela uTim.

Kodwa hhayi uMadeline! Ake asho ukuthi kungani: “Isonto lalingiqede isithakazelo ngokuphelele,” echaza. “Lapho sengineminyaka eyi-16, ngabona ukuthi lalizenzisa kakhulu. Ngangazi ukuthi angiphili ngendlela eqondile—ngalesikhathi mina noLarry sasihlala ndawonye—kodwa ngangingeke ngisonte futhi ngizenzise. Ngakho noma nini lapho uTim efika, nezinwele zakhe ezimhlophe, namehlo aluhlaza neBhayibheli esandleni, ngangingamkhulumisi. Lapho efika ngangihamba.”

Salahlekelana noTim. Sasingakulungele ukushiya inhlangano yaMandla Abamnyama. lAfroAmerican Society yahlela ukuba iyobona iqembu elalibizwa ngokuthi The Last Poets. Laba kwakungabamnyama ababeguqula izinkondlo bazenze umculo. Ukuphela kwento ababekhuluma ngayo kwakuwukuvukela umbuso.: ‘Bantu abamnyama hlanganani, qinani, ketulani umphakathi wabamhlophe, nenze ukuphila kube ngcono.’ Isiqubulo sabo sasithi ‘Sebenzani ndawonye, zabalazani ndawonye.’ Ngakho mina noMadeline sanquma ukusebenzelana nabamnyama kuphela.

Izinsolo Ziyahluma Futhi Ziyakhula

Sakhipha imali eyisibambiso yendawo yokuhlala okwakungeyabamnyama. Emva kokulinda izinyanga ezintathu nokulalela izaba eziningi, basitshela ukuthi base beyiqashisele omunye. Ngaphambi kwalokho, nganginendlu emphakathini wabamnyama, futhi abamnyama bayigqekeza bantshontsha konke enganginakho. Ngobunye ubusuku ngangisesitolo sikaice cream ngikhuluma nomama ocingweni. Amadoda amathathu amnyama angena aphanga isitolo. Angizange ngibone kwaze kwaba yilapho ngizwa lendoda emnyama emva kwami ithi, “Yehlis’ umoya mfowethu.” Lapho ngiphenduka, yayiphethe isibhamu sohlobo lwe-.45 esibeke emhlane wami. Umfowethu omnyama uqobo!

Sabona ukuthi abamnyama babephila ngabamnyama njengoba kwakwenza abamhlophe. Akulona ibala; akusibo nobuzwe; abantu nje. Kuyadabukisa futhi kuyadumaza. Sabheka futhi abamnyama esasingabangane nabo eTufts. Ezinhlanganweni zabesilisa nasezinhlanganweni zabesifazane, babungekho ubudlelwano beqiniso; asizange futhi sibuthole nakuyiAfroAmerican Society. Abanye babangane bami babengatholi nkinga ekucekeleni phansi abesifazane abamnyama. Amantombazane amnyama ayefika esikoleni. Abazali bawo babenikele iminyaka eminingi ukuze bathole imali yokuwathumela khona. Bese kuthi abesilisa abamnyama bawafundise imilaliso. Amanye ayegcina ngokuzama ukuzibulala.

Sabe sesibheka bonke labantu abasha ababesizungezile, abamnyama nabamhlophe. Abanye babeyimihuqa yemilaliso, abanye beyimilutha yotshwala, futhi abaningi babo babezazisa. Ingabe lesi isizukulwane esiphethe ikusasa lomhlaba? Noma kuphi lapho sibheka khona, sasingaboni mpendulo, kwabamnyama nakwabamhlophe.

Ukudumazeka Kuyaqala

Izinsolo zaphenduka indumalo. UMadeline wachaza inkinga yakhe ekhulayo: “Sasiba nayo yonke lemihlangano, futhi kuyo babelokhu bethi awudingi ukuba nemithetho. Noma yini ofuna ukuyenza ilungile. Lokho ukuzibusa. Awunakufeza lutho ngaleyondlela.”

Ngavuma. Ngangilokhu ngifuna iziqondiso isintu esasingaphila ngazo. Ekuqaleni nganginomuzwa wokuthi ukuba sonke sasimnyama, sonke sivela endaweni eyodwa, sihlangene enjongweni eyodwa, khona-ke kwakuyolunga. Kodwa sabona ukuthi abamnyama babengahlukile kwabamhlophe—bengengcono, bengebabi, kumane kuyinhlanganisela efanayo yabahle nababi. Ubunye kumelwe bube nesisekelo esihlukile kunobuzwe.

Ngokusobala, kwakufanele senze ushintsho. Izinto zazisiphendukele. Ngobunye ubusuku ngakhumbula: “ETufts kwakukhona ifilimu eyayibonisa ubukhulu bendalo yonke, ukuhleleka kwayo. Kwangimangaza, futhi ngiyakhumbula ngicabanga ngalesosikhathi ukuthi lokho kwakungeke kwenzeke ngengozi. Uma kukhona loluhlobo lokuhleleka kuyo yonke indalo, kufanele kube neziqondiso uNkulunkulu azibekela isintu.”

Saphuma eTufts, sashada, futhi saqalisa ukufuna kwethu uNkulunkulu owenza lendalo enokuhleleka, unozungezilanga enguMhlaba, nesintu esikuwo.

Phakathi nokufuna kwethu, saya emhlanganweni wokutadisha iBhayibheli esontweni laseAfrican Methodist Episcopal. Sahamba nencwadi iAid to Bible Understanding uTim ayengishiyele yona ezinyangeni ezithile ngaphambiii. Ingxoxo yayiphathelene nemizi yesiphephelo. Akekho owayazi ukuthi yayiyini kwaze kwaba yilapho ngifunda ngayo encwadini iAid. Bonke bajabula kwaze kwaba yilapho bezwa ukuthi lencwadi yayishicilelwe oFakazi BakaJehova. Kwathula kwathi cwaka endlini. Kodwa leli kwakufanele kube ikilasi lokutadisha iBhayibheli?

Ukukhanyiselwa Kuguqula Ukuphila Kwethu

Sahamba futhi asiphindanga sabuyela. Kwasenza sabona ukuthi ngokusobala ukuphela kwabantu ababeyazi into abayishoyo kwakunguTim noFakazi BakaJehova. Ngasikhumbula isibongo sikaTim, ngasibheka encwadini yezinombolo zocingo, futhi ngamshayela ucingo. Waqalisa isifundo seBhayibheli nathi. Futhi manje ngisho noMadeline wayekujabulela ukukhuluma noTim—wayengaseyena “lowayadeveli onezinwele ezimhlophe namehlo aluhlaza.”

Kwaqala ukwenzeka izinto ezithakazelisayo. Ngangisebenza embonini enkulu yonjiniyela eBoston. Bangibizela ehhovisi bangitshela ukuthi uma ngingayeka ukuba uFakazi futhi ngiphindele ekolishi ngithole iziqu zemasters, bayongenza iphini likamongameli. Ngenqaba. Mina noMadeline sabhapathizwa njengoFakazi BakaJehova ngo-1975, futhi uMadeline waqalisa njengephayona elivamile.

Ngaba nokuhlangenwe nakho okujabulisa kakhulu kulemboni yonjiniyela. Ngangisebenza noMike, unjiniyela omnyama lapho. Wayekuthanda ukuphikisa, futhi enye yezindaba ayezithanda kakhulu kwakungeyokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Ngalolusuku, kukhona abanye onjiniyela abahlanu, wayekhuluma ngentshiseko ngokuthi ungakufakazela kanjani ukuziphendukela kwemvelo. Wayesephendukela kimi wathi: “Akunjalo, Larry?”

Ngakho ngaphoqeka ukuba ngithathe uhlangothi oluthile. Ngangingakaze ngisakaze ngempela eqenjini ngaphambiii. Kwakufanele ngabe ngangiye ngakwenza, kodwa ngoba ngingunjiniyela, ngangizifihla. Kodwa uMike wangigumba. Ngakho ngathi kuMike: “Mike, anginakuvumelana nalokho.”

Wathukuthela wafa! Kamuva ngamnika incwadi yeWatch Tower ethi Did Man Get Here by Evolution or by Creation? UMike wayifunda yonke leyoncwadi! Namhlanje ungumdala ebandleni loFakazi BakaJehova eRichmond, eVirginia.

Izinto Ezibonakalayo Azanele

Lapho ngiyeka kulemboni yonjiniyela eBoston ngo-1977, bangibiza futhi bangitshela ukuthi ngangenza ubulima. Babazi ukuthi ngangiyeka umsebenzi ngoba ngifuna ukwenza okwengeziwe njengoFakazi. Angisoze ngayikhohlwa leyondoda imi efasiteleni ibuka idolobha, ithi: “Whitehead, ungaceba, ungaba nemali, ungathenga izimoto.” Yaqhubeka ikhuluma. Kodwa ngangineminyaka engama-21 futhi ngase ngithenge izimoto ezimbili kakade nomuzi. Ngase ngifeze lokho abantu abaningi ngalesosikhathi ababecabanga ukuthi ungakuthola lapho usuneminyaka engama-40. Kwakungasekho lutho olunye esasingalufeza lapha. Isimiso sasingenalutho olunye esingamnika ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo.

Kwakunganele. Kwakunganelisi, njengoba iBhayibheli laxwayisa emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka adlule: “Othanda imali akayikusutha ngemali, nothanda okuningi akaneliswa yizithelo; nalokho kuyize.”—Umshumayeli 5:10.

Kamuva iWatchtower Society yasithumela lapho isidingo soFakazi sasisikhulu khona, eLas Vegas. Sahlala lapho iminyaka emihlanu nengxenye. Sobabili sasivame ukukhonza njengezikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele. Kukhona izikhathi lapho kwakuswelakala khona ukudla, kodwa asizange sikhohlwe izinto eziyisisekelo: ukutadisha, inkonzo, nomthandazo. Njengomphostoli uPawulu, sasikwazi ukusutha nokulamba.—Filipi 4:12.

ELas Vegas ngaqala ukusebenza njengombazi, kamuva njengomdwebi wenkampane yezingcingo, futhi ekugcineni ngenziwa umxhumanisi kahulumeni wohlelo oluqondiswa ngecomputer lweCentral Telephone Company. Kamuva ngabuyela eAlexandria, eVirginia. Ngasebenza kwaXerox njengomcwaningi wokusebenza wamacomputer, ngithunyelwa ezinkampanini ezinkulu. Manje nginelami ibhizinisi lokweluleka njengomcwaningi wokusebenza wamacomputer.

Manje mina noMadeline sikhonza ebandleni loFakazi BakaJehova eAlexandria. Lapho ngingumdala nonobhala webandla. Sobabili noMadeline siyambonga uJehova ngokusikhanyisela ukuba siqonde ukuthi akukho mandla omuntu omnyama noma omhlophe, ayimpendulo ezinkingeni zesintu. (iHubo 146:2, 3) Manje siyajabula ngokwenza ‘ukukhanya kombuso waKhe kukhanye,’ kukhanyisele abanye abanamehlo athanda ukubona. (Mathewu 5:14-16)—Njengoba ilandiswa uHarry Whitehead.

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

AbakwaWhitehead noTim owake waba kubona “udeveli onezinwele ezimhlophe namehlo aluhlaza”

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

AbakwaWhitehead bathola ukuba matasa enkonzweni yobuKristu kwanelisa