Jonathan Edwards — Omukugu mu By’obwakatonda Eyalabirira Ekisibo Kye

Yali Ani

Jonathan Edwards yazaalibwa nga October 5, 1703, mu East Windsor, Connecticut, mutabani w’omuweereza wa kkanisa ya Congregational era muzzukulu wa Solomon Stoddard ow’e Northampton, omusajja ow’amaanyi.

Yayingira Yale ku myaka kkumi n’esatu, n’amaliriza ku kkumi na musanvu, era mu 1727 yeegatta ku kibiina kya jjajjaawe e Northampton, Massachusetts, ng’omusumba omuyambi. Yadda mu kifo kya Stoddard mu 1729, n’abeera e Northampton emyaka egisukka amakumi abiri okutuusa ekibiina kye lwe kyamugoba mu 1750 mu nkaayana enkambwe ku nkola y’Ekyeggulo kya Mukama — okugaanibwa kwe yagumira n’ekisa eky’ekitalo. Emyaka egyaddirira yagimala ng’omuminsani ku nsalo eri Abazaalirwa ba Amerika e Stockbridge, okutuusa mu 1757 lwe yalondebwa okuba pulezidenti wa College of New Jersey (kati Princeton). Yafa mu 1758, wiiki mukaaga nga yakatuuzibwa, olw’okugemebwa kawali okwagenda obubi, ku myaka amakumi ataano mu ena. Abangi bamutwala ng’omukugu mu by’obwakatonda era omufirosoofo asinga Amerika gw’ezaddeyo, naye okusooka n’okutuusa ku nkomerero yali musumba.

Okwolesebwa Kwe ku Kuyitibwa okw’Obusumba

Endowooza ya Edwards ku busumba teyayawukana ku ndowooza ye ey’eby’obwakatonda, kubanga yakkiriza nti ekikolwa ky’obusumba ekisinga obuziba kwe kutuusa ku bantu amazima ga Katonda mu buziba bwago bwonna, mu bulungi bwago, ne mu ntiisa yaago. Ekibiina ekitegeera Katonda bw’ali — mu mazima, mu buziba, so si mu birowoozo byokka — kyandimwagadde era ne kimutya nga bwe kisaanidde, ne kitambula bwe kityo. N’olwekyo omulimu gw’omusumba ogusooka gwali gwa by’obwakatonda: okuyingiza abantu be mu kumanya okw’amazima okukyusa obulamu, okwa Katonda gwe beeyita okusinza. Yakkiriza nti okubuulira okutakwata ku magezi n’omutima wamu kwazaala eddiini ey’oku ngulu etandigumidde kunyigirizibwa kwa nsi.

Endowooza ya Edwards ku mulimu gwe yabumbibwa ennyonnyola ya Pawulo ey’ekitalo ku kigendererwa ky’omuweereza ekijjuvu: “Kristo oyo gwe tutegeeza nga tuyigiriza buli muntu mu magezi gonna era nga tulabula buli omu, tulyoke twanjule buli muntu eri Katonda ng’atuukiridde mu Kristo. Kyenva ntegana nga nfuba nga nkozesa obuyinza Katonda bw’ampa obw’amaanyi” (Abakkolosaayi 1:28–29). “Ng’atuukiridde mu Kristo” tekyali kigendererwa kitono. Kyetaaga omuntu yenna okukyuka — ebirowoozo, okusalawo, enneewulira, n’empisa — okufaanana ekifaananyi kya Kristo. Edwards yakifubirira e Northampton emyaka egisukka amakumi abiri, ng’abuulira, ng’ayigiriza, ng’abuulirira, era ng’awandiika, bulijjo ng’aluubirira kukula so si kujja mu kkanisa kwokka.

Okuzuukuka kwa 1734–1735 e Northampton, Edwards kwe yawandiikako mu A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God, kwamuleetera okusoomoozebwa kw’obusumba kwe yali ayinza okuba nga yasinga okwetegekera: okwawula okuzuukuka okw’omwoyo okw’amazima ku kw’enneewulira okw’obulimba.

Eky’okuddamu kye kyali okwawula okw’obusumba okusinga okwegendereza n’obuziba ennono y’Abapolotesitanti kwe yali ezzeeyo ku ebyo abantu bye bayitamu mu ddiini. Ebipimo bye yabisanga mu Byawandiikibwa: “Temuzikizanga Mwoyo Mutukuvu, era temunyoomanga abo aboogera eby’obunnabbi, naye mwekenneenyenga ebintu byonna, kale bwe bibanga ebirungi mubinywezenga. Mwewalenga buli ngeri ya kibi” (1 Basessaloniika 5:19–22). Yagaana okuzikiza Omwoyo Omutukuvu ng’asuula buli kitali kya bulijjo nti bujjumbizi bwereere; era yagaana okukkiriza buli kya nneewulira nti kya mazima. Ekitabo kye Treatise Concerning Religious Affections kikyali kye kiragiro ky’obusumba ekisinga ku kwawula kuno.

Edwards era yategeera nti omulimu gw’obusumba gwetaaga okulangirira okuteesa kwa Katonda kwonna awatali kutya — nga mwe muli n’enjigiriza ezaanyiizanga abantu ab’ekitiibwa. Okubuulira kwe okw’ettutumu “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” batera okukwogerako ng’obukambwe bw’eby’obwakatonda, naye mu butuufu kyali kikolwa kya busumba eky’okwagala okulumwa: okugezaako okumenya obugayaavu bw’ekibiina ekyali kiteredde mu ngeri ey’akabi mu ddiini etaabaggyako kantu. Yali akola ddala Pawulo kye yakuutira: “kubanga sirina na kimu kye nalekayo nga mbabuulira okwagala kwa Katonda” (Ebikolwa by’Abatume 20:27). Ekyo kyonna Katonda ky’ayagala kyalimu n’omusango, era omusumba agulekayo teyakuumanga kibiina kye ku kunyiiga okutali kwetaagisa, wabula yakissanga mu kabi ak’emirembe gyonna.

Engeri gye yalabiriramu ekibiina oluvannyuma lw’okugobebwa kwe mu 1750 kye kimu ku bisinga okulaga obuweereza bwe. Yali agaaniddwa ekibiina kye yali aweerezza emyaka amakumi abiri mu esatu. Okugobebwa okwo kwali kwa bulumi, kwa lwatu, era abasinga okwekenneenya ebyafaayo bagamba nti tekwali kwa bwenkanya. Naye yava e Northampton nga talina bukyayi, n’akwasa ekibiina kye okusaasira kwa Katonda, n’akisabiranga. Yali anywezezza bye yabuulira: nti obufuzi bwa Katonda butuuka ne ku bibaggyamu essuubi abasajja abeesigwa, era nti emirembe gy’omusumba tegyesigamye ku kusiimibwa kibiina. Yawummulira mu mbeera ya Katonda nga Pawulo bwe yaginnyonnyola: “Era tumanyi nga eri abo abaagala Katonda, era abo abayitibwa ng’okuteesa kwe bwe kuli, ebintu byonna bibatuukako olw’obulungi” (Abaruumi 8:28). Emyaka gye e Stockbridge ku nsalo, mwe yawandiikira ebimu ku biwandiiko bye ebisinga obukulu mu by’obwakatonda ng’atamanyiddwa era ng’ali mu bizibu, gyali bibala by’okukkiriza okwo.

Omukululo gwe ogw’olubeerera mu busumba bwali bukakafu nti obuziba bw’eby’obwakatonda n’okulabirira abantu tebikontana, naye tebyawukana. Ekibiina ekiriisibwa enneewulira yokka awatali musingi gwa by’obwakatonda kyandikuluggusiddwa ebizibu bwe bijja. Ekibiina ekiweebwa enjigiriza enkalu yokka awatali bubugumu bwa musumba kyandifudde enjala. Edwards yawa abantu be byombi — si bulijjo mu ngeri etuukiridde, naye bulijjo n’obunyiikivu — kubanga yakkiriza nti ennyonnyola ya Pawulo ku kukkiriza okukuze yeetaaga byombi: “Tube ba mazima mu kwagala, tulyoke tukulire mu Kristo mu byonna, nga tweyongera okuba nga ye, Omutwe gw’Ekkanisa” (Abaefeso 4:15). Amazima n’okwagala wamu: eyo ye yali endowooza ya Edwards ku busumba, era ekyali ndowooza buli muweereza omwesigwa gy’alina okuzzaawo mu buli mulembe.

Essaala

Ayi Katonda ow’amazima gonna n’okwagala kwonna, tuwe obuvumu bwa Edwards okubuulira okuteesa kwonna okw’Ekigambo kyo nga tetusazeemu bitundu ebitunyiiza, n’amagezi ge okwawula ekiva mu Mwoyo wo mu mazima. Tuyigirize okuluubirira, mu buli kikolwa kya busumba, okutuukirira kwa Kristo mu bulamu bw’abo be tuweereza. Era bwe tugobebwa oba bwe tuggwaamu essuubi, tuwummulire mu bufuzi bwo era tweyongere okusabira abo abaatugaana edda. Amiina.