Usuku luka-Valentine - Usuku lwabathandi

Ngomhlaka 14. NgoFebhuwari unyaka ngamunye, abathandi emhlabeni wonke bamemezela uthando lwabo olungapheli ngomunye nomunye. Isiko lalolu suku libuyela emuva emkhosini weSt. Valentinus, owasungulwa nguPapa Gelasius ngo-469 njengosuku lwesikhumbuzo sebandla lonke. Abantu abaningi basebenzisa lolu suku ukuze babonise uthando lwabo komunye umuntu.

Abathandana kakhulu phakathi kwethu babhala izinkondlo futhi badlale ingoma yothandekayo wabo noma baphisane ngamaswidi amise okwenhliziyo ngalolu suku. Ukuveza uthando kuthatha ukuhlela okuningi futhi kuza ngentengo. Nginale micabango engqondweni, ngaqala ukucabanga ngoNkulunkulu nothando lwakhe ngathi.

Uthando lukaNkulunkulu aluyona imfanelo yakhe, kodwa ingqikithi yakhe. UNkulunkulu ngokwakhe uluthando olwenziwe samuntu: “Lowo ongathandiyo akamazi uNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu uluthando. Uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwabonakala phakathi kwethu, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wathumela iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa emhlabeni ukuba siphile ngayo. Yilokhu uthando olukhona: akukhona ukuthi thina samthanda uNkulunkulu, kodwa ukuthi yena wasithanda futhi wathumela iNdodana yakhe ukuba ibe yinhlawulo yezono zethu.”1. UJohannes 4,8-enye).

Ngokuvamile umuntu ufunda ngokushesha la mazwi futhi akame kancane, ungacabangi ngeqiniso lokuthi uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwabonakaliswa ekubethelweni kweNdodana yakhe siqu. Ngisho nangaphambi kokudalwa kwezwe, uJesu wanquma ukunikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yendalo kaNkulunkulu ngokufa kwakhe. “Ngokuba wasikhetha kuye ngaphambi kokusekelwa kwezwe, ukuze sibe ngcwele, singasoleki phambi kwakhe othandweni” (Kwabase-Efesu. 1,4).
Lowo owadala imithala ye-cosmic kanye nobunkimbinkimbi obungenasici be-orchid wayeyodela ngokuzithandela ubukhulu bakhe, udumo namandla futhi abe nathi bantu, njengomunye wethu, emhlabeni. Cishe akunakwenzeka ngathi ukuba sikubambe lokhu.

Njengathi, uJesu wayebanda ngobusuku basebusika obubandayo futhi ekhuthazelela ukushisa okukhinyabeza ehlobo. Izinyembezi ezazigobhoza ezihlathini zakhe lapho ebona ukuhlupheka okwakumzungezile kwakufana nezethu. Lezi zimpawu ezimanzi ebusweni ngokunokwenzeka ziyizimpawu ezihlaba umxhwele kakhulu zobuntu bakhe.

Kungani ngenani eliphezulu kangaka?

Ngaphezu kwakho konke, wabethelwa ngokuzithandela esiphambanweni. Kodwa kungani kwadingeka kube uhlobo lokubulala olunyantisayo olwake lwasungulwa umuntu? Washaywa amasosha aqeqeshiwe okwathi ngaphambi kokumbethela esiphambanweni, amklolodela futhi emklolodela. Ingabe kwakudingekile ngempela ukumcindezela umqhele wameva? Bamkhafuleleni? Kungani lokhu kuthotshiswa? Ungabucabanga yini ubuhlungu lapho izinzipho ezinkulu, ezibuthuntu zibethelelwa emzimbeni wakhe? Noma lapho eba buthakathaka futhi ubuhlungu bungenakubekezelelwa? Ukwesaba okukhulu lapho engakwazi ukuphefumula - ngendlela engacabangeki. Isipontshi esasicwiliswe kuviniga asithola ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe - kungani ayeyingxenye yenqubo yokufa kwendodana yakhe ayithandayo? Khona-ke kwenzeka okungakholeki: uBaba, owayesebuhlotsheni obuphelele obuphelele neNdodana, wayilahla lapho ethatha isono sethu.

Yeka inani okumelwe silikhokhe ukuze abonise uthando lwakhe ngathi futhi abuyisele ubuhlobo bethu obuphukile noNkulunkulu. Cishe eminyakeni engu-2000 edlule, entabeni yaseGolgotha, sathola isipho sothando esikhulu kunazo zonke esikhona. UJesu wacabanga ngathi thina bantu ngesikhathi efa futhi yilolu thando olwamsiza ukuba abekezelele zonke izinengiso. Ngabo bonke ubuhlungu uJesu adlula kubo ngaleso sikhathi, ngimbona ngeso lengqondo ehlebeza kancane: “Konke lokhu ngikwenzela wena kuphela! Ngiyakuthanda!"

Ngokuzayo lapho uzizwa ungathandwa noma uwedwa ngoSuku Lwezithandani, zikhumbuze ukuthi uthando lukaNkulunkulu ngawe alunamingcele. Wabekezelela ukwesabeka kwalolo suku ukuze akwazi ukuchitha ingunaphakade nawe.

“Ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi nakufa, nakuphila, nazingelosi, namandla, nababusi, namanje, nabazayo, naphakeme, najula, nanoma yisiphi esinye isidalwa esingenakusehlukanisa nothando lukaNkulunkulu olukuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.” AmaRoma 8,38-enye).

Nakuba usuku lwezithandani kuwusuku oludumile lokubonisa uthando komunye umuntu, ngiqinisekile ukuthi usuku olukhulu lothando yilapho iNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu isifela.

nguTim Maguire