Billy Graham (1918 – 2018)

Yali Ani?

William Franklin Graham Jr. yazaalibwa nga 7 Novemba 1918 ku faamu y’ente okumpi ne Charlotte, mu North Carolina. Yakulira mu kiseera ky’Ebbula Eddene ery’Ebyenfuna, n’ayiga omugaso gw’okukola ennyo n’okukkiriza okwangu. Mu 1934, ng’alina emyaka kkumi n’etaano, yagenda mu nkuŋŋaana ez’okuzuukuka z’omubuulizi w’enjiri omutambuze Mordecai Ham. Akawungeezi kamu, ng’omutima gumulumiriza, yagenda mu maaso n’awaayo obulamu bwe eri Kristo.

Oluvannyuma lw’okusoma mu Bob Jones College, Florida Bible Institute, ne Wheaton College (gye yasisinkana Ruth Bell eyafuuka mukyala we, muwala w’abaminsani abasawo mu China), Graham yayawulibwa n’atandika obusumba. Mu 1945 yayingira Youth for Christ n’atandika okubuulira mu nkuŋŋaana mu Amerika yonna ne mu Bulaaya ey’oluvannyuma lw’olutalo.

Mu Ssebutemba 1949, Graham yatandika enkuŋŋaana ez’okuzuukuka e Los Angeles. Enkuŋŋaana ez’omu weema ezaali zitegekeddwa okumala wiiki ssatu zongezebwayo okutuuka ku wiiki munaana, ng’ekibuga kikwatiddwa kye empapula z’amawulire zaayita okuzuukuka okw’eddiini okusinga obunene mu byafaayo bya Southern California. Abantu abasukka mu 350,000 baajja, era 3,000 ne bawaayo obulamu bwabwe eri Kristo mu lwatu. Kumpi mu kiro kimu, Billy Graham n’amanyika mu ggwanga lyonna.

Mu myaka amakumi mukaaga egyaddirira, Graham yabuulira Enjiri mu nkuŋŋaana ennene eri abantu abateeberezebwa okuba obukadde 215 mu nsi 185, ng’obukadde obulala bungi butuukibwako okuyita ku leediyo, ku ttivi ne mu firimu. Yawabula bapulezidenti ba Amerika kkumi na babiri. Ye yali omubuulizi w’enjiri omukulu eyasooka okulemerako nti enkuŋŋaana ze zigatte amawanga gonna mu Bukiikaddyo bw’Amerika. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, gye yatandikawo mu 1950, ekyakola mu nsi yonna. Graham yafiira waka e Montreat, mu North Carolina, nga 21 Febwali 2018, ng’alina emyaka 99.

Essaala Ennene Eyaddibwamu

Enkuŋŋaana ennene ez’e Los Angeles eza 1949 zaazaalibwa okuva mu kusaba okw’ekitalo. Omukago gw’okusabira okuzuukuka ogw’amadiini ag’enjawulo, ogwalimu abakulembeze b’ekkanisa abasukka mu kikumi mu abiri, gwali gumaze emyezi mingi nga gusabira okuzuukuka mu kibuga kyonna nga Graham tannatuuka. Ebibinja by’okusaba ebisukka mu lukumi mu Los Angeles yonna byali byegayiririra kampeyini eno.

Emyezi nga enkuŋŋaana tezinnatandika, Graham yali agenze mu nsozi za San Bernardino ng’ali mu kizibu ky’okukkiriza — ng’alwanagana n’okubuusabuusa ku Bayibuli okw’amagezi. Ng’afukamidde mu maaso ga Katonda, yateeka Bayibuli ye ng’agibikkudde ku kikonge n’agamba, mu bufunze, nti: “Mukama, siyinza kuddamu bibuuzo byonna. Naye nkkiriza Ekitabo kino ng’Ekigambo kyo olw’okukkiriza.” Emirembe emingi ne gimukkako. N’asituka n’agenda okubuulira.

Ebyavaamu byasukka byonna ebyasuubirwa. Omuyimbi w’ennyimba za country amanyiddwa Stuart Hamblen yakyuka, era obulamu bwe obwakyuka ne bufuuka amawulire amakulu. Nnaggagga w’amawulire William Randolph Hearst — olw’ensonga tezinnyonnyolwa bulungi — bwe yaweereza abasunsuzi be bonna obubaka nti “Mumusitule Graham,” kampeyini n’emanyika mu ggwanga lyonna mu kiro kimu. Enkumi baakkiriza mu wiiki ezo omunaana. Graham bulijjo yagambanga nti gwali mulimu gwa kusaba gwokka.

Ebyawandiikibwa Ebikulu

Abaruumi 10:14 (OLCB) — “Kale balikoowoola batya oyo gwe batakkiririzaamu?

Era balikkiriza batya oyo gwe batawulirangako? Era baliwulira batya awatali abuulira?”

2 Timoseewo 4:2 (OLCB) — “Buuliranga ekigambo kya Katonda, ng’oli mwetegefu mu kiseera ekituufu n’ekitali kituufu, ng’olaga ebikwekeddwa, ng’onenya, ng’ozaamu amaanyi, wakati mu kugumiikiriza, n’okubonaabona okungi, n’okuyigiriza.”

Yokaana 3:16 (OLCB) — “Kubanga Katonda bwe yayagala ensi, bw’atyo n’awaayo Omwana we omu yekka, buli muntu yenna amukkiriza aleme kuzikirira, wabula afune obulamu obutaggwaawo.”

Ebigambo Bye ku Kusaba

“Okusaba kwa buli kaseera ka bulamu bwaffe, si kwa biseera bya kubonaabona oba bya ssanyu byokka. Okusaba mazima kifo, w’osisinkanira Katonda mu kunyumya okw’amazima.”

“Mu Bayibuli Katonda ayogera naffe; mu kusaba ffe twogera ne Katonda. Byombi byetaagisa.”

“Toyinza kusabira muntu era n’omukyawa mu kiseera kye kimu.”

“Okusaba okw’amazima ngeri ya bulamu, si kwa mu bizibu byokka. Kufuule empisa, era obwetaavu bwe bulijja ojja kuba ng’omanyidde.”

“Eggulu lijjudde okuddibwamu kw’essaala tewali n’omu yeeteganya kusaba.”

Okusaba n’Ekigambo kya Katonda

“Saba emirundi mingi ng’osoma Bayibuli era ojja kuzuula okussa ekimu ne Katonda.

Okusaba n’okusoma Bayibuli tebyawukanyizika. Okusaba okulina amaanyi kuzaalibwa okuva mu kusindikirizibwa kw’Omwoyo wa Katonda nga tusoma Ekigambo kye.”

“Omwoyo wa Katonda akwata Ekigambo kya Katonda n’akola omwana wa Katonda. Soma Bayibuli yo buli lunaku. Tomatiranga kubuuka buusi ku ssuula okumatiza omutima gwo.

Kweka Ekigambo kya Katonda mu mutima gwo. Kibudaabuda, kiluŋŋamya, kitereeza, kizzaamu amaanyi — byonna bye twetaaga bye biri omwo.”

Okusaba n’Omwoyo Omutukuvu

“Weesigamenga ku Mwoyo Omutukuvu bulijjo. Tumanyi nti Omwoyo Omutukuvu atusabira, era ekyo kibudaabudo kinene eri asinga obunafu mu ffe. Wava mu kkubo omuleke afuge byonna by’olondawo n’ebyo by’osalawo mu bulamu bwo.”

“Obulamu obujjudde Omwoyo si bwa kitalo; bwe bulamu bw’Omukristaayo obwa bulijjo. Kyonna ekiri wansi w’ekyo kiri wansi wa kigero; kiri wansi w’ekyo Katonda ky’ayagala era ky’agabira abaana be.”

“Ensonga si bungi bwa Mwoyo ggwe nange bwe tulina, wabula obungi bwaffe bw’alina.”