William Carey — Omukozi w’Engatto Eyakyusa Ensi

Yali Ani

William Carey yazaalibwa nga 17 Agusito, 1761, mu Paulerspury, Northamptonshire, mu Bungereza, nga mutabani w’omulusi w’engoye eyafuuka oluvannyuma omusomesa w’essomero ly’ekyalo. Yateekebwa okuyiga omulimu gw’omukozi w’engatto, ne yeesomesa yekka olw’okwefuga okw’enjawulo ennyo, n’amanya Olulattini, Oluyonaani, Olwebbulaniya, Oluholandi n’Olufalansa ng’akyatunga engatto, era n’afuuka omusumba w’Ababatisti mu 1786. Mu 1792 yafulumya “An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens” — okunnyonnyola okwategekebwa obulungi okw’empapula 87, okulaga nti Ekiragiro Ekikulu kyateeka obuvunaanyizibwa ku buli mulembe gw’Abakristaayo okutuuka ku buli ggwanga eritannatuukibwako mu nsi yonna. Mu mwaka ogwo gwe gumu n’ayambako okutandikawo Baptist Missionary Society, n’asaabala okugenda e Buyindi mu 1793. Teyaddayo Bungereza nate. Yamala emyaka amakumi ana mu gumu mu Buyindi, n’avvuunula Bayibuli mu Lubengali, mu Lusanskiriti, ne mu nnimi endala n’enjogera amakumi abiri mu musanvu, n’atandikawo Serampore College, n’alwanyisa sati (okwokya bannamwandu) n’okutta abaana abawere, era n’atandikawo ekibiina ky’abaminsani Abapulotesitanti ekyasooka eky’omulembe guno. Yafa mu 1834 ng’alina emyaka nsanvu mu ebiri, n’aziikibwa mu Buyindi.

Okulaba kwe ku Buweereza bw’Obuminsani n’Okwefiiriza

William Carey teyakoma ku kubuulira Kiragiro Kikulu kyokka — yakiwolereza, n’akisengeka, n’akissaamu ensimbi, era n’akiraga mu bulamu bwe. Ekikulu ekyava mu “Enquiry” ye kwali kumenyaamenya empaka ezaali zissibwamu ekitiibwa mu Bakalvini b’omu kiseera kye: nti singa Katonda yali ayagala okulokola abakaafiiri, yandibalokodde awatali kukozesa bantu. Carey yaddamu ng’alaga, okuva mu Byawandiikibwa byonna n’okuva mu byafaayo by’ekkanisa, nti Katonda bulijjo abadde akozesa abantu — omubaka atumiddwa, Ekigambo ekivvuunuddwa, ekkanisa enywevu — okutuukiriza ebigendererwa bye eby’okununula. Obuvunaanyizibwa bw’okugenda tebwali bwa batume bokka; bwali bwa buli Mukristaayo ow’emirembe gyonna eyalina obusobozi okugondera.

Ekigambo Carey kye yafuula omulamwa gw’obulamu bwe — “Suubira ebinene okuva eri Katonda; gezaako ebinene ku lwa Katonda” — tekyali kigambo kya kuzzaamu bantu maanyi bugambo, wabula kyali kwatula kwa nzikiriza okw’enjuyi bbiri. Okusuubira kwe kwasooka: Katonda w’Ebyawandiikibwa ye Katonda akola, atuukiriza ebigendererwa bye, era atuukiriza ekigambo kye abantu be bwe basaba ne bagonda. Ekiragiro kye yali awadde tekyali kirooto kirungi kyokka, wabula kkubo ery’enkalakkalira ery’ebyafaayo by’obulokozi.

Yali asuubizza nti: “Mumpite n’abayitaba ne mbalaga ebikulu ebitanoonyezeka bye mutamanyi” (Yeremiya 33:3). Ekisinga ku ekyo, yali yeeyamye ku ekyo ekiriva mu byonna: “Kubanga ensi erijjula okumanya ekitiibwa kya Mukama, ng’amazzi bwe ganjaala ku nnyanja” (Kaabakuuku 2:14). Carey yakkiriza ebisuubizo bino awatali kubuusabuusa, era tebyamuleetera kutuula butuuzi, wabula okukola n’amaanyi agabwatuka, mu ntegeka, era ku muwendo omunene.

Enkola Carey gye yazimba e Serampore — ng’ali wamu ne banne Marshman ne Ward, abaamanyibwa nga Serampore Trio — yali nkola ya buminsani egatta byonna, ekyasa eky’amakumi abiri kye kyaddamu okuzuula oluvannyuma ne kigiyita “obuweereza obutwala omuntu yenna.” Yavvuunula Ebyawandiikibwa. Yatandikawo amasomero. Yatandikawo ettendekero eryatendeka abakulembeze Abayindi. Yapikiriza gavumenti y’amatwale okulwanyisa empisa ezaazikirizanga ekitiibwa ky’omuntu. Yalaga mu bulamu bwe okukkiriza nti okutuusa enjiri ku muntu kwe kufaayo ku muntu oyo yenna, era nti Ekigambo kya Katonda ekivvuunuddwa kye kyali ekikozesebwa ekisinga amaanyi okukyusa obuwangwa okuva munda. Enkola eno egatta byonna yagisimba ku bugazi bw’ekiragiro kyennyini: “mubayigirize okugonderanga byonna bye nabalagira mmwe” (Matayo 28:20). Byonna Yesu bye yalagira byali bizingiramu okufaayo ku nnamwandu, ku mugenyi, ku mwavu, ne ku oyo anyigirizibwa.

Okwefiiriza kwa Carey tekwali kwa kweyoleka ng’okufa kw’omujulizi — kwali kwefiiriza okusirifu era okukooya okw’olugendo oluwanvu. Yalaba mukyala we Dorothy ng’agwa mu bulwadde bw’obwongo mu Buyindi; yafiirayo mu 1807 nga tawonyeko. Yaziika abaana. Yalaba omuliro mu 1812 nga gwokya etterekero ne guzikiriza ebiwandiiko by’okuvvuunula ebitaali bya kuddizibwawo, ebyali bikiikirira emyaka mingi egy’omulimu — n’atandika buggya wiiki eyaddirira. Yagamba nti omuliro gwazikiriza omulimu, naye tegwasobola kuzikiriza kigambo ekyali kivvuunuddwa. Yanywerera ku ekyo Yobu kye yali alangiridde: “Naye amanyi amakubo mwe mpita, bw’anaamala okungezesa, nzija kuvaamu nga zaabu” (Yobu 23:10). Okugezesebwa kwali kwa ddala. Zaabu eyavaamu ye myaka amakumi ana mu gumu egy’omulimu gw’obuminsani, ekkanisa gye ekyakungulamu ebibala n’okutuusa kati.

Enjigiriza ye nti Bayibuli evvuunuddwa kye kikozesebwa ekikulu mu buminsani ebumbye entambula yonna ey’obuminsani ey’omulembe guno. Yategeera nti Ebyawandiikibwa mu lulimi lw’abantu bennyini tebyali kikozesebwa kya kubuulira njiri kyokka, wabula maanyi agakyusa, agasobola okuddamu okubumba obuwangwa okuva ku mirandira gyabwo egisinga okuba wansi — kubanga Katonda eyayogereranga mu byo ye Katonda eyatonda abantu ababisoma. Obunnabbi bwa Isaaya ku kigambo kya Katonda bwe bwali omusingi Carey kwe yakoleranga: “bwe kityo ekigambo kyange ekiva mu kamwa kange bwe kiri; tekiriddayo bwereere, naye kirikola ekyo kye njagala era kirituukiriza ekyo kye nakituma” (Isaaya 55:11). Yavvuunula Bayibuli mu nnimi ezaali zitagirangamu, era ne yeesiga Katonda wa Bayibuli okukola ky’abadde akola bulijjo: okwogerera mu yo n’akyusa buli kimu.

Ekiragiro kya Carey ekisembayo eky’obusumba eri omuminsani omuto, kye yawa nga wabula ekiseera kitono afe, kye kigambo ekisaanidde okuwandiikibwa ku ntaana ye nga kifunza obulamu bwe bwonna: “Bwe ndiba nga nvudde wano, temwogera ku Dr. Carey. Mwogere ku Mulokozi wa Dr.

Carey.” Teyajja mu Buyindi ajjukirwe. Yajja kubanga Yesu yali agambye nti, “Nga Kitange bwe yantuma, nange bwe mbatuma mmwe” (Yokaana 20:21). Yali atumiddwa. Yali agenze. Era Oyo eyamutuma yali naye mu buli ddaala ery’emyaka egyo amakumi ana mu gumu.

Essaala

Mukama w’amakungula, yimusa mu mulembe gwaffe abasajja n’abakazi abalina obukakanyavu obutukuvu nga obwa Carey — abanaasimba awatamerangako kintu, abanaavvuunula awatannabaawo Kigambo, era abanaagumiikiriza emyaka emingi egy’ennimiro enzibu nga tebadda nnyuma.

Bwe tweyimbalaza ne tunoonya ensonga ez’obutakola, tusirise n’obwetaavu obw’amaanyi obw’abo abatannatuukibwako enjiri. Era omuliro bwe guzikiriza omulimu gwaffe, tuwe ekisa okutandika buggya.

Amiina.