Ebyafaayo bya Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Robert Murray M’Cheyne yali omuweereza wa Katonda okumala emyaka nga musanvu yokka, era n’afa ng’aweza emyaka amakumi abiri mu mwenda, naye Abakristaayo ab’ebyasa bibiri bakuumye erinnya lye mu ngeri gye bataakuumamu balala bangi ab’omulembe gwe. Teyawandiika kitabo kinene. Teyatandika kibiina, teyakulembera kitongole, teyakwata kifo kya bukulu. Yali musumba wa kkanisa emu mu kibuga kimu eky’e Scotland, era omulimu ogwo yagukola nga ali kumpi ne Katonda mu ngeri eyeeyoleka nnyo, ne kiviirako abantu abataamuwuliriza ng’abuulira okukyusibwa olw’okusoma ebyawandiikibwa ku bulamu bwe. Mukwano gwe Andrew Bonar yakuŋŋaanya olujjukiro lwe n’ebbaluwa ze oluvannyuma lw’okufa kwe mu Memoir etakomako kufulumizibwa, era okuyita mu yo, omuvubuka ali mu ntaana okuva mu 1843 akyayigiriza abaweereza ba Katonda kye beetaaga okusinga era kye batasobola kwekolera: obutukuvu.

Muganda atayinza kufa

Yazaalibwa nga 21 May 1813 mu Edinburgh, nga ye mwana asembayo obuto owa Adam McCheyne, eyali Writer to the Signet — munnamateeka ow’ekitiibwa mu kibuga ekikulu eky’e Scotland. Yali wa magezi amangu, alina ebirabo, ayagala okuyimba, era nga bwe yeetegeereza oluvannyuma yali ataafaayo ku bintu ebyali bisinga obukulu. Yasoma ku High School of Edinburgh, era okuva mu November 1827, n’agenda ku University of Edinburgh, omuyizi omugezi eyali tannaba kukyuka mu mwoyo.

Enkyukakyuka mu bulamu bwe yajja olw’okufa okwabaawo mu maka ge. Muganda we omukulu David yali muntu atya Katonda, era yali yeegayiridde Robert ku bikwata ku mwoyo gwe. Nga 8 July 1831 David yafa olw’omusujja. Ennaku eyo yakola ekyo empaka zonna kye zaali zitalisobodde: yazuukusa Robert ku kwetaaga kwe ekisa. Bonar, eyamumanya, yagamba nti obudde okutandika okukya mu mwoyo gwe kwatandika mu mwaka ogwo. M’Cheyne yennyini teyeerabira bbanja eryo. Emyaka egiyita, ku lunaku olw’okujjukira, yawandiika olunyiriri mu lujjukiro lwe olukwata okukyuka kwe kwonna mu mukka gumu:

Ku lunaku luno emyaka kkumi n’ogumu emabega, nafiirwa muganda wange gwe nayagala era eyanjagala, ne ntandika okunoonya Muganda atayinza kufa.

— Robert Murray M’Cheyne, olujjukiro (mu Memoir wa Bonar)

Muganda atayinza kufa — ekyo kye kintu kye yavumbula, era ne kiddaabiriza buli kimu. Mu butiti obwa 1831 yayingira mu Divinity Hall eya University of Edinburgh wansi wa Thomas Chalmers, omusajja wa kkanisa ow’amaanyi ennyo mu mulembe ogwo. Yaweebwa olukusa okubuulira nga 1 July 1835, n’aweereza ng’omuyambi e Larbert ne Dunipace, era nga 24 November 1836 n’ayawulibwa okuba omuweereza wa St Peter’s, Dundee — kkanisa empya mu kibuga ekijjudde abantu era eky’amakolero. Yali wa myaka amakumi abiri mu esatu.

Omuweereza omutukuvu kyokulwanyisa eky’entiisa

Dundee kyali kifo kizibu: amakolero n’obukuubo obufunda, obwavu n’omwenge, emyoyo enkumi n’enkumi nga gitegekeddwa omuvubuka. M’Cheyne yeewaayo mu mulimu ogwo n’ekisa abantu kye bajjukira okumala obulamu bwabwe bwonna. Yakyalira abalwadde n’abaali kumpi n’okufa. Yabuulira Kristo mu ngeri eyeeyoleka era ey’obutereevu, ng’afaayo okusingira okuwanika Omulokozi okusinga okweraga yekka. Naye ekyuma ekyali wansi w’obuweereza kyakwekebwa, era kye kintu kye yasinga okufaako: entambula ye ye ne Katonda.

Yagolokokanga mu makya okusaba n’okusoma Ebyawandiikibwa. Yakuumanga olujjukiro olw’okwekebera, ng’akuuma omutima gwe n’obukambwe bwe yali atakozesa ku balala. Yeeteekerateekera Ssabbiiti n’obunywevu obwatwala ekituuti ng’ekifo omuntu ky’atalina buyinza kuyingiramu n’obutafaayo. Yali akakasizza — era kuno kwe kukkiriza kw’asinga okujjukirwako — nti abantu be kye baali beetaaga okuva gy’ali si kwe kugonjoola oba obukugu bw’okwogera wabula obutukuvu bwe ye; nti okufaanana kw’omusumba ne Kristo kwe kyali ekikozesebwa Katonda kye yakozesa. Yateeka omusingi ogwo mu bigambo ebigobereranga abaweereza okuva olwo:

Si birabo bikulu Katonda by’asinga okuwa omukisa nga bwe yeeyagaza okufaanana Yesu ennyo. Omuweereza omutukuvu kyokulwanyisa eky’entiisa mu mukono gwa Katonda.

— Robert Murray M’Cheyne (mu Memoir wa Bonar)

Teyalaga kusaba okwo eri abalala. Yakulaga eri ye yennyini, era n’okusaba kwe kikiraga. Mu kwegayirira mukwano gwe kwe bajjukira okuva mu bbaluwa ze kwalimu okumu okwasaba obutukuvu bwokka omwonoonyi bw’ayinza okusaba mu bwesimbu — si bwe butuukirivu obutaliimu kibi obw’oyo atagwa n’akatono, wabula okunaazibwa okuweebwa oyo eyamala okusonyiyibwa:

Eri omuntu gwe yawandiikirako, yafunza ekyama kye kimu mu kubuulirira okwawangaala okusinga buli kubuulira kwe yabuulira: Beera kumpi ne Katonda, kale ebintu byonna binaakulabikira nga bitono bw’obigeraganya n’ebintu eby’emirembe n’emirembe. Ekyo tekyali kigambo kye yayiiya olw’okuwuniikiriza. Kwali kukola kwa buli lunaku okw’obulamu bwe obumpi obwafunziddwa mu sentensi emu.

Amakungula agaakuŋŋaanyizibwa ng’ali wala

Mu 1839 Ekkanisa ey’e Scotland yatuma ekibinja ekitono ku lugendo olw’okunoonyereza ku mbeera y’Abayudaaya — mu Palestine ne mu nsi ez’ebuvanjuba w’ennyanja Mediterranean, okwerabira bo bennyini n’okuwa alipoota. M’Cheyne yali omu ku bana, ng’atambula ne Andrew Bonar, Alexander Black, ne Alexander Keith. Yava mu kkanisa ye okuva nga 12 April okutuuka nga 6 November 1839. Olugendo lwali luzibu, ate oluusi nga lwa kabi eri obulamu bwe obunafu, era alipoota ekibinja gye kyavaayo oluvannyuma yayamba okutandikawo obuweereza bwa Scotland eri Abayudaaya.

Naye ekintu ekikulu ekyabaawo mu 1839 tekyatuuka ku M’Cheyne mu Palestine. Kyabaawo e St Peter’s, ng’ye taliiwo. Yali amaze ebbanga ddene ng’asaba era ng’akola olw’okuzuukuka kw’eddiini mu bantu be, naye tekwajja. Ng’ali eyo, ekituuti kyalabirirwa William Chalmers Burns, era mu August 1839 okuzuukuka kwabalukawo ne kuyita mu kibuga kyonna. M’Cheyne bwe yakomawo mu November, teyakomawo mu kkanisa gye yali alese wabula mu kkuŋŋaaniro erikyusiddwa — ery’azuukuse, erikaaba amaziga, erinoonya Katonda mu muwendo gwe yali asabidde naye n’atalaba.

Waliwo ekyokuyiga mu nteekateeka eyo eya Katonda omuntu wa ngeri emu yekka gwe yandisobodde okukkiriza awatali bukyayi. Okuzuukuka kwe yali yeegayiridde kwajja wansi w’okubuulira kw’omuntu omulala ng’ali mayiro nkumi eziri wala. Yakitwala ng’ekirabo ekirongoofu ddala. Omuntu atali kumpi na Katonda nnyo yandinakuwadde nti si mukono gwe ogwali ku makungula; naye M’Cheyne teyanakuwalira kintu kyonna wabula n’awa Katonda okwebaza.

Daily Bread

Ekimu ku bintu ebisinga okuwangaala bye yakola kyali kimu ku ebyo ebyayinga obwangu. Mu 1842 yakola kalanda ak’okusomera Bayibuli yonna mu mwaka gumu, era n’agafulumya ku ntandikwa ya 1843 — nga wakyabulayo emyezi mitono okufa kwe — ku lulwe ekkuŋŋaaniro lye. Yakatuuma Daily Bread. Kaali kateeka ebitundu bina buli lunaku: bibiri olw’okusinza kw’amaka na bibiri olw’okusoma kw’obuntu, olwo okumala omwaka amaka gasome Endagaano Enkadde omulundi gumu ne Zabbuli n’Endagaano Empya emirundi ebiri.

Kye yali ayagala tekyali kumaliriza kwokka wabula n’okubeera awamu. Ekiruubirirwa kye, nga bwe yawandiika mu kyennyanjula, kyali nteekateeka esobozese abantu be okusoma Bayibuli yonna omulundi gumu mu mwaka, era bonna okuliira mu kitundu kimu eky’omuddo omugadde mu kiseera kye kimu. Kyali kya busumba mu ntobo yaakyo — omusumba ayagala ekisibo kye okulunda awamu. Akalanda akatono kaawangaala okusinga eyakakola okumala nga ebyasa bibiri; kakyakozesebwa nnyo n’okutuusa leero, era kaakyusibwa abayigiriza abaddirira olw’omulembe omuggya ogw’abasomi.

Ennaku bbiri oluvannyuma lw’ekituuti

Obulamu bwe bwali tebunnywera, era mu 1843 Dundee kyalumbibwa kawumpuli wa typhus. M’Cheyne teyayagala kwewala balwadde. Yeeyongera okukyalira abaalumbibwa omusujja mu bantu be, era n’akwatibwa endwadde okuva gye bali. Ennaku bbiri oluvannyuma lw’okubuulira nga 12 March 1843 yakwatibwa omusujja. Teyaddamu buwanguzi. Yafa nga 25 March 1843, nga wakyabulayo wiiki ntono okutuuka ku lunaku lwe olw’amazaalibwa amakumi asatu.

Ennaku ey’ekibuga yali ya kyewuunyo. Yaziikibwa nga 30 March mu luggya lwa St Peter’s, era abantu ng’enkumi musanvu baajja. Omuweereza wa kkanisa emu, eyafa nga tannaweza myaka amakumi asatu, yakungubagirwa ng’ekibuga kyonna eky’e Dundee bwe kifiiriddwa omwana omulenzi — era mu ngeri emu, kyali kityo.

Beera kumpi ne Katonda, kale ebintu byonna binaakulabikira nga bitono bw’obigeraganya n’ebintu eby’emirembe n’emirembe.

— Robert Murray M’Cheyne, mu bbaluwa (mu Memoir wa Bonar)

Obulamu obwamuwangaala

Omwaka oguddirira okufa kwe, Andrew Bonar yafulumya Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M’Cheyne, ng’aluka wamu ebifa ku bulamu bwe n’olujjukiro lwa M’Cheyne yennyini n’ebbaluwa ze. Kyafuuka kimu ku bitabo eby’Ekikristaayo ebyasinga okukwata ku bantu mu kyasa eky’ekkumi n’omwenda, nga kifulumiziddwa mu bufulumiza obusukka mu kikumi mu Lungereza era nga kitwalibwa mu nsi yonna. Okuyita mu kyo, obuweereza obw’emyaka musanvu bwatuuka wala nga bwandiba nga tebwatuukayo singa M’Cheyne yali awangaala okukaddiwa.

Ogwo gwe mubalirizo omwewuunyisa ogw’olugero lwe. Bw’ogeraga mu ngeri eya bulijjo, yatuukiriza bitono nnyo — kkanisa emu, emyaka mitono, ekinywa ky’ebbaluwa, akalanda k’okusoma Bayibuli, n’entaana eyajja mu bwangu. Kyokka ajjukirwa mu kifo abasajja abaali baakola nnyo we beerabirwa, kubanga kye yawa Katonda tekyali kutuukiriza wabula ye yennyini: omutima ogwakuumibwa kumpi, ne gwekebejjebwa, ne gunaazibwa, ne guweebwayo kyonna eri omulimu ogw’okwagala ekibuga okukireeta mu maaso ga Kristo. Yakkiriza nti omuweereza omutukuvu kyokulwanyisa eky’entiisa mu mukono gwa Katonda, era yafuula obulamu bwe obukakafu bw’ekyo. Muganda we gwe yafiirwa yamutuma okunoonya Muganda atayinza kufa; bwe yamulaba, yamala ekiseera ekitono kye yalina ng’amanyisa Muganda oyo — n’oluvannyuma, ng’aweza emyaka amakumi abiri mu mwenda, n’agenda okubeera naye.