BEKUNGOMEYI 1910 isikepe sikhamba elwandle leBelfast, isiqubuthu sibesingesikepeni sabona ilanga livela ekuseni hlangana neentaba ezihlaza. Hlangana nabantwabo bekunoCharles T. Russell, ebesele kulikhambo lakhe lesihlanu le-Ireland. Ngaphambi kwakaMzalwana uRussell bekunezinye iinkepe ezikulu ezimbili zilungiswa, i-Titanic kunye ne-Olympic. * Khonapho bekunabafundi beBhayibheli abambalwa ebebamlindile.

Kwaphela iminyaka ematjhumi amabili uMzalwana uRussell afuna iindlela zokurhatjha iindaba ezimnandi, yeke waqunta ukunande avakatjha kezinye iinarha. NgoJulayi 1891 waya e-Ireland, lelo bekulikhambo lakhe lokuthoma. Bekathi isikepe nasitjhidela edorobheni leChicago abukele ilanga nalivelako, kungenzeka lokho bekumkhumbuza indlela ababelethi bakhe ebebamhlathululela ngayo indawo lapho bakhulele khona. UMzalwana uRussell nabakhambisani bakhe bebakhamba ngesikepe, bebathi nabatjhidela emadorobheni amahle nalapho kunezindlu khona bavele babone ukuthi la “masimu alungele ukuvunwa.”

UMzalwana u-Russell waya e-Ireland amahlandla alikhomba. Abantu balapho baba nekareko eentweni ebekazikhuluma. Beza bazokulalela iinkulumo zakhe, banda kusukela emakhulwini baya eenkulungwaneni. NgoMeyi 1903 wabuyela kwesibili eIreland watjhumayela tjhatjhalazi eBelfast kunye neDublin. Ihlelwelo belikhangiswa emaphephandabeni. Umzalwana uRussell wabona ukuthi “abantu ebebalapho bebalalelisisile” njengombana bekaraga ikulumo ethi, “The Oath-Bound Promise” isihlokwesi besikhuluma ngokukholwa kwaka-Abrahamu nokuthi abantu bazokubusiswa njani.

Ngebanga lokuthi e-Irelanad bebabanengi abantu ebebanekareko kilokho umzalwana uRussell ebekakhuluma ngakho, wathi nakahlela ikhambo lakhe lesithathu lokuya eYurophu, wahlela ukubuyela e-Ireland. Ngo-Apreli 1908 ekuseni uMzalwana uRussell wafika eBelfast. Abazalwana abahlanu bamhlangabeza asehla esikepeni bazomlotjhisa. Ikulumo ebeyikhangisiwe enesihloko esithi, “The Overthrow of Satan’s Empire,” kwathi ebusukwinobo, inani labantu ebelilapho landa “lafikelela ema-300.” Omunye obekaphikisa uRussell, wasizwa kuhle khulu ngemiTlolo. EDublin bekunomunye godu umuntu obekaphikisa, loyo-ke bekungumnumzana u-O’Connor obekangunobhala we-YMCA, walinga ukwenza abantu abangaphezu kwaba yi-1 000 bona bangakulaleli okutjhiwo baFundi beBhayibheli. Alo kwaphetha ngani?

Akhesibuyele emuva ngomkhumbulo silinge ukubona ukuthi yini kuhlekuhle eyenzeka emhlanganweni lo. Indoda ethileko efuna ukwazi iqiniso leBhayibheli iqunta ukuyokulalela iinkulumo zatjhatjhalazi ebezivezwe ephephandabeni i-Irish Times. Ngendlela ebekunganabususo benyawo ngayo indoda le yabhalelwa kufumana indawo yokuhlala. Nayifika lapho yalalelisisa iqale indoda eneenhluthu ezimhlophe netjebe ede, embethe ijasi ede enzima. Njengombana iraga nekulumwayo, itjhukumisa umzimba inande ikhomba ngezandla ihlathulula indlela imitlolo esiza ngayo begodu yenza boke abalapho bazwisise amaqiniso weBhayibheli. Nanyana  bebanganazo nje iimpikara zokukhuluma, indoda le beyikhulumela phezulu pheze i-awara nesiquntu, yeke woke umuntu osewolweni wakghona ukuyizwa. Kwathi nasele kufike isikhathi sokuthi kubuzwe imibuzo, indoda esikhulume ngayo leya u-O’Connor nabangani bayo balinga ukubuza imibuzo ngomnqopho wokuvusa irawurawu. Kodwana uRussell wabaphendula asebenzisa iBhayibheli. Isiqubuthu sawahla izandla sitjengisa ukuthi sivumelana noMzalwana uRussell. Kwathi ngemva kwekulumo, abanye abakuthanda abakuzwileko baya ebaFundini beBhayibheli babawa ukufundelwa. Abantu ebebalapho bathi inengi labantu lalifumana njalo iqiniso.

NgoMeyi 1909 uMzalwana uRussell wasuka eNew York watjhinga eMauretania, lelo bekulivakatjho lakhe lesine. Wakhamba nomtjhinakhe wokutlola kunye nomnakwethu uHuntsinger bona asebenzise isikhathi sokukhamba akopulule iinhloko zesiThala. Ikulumo uMzalwana uRussell ayenzela eBelfast yadosa abantu balapho abama-450, bekwaphela nendawo kangangokuthi abanye abalikhulu bajama ngeenyawo ikulumo yoke.

Ikhambo lakhe lesihlanu ekhelathintwa phambilini nalo lakara abantu abanengi. Kwathi lokha nabaseDublin, indoda leya u-O’Connor yeza nesiye isazi sezekolo esabuza uMzalwana uRussell imibuzo, kodwana naso wasitjela indlebe ukuzwa asebenzisa imiTlolo, satjho sawahla izandla isiqubuthu, sithabela iimpendulo zakaMzalwana uRussell. Kwathi ngelanga elilandelako, bakhamba ngesikepe ebesitjhinga eLiverpool, bathatha isikepe iLusitania bona bayokufika eNew York. *

Iinkulumo zakaMzalwana uRussell bezilokho zikhangiswa ngitjho nalokha nakasekhambweni lakhe lesithandathu nelekhomba, bekwaba mnyaka ka-1911. Kwathi ngesilimela eBelfast abaFundi beBhayibheli abama-20 baba nomhlangano nabantu abazii-2 000 abezwa ikulumo enesihloko esithi “Hereafter.” Nakhonapho u-O’Connor weza eDublin akhamba nomunye godu umfundisi owatjhuka uMzalwana uRussell ngemibuzo, kwaba ngiso soneso nakuye, waphendulwa ngemiTlolo, isiqubuthu sawahla izandla, sithabela iimpendulo. Kwathi emnyakeni ofanako umzalwana uRussell wavakatjhela namanye amadorobho, nalapho abantu beza ngobunengi. U-O’Connor walinga godu ukubhidla umnyanya akhamba nesiqubuthu sakhe sabantu abali-100 eDublin, kodwana isiqubuthu ebesilapho akhenge simvumele, saraga nokulalela isikhulumi.

Nanyana kunguye bekadosa phambili nje ngokubeka iinkulumo tjhatjhalazi kodwana bekazi ukuthi akakho umuntu omkhulu ukudlula uZimu, ngombana lo msebenzakhe. Ukukhangisa iinkulumo zatjhatjhalazi kwavula amathuba amahle wokuveza amaqiniso weBhayibheli. Waba yini umphumela? Iinkulumo zatjhatjhalazi zasiza ekuthuthukiseni iindaba ezimnandi begodu kwaba namabandla amanengi emadorobheli we-Ireland.—Ezivela ebulungelweni leBritain.