NJALO ngonyaka, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyisithupha baya endaweni ecezile eShima, eNhlonhlweni yaseJapane. Basuke beya e-Grand Shrine of Ise ukuyokhulekela unkulunkulukazi welanga wobuShinto u-Amaterasu Omikami, osekuphele iminyaka engaba izinkulungwane ezimbili ekhulekelwa. Abakhulekeli baqale bazihlanze ngokugeza izandla nomlomo. Ngemva kwalokho, bemi phambi kwehholo lokukhulekela, balandela inqubo yabo yokukhulekela; bayakhothama bashaye izandla futhi bathandaze kunkulunkulukazi wabo. * Inkolo yobuShinto iyabavumela abakhulekeli bayo ukuba basonte kwamanye amasonto futhi abanye abangamaBuddha nalabo abazibiza ngamaKristu kanye nabanye abantu, abayiboni inkinga ngokukhulekela kule ndawo engcwele yamaShinto.

Iningi lamasonto amakhulu emhlabeni linezindawo zokukhulekela ezingcwele * futhi izigidi zabantu ziya kuzo. Emazweni athi angawobuKristu, kunamasonto nezindawo zokukhulekela ezingcwele eziningi, ezinikelwe kuJesu, kuMariya nakosanta. Ezinye izindawo ezifana nazo zakhiwa ezindaweni okukhulunywa ngazo eBhayibhelini noma okwenzeke kuzo “izimangaliso” osukwini lwanamuhla noma endaweni okugcinwa kuyo amagugu enkolo. Abantu abaningi baya kulezi zindawo ezingcwele ngoba bakholelwa ukuthi imithandazo yabo izozwakala kangcono uma bethandazela endaweni engcwele. Kwabanye, ukufika ethempelini noma endaweni engcwele kusho isiphetho sohambo olude abaye baluthatha ukuze babonise ukuzinikela kwabo enkolweni yabo.

Ingabe imithandazo nezicelo kuzwiwa futhi kuphendulwe kangcono uma kwenziwa endaweni engcwele? Ingabe ukuzinikela kwalabo abathatha uhambo oluya kulezi zindawo ezingcwele kuyamjabulisa uNkulunkulu? Okubaluleke nakakhulu, ingabe amaKristu kufanele akhulekele endaweni engcwele noma ethempelini? Izimpendulo zale mibuzo ngeke zigcine nje ngokusibonisa indlela okufanele sibheke ngayo ukukhulekela ezindaweni ezingcwele kodwa zizosisiza nokuba siqonde uhlobo lokukhulekela olumjabulisa ngempela uNkulunkulu.

Ingxoxo uJesu aba nayo nowesifazane ongumSamariya yembula umbono kaNkulunkulu ngokukhulekela ezindaweni ezingcwele noma emathempelini. UJesu wayehamba eSamariya wabe esema ukuze aphumule eduze nomthombo ngasemzini waseSikhari. Waqala ingxoxo nowesifazane owayezokukha amanzi emthonjeni. Njengoba bexoxa, owesifazane waveza umehluko omkhulu ongokwenkolo phakathi kwamaJuda namaSamariya. Wathi kuye: “Okhokho bethu bakhulekela kule ntaba; kodwa nina nithi iseJerusalema indawo abantu okufanele bakhulekele kuyo.”—Johane 4:5-9, 20.

 Intaba owesifazane ayekhuluma ngayo kwakuyiNtaba iGerizimu eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-50 enyakatho yeJerusalema. Kuleyo ndawo amaSamariya ayenethempeli ayegubha kulo imikhosi enjengePhasika. Nokho, kunokuba agxile kulokho abangavumelani ngakho, uJesu wathi kowesifazane: “Ngikholwe, sifazane, ihora liyeza lapho ningayikumkhulekela uBaba kule ntaba noma eJerusalema.” (Johane 4:21) Yeka impendulo emangazayo, ikakhulukazi njengoba yayivela kumJuda! Yini eyayingabangela ukuba ukukhulekela ethempelini likaNkulunkulu eJerusalema kuphele?

UJesu waqhubeka: “Ihora liyeza futhi sekuyilo namanje lapho abakhulekeli beqiniso beyokhulekela khona uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso, ngoba ngempela uBaba ufuna abanjalo ukuba bamkhulekele.” (Johane 4:23) Kwaphela amakhulu eminyaka, amaJuda ebheka ithempeli laseJerusalema njengesigodlo sawo sokukhulekela. Ayethatha uhambo oluya khona kathathu ngonyaka ukuze enzele uNkulunkulu wawo, uJehova, imihlatshelo. (Eksodusi 23:14-17) Kodwa uJesu wathi konke lokho kwakuyoshintsha futhi “abakhulekeli beqiniso” babeyokhulekela “ngomoya nangeqiniso.”

Ithempeli lamaJuda laliyisakhiwo esingokoqobo. Kodwa umoya neqiniso akuzona izinto ezibambekayo futhi azihlali endaweni ethile ekhethekile. Ngakho, uJesu wayechaza ukuthi ukukhulekela kwamaKristu eqiniso kwakungeke kube sendaweni ethile ekhethekile njengaseNtabeni iGerizimu, ethempeli laseJerusalema noma kwenye indawo engcwele.

Engxoxweni yakhe nowesifazane ongumSamariya, uJesu wachaza nokuthi “ihora” lokushintsha indlela uNkulunkulu akhulekelwa ngayo “liyeza.” Kwakuyokwenzeka nini lokho? Ihora lafika lapho uJesu, ngokufa kwakhe okuwumhlatshelo, eqeda indlela yamaJuda yokukhulekela eyayisekelwe eMthethweni kaMose. (Roma 10:4) Nokho, uJesu wabuye wathi: “Ihora . . . sekuyilo namanje.” Kungani? Ngenxa yokuthi njengoMesiya wayeseqalile ukuqoqa abafundi ababezolalela lo mthetho awusho: “UNkulunkulu unguMoya, futhi abamkhulekelayo kumelwe bakhulekele ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:24) Pho, kusho ukuthini ukukhulekela ngomoya nangeqiniso?

Lapho uJesu ekhuluma ngokukhulekela ngomoya, wayengakhulumi ngokuba nentshiseko noma ukuvukwa umoya. Kunalokho, wayekhuluma ngokuqondiswa umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, phakathi kokunye, osisiza nokuba siqonde imiBhalo. (1 Korinte 2:9-12) Iqiniso uJesu ayekhuluma ngalo luwulwazi olunembile lwezimfundiso zeBhayibheli. Ngakho,  kunokuba sikhulekele endaweni ethile ekhethekile, ukukhulekela kwethu kuyokwamukeleka kuNkulunkulu uma kuvumelana nalokho okufundiswa iBhayibheli futhi kuqondiswa umoya ongcwele.

AmaKristu kufanele alubheke kanjani uhambo oluya ezindaweni ezingcwele zokukhulekela kanye nokukhulekela kuzo? Uma sicabanga ngomyalo kaJesu othi abakhulekeli beqiniso bakhulekela uNkulunkulu ngomoya nangeqiniso, kusobala ukuthi uBaba wethu osezulwini akabheki ukukhulekela okwenziwa kulezi zindawo njengokukhethekile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli lisitshela indlela uNkulunkulu abheka ngayo ukukhonza izithombe. Lithi: “Kubalekeleni ukukhonza izithombe” futhi “ziqapheni ezithombeni.” (1 Korinte 10:14; 1 Johane 5:21) Ngakho, umKristu weqiniso ngeke akhulekele endaweni ebhekwa njengengcwele noma ekhuthaza ukukhulekela izithombe. AmaKristu eqiniso ayakugwema ukukhulekela ezindaweni ezingcwele zokukhulekela.

Nokho, lokho akusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyakwenqabela ukuba nendawo oyithandayo yokuthandaza, yokufunda noma yokuzindla. Indawo okuhlanganwa kuyo ehlelekile nenesithunzi yenza kube lula ukufunda nokuxoxa ngezinto ezingokomoya. Akukubi ukwenza nokubeka itshe eliyisikhumbuzo ethuneni. Lokho kumane nje kuyindlela yokuveza ukuthi uyamkhumbula futhi uyamthanda lowo oshonile. Nokho, ukubheka indawo enjalo njengendawo engcwele noma njengesithombe sokukhulekelwa kuyongqubuzana ngokuphelele namazwi kaJesu.

Ngakho, asikho isidingo sokuya endaweni engcwele yokukhulekela unethemba lokuthi uNkulunkulu uzokuzwa kangcono lapho uthandaza. UNkulunkulu ngeke ajabule noma akubusise ngokukhethekile ngokuthatha uhambo lokuya endaweni engcwele yokukhulekela. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu, “iNkosi yezulu nomhlaba . . . akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla.” Kodwa lokhu akumenzi uNkulunkulu aqhele kithi. Singathandaza kuye futhi uyosizwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sikuphi ngoba ‘akakude kulowo nalowo kithi.’—IzEnzo 17:24-27.