Egameni likaYise, neloNyana, neloMoya oyiNgcwele. Amen. UYesu Kristu, owasithandayo waza wasikhulula ezonweni zethu, makabe nani nonke.
Nkosi, hamba nathi kule ndlela yosizi. (Nkosi, sicelele inceba.) Kristu, wena ungumthombo wethemba lethu. (Kristu, sicelele inceba.) Nkosi, wena uyamazi umntu ngamnye ngamagama. (Nkosi, sicelele inceba.)
Kukho imizuzu apho ubomi bubonakala ngathi buphila ngesantya esikhawulezayo, apho izinto esizithandayo, izicwangciso zethu, kunye neminqweno yethu ibonakala ikwindawo enye. Cinga ngaloo mzuzu xa uBenjamin Vo wayehlala phantsi, ejonge iimephu zeenqwelo-moya, okanye esenza ikhowudi yomdlalo wakhe kwikhompyutha yakhe. Wayengumfana owayenomdla ongapheliyo, esakha ikamva lakhe ngengqondo eqaqambileyo eyayikwazi ukubona ngaphaya kwento ebonwa ngamehlo. Wayethanda ukucacisa ngale ‘con chim airlines’ yakhe, ebonisa ukuba intliziyo yakhe yayingeyiyo nje eyobuchwephesha, kodwa eyayizaliswe lithemba elikhulu. UBen wayeyindoda encinci eyayikwazi ukuzibona iindiza zayo zibhabha ngaphaya kwamafu, njengokuba wayesoloko ecinga ngekamva elizele luvuyo.
Namhlanje, kwiNcwadi ka-Efese, uPawulos usikhumbuza inyaniso enzulu: 'In Christ we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things.' (Kuye uKristu, senziwa ilifa, simiselwe ngokokuthanda kukaThixo). Le nyaniso isikhumbuza ukuba uBen, nangona iminyaka yakhe yayimfutshane, wayengowakhe uThixo ngaphambi kokuba umhlaba ubekho. Wayengumntwana owayephila ngoxolo lukaKristu. Wayengumfana owayephulaphula, owayenika, owayezama ukwenza uthando lube yinto ebonakalayo.
KwiVangeli yanamhlanje kaLuka, uYesu uthi: 'Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.' (Akukho nanye kubo elityalwe nguThixo). Lo mfanekiso weentaka ezincinci usixelela ukuba uThixo akajongi nje imihlaba okanye iinkwenkwezi; Ujonge umntu ngamnye. Ujonge wena, Alan. Ujonge wena, Thao. Ujonge wena, Ryan. Xa ucinga ngaloo mboniso kaBen esesemncinci, xa wayecinga ngokunika yonke imali yasebhange encinci yakhe ukuba incede umalume wakhe uWilliam, uyaqonda ukuba uThixo wayemazi uBen ngaphakathi nasezintliziyweni zakhe. Wayengazange ayiphule loo ngulube yemali, yayisengcamango yentliziyo yakhe emsulwa, kodwa loo nqaku lokuba umntwana omncane kangaka abe nomnqweno wokunikela ngayo yonke into yakhe ngaphandle kokubala kuyasityhilela ukuba intliziyo kaBen yayingenabuzoweni, yayizaliswe luthando olunyulu lukaThixo.
Masimi apha ixesha elincinci… Masicinge ngendlela ubomi bukaBen obabuzaliswe ngayo kukukhanya. Wayengumfana owayethanda ukuhleka, owayejonga uyise ngamehlo okumncoma, owayeyazi ukuba kuthetha ukuthini ukuba ngumntu owabelana ngovuyo nabanye. Wayengumntwana owayenovelwano olukhulu. Kwaye namhlanje, ndifuna ukuthetha nawe Alan, nawe Thao, nawe Ryan mfowethu omncane, ngendlela enyanisekileyo. Ndiyazi ukuba umthwalo wosizi uyamfulathela umntu ebusuku. Kukho imibuzo eza ithi, 'Kutheni?' Kukho amaxesha apho uzibuza ukuba ngaba kukhona na eninokukwenza ngcono. Ndifuna ukuba uphulaphule inyaniso kaThixo namhlanje, kwaye uyivule intliziyo yakho: akukho nqaku lokuthi uphosile okanye wenze kakubi. Ukugula akwanga kwenzeka ngenxa yezinto owazenzayo okanye ongazenzanga. UThixo akakubeki icala, kwaye noBen akakubeki icala kwaphelela. Masikhuphe lo mthwalo wokuzisola emajukujukwini eentliziyo zenu namhlanje. Awuphosanga nto. Ubenze konke okusemandleni enu ngothando olungapheliyo. Ezinye izinto kulo mhlaba zenzeka ngaphandle kolawulo lwethu, ngaphandle kokuba nabani na enze impazamo. Niyinyaniso, nithandwa nguThixo ngokupheleleyo.
UYesu uthi: 'Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.' (Musani ukoyika). Eli lizwi aliyomthetho, liyisithembiso. UBen akalahlekanga; usebukhoneni obukhulu boMthombo wothando. Uthi xa ucinga ngaye, ucinga ngaloo ntwana enemfesane, umfana owayephethe ukukhanya okukhulu kangaka. UBen ukhangele phantsi kuwe Ryan, kwaye akakushiye. Xa udlala okanye ucinga ngekamva, yazi ukuba uBen ukuthembile, ukuthandile, kwaye usakuthanda kakhulu. Hamba ke namhlanje ukhululekile emthwalweni wokuzisola. Bamba isandla sikaYesu, uthembe ukuba uYisease usezintliziyweni zenu, kwaye uBen ulala ngokuthula ekhanyeni likaThixo, esikhangela sonke ngovuyo olungunaphakade. UBen usafundisa, usafunda, kwaye usathanda. Ubumsulwa bakhe, uthando lwakhe, kunye nalo mbono wakhe we-'con chim airlines'—zonke ezi zinto zihlala zikhanya phambi koThixo. UBen akakho nje kwimbali yenu; ukwikhona apho uThixo enza khona yonke into ibe ntsha. Uthando lwakho, Ben, lusaqhubeka luhamba emhlabeni, lusaqhubeka lukhanya, kwaye lusaqhubeka lukhumbuza wonke umntu okwaziyo ukuba uThixo uyamthanda umntwana wakhe ngaphezu kwayo yonke into. Hlalani neli themba. Hlalani nolu thando. UBen ukhona, uyaqhubeka, kwaye uya kuhlala ephila kuthando lukaThixo olungapheliyo. Amen.
For the intentions entrusted to Ben on our prayer wall:
Ngosizo loMsindisi futhi sifundiswe yimfundiso yaphezulu, silokotha sithi:
Baba wethu osezulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho; umbuso wakho mawuze, intando yakho mayenziwe emhlabeni njengasezulwini. Siphe namuhla isinkwa sethu semihla ngemihla, usithethelele izono zethu, njengoba nathi sibathethelela abasonayo; ungasifaki ekulingweni, kodwa usikhulule ebubini. Amen.
Ngamana uThixo onamandla onke angasigcina ngoxolo lwakhe, kwaye uBen angasikhumbuza ngalo lonke ixesha ukuba sithandwa nguThixo. Amen.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.