Ebyafaayo n'ebitabo bya R. A. Torrey

Ku kiro ky’omu ttoggo mu 1875, omuyizi w’essomero lya Yale yatuula yekka mu kisenge kye n’asalawo okumalawo obulamu bwe. Reuben Archer Torrey yali wa myaka kkumi na mwenda — nga yazaalibwa nga 28 Janwaali 1856 mu maka ag’obugagga ag’e Hoboken, mu New Jersey — era ng’ayogera ye yennyini, yali amaliridde okuleka okukkiriza kwe yakuzibwamu. Kwali kukkiriza okulina amaaso: nnyina yali mukazi wa kusaba kwa buziba era okutakoma, eyali amaze emyaka mingi ng’asaba Katonda obulokozi bw’omwana we n’obuweereza bwe, era nga takwatibwa nsonyi kumujjukiza obulamu obuweereddwa Kristo bwe bwandibadde. Yali akinyoomye. Yali azze e New Haven ng’alina emyaka kkumi n’etaano, era emyaka egyaddirira yali agiwadde eby’amazannyo, ekifo ky’okuvuganya embalaasi, emmeeza y’ezikaadi, n’okunywa okungi. Yali era agiwadde empaka: yali, nga bwe yagamba oluvannyuma, "the leader of the new theology and destructive criticism wing of the seminary" — omuvubuka eyasobola okusattulula enjigiriza era ng’akyagala okukikola.

Ekyaliwo ekiro ekyo yakyogera lwatu, awatali kukiwunda. Yali amaliridde okwetta era ng’alina ekyokukozesa mu ngalo. Mu kifo ky’ekyo yeesanga ng’asaba — era mu kizikiza ekyo ng’ajjukira nnyina, okukkiriza kwe, n’emyaka emingi egy’okusaba kwe ku lulwe. Okujjukira okwo kwe kwafuuka akakyukakyuka. Mu kusaba n’akola ekisuubizo — nti singa Katonda amuwonya, yandikoze kyonna Katonda ky’amusaba. "I'll even preach!" bwe yagamba, ng’ayatula ekintu eky’enkomerero ku nsi kye yali tayagala kukola. Yagolokoka okuva mu kusaba okwo nga muntu mulala, n’ayatula okukkiriza kwe mu lwatu mu kkanisa ya Yale, era teyaddayo nnyuma ku ndagaano eyo.

Okuyigirizibwa kw’omubuusabuusa

Torrey yafuna diguli ye n’asigala ku ssomero ly’eby’obwakatonda, n’amaliriza mu 1878, era n’ayawulibwa mu buweereza obw’Ekikongregasho mu mwaka gwe gumu. Yawasa Clara Smith mu 1879 n’agenda mu kkanisa ey’oku byalo e Garrettsville, mu Ohio. Mu 1882 yatwala ebibuuzo bye eri ensibuko yaabyo, ng’asomera e Leipzig ne Erlangen wansi wa Franz Delitzsch ne Theodor Zahn — ekigo kyennyini eky’okunoonyereza okw’ekitiibwa okwali kimu ku by’akola. Yakomawo eka ng’akutte ekyawukana n’ekyo kye yali agenze okukakasa. Bwe yamala okwekenneenyeza omusango ogwaliko Ebyawandiikibwa n’amaaso ge, yamala obulamu bwe obusigadde ng’abiwolereza, era teyafiirwa mpisa ya mukubaganya bigambo ey’okwatula endowooza ey’omulala mu bwenkanya nga tannagyanukula. Era teyeerabira okubuusabuusa okw’amazima bwe kuwulikika okuva munda. Bwe yamala okumeggana n’obutakkiriza okutuuka ku njegoyego z’okuggwaamu essuubi, yasobola okwogera n’abantu abaakwatibwa mu kumeggana okwo kwe kumu awatali kabonero konna ak’okubanyooma — si ng’omusajja atabuusabuusanga, wabula ng’oyo eyabuusabuusa era n’addibwamu.

Oluvannyuma ne wajja Minneapolis, n’okukolebwa kw’omusajja. Yali omusumba eyo era n’aweereza ng’omukulembeze w’omulimu gw’obubaka obw’Ekikongregasho mu kibuga, era mu 1888 n’akola ekintu ekyasalawo enkula ya buli kimu ekyaddirira: yaleka omusaala gwe alyoke akolere abaavu, n’ateeka obulamu bw’amaka ge bwonna ku kusaba. Mu kiseera ekyo yalina abaana bana.

Okuva ku lunaku olwo, buli kamwa kaava butereevu eri Kitange ali mu ggulu — tewaali kyakulya ku mmeeza zaffe, tewaali kkooti eyayambalibwa ku mugongo gwange, tewaali ngoye ku mugongo gwa mukyala wange, wadde engoye ku migongo gy’abaana abana, ebitaali kuddibwamu kwa kusaba.

— R. A. Torrey

Omusajja wa Moody mu Chicago

Emyaka egyayita, mu kaweefube ow’okubuulira e New Haven, D. L. Moody yali atunuulidde Torrey omuvubuka n’agamba nti, "Young man, you'd better get to work for God!" Mu 1889 Moody n’amutumya. Torrey yali wa myaka amakumi asatu mu esatu bwe yafuuka omukulembeze w’Ekibiina ky’Okubuulira eky’e Chicago — essomero ensi lye yandimanyi ng’Essomero lya Baibuli erya Moody — era n’akwata ekifo ekyo okutuusa mu 1908. Yazimba enteekateeka y’okusoma ku kukkiriza okwangu: nti abakkiriza aba bulijjo, abanywerera mu Byawandiikibwa era abaweebwa amaanyi Omwoyo Omutukuvu, basobola okutendekebwa olw’obuweereza obw’amakulu. Era, ng’enkola ye bw’eri, yagaana essomero okufuuka ekibiina ky’aboogezi: abayizi baatumibwanga mu nkuŋŋaana ez’oku nguudo, mu malwaliro, mu makomera, ne ku miryango gy’ennyumba z’abaavu. Okusoma okutaleeta babuulizi tekwamusanyusa. Mu 1894 n’ayongerako obusumba bw’Ekkanisa ey’oku Chicago Avenue, kaakano Ekkanisa ya Moody, era n’abuulira eyo okumala emyaka kkumi n’ebiri.

Teyali musajja gwe kyangu okukubira ekifaananyi. Omusomi eyali asomye Delitzsch mu Lugirimaani yaddukanya essomero ery’abakozi; Omunnayingereza omulongoofu yabuulira ku nsonda z’enguudo za Chicago; omukubaganya w’ebigambo eyasobola okusattulula endowooza yakakasa nti obunafu bw’ekkanisa obw’amazima tebwali bwa kutegeera n’akatono.

Okusaba y’engeri Katonda gy’ateekawo ey’okufuna ebintu, era ekyama ekinene eky’obutabaawo bwonna mu bulamu bwaffe, mu bulamu bwaffe ne mu mulimu gwaffe, kwe kulagajjalira okusaba.

— R. A. Torrey, Engeri y’Okusaba

Ekisenge ky’oku Lwomukaaga akawungeezi

Mu 1898 Torrey yatandika okusaba okw’ekibiina ku ssomero ku Lwomukaaga akawungeezi, okuva ku ssaawa esatu okutuuka ku ssaawa nnya. Tekwali kuweereza era tekwalangirirwa ng’ekisikiriza; kwali ssaawa emu ey’okusaba. Abantu okutuuka ku bikumi bisatu bajjanga wiiki ku wiiki, era kye baasaba kwali kufuka kw’Omwoyo mu nsi yonna — si kuzuukuka mu Chicago kwokka, wabula okuzuukuka mu nsi.

Torrey yasabira eyo n’ekintu ekirala, era mu kyama okusingawo: nti Katonda amutume okwetooloola ensi ng’abuulira enjiri. Teyalina kuyitibwa, teyalina kakiiko, teyalina ssente, era teyalina nsonga yonna ey’okusuubira ekyo. Mu wiiki emu ng’amaze okuteeka omugugu ogwo mu kusaba, ababaka b’amakanisa g’e Australia — abataamanya kintu ku ekyo — ne bamuwandiikira nga bamusaba ajje.

Okwetooloola ensi

Okuva mu 1902 okutuuka mu 1905, ng’ali n’omukulembeze w’ennyimba Charles M. Alexander, Torrey yabuulira mu Australia ne New Zealand, mu China ne Japan ne India, era n’okuyita mu Bizinga bya Bungereza. Obungi bwakyo kizibu okubutegeera nga tuli wano. Ku Bingley Hall mu Birmingham mu Janwaali 1904, abantu nga kasanvu baayatula okukyusibwa mu nnaku amakumi asatu. Kaweefube ow’e London ow’omu 1905 yatandika mu Febwaali okutuuka mu Juuni: enkuŋŋaana ebikumi bibiri mu bbiri, omuwendo gwonna ogw’abajja nga gusukka mu 1,114,000, n’abasukka mu kakumi mu kasanvu abaayatula okukkiriza. Mu lugendo lwonna omuwendo ogutera okuweebwa gwa nga emitwalo kkumi mu bibiri ogw’abakyusibwa.

Torrey yabuusabuusa emiwendo egyo wadde nga ye yaginyumya. Yali awandiise nga tannagenda nti okuzuukuka tekukolebwa mu ngalo, era yagaana enkuŋŋaana okwogerwako ng’ekyo ky’amaze okutuukiriza. Ekisenge ky’oku Lwomukaaga akawungeezi mu Chicago, bwe yakakasa, kye kyakola omulimu; ekituuti kyakuŋŋaanya bwakuŋŋaanyi ebyava mu gwo.

Bwe tuyiga okujja eri Katonda n’okwegomba okw’amaanyi okunyiga omwoyo, kale tulimanya amaanyi mu kusaba abasinga obungi ku ffe ge tutamanyi kaakano.

— R. A. Torrey, Engeri y’Okusaba

Los Angeles, n’okumaliriza okuwanvu

Yakomawo eka mu America ddala mu Desemba 1905 era n’amala emyaka mukaaga egyaddirira mu kaweefube okwetooloola eggwanga. Mu 1908 yatandikawo Olukiiko lwa Baibuli olw’e Montrose mu Pennsylvania, ekifo ky’okusomesa mu biseera by’ekyeya ekyamuwangaala. Mu 1912 yagenda ebugwanjuba okufuuka omukulu asooka ow’Essomero lya Baibuli erya Los Angeles, era okuva mu 1915 omusumba asooka ow’Ekkanisa ey’Oluggi Oluggule — ng’akwata byombi okutuuka mu 1924, era ng’akola omulembe gw’abayizi, nga mw’otwalidde Charles E. Fuller.

Emyaka egy’omu lwatu gyalina ennaku zaagyo ez’omu kyama. Ye ne Clara baafiirwa abaana, era ennaku yaakyo yasala nnyo — abaamanya amaka gaabwe baagamba nti okufiirwa okwo kwaleka akabonero ku bombi. Naye ennaku teyamunyiiza. Yagaziya okusaasira kwe eri ababonaabona, era n’emugoba n’amaanyi eri Katonda gwe yali yeesize olw’ebbaluwa y’omusuubuzi w’emmere mu Minneapolis. Omusajja eyayimiriranga mu maaso g’ebibiina eby’enkumi n’enkumi yakuuma empisa ez’ekisenge ekitono nnyo: ebiseera eby’amakulu buli lunaku mu kusaba ne mu Baibuli, mu kukakasa okunywevu nti obuyinza bw’omubuulizi tebwali ku kituuti kye wabula ku bumu bwe n’Katonda.

Gino gyali era emyaka egya The Fundamentals, olukalala olw’ebitabo kkumi na bibiri lwe yayamba okutereeza, olwawa erinnya ekibiina kye yandinnyonnyodde mu bwangu ng’okukkiriza ekyo Baibuli ky’egamba. Yawandiikanga obutakoma — ebitabo ebisukka mu amakumi ana, era okumala emyaka amakumi asatu ekitabo eky’okunnyonnyola eky’essomero ly’oku Ssande ekyasomebwanga mu ggwanga lyonna. How to Bring Men to Christ kyafuuka akatabo akangu, aka bulijjo, ak’abakkiriza aba bulijjo abaayagala okutwala omuntu eri okukkiriza, kubanga yakakasa nti okubuulira enjiri kwali mulimu gwa buli Mukristaayo so si gwa mukugu. Naye ebitabo ebyawangaala bye ebyo ebikwata ku kusaba ne ku Mwoyo Omutukuvu, kubanga ezo ze zaali ensonga ku ze yali tayigiriza balala bokka.

Omwoyo n’Omukristaayo owa bulijjo

Ku byonna Torrey bye yayigiriza, enjigiriza gye yanyigiriza okusinga kwali nti Omwoyo Omutukuvu Muntu w’okumanyibwa so si maanyi ag’okukozesebwa. Yakiwandiikako ennyo era n’akiddiŋŋana mu buli kaweefube: nti Omwoyo akangavvula, azaala buggya, abeera munda, era — kino kye kyali ekinyigirizibwa banne kye baakubaganyako ebigambo — nti waliwo okwambazibwa amaanyi olw’obuweereza omukkiriza kw’ayinza era kw’asaanidde okunoonya n’okufuna mu bujjuvu. Yali yeegendereza ku ekyo ky’ataali ayogera. Tekwali kulokolebwa kwa kubiri, era tekwali kabonero ka butukuvu obusingako. Kwali kwambazibwa olw’omulimu, okuweebwa Abakristaayo aba bulijjo, era mu ndowooza ye ensonga lwaki bangi ku bo baakola nga tewali kibala kirabika kwali nti tebaali bakusabako — nti baabeeranga nga bawanguddwa kubanga beesiga amaanyi gaabwe mu kifo ky’okwesiga amaanyi ga Katonda.

Yawakanya ensonga eyo mu ngeri gye yawakanyizaamu buli kimu, ng’atuuma ebyawandiikibwa n’asoomooza omusomi okubikebera. Naye amaanyi gaakyo gaava mu kifo ekirala. Omusajja eyali yeeggyeko omusaala we n’atunuulira emmere ng’etuuka, eyasaba atumibwe okwetooloola ensi n’atumibwa, teyali ateebereza ku kubaawo kwa Katonda. Yali anyumya ekyo kye yalaba.

Yeeggyako ebifo bye eby’e Los Angeles mu 1924 alyoke addeyo mu kubuulira, ng’akyatambula, ng’akyabuulira, era n’ayigiriza nate ku Moody mu 1927. Yafiira mu maka ge mu Asheville, mu North Carolina, nga 26 Okitobba 1928, ng’alina emyaka nsanvu mu ebiri, era n’aziikibwa ku ttaka ly’olukiiko lw’e Montrose lwe yatandikawo. Will Houghton, eyamumanya, yateeka ekigambo eky’oku ntaana obulungi okusinga engeri yonna ey’okufunza kaweefube ze: abo abaamanya Dr. Torrey mu bwannyini, bwe yagamba, baamumanya ng’omusajja ow’okusaba okwa bulijjo era okutasalako.

Kigwana okujjukira engeri byonna gye byatandikamu — si mu kituuti wadde mu kisenge ky’okusomesa, wabula mu kisenge ku Yale omuvubuka atakkiriza Katonda eyali asalawo okufa mwe yajjukira okusaba kwa nnyina n’asanga nga ye asaba, era n’asuubiza Katonda nti yandigenze buli gy’anaatumibwa. Yatumibwa olugendo oluwanvu nnyo.