Egameni likaYise, nelikaNdodana, nelikaMoya oyingcwele. Makube nani, kwaye uThixo woxolo abe nani namhlanje.
Nkosi, yiba nenceba nathi. Kristu, yiba nenceba nathi. Nkosi, yiba nenceba nathi.
Kukho izinto ezibonakala zilula kakhulu emhlabeni, kodwa zithwala ubunzima obukhulu xa usima phambi kwazo. Cinga nje ngendawo yokuhlala etafileni, apho umntu ngamnye ekhetha khona isihlalo sakhe, apho umntu azibona ebalulekile khona ngokwasendleleni. Abantu bayajonga, bayabona ukuba ngubani ohlala phi, ngubani ofanele ukuhlonishwa, kwaye ngubani osayinwa njengomkhulu. Kule minyaka yobomi bethu, uBenjamin Vo wayezazi kakuhle ezo ndlela zokuhlala, engumntwana owayenengqondo eqaqambileyo yezibalo nolwazi, kodwa onezandla ezazithobekileyo ezazingafuni ukuziphakamisa phezulu ngaphezu kwabanye. UBen wayengumfana owayenenjongo enkulu, kodwa ekwaziyo ukuhlala phantsi ngokuzola, eyazi ukuba ubungcwele bukukuba ngumntwana phambi koThixo.
KwiVangeli yanamhlanje, uYesu ubona indlela abamenyiweyo abakhetha ngayo izihlalo ezihloniphekileyo kwisidlo somshado. Uyabajonga, aze athethe ngobulumko obujika yonke into: lowo uziphakamisayo uya kuthotshwa, kwayenedelelekayo, kodwa lowo uzithobayo uya kuphakanyiswa. Masiyimele kancinci le mfanekiso… UYesu akathethi nje ngemithetho yetafule okanye indlela yokuziphatha phambi kwabantu abakhulu. Uthetha ngentliziyo eguqukileyo. Uthetha ngendawo yokwenene apho umntu angenela khona ebomini bukaThixo, kungekhona ngamava okuzikhukhumeza, kodwa ngobubele bokuzithoba.
KwiNcwadi kaPawulos kwabaseFilipi namhlanje, uPawulos usixelela amazwi anzima kakhulu, amazwi aphuma entliziyweni ehluphekayo kodwa ethemba ngokuphelele: 'Kuba kum ubomi nguKristu, ukufa kungenzuzo.' Masiyimele le ndinyana… UPawulos ubhalela esentolongweni, eqonda ukuba ubomi bakhe busezandleni zikaThixo. Akoyiki kufa, kuba uyazi ukuba ukuba naye uKristu kuthetha ukuba ukwindawo ekhuselekileyo. UBenjamin Vo wayenezo ndlela zokholo. Kwiminyaka yakhe elishumi elinesihlanu emfushane, uBen wabonisa ukuba ubomi bakhe babungekho ekuzifuneleni yena wedwa, kodwa ekwazeni ukuba ungubani kuThixo. Khumbula indlela awayeyithanda ngayo indalo, indlela awayephila ngayo ngobuhle bokucinga ngezo nqwelo-moya zikhulu zibhabha phezulu, kanye njengaleyo ‘con chim airlines’ awayethanda ukuyihlekisa ngayo nobawo wakhe ngoncumo olumsulwa.
Kodwa ukuthetha ngothando olunjalo kusizisa kwelinye icala lobomi, kwicala eliba nzima ukulithwala ngamanye amaxesha. Alan noThao, 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.'
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 salesi sidlo sasezulwini, masime nathi namhlanje siqinisekile ukuba ubomi bukaBen abuphelanga ethuneni. Usemthekweni wasezulwini, apho izinto zonke zintsha khona. 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.
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 uxolo lukaThixo olunqanda konke ukuqonda lungagcina iintliziyo zenu nengqondo zenu kuKristu Yesu. Makube njalo.
✝ May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.