NgoLwesibini weVeki yamashumi amathathu ngexesha eliqhelekileyo

Kukho imizuzu apho ubomi bujongeka njengemifanekiso esiyibona kwii-albhamu zakudala—imifanekiso enombala oqaqambileyo, kodwa ebonakala ngathi yeyexesha elidlulileyo. Ucinga ngelo xesha xa uBen wayesahleli phakathi kwenu, mhlawumbi ebukele iinqwelo-moya eziphakama, okanye ecinga nge-'con chim airlines' yakhe awayeyithanda kakhulu. UBenjamin Vo wayengumfana owayengajongi nje ubomi njengendlela yokufika kwindawo ethile, kodwa njengohambo olumangalisayo. Wayengumfana owayenengqondo eqaqambileyo, umfana owayefunda iikhowudi ze-AI kwaye ecinga ngendlela yokulawula iinkqubo ezinkulu zeteknoloji, kodwa ngaphezu kwako konke, wayeyindoda encinci eyayikwazi ukufunda 'iimpawu zexesha' ngendlela eyodwa. Wayengumfana owayesazi ukuba nini apho umzuzu ubalulekile, nini apho kufuneka uncume, kwaye nini apho kufuneka ubonise uthando olunzulu.

KwiVangeli yanamhlanje, uYesu usibuza umbuzo othi: 'Ubukumkani bukaThixo bunjengantoni? Ndingabufanisa nani?' UYesu usebenzisa umfanekiso wembewu yesinaphi, imbewu encinci kakhulu, kodwa ekhula ibe ngumthi omkhulu apho iintaka zisakha khona iindlwane. Uphinda asebenzise umfanekiso we-yeast—igwele—elixutywa nofulawa, lize linyuse intlama yonke. Masiyimele kancinci le mfanekiso… Imbewu yesinaphi ayizange yathembisa ukuba iya kuba ngumthi okhulu ngosuku olulodwa. Igwele alizange lithembise ukuba intlama iya kunyuka ngomzuzu omnye. Konke oku kufuna ixesha, ukuzola, nokuthemba ukuba uThixo uyasebenza nangona singaboni nto isenzekayo.

Ubenjamine wayeyimbewu enjalo. Wayeyindoda encinci eyayikhula kuthando, eyayifunda ukunika, kwaye eyayikwazi ukubona ubuhle kuyo yonke into. Khumbula loo mfanekiso mhle wosapho lapho uBen, eneminyaka eli-15 nje kuphela, wathetha nabazali bakhe ngokuba wayefuna ukunikela ngayo yonke imali yasebhange yakhe encinci ukuze ancede umalume wakhe uWilliam owayehlaselwe yimivumbo. Akazange ayiphule loo ngulube yemali, yayingekho imfuneko yokuba ayiphule ngenxa yokuba umalume wayene-inshurensi, kodwa loo mnikelo wangoqobo, lowo mbono womntwana owayezimiseleyo ukunikela ngako konke okwakhe ngaphandle kokubala, usixelela ukuba uBen wayenesipho esikhulu sothando olungenamiqathango. Loo mnikelo wawungumfanekiso wothando lukaKristu olungaphezulu kolwazi.

Kodwa Alan, Thao, nawe Ryan mfowethu omncane, ndiyazi ukuba kule minyane minne idlulileyo ukususela ngowe-13 kuJuni 2026, iintlungu ziza ngamanye amaxesha ngendlela embi kakhulu, zikushiya ungazi nokuba ume ngaphi. Kukho amandla emphefumlo aphelileyo, kukho ubusuku obude lapho ukungabikho kwesitulo sikaBen okanye ukungaphulaphuli kwakhe amabanga ayethethwa nguyise kubangela isikhewu esingazalisekiyo. Kodwa mamela le nyaniso namhlanje: uThixo akamlibalanga uBen, kwaye akakubalelanga nani. Kwizinto ezenzekayo ebudeni bokugula, abazali abaninzi bazithwala ngokwabo umthwalo wokuzisola: 'Ngaba kukhona endinokukwenza ngcono? Ngaba ndiphosile?' Mamele kakuhle, Alan noThao: uThixo akakubeki icala. UBen akakubeki icala. Ezo zifo aziziswanga zizinto owazenzayo okanye ongazenzanga. Kweli hlabathi, kukho izinto ezenzeka ngaphandle kolawulo lomntu, ngaphandle kwempazamo yomzali. Awuphosanga nto. Uthando lwakho lwalucocekile, lwaluphelele, kwaye uBen wayesazi ukuba unothando olungaka kubazali bakhe nakuRyan. Khipha elo litye lokuzisola ezintliziyweni zenu namhlanje. UBen akajongi iziphoso; ujonge phezulu kuThixo, kwaye uqhubeka esithi kuwe: 'Ba, Mama, musani ukukhala kakhulu, ndikhuselekile.'

KwiNcwadi ka-Efese, uPawulos usixelela: 'Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her.' (Madoda, thandani abafazi benu, njengoko uKristu wathandayo iCawa wazinikela ngenxa yayo). Oku akusebenzi nje kumtshato, kodwa kusebenza kulo lonke uthando olungcwele. UBen wazinikela ngothando lwakhe—ngoncumo lwakhe, ngobukrelekrele bakhe, nangobubele bakhe. Wayeyindoda encinci eyayikwazi ukuba uthando alukho malunga nokufumana, kodwa malunga nokunikela. UBen wayengumfana owayengalindi ukuba izinto zenzeke; wayeyindoda encinci eyayithatha inyathelo lothando ngaphandle kokuzigcina nto. Loo ntliziyo yayicocekile, ingaphili ngemithetho yobuxoki yeli hlabathi, kodwa iphila ngenceba kaThixo.

Ryan, mfowethu okhoyo apha, ndifuna uthathe oku nawe. UBen akakushiye. Ukhona ecaleni kwakho, eqhubeka ekusebenza njengesikhokelo sothando. UBen wayengumfana owayenenqgondo enkulu yezibalo ne-AI, kodwa ikratshi lakhe elikhulu kwakuwukuba ngumntwana omhle owayehlonipha abazali bakhe. UBen uya kuhlala ekukhuthaza, nangona ungamboni ngamehlo, kodwa uya kumva entliziyweni yakho. Uthando lwenu njengabazalwana luyinto engunaphakade. Xa uziva usodwa, khumbula ukuba uBen ukhona, uyaqhubeka, kwaye uya kuhlala ephila kuthando lukaThixo olungapheliyo.

Masithathe oku namhlanje: uBen wasishiya isipho sothando olungapheliyo. Kwisikhumbuzo sabangcwele abasifundisa ukuba nibe nesibindi sokuma ngenxa kaKristu, masime nathi namhlanje siqinisekile ukuba ubomi bukaBen abuphelanga ethuneni. Usemthekweni wasezulwini, apho i-'con chim airlines' yakhe ibhabha ngokuphakamileyo phambi kobuso bukaThixo. Hamba ke namhlanje uphumle, uthembe ukuba uThixo uyakuthanda, kwaye uBen ulinda wena ngoncumo lwakhe oluqhelekileyo. 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.