Ebyafaayo n'ebitabo bya F. B. Meyer

Frederick Brotherton Meyer yazaalibwa mu Clapham, London, nga 8 Apuli 1847, omwana wa Frederick, omusuubuzi, ne mukyala we Ann, era yakulira mu maka ag'emirembe era agatya Katonda. Olugero lw'okukyusibwa kwe telwali lwa kwewuunyisa wadde olw'okuva mu bwavu; yakulira mu kitiibwa ky'abantu abagenda mu kkanisa, ng'atudde ng'akyali mwana wansi w'okubuulira kwa William Brock ku Bloomsbury Chapel, awaka gye baasinzizanga mu myaka gy'ekyasa ekya 1850, era ekyokulabirako kye eky'obusumba kyamulekera akabonero akataggwaawo. Yabatizibwa mu 1864 ku New Park Road Chapel mu Brixton, era ng'aweza emyaka kkumi na mukaaga yali amaze okumanya nti ayitiddwa mu buweereza. Ng'amaze okusoma ku Brighton College, yayingira Regent's Park College mu 1866 okutendekebwa mu buweereza bwa Ababaputiisiti, era n'afuna dipuloma ye mu Yunivasite ya London mu 1869. Naye ekkubo eggolokofu ery'omuvubuka omuweereza eyakulira obulungi mangu ago lyandizibudde ne litandika ekintu ekigazi era eky'ekitalo okusinga bye yali asobola okuteekateeka. Mu myaka nkaaga egy'okubuulira, Meyer yafuuka omu ku maloboozi g'Abakristaayo ab'Enjiri agasinga okwagalibwa mu kiseera kye, mukwano gwa D. L. Moody, empagi y'Olukuŋŋaana lwa Keswick, era omusajja empapula z'amawulire ze zaamutuuma, ekitundu mu kusaaga n'ekitundu mu kunyiikira, «Omulabirizi Omukulu ow'Amakanisa Ageetwala».

Omuweereza Omuvubuka n'Ekiseera eky'Enkyukakyuka

Obusumba bwa Meyer obusooka bwali ku Pembroke Baptist Chapel mu Liverpool mu 1870, gye yaweereza olubereberye ng'omuyambi n'oluvannyuma ng'omuweereza omukwanaganya, olwo mu 1872 ku Priory Street Baptist Church mu York. Mu Febwali 1871 yawasa Jane Eliza Jones, eyali agenda okuba munne mu bulamu ne mu buweereza okutuuka ku nkomerero y'ennaku ze; baazaala omwana omu omuwala. Mu York, ng'akyali muvubuka, gye yasisinkana omubuulizi w'enjiri Omumerika Dwight L. Moody, eyali nga tamanyiddwa nnyo mu Bungereza. Meyer yaggulirawo Moody enzigi mu makanisa n'abaweereza b'e Bungereza, era bombi baafuuka mikwano gy'obulamu bwonna. Omukwano ogwo gwakuba Meyer ennyo mu mutima; oluvannyuma yagamba nti obuwoomerevu bwa Moody n'obwesimbu bwe byamulaga Obukristaayo obunene okusinga bwe yali atuuseeko n'okwetya kwe okw'obwegendereza, era yatuuka okutwala amagezi ga Moody ng'okukwatibwako okusinga obukulu mu buweereza bwe — amagezi nti omubuulizi omukulu ateekwa okuba omukozi omukulu, n'omukozi omukulu omubuulizi omukulu. Okugatta okwo okw'obuweereza bw'ekituuti n'okukola okwennyini, ku luguudo, kwafuuka akabonero ak'omulimu gwa Meyer.

Naye essaawa ey'obulamu bwe eyasalawo teyajja lwa linnya ery'ettutumu wabula lwa muvubuka omuzannyi wa kkulikeeti. Mu Leicester, gye Meyer yali agenze mu 1874 okuweereza Victoria Road Church, era oluvannyuma, mu 1878, okutandika obubaka obweyimirizaawo ku Melbourne Hall, yasisinkana Charles T. Studd n'abavubuka abaali bagenda mu China Inland Mission. Essanyu lyabwe eritaliiko kire lyayoolesa ekintu Meyer kye yali abulwa. Yabuuza engeri gy'ayinza okufuna kye baalina, era Studd yamugamba nti kyali kya kwewaayo eri Kristo si mu bukalimbe naye mu bwennyini — nga tasigazaawo kintu kyonna. Meyer yafukamira era, mu ngeri ye ey'okunnyonnyola ey'obulamu, yakwasa Kristo empeta y'ekyuma eyalina ebisumuluzo byonna eby'obulamu bwe, okuggyako ekisumuluzo kimu ekitono kye yakwata nga kikwatiddwa olw'ekisenge kye eky'ekyama.

Bw'otonneesiga mu byonna, tonneesiga mu kintu kyonna.

— F. B. Meyer

Teyasobola kugamba nti yali mwetegefu okuwaayo ekisumuluzo ekyo eky'oluvannyuma. Ekyo kye yasobola okugamba kyafuuka kimu ku kwatula ekusinga okujuliziddwa mu kwewaayo kw'Abakristaayo ab'Enjiri — okusaba okw'amazima okw'omusajja eyali mwesimbu nnyo okwekuusa okwewaayo kwe yali tannawulira.

Meyer yayogera ne ku ssaawa endala ey'okwewaayo, gye yayawulanga bulijjo ku kukyusibwa kwe era gye yatwalanga ng'entandikwa entuufu ey'obuweereza bwe obwaliko amaanyi. Mu kiseera lwe yawulira nga talina maanyi era nga takola kintu, yafuluma okunoonya Katonda yekka.

Obuweereza n'Ebibala Byabwo

Okuva mu kwewaayo okwo kwe kwava obuweereza Meyer ajjukirwako. Ku Melbourne Hall mu Leicester (1878-1888) ekibiina kye kyayambuka okutuuka mu nkumi, era okuva mu 1888 yasenguka mu London, ng'ayawula emyaka amakumi asatu egyaddirira wakati wa Regent's Park Chapel (1888-1892, era n'oluvannyuma 1909-1915) ne Christ Church, mu Lambeth (1892-1909, n'ekiseera eky'oluvannyuma okuva mu 1915 okutuuka mu 1921). Yabuulira mu Bungereza yonna ne mu Amerika, mu Kanada, Sudaafrika, Asia, n'ebitundu ebya Bugwanjuba bwa Asia, era yafuuka omu ku basomesa abaanoonyezebwa ennyo ku Lukuŋŋaana lwa Keswick — yayogerera ku amakumi abiri mu mukaaga ku nkuŋŋaana zaayo — «obulamu obw'ekitiibwa» obw'okwewaayo n'okwesiga Omwoyo we bwakubirwanga mu mitima gy'obukadde bw'abantu. Obubaka bwe obw'e Keswick bwali bulambulukufu, bulimu ebifaananyi ebiraga, era bw'obusumba: okuyita eri okwewaayo okujjuvu, okwesiga Omwoyo Omutukuvu, n'okugoberera okutukuzibwa.

Okutukuzibwa kwa Meyer tekwali kw'omunda kwokka. Yalwana olutalo olutakoowa ku bibi eby'omu kibuga kye — obutamiivu, omuzannyo gw'okusaba, n'obusuubuzi bw'obwenzi. Wakati mu myaka gy'ekyasa ekya 1890 ne 1907 emirimu gye egy'okulwanyisa bino gitwalibwa nga gye gyaggalawo ebikumi by'ennyumba z'obwenzi n'ennyumba z'omwenge, era yateeka mu buweereza bwe ekibiina ky'okuyamba abasibe, ennyumba z'abo abataliiko wabeera, n'omulimu wakati mu bitundu ebyavu ennyo bya London. Ng'omuwagizi omunywevu ow'okwekuuma ku mwenge, yayogera n'akola kaweefube ku bibi by'omwenge buli gy'aweererezanga, era okufaayo kwe ku banafu kwatuuka ku bubaka bw'okununula, ennyumba z'enfuuzi, n'ebibiina by'okusibako abaana, ebyateeka abaana abaasuulibwa n'abataliiko maka mu maka ag'obukuumi. Abamulwanyisa baamusekereranga nga «Meyer Omutabuzi Omukaaba», naye teyalekera awo. Eri Meyer, okuluŋŋamizibwa n'okusaasira byali kimu: Katonda eyatwala omwoyo mu mirembe naye yatwala omukono mu kitundu eky'obwavu.

Obugazi bw'omulimu gwe bwali bwa kwewuunyisa eri omusajja eyatandika ng'omuweereza Omubaputiisiti omutono ow'ebweru w'ekibuga. Melbourne Hall, obubaka bwe yatandika mu Leicester, bwakula okufuuka bumu ku bubereberye mu bibiina bino ebinene eby'ekiseera kino, ng'obwenkanya bw'abantu bwayambuka mu nkumi, abaasikirizibwa okubuulira kwe okwangu era okw'okwagala. Emirimu gye mu Amerika, egyasooka egyakolebwa ng'ali ne Moody n'oluvannyuma ye yekka, gyatwala eddoboozi lye emitala w'ennyanja Atlantic emirundi n'emirundi — emirundi kkumi na ebiri gyonna, ogw'oluvannyuma nga gutandikiddwa ng'aweza emyaka kinaana. Mu lugendo lwe olwa Sudaafrika ne mukyala we mu 1908 yasisinkana Mohandas Gandhi era n'amala ennaku ntonotono ng'ayogera naye, ng'alaga okukkiriza okw'obwegendereza ku ndowooza ya Gandhi ey'obuziyiza obutalimu bulwanyisi — akabonero akatono naye akalaga omusajja obwagazi bwe n'okusaasira kwe bwe byagaana okuziyizibwa mu nsalo z'obulombolombo bwe.

Yali, okusinga byonna, muwandiisi eyasomesa Abakristaayo abaabulijjo okutambula ne Katonda. Awamu n'ebibuulwa nga omutwalo mu nkumi mukaaga bye yabuulira mu bulamu bwe, yakola ebitabo ebisukka mu nsanvu, mwe muli ebyafaayo bya Bayibuli ebiwoomerevu ebya Ibulayimu, Musa, Eriya, Yokaana Omubatiza, Peetero, ne Pawulo, n'ebitabo eby'okwewaayo ebimanyiddwa nga Okwebuuzaganya kwaffe kwa Buli Lunaku ebikyasomwa. Ebyafaayo bino by'abantu tebyali bya mbeera y'ebyafaayo nnyo ng'obulamu obw'omunda obw'omwoyo bw'abantu abatatuukiridde, mu abo ekisa n'ekigendererwa kya Katonda bibikkulwa — endabirwamu, nga bwe yabitwala, mwe Abakristaayo ab'ekiseera kino basobola okwetegeera olugendo lwabwe. Ebitabo bye byasala ensalo z'ebibiina, nga bisomwa Ababaputiisiti, Abamesodisiti, Abaanglikani, n'abatali ba mu bibiina bino, era byatundibwa mu bukadde, nga bitwala obubaka bwe ewala ennyo okusinga ebituuti bye bya London bye byasobola. Mu Ekyama ky'Okuluŋŋamizibwa, ekitabo kye Ochorus alina, omutima gwe ogw'obusumba guwulikika bulambalamba.

Amaanyi gaffe n'emirembe gyaffe biva mu kumanya Katonda gy'ayagala tubeere n'okubeera eyo.

— F. B. Meyer

Yawandiikira abo abeeraliikirira n'abalina emitima eminafu okusinga abo abeesiga bennyini, ng'anywereza ku nsonga nti Katonda akutama okutuuka ku mwana asinga obuzibu ayagala ddala okugondera. Amagezi ge ku kusaba tegaali ngeri ey'okukola wabula omuwendo ogw'okwesiga — nti ebituufu bijja mu maaso, okukkiriza kubiwummulirako, n'okuwulira kugoberera mu kiseera kya Katonda.

Ebituufu bya Katonda, ebiteekeddwa ng'omusingi ogw'ejjinja ery'amaanyi. Okukkiriza kwaffe, okubikwata n'okubiwummulirako. Okuwulira okw'essanyu, okujja omulundi gumu oba oluvannyuma lw'ennaku n'emyezi, nga Katonda bw'ayagala.

— F. B. Meyer

Ebigezo Ebisisinkanyizibwa n'Okukkiriza

Obulamu bwa Meyer obw'olwatu bwali buwanvu era bwa bibala, naye teyafuula nti yali talina buzibu. Yali mwesimbu, mu njigiriza ye ne mu bbaluwa ze, ku ntalo z'omunda omuweereza azikuba awatali kulabibwa. Okulwana kwe yatula mu lwatu ennyo kwali kwa buggya. Yaweererezanga mu kibuga kye kimu n'ababuulizi ab'ebibiina n'ettutumu erisinga erye, era yakkiriza nti omutima gwe gwasobolanga okukwatibwa obuggya olw'abo. Eddagala lye lyali lye limu lye yabuulira abalala: yatwala ekibi ku maviivi ge n'asaba n'obwegendereza ku lw'okusiima kwa banne, ng'asaba Katonda nti abantu abeeyongera bagende okubawulira, okutuusa obuggya bwe bwaggwa amaanyi n'okwagala kwazzibwawo. Kwali kuwangula kutono era okw'ekyama, naye kwalaga omusingi ogwo gwe gumu ogw'ebisumuluzo ebyaweebwayo — nti ekkubo eryokuva mu mutima ogusibiddwa kwe kukwasa Kristo n'obukyayi bwaffe.

Yatwala era obuzito obwabulijjo obw'omusajja eyawulira okubonaabona kw'abalala. Mu Ssematalo Ogusooka yaweereza ng'omusumba w'abaserikale, ng'aleeta okubudaabudibwa okw'omwoyo eri abaserikale abaayolekanga embeera enzibu ez'olutalo, era yasomoka mu Bufalansa n'Omukwaka Hubert Peet okwerabira engeri abo abaagaanira olutalo olw'okukkiriza kwabwe abaali basibiddwa gye baayisibwanga, ng'awa eddoboozi lye eri abatayagalibwa n'abasuulibwa, mu kiseera bwe kyandibadde kyangu okusirika. Yamanya obulumi bw'okutategeerwa, era yaddamu obutategeerwa si na bukyayi wabula n'omulimu omulala.

Okufa n'Ekirabo Ekyaleka

Meyer yabuulira era yatambula okumpi n'okutuuka ku nkomerero. Mu Maaci 1929, ennaku ntonotono nga tannaweza emyaka kinaana mu ebiri, yamanya nti okufa kwe kwali kumpi. Ebbaluwa gye yawandiikira mukwano gwe yasingira obulamu ebibuulwa bye bingi, era esomeka ng'omusajja eyamala obulamu bwe ku ludda olulala olw'okwagala kwe okwaweebwayo bwe yandiwandiise.

Nnyini kaakano nnawulira, mu kwewuunya kwange okunene, nti nsigadde n'ennaku ntonotono okubeera omulamu. Kiyinza okuba nti nga kino tekinnakutuukako, nnaaba mmaze okuyingira mu lubiri. Teweeraliikirira kunwandiikira. Tunaasisinkana enkya.

— F. B. Meyer

Yafa nga 28 Maaci 1929. The Daily Telegraph yamuyita «Omulabirizi Omukulu ow'Amakanisa Ageetwala», era mu nsi yonna eyogera Olungereza yakungubagirwa ng'omuzimbi w'olutindo eyagatta awamu eby'Enjiri n'ebyabantu, eby'omuntu yekka n'eby'olwatu, mu bulamu bumu obutayanguyirizibwa. Ebitabo bye byeyongera okufulumizibwa; oluyimba lwe olw'okwewaayo lwaddayo okuyimbibwa; era emirembe gy'abakkiriza abakkakkamu abataamuwulira kubuulira bakyasanga, mu mpapula ze yaleka, mukwano gwabwe eyategeera okutya kwabwe era eyabalaga mu bukkakkamu okuluŋŋamizibwa kwa Katonda.

Ekyo Meyer kye yalekera ekkanisa tekyali nteekateeka wabula empisa — omukono omuggule ogutasigaza kisumuluzo, okwatula okwesiga Katonda nga tokyawulira nti weetegefu, n'obwesige obunywevu nti Oyo akulembera omutambuze era anaamuliisa mu kkubo. «Bwe tuba nga tuli Kitaffe ali mu ggulu gy'ayagala tubeere», yawandiika, «tuli bakakafu nti anaatuwa». Yateeka obulamu bwe ku kigambo ekyo era, nga bwe kitegeerekeka mu buli bujulizi, teyaswazibwa.