MaKrestu, phumani esikhitshaneni nizivele ngenyawo zenu ingqele nokulwatyuza kwamaza by Rev S.S. Mnge 079 2579 678/ 073 6924 453
Yathi yakubuya iDiocesan Choir kuhambo lwayo olwalisingise kwaSirayeIi wonke ubani wayethetha ngamaxabiso aphezulu abahlangana nawo kwelozwe. Yandikhumbuza ke lonto ngomkhenkethi othile owayezichithela ikhefu lakhe apho kwaSirayeIi. Ngenye imini wayehamba-hamba yena nenkosikazi yakhe ehlisa ulwandle olo lwaseGalili. Wathi akubona isikhitshana wafuna ukuqonda ukuba singamdla malini ukumthatha simwezele kwelinye icala. Emva kokuba elinikiwe ixabiso ngokwe-Shekels nelaliphakame kakhulu wabhekisa kwinkosikazi yakhe wathi, "Mhlawumbi yaba sisizathu sokuba iNkosi uYesu igqibe ekubeni iwele ngenyawo ulwandle."
Kubonakala ngathi nathi esi sikhitshana siwela ngaso ukuya kwelinye sesikumgama othe qelele, sibhudlwa ngumoya kwaye sintlithwa nangamaza. Xu sijonga emva apho sivela khona njengeTyalike kwanesizwe, kubonakala ngathi sikwinzonzobila yoqhwithela kwakhona. Xa ndinokukhe ndisebenzise uMatewu 8:23-27 ukubonakalisa imeko yeTyalike ngexesha lobandlululo kunye noMatewu 14:22-36 emva kobandlululo. Sasiba iNkosi uYesu waluzolisa uqhwithela ngo-1994 ntonje sasuka sathi zava ntofo-ntofo sonwabela ukujujuma kamnandi. ITyalike seyijike yaba yinqanawa yokujujuma okanye yaba sisimo setyuwa esikhonkelwe edokisini. Ngokufana nqwa noko kwabhalwa yiBishop yeDiocese yaseMthatha xa yayithetha kwiSinodi ithetha ngeNxuxheba yeTyaIike eMzantsi Afrika eMva koBandIululo (kushicilelo lweyeSiIimeIa lkhonco 2013) xa wathi,
"ITyaIike seyijike yayindangula engenamazinyo njengeTyaIike yemihla kaConstantine. Kulusizi ke kuba kungokunje asiseyiyo laa Tyalike yuyisakaqhelana nokunyolukelwa ngobundlobongela nokungcungcuthekiswa kwaloo mihla. "
Xa ndibala umgama ukusuka ku-1994 ukuza kuthi gaa ku-2013 noko ngumgama othe qelele. U-1994 singathi ngunyaka apho yathi iNkosi uYesu masingene kwakhona esikhitshaneni isikhitshana se-democracy siwelele kwelinye icala, kodwa kuhle okwesi sicatshulwa sikuMatewu 14:22-36 uYesu yenu ushiyeke ngasemva, Mhlawumbi kukho zihlwele zithile ekufuneka azindulule okanye ke ufuna ukubona ukuba iinkokheli zethu zinakho na ukuthandazela ihamba-ntle njengoko Yena wenzayo, mhlawumbi ufuna ukubona iTyaIike isesona sixhobo sokuzisa uxolo ehlabathini. Kodwa ke kude kube ngoku ukusuka ngongcwalazi de kube mpondozankomo sisabambeke kolunye uqhwithelo kwaye nesikhitshane esi siyagutyungelwa ngamaza.
Emva ko-1994 thina njengeTyulike nesizwe sasiphosa esona sizathu sokuzoliswa koqhwithelo lobandlululo asaqonda kwakulungiselwa kwathina ukuze siphaphame silungele olulandelayo uhambo ukuwela. Ukuzoliswa koqhwithelo kubonakala ngathi kwathetha inkululeko kasathana ngokwakhe kuba naku ngoku edukasa ngaphakathi kanye esikhitshaneni. Ndaweni yoko sasuka sajolisa ekubeni ngubanina oyakuhlala ekunene nasekhohlo sakuba simenze ukumkani welihlabathi. Bambi izikhitshane zabo bazikhonkele edokisini bazenza indawo zolonwabo belibele ukuba isikhitshane simelwe kukuba senzulwini. Bambi banelisekile kukuzihlalela entendelezweni akanye kwi-nave (eyindawo ephakathi yokuhla eTyaIikeni). Ndithande ke ukusebenzisa eligama lingu 'nave' nelisuka kwigama lesi-Latin elingu 'navis' elixela inqanawa nelikwagqibeleleyo ukuchaza iTyalike njengenqwelo yokudadela ngaphesheya.
Ewe kona kungamfa-mfam kunge kukhuselekile ukuhlala kwisikhitshane esimisiweyo phaya elunxwemeni Iolwandle kodwa ungalibali ukuba esi sikhitshane okanye le nqanawa ayenzelwanga oko, yakhelwe ukuba isithathe isiwezele kwelinye icala apho kukho abangazaniyo neNkosi. Ukuba abangaphesheya abanakuza eTyalikeni simelwe ke ngoko sithathe iTyalike siyise kubo. Uvangelo kule mihla selujike yaba lubhodlozo Iwezo nkonzo zithe zanyamezela de kwangoku kwaye nalo seluyekelwe kwiiBhishopu neqaqobana Iabafundisi. ITyalike isuke yadl' imu kangakuba nokuqhubela phambili ngokuthetha phandle ngezinto eziphuthileyo ezenziwa borhulumente isuke yayinto yabo bubenelishwa Iokuzibona sebebizwa ngokuba ngomakhalanjalo. Wonke ubani uzihlalele ngaphakathi kwintendelezo ejonge olwakhe ukhuseleko, akukho bani ukulungeleyo ukuphuma ngaphandle njengoko wenzayo uPetros. Bambi bawakha anyuke kakhulu amacala ezikhitshana zabo beba njalo bazisithelisa kolo lwandle Iulwatyuzayo bengazi ukuba abayi kuba nakho nokumbona uYesu xa eza ehamba phezu kwamanzi. Wonke ubani uqwalasele olwakhe ukhuseleko nabuntofo-ntofo okanye ukuba uyu kufumana ntoni na kodwa ekwenza oko ngendleko yabo bancama konke abanako. Bathi onkabi xa bezixelela, "0ko nje ndisakhuselekile apha ngaphakathi." Bambi kwabatsha futhi besengo-spanelboyi ke noko ebekucingeleka ukuba bangaba ngomatiloshe bale nqanawa kungokunje bazinyindela ezabo izikhithsana phofu
ngokrwentshula amacala kwezinye bengazi ukuba kwawubanzima nokuphuma xa sele esithi uYesu, "Yiza." Kwubunye ibonakala ibubudenge into yokuphumel' etshatshalazeni kubusuku bobumnyama noqhwithelo kube kusemnandi ngaphakathi. Kubo bubushologu ukuhamba phezu kwamanzi. Kubo kukuzibeka nje esichengeni esingakuphulukanisa nembuyekezo yobomi bakho, okanye i-life cover.
Kodwa ke ukubakuthe kanti uYesu akakho kweso sikhitshane? Ngani ukuba uhlale uYesu engekho upho? Umama uNobuzwe Sonqishe xa wayethethela iSebe IezeMfundo kwiNkomfa ye-MU kulonyaka wakhe wathi kanye nabo kwintlanganiso zabo zesebe abasathandazi phambi kokuba baqalise kuvele nje kwenziwe umzuzwana wocwaka. Kuyabonakala mhlophe ukuba uYesu ushiywe ngaphandle, akakho kwesi sikhitshana. Ukuba kuthe kanti umi apha ngaphandle kwesikhitshane? Ukuba ume apha phezu kwamanzi? (nto leyo engathi bubudenge xa enokuma emanzini angemi esikhitshaneni ngakumbi kwabo basahleli ngaphakathi.)
Ngoko ke ndihlab' ikhwelo kuwo onke amaKrestu asazingcayo ukuba ngokholo aphum' egusheni acondobe ahlangabez' iNkosi. Ndihlab' ikhwelo kuIomaKrestu aziyo ukuba izinto zobuKumkani zibubudenge kwabo kwabatshabalalayo. Ndihlab' ikhwelo kuIomaKrestu asenaso isazela sokuba nokuba lenqanawa ingabhudlwa ngamaza kodwa Yena ungakuthi. Ndihlab' ikhwelo kulomaKrestu aziyo ukuba ngeke sihlale sithi cwaka ngokungathi simangalisiwe noba sibona umshologu kusini na. Ndithetha mna loo maKrestu aziyo ukuba iNkosi ayiyi kuza ngendlela esicinga ngayo, siiza inxibe impahla zokudada okanye ihamba ngesikhephe sombane. Ndiyanibongoza ukuba niphakame niphumele elubala nizivele ngenyawo zenu ingqele nokulwatyuza kwamaza, amaza okuhlukunyezwa komama nabantwana, amaza obuqhophololo, amaza okungazinzi kwubasebenzi, amaza okungalingani kwezaqoqosho, amaza ogwayimbo kumaziko emfundo ephakumileyo, amaza okuthiyana nokuhlaselana ngokobuzwe. Ndiyanibongoza ukuba niphumele phandle njengoPetros nizibike kuYe nithi, "Nkosi sisindise" ukulungele ukolula isandla futhi angene nathi kwesi sikhitshana ukuze sikunye siwelele ngaphesheya.
Christians, get out of the boat feel the cold and rough waves under your feet by Rev S.S. Mnge 079 2579 678/ 073 6924 453
When the Diocesan Choir came back from their trip to Israel, everyone was talking about the high prices they experienced in that land. It reminded me of a tourist who spent a holiday in Israel. One day he was walking with his wife along the Galilean sea when he saw a boat and enquired how much he can pay to get to the other side. After he was given a price in shekels which was of course very expensive he said to his wife, "Maybe that was the reason Jesus decided to walk on water. "
It seems the boat we are sailing to the other side is at a considerable distance from the land, the wind is against it, and is buffeted by the waves. Looking back where we come from as a Church and a nation, it looks like we are in the middle of the storm again. If l can use Matthew 8:23-27 to reflect the Church during the apartheid era and Matthew 14:22-36 for the post apartheid era. We thought Jesus had calmed the storm in 1994 and we turned to relax comfortably and enjoy a safe cruise. The Church has become a cruise ship or static and anchored at the dock. Like what the Bishop of the Diocese of Mthatha wrote on his address at the Huron Synod, speaking on The Role of The Church in Post Apartheid South Africa (2013 June issue of lkhonco), he said, "The Church has become toothless like the Church in the Constantine era. Sadly, now we are no longer that Church which used to enjoy harassment and humiliation of the day"
Counting the distance from 1994 up to 2013, it's a considerable distance. 1994 was a year in which Jesus made us to get into the boat again, a boat of democracy so we can go to the other side, but as in the Matthew 14:22-36 passage Jesus is left behind maybe there's a crowd still to be dismissed or He wants to see our leaders pray for a safe trip across as He did, or maybe He wants to see the Church being an instrument of world peace. But now from dusk to dawn there is little progress, we are still on the sea caught up in the storm and the boat is tossed about by the waves.
After 1994, we as the Church, have missed the reason for the calming oft he apartheid storm that it was for our own good to 'take courage' for the next trip to the other side. The calming of that storm as it seems it also meant freedom for the devil himself because he is now roaming right inside the boat. Instead we have focussed on who can sit on the right and on the left when we make Him king of this earth. Some have anchored their boats on the dock using them as entertainment centres forgetting that the boat has to be on the deep. Some are satisfied with sitting on the nave (a central part of the church), I use the word 'nave' which comes from the Latin word 'navis' for ship' and a perfect description of the Church as a vehicle to navigate to the other side.
Yes, it can be comfortable and safer to sit on the boat parked on the sea shore but don't forget that the boat or this 'navis' is not meant for that, it is built to take us to the other side where the unchurched dwell. If the people on the other side cannot come to Church we have to take the Church to them. Evangelism has become vandalism of the surviving ministry and is now left in the hands of the Bishops and some few of the Clergy. The Church has gone quiet that being at the helm of speaking against the ills of the government is the thing of those unfortunately called chronic complainers. Everyone is sitting inside the nave for his own safety, no one is ready to get out of the boat like Peter did. Some are building side panels of their boats very high, thinking that they are insulating themselves from the raging sea, not knowing that they won't even see when Jesus is coming walking on water. Everyone is concerned about his own safety, security comfort and gain, at the expense of those who sacrificed all. They tell themselves, 'As long as I'm still safe inside the boat". Some young and ignorant who happened to be thought as sailors of the same boat are now building theirs by scraping panels from other boats, not knowing they won't be able to come out when Jesus says, "Come". To some it just makes no sense to get out of the boat on a stormy dark night, when it's just safer inside. To them it's just ghostly to walk on the water. To them it's just a risky business that can make one forfeit even one's life cover.
But what if Jesus is not in the boat? Why keep staying when Jesus is not there? Mrs Nobuzwe Sonqishe speaking on behalf of the department of education on the M.U Conference this year said that even in their departmental meetings they no longer pray before they start, they only observe a moment of silence. It seems Jesus is left behind, He is not in the boat. What if Jesus is standing just outside the boat? What if He is standing on the water? (making no sense by standing on water and not on the boat especially to those inside the boat.)
I therefore call upon all Christians who are still bold enough to respond by faith, get out of their boats, walk on the water and meet Jesus. I call upon those Christians who know that Kingdom things make no sense to those who are perishing. I call upon those Christians who still have the conscience that the boat may be tossed about by the waves but we have His backing. I call upon those Christians who know we can't be quietly sitting as if we are wondering whether we are seeing a ghost, I mean those Christians who know that Jesus will not come the way we expect, will not come in a life jacket or an electric powered life boat. I urge them to stand up and get out of the boat, feel the cold and rough waves under their feet, the waves of women and child abuse, the waves of corruption, the waves of labour unrest, waves of economic injustice, waves of University strikes, waves of xenophobic attacks. I urge them to get out and cry to Him "Lord save me" like Peter did, He is ready to lend a hand and get with us in the boat that together we may cross over to the other side.
