U-Elijah no-Elisha, uMichael D. O'Brien
IN usuku lwethu, ngikholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubeke "ingubo" yomprofethi ka-Eliya emahlombe amaningi emhlabeni jikelele. Lo "moya ka-Eliya" uzofika, ngokwemiBhalo, ngaphambi ukwahlulelwa okukhulu komhlaba:
Bhekani, ngiyakuthumela kini u-Eliya umprofethi, lungakafiki usuku lukaJehova, usuku olukhulu nolwesabekayo, ukuphendula izinhliziyo zawoyise ezinganeni zabo, nezinhliziyo zabantwana koyise, funa ngize shaya izwe ngembubhiso. Bhekani, ngiyakuthumela kini u-Eliya umprofethi, lungakafiki usuku lukaJehova, usuku olukhulu nolwesabekayo. (Mal 3: 23-24)
IDIVIVU ENKULU
Kuningi okwenziwe ngekhulu elidlule lokuhlukanisa izingane kobaba bazo. Ngenkathi amadodana namadodakazi amaningi ekhulele emapulazini esebenza nabazali bawo, iminyaka yanamuhla yezimboni nezobuchwepheshe iqhubekele imindeni edolobheni, abazali bangena emsebenzini, nezingane, hhayi kuphela ezikoleni usuku lonke, kepha nasezindaweni zokugcina izingane lapho ithonya nobukhona yabazali babo cishe akunalutho. Obaba, futhi kaningi nomama futhi, bachitha amahora amaningi besebenza ukuze nje bakwazi ukuziphilisa, noma-ke, isikhathi esiningi ngokweqile bengekho ekhaya befuna impumelelo nokuceba kakhulu ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo.
Ubufazi obunamandla buye benza lukhulu ekuqedeni ukuba ngubaba. Indima kababa incishisiwe kusuka kumholi wezomoya kuya kumhlinzeki olula, futhi okubi kakhulu, into engadingekile ngaphakathi ekhaya.
Futhi manje, ukusunduza okuhlelekile kokwenza ukwamukelwa kwamasiko kwezocansi okuchazwe kabusha nomshado kuphonsa ukudideka okukhulu kunani nokubaluleka kobudoda obuvuthiwe ngokomoya emndenini, eSontweni nasemhlabeni wonkana.
… Lapho… ukuba ngubaba kungekho, lapho kutholakala kuphela njengesimo sebhayoloji ngaphandle kobukhulu bomuntu nobungokomoya, zonke izitatimende ngoNkulunkulu uBaba azinalutho. Inkinga yokuba ngubaba esiphila kuyo namuhla iyinto, mhlawumbe ebaluleke kakhulu, esongela umuntu ebuntwini bakhe. Ukuqedwa kobaba nokuba ngumama kuxhumene nokuqedwa kokuba ngamadodana namadodakazi ethu. —UPOPE BENEDICT XVI (UKhadinali Ratzinger), uPalermo, Mashi 15, 2000
Yilokho okwenzekile futhi okuqhubeka ukwenzeka emhlabeni. Kodwa kukhona okunye okwenzeka buthule engxenyeni yeSonto…
UKUPHENDUKA OKUKHULU
Kungabonakala kimi lokho UNkulunkulu udedele umoya wokuprofetha ka-Eliya emhlabeni wethu; eminyakeni eyi-15 edlule noma kunjalo, ukunyakaza okufana ne- Abagcini Besivumelwano SaseSt (Thembisa abagcini inguqulo yamaProthestani) bebelokhu bephumelela ekubuyiseleni ukuba ngubaba ongokomoya emndenini. UNkulunkulu uphinde wakhulisa abavangeli nabashumayeli abanamandla, bobabili abavamile nabafundisi, abakhuthaze amadoda ukuba aphenduke kokungamhloniphi uNkulunkulu futhi abe ngofakazi abangcono kumakhosikazi awo nasezinganeni.
Kubuye kwaba nokunyakaza okwandayo kokufunda emakhaya lapho abazali bezizwa bebizelwe ukuchitha isikhathi esithe xaxa benza izingane zabo, hhayi nje ngezibalo nangesiNgisi, kepha ngobukhona babo obulula. ISonto liphakamise izwi lalo kule ndawo, laqinisekisa iqhaza labazali njengabafundisi "bokuqala" kanye nabokuqala bezingane zabo.
Futhi ku ukunyakaza okusha kukaMoya, kunegama eliqinile elikhulayo ezinhliziyweni eziningi elibabizela ku impilo yobulula. Yimpilo esuswe kakhulu (uma ingekude kakhulu) nezimfuno zomhlaba zokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo, ayihlanganisiwe kangako ezinhlelweni zomhlaba, futhi kwezinye izimo, isuswe kwingqalasizinda (igridi yamandla, igesi yemvelo, amanzi asemadolobheni njll.) shayela ku "Phuma eBabiloni, ”Noma njengoba kusho umlobi uMichael O'Brien muva nje, 'ukuthunjwa eBabiloni embulungeni yonke' — ubugqila bezimfuno zomhlaba zokuthenga nokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo.
UPHAWU LWEZIKHATHI: UKUHLANGANISWA KOMKHAYA
UJesu wathi esinye sezibonakaliso sokuthi isizukulwane esizayo sizobe sifikile “ezinsukwini zeNdodana yoMuntu” ukuthi lezo zikhathi ziyoba “njengasezinsukwini zikaNowa” (Luka 17:26) Futhi okwenzekile ngaphambi kwalolo suku olukhulu lokwahlulela lapho uNkulunkulu egcwalisa umhlaba? Wabuthela uNowa nomndeni wakhe endaweni yokuphephela yomkhumbi. Izinsuku zikaNowa nezinsuku zika-Eliya zinjalo eyodwa futhi efanayo: izinhliziyo zobaba zizophendukela ezinganeni zabo, futhi le mindeni izobuthelwa eMphongolweni weSivumelwano Esisha, iNcasakazi kaMariya Ebusisiwe. Lokhu kungaba yisibonakaliso sokuthi siyangena esikhathini esiseduze lapho isikhathi somusa sizophela, nokujeziswa, “usuku lweNKOSI,” ngokushesha kuzokwehlela i ongaphenduki Umhlaba.
Lesi sibonakaliso sezikhathi zethu sinezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu uma sibheka ukuthi imindeni eminingi, eminye engihlangane nayo ngesikhathi sokuvakasha kwami ekhonsathini eCanada nase-United States muva nje, ibizelwe ukuhlala ukusondela eduze kweminye imindeni. Mhlawumbe lawa yi "refuges engcwele" engibhale ngayo Amacilongo Esixwayiso – Ingxenye IV. Into egqame kakhulu ehlanganisa le mindeni ukuthi bonke bezwa lolu bizo lokuhambisa imindeni yabo ngesikhathi esifanayo, azimele komunye nomunye. Ucingo lwashesha. Kwakunamandla. Bekuphuthuma.
Ngikubonile lokhu ezindaweni eziningi… futhi nami ngiyakubona lokhu.
UNkulunkulu uqoqa abantu baKhe.
EPILOGUE
Kungekudala ngemuva kokubhala lokhu kuzindla, uthingo lwenkazimulo olukhazimulayo lwavela ngokuzumayo phezu kwendawo lapho umndeni wami (nabanye abaningi) bazizwa bebizelwe ukuhamba, futhi bahlala isikhathi eside kakhulu (simile lapha ebhasini lethu lokuvakasha). Yebo, uNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuthi emva kwesiphepho esizayo, isikhathi esihle sokuthula sizozalwa lapho ukholo, ithemba nothando kuchuma. Ngikholwa ukuthi uJesu wakhuluma ngalokho kuza I-Era Yokuthula lapho ethi:
U-Eliya uza kuqala [ngaphambi kovuko lokugcina] ukubuyisa zonke izinto. (UMk 9:12)
