Jim Elliot — Omujulizi Eyafuna Ky’Atasobola Kufiirwa

Yali Ani

Philip James Elliot yazaalibwa nga 8 Okitobba, 1927, mu Portland, Oregon. Kitaawe yali mubuulizi mu kibiina kya Plymouth Brethren, ate nnyina yalina okukkiriza okw’amaanyi okwabumba obuto bwe bwonna. Yatikkirwa mu Wheaton College mu 1949, gye yali omuzannyi w’okumeggana eyawangulanga, era omuyizi ng’obunyiikivu bwe mu by’omwoyo bwali butandise okulabibwa abantu. Mu 1952 yasaabala n’agenda e Ecuador, n’ayiga olulimi Oluquechua, n’atandika okukola mu bantu ba Quechua mu kibira ky’e Ecuador wamu ne mukyala we Elisabeth Howard, gwe yawasa mu 1953. Yagenda yeeyongera okumalibwamu okwegomba okutuuka ku Bahuaorani (mu biseera ebyo abaayitibwanga Aucas) — eggwanga eryali limanyiddwa olw’okulwanyisa n’obukambwe abantu bonna abava ebweru, era nga teribuulirwangako njiri n’akatono. Oluvannyuma lw’emyezi mingi nga basuula ebirabo okuva mu nnyonyi okubafuula ab’omukwano, ye n’abaminsani banne bana — Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, ne Ed McCully — ne bagwa ku lubalama lw’omugga Curaray nga 3 Jjanwali, 1956. Oluvannyuma lw’ennaku ttaano, nga 8 Jjanwali, 1956, bonna abataano ne battibwa abalwanyi b’Abahuaorani n’amafumu. Jim Elliot yali wa myaka abiri mu munaana. Ebyo bye yawandiikanga buli lunaku, Elisabeth bye yafulumya oluvannyuma lw’okufa kwe, byalimu sentensi eyafuuka akabonero k’obulamu bwe: “Si musirusiru oyo agaba ky’atasobola kukuuma, afune ky’atasobola kufiirwa.”

Okulaba kwe ku Buweereza bw’Obuminsani n’Okwefiiriza

Jim Elliot okutegeera kwe ku kwefiiriza mu buminsani kwabumbibwa nga tannaba na kulinnya ku ttaka ly’e Ecuador — kwabumbibwa mu myaka gye egy’ettendekero, ng’afumiitiriza bulijjo ku bigambo bya Yesu ebikwata ku muwendo gw’okuba omuyigirizwa n’engeri y’obwakabaka. Bwe yali atikkirwa mu Wheaton, yali amaze okusalawo nti obulamu bw’Ekikristaayo obw’eddembe, obukuumibwa, obwekuuma bwokka, abasinga obungi ku banne ab’omulembe gwe bwe baali banoonya, tebwakwatagana n’ebyo ebikakali Kristo bye yasaba, Kristo gwe yasomangako mu Njiri. Si buli muntu nti yayitibwa okugenda e Ecuador. Naye buli muntu yayitibwa okwewaayo okwa byonna, Ecuador kwe kwamwetaagisa.

Sentensi ye eyo emanyiddwa ennyo mu bye yawandiika — “Si musirusiru oyo agaba ky’atasobola kukuuma, afune ky’atasobola kufiirwa” — yali ngeri Elliot gye yaddamu mu bigambo bye ye endowooza ya Yesu yennyini: “Kubanga buli ayagala okulokola obulamu bwe, alibufiirwa. Na buli alifiirwa obulamu bwe ku lwange alibulokola. Kubanga omuntu kirimugasa ki okulya ensi yonna, naye n’afiirwa obulamu bwe?” (Lukka 9:24–25). Elliot yali abaze okubala Yesu kwe yawa, n’atuuka ku kusalawo kwe kumu.

Obulamu bw’okuuma ng’obwekuuma bwe bulamu bw’ofiirwa. Obulamu bw’ofiirwa ng’ogondera Kristo bwe bulamu bwokka obutayinza kukuggibwako. Ku lubalama lw’omugga Curaray teyali muntu atafaayo. Yali alowooza bulungi, n’amagezi ensi eyamwetoolodde ge yali tesobola kubala.

Elliot era yali ayize enjigiriza y’empeke y’eŋŋaano mu bujjuvu nnyo, ekyafuula okufa kwe obutaba kabenje wabula okusiga. Yali amanyi nti abasajja abataano abaafiira ku lubalama lw’omugga Curaray si be baali ekigambo ekisembayo mu byafaayo by’Abahuaorani; baali kigambo kisooka. Empeke yali erina okugwa mu ttaka amakungula nga tegannajja. Era gajja: mu myaka esatu oluvannyuma lw’okuttibwa kwabwe, Elisabeth Elliot ne Rachel Saint baali babeera mu Bahuaorani, era abasajja abatta Jim — nga mw’otwalidde n’oyo eyali akutte effumu — oluvannyuma ne bafuuka Abakristaayo abakkiriza. Mincaye, omu ku batta Jim, yafuuka omukadde eyayagalibwa ennyo mu kkanisa y’Abahuaorani, era bwe yayogera ku kufa kwa Jim yagamba nti: “Twakola bubi, bubi nnyo. Katonda n’akifuula kirungi.” Ekisuubizo kya Yesu kyali kituukiridde: “naye bw’efa ebala ebibala bingi” (Yokaana 12:24). Yali ebaze ebibala bingi. Ate n’okutuusa kati ekyabibala.

Emboozi y’okufa kwe — Elisabeth gye yanyumya mu kitabo Through Gates of Splendour — yaleetawo erimu ku mayengo agasinga obukulu ag’abantu abeewaayo okugenda mu buminsani mu kyasa eky’amakumi abiri.

Abavubuka nkumi na nkumi baasoma ku kufa kwe ne basalawo okuwaayo obulamu bwabwe eri obuminsani nga kye baddamu. Mu kufa kwe, yali afuuse wa mugaso nnyo mu buminsani okusinga bwe yali ng’akyali mulamu. Kino tekyali kyewuunyo ekikontana, wabula ye ngeri yennyini Yesu gye yali annyonnyodde: “Ddala ddala mbagamba nti empeke y’eŋŋaano bw’egwa mu ttaka efa, bwe tefa ebeera yokka, naye bw’efa ebala ebibala bingi.” (Yokaana 12:24). Abaminsani abaakubirizibwa okwewaayo olw’okufa kwe gaali makungula g’ensigo okufa kwe gye kwasiga.

Ebisembayo bye yawandiika mu nnaku nga tebannaba kusisinkana Bahuaorani biraga omusajja eyali amaze okusalawo ensonga y’obulamu bwe bwennyini mu bujjuvu. Yali abutadde mu mikono gya Katonda, n’abuddizibwa ng’omuweereza bw’afuna ebiragiro okuva eri mukama we — ng’ali mwetegefu, ng’agonda, nga tatya. Ebigambo by’Ebikolwa by’Abatume 20:24 yali abitwala ng’omulimu ye kennyini gwe yakwasibwa: “Naye obulamu bwange sibutwala kuba nga kya muwendo gye ndi, ndyoke ntuukirize omulimu gwange, n’obuweereza bwe nnaweebwa Mukama waffe Yesu, okutegeezanga Enjiri ey’ekisa kya Katonda.” (Ebikolwa by’Abatume 20:24). Yali amalirizza olugendo lwe. Lwali lumpi okusinga omuntu yenna bwe yali asuubira. Naye lwali lumala.

Essaala

Mukama Yesu, eyanyweza amaaso go okwolekera Yerusaalemi ng’omanyi ebyali bikulindiridde eyo, tuwe emirembe egy’enkalakkalira Jim Elliot gye yalina ku muwendo gw’okugonda. Bwe tubalirira obukuumi mu kifo ky’okunoonya by’oyagala, kyusa engeri gye tubalamu.

Tujjukize nti obulamu obwewaddeyo gy’oli tebukendeera wabula bukyusibwa — nti empeke egwa mu ttaka teba efa wabula esigibwa. Tusobole okutwala obulamu bwaffe nga tebulina muwendo gwonna okuggyako ekyo kye wabutumira. Amiina.