John Newton — Eyali Omusuubuzi w’Abaddu Eyalunda n’Ekisa

Yali Ani

John Newton yazaalibwa nga August 4, 1725, mu London, mutabani w’omuduumizi w’emmeeri, era emyaka gye egisooka ng’omukulu yagimala mu nsi enkambwe ey’obusuubuzi bw’abaddu obwa Atlantic — okusooka ng’omuseeyeeyi eyakakibwa okukola, oluvannyuma ng’omukozi ku mmeeri, ate ku nkomerero ng’omuduumizi w’emmeeri ez’abaddu. Omuyaga ogw’entiisa mu 1748 gwaleeta akaseera akazibu akaatandika okukyuka kwe, era mu 1764 yayawulibwa okuba omuweereza mu Kkanisa ya England, n’aweereza ng’omusumba omuyambi e Olney mu Buckinghamshire okutuusa mu 1780. Ye ne William Cowper baawandiika wamu “Olney Hymns” ez’ettutumu, nga mwe muli ne “Amazing Grace,” era yawandiikiganya n’abantu bikumi na bikumi mu Bungereza yonna — ng’awandiika ebimu ku bbaluwa ez’obusumba ezisinga obubugumu n’amagezi ag’omugaso mu lulimi Olungereza. Emyaka amakumi abiri mu musanvu egyasembayo egy’obuweereza bwe yagimala ng’omusumba omukulu owa St. Mary Woolnoth mu London, gye yeeyongera okubuulira n’okubuulirira okutuusa kumpi n’okufa kwe mu 1807, ku myaka kinaana mu ebiri.

Okwolesebwa Kwe ku Kuyitibwa okw’Obusumba

Obusumba bwa Newton tebwayawukana ku byafaayo bye. Nga bwe yategeezanga obulamu bwe bwonna, ye yali obukakafu obusinga nti ekisa kya Katonda kisinga buli kibi — ekintu kye yali tayinza kwerabira wadde okuleka ekibiina kye okukyerabira. Bwe yeeyogerako mu ngeri ey’ettutumu mu kiraamo kye — “John Newton, omuweereza w’ekkanisa, eyali edda atakkiriza era ow’empisa embi, omuweereza w’abaddu mu Afirika, yali, olw’okusaasira okungi okwa Mukama waffe era Omulokozi Yesu Kristo, akuumibwa, azzibwa obuggya, asonyiyibwa, era alondebwa okubuulira okukkiriza kwe yamala ebbanga ddene ng’afuba okuzikiriza” — tekwali kwetoowaza kwa bulimba, wabula lwe lugero olwafuga obuweereza bwe bwonna. Ye yali omwonoonyi asookera ddala. N’olwekyo yalina okusaasira okusinga obuziba eri abo abatawaana.

Ebbaluwa ez’obusumba Newton ze yawandiika mu buweereza bwe obuwanvu ze zimu ku bitereke ebisinga obugagga eby’okuluŋŋamya okw’omwoyo okw’omugaso mu Lungereza. Zaali za kitalo olw’okugatta obutuufu bw’enjigiriza n’obubugumu bw’omusumba — nga tazawula, nga takkiriza njigiriza kufuuka nnyogovu wadde obubugumu kufuuka nneewulira yokka. Yakolera ku kyokulabirako ky’abatume Pawulo kye yannyonnyola, eky’obukkakkamu n’okwagala kwa maama: “Naye twefuula ng’abaana abato mu maaso gammwe, nga nnyina w’abaana bwe yandyagadde abaana be” (1 Basessaloniika 2:7). Obukkakkamu buno tebwali bwa muntu atamanyangako kizikiza kya mazima, wabula bwa muntu eyakimanya mu buziba, ekisa ne kimutuukako ne bwe kyali kityo.

Yayinzanga okuwandiikira abo abaali baggwaamu essuubi mu mwoyo n’obuyinza obw’amazima: naye yali abaddeyo.

Kimu ku birabo bya Newton ebisinga okwawukana mu busumba kyali eby’obwakatonda bye ku mulimu gw’ekisa ogugenda mpola mu bulamu bw’Omukristaayo. Ebyogerwa ku kukula mu mwoyo okw’amangu era okw’ekitalo tebyamuwuniikirizanga, era yabuuliriranga okugumiikiriza eri ye yennyini n’eri abalala mu lugendo oluwanvu era olutali lwenkanankana olw’okutukuzibwa.

Yeegeraageranya, mu ngeri eyamanyika, ku muntu eyali aggiddwa ekitundu mu bbunwa ly’ebitosi: nga tannavaamu, naye ng’atunudde we kisaanidde era ng’agenda eri ettaka eriyonjo. Omusingi gw’okugumiikiriza kuno mu Byawandiikibwa yagusanga mu bujulizi bwa Pawulo yennyini: “Sigamba nti mmaze okufuna oba nti mmaze okutuukirira, wabula nfuba okufuna ekyo Kristo Yesu kye yagenderera nfune” (Abafiripi 3:12). Kino tekyali kwekwasa kwa bugayaavu, wabula kikuumi eri okuggwaamu essuubi okuva mu kusuubira enkyukakyuka ey’omu kaseera kamu. Omusumba eyakitegeera yasobolanga okukwata ekisibo kye mu myaka emiwanvu egy’omu makkati g’obulamu bw’Omukristaayo n’essuubi erinywevu era erigumiikiriza.

Newton era yaleeta mu busumba bwe obusobozi obw’enjawulo obw’okugumiikiriza abo b’ataakkiriziganyanga nabo. Yali Mukalvini eyagaana okukozesa endowooza ye eya Kalvini ng’ekyokulwanyisa; yali muntu wa Njiri eyakuuma enkolagana ey’obusumba n’abaalina endowooza ez’eby’obwakatonda ez’enjawulo ennyo. Empisa eno ey’emirembe yagisimba ku kuyigiriza kwa Pawulo eri Timoseewo: “Omuddu wa Mukama tasaana kulwana, wabula okuba omukkakkamu eri bonna, n’okuba omuyigiriza omulungi agumiikiriza, era aluŋŋamya n’obwetoowaze abo abamuwakanya, oboolyawo Katonda alibawa okwenenya, ne bamanya amazima” (2 Timoseewo 2:24–25). Newton yatambulira mu bukkakkamu buno si lwa kubanga yali talina bye akkiriza, wabula kubanga yali ayize mu byafaayo bye nti Katonda akola ng’ayita mu kugumiikiriza so si mu mpaka, era nti omutima ogulumiddwa guyinza nnyo okuwonyezebwa obuntubulamu okusinga obutuufu bw’enjigiriza.

Obuweereza bwe obw’okubeerawo n’abantu — okukyalira abalwadde, abali kumpi n’okufa, abatabuddwa, n’abakungubaga — bwanywezebwa okumala emyaka kinaana olw’okukkiriza okwangu nti buli mwoyo gwe yasisinkana gwagulibwa omusaayi gwe gumu ogwamugula ye. Teyalekaayo kwewuunya nti yasonyiyibwa. Okwewuunya okwo kye kyali ensulo y’okusaasira kwe mu busumba. Yayagalanga nnyo ebigambo bya Pawulo ku buweereza bw’okugumya: “Katonda oyo Kitaawe wa Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo, Kitaffe ow’okusaasira era Katonda azaamu bonna amaanyi yeebazibwe, atuzaamu amaanyi mu kubonaabona kwonna kwe tuyitamu, tulyoke tugumye abalala abayita mu kubonaabona okwa buli ngeri, olw’okugumya kwe tufuna nga Katonda atuzaamu amaanyi” (2 Abakkolinso 1:3–4). Newton yali afunye okugumya okwo. Obulamu bwe bwonna yabumala ng’akugaba.

Yeeyongera okubuulira e St. Mary Woolnoth okutuuka mu bukadde, ng’amaaso ge kumpi gaziba, era bwe baamukubiriza okuwummula, yagamba ebigambo eby’ettutumu: “Kiki! Omuvvoozi omukadde ow’e Afirika asirike ng’akyayinza okwogera?”

Obuweereza bwe bwalaga nti obwesigwa mu busumba tebuziyizibwa myaka, nsibuko, wadde byafaayo bya muntu — nti ekisa ekinunula omwonoonyi asinga obubi kye kisa kye kimu ekisaanyiza omusumba atasuubirwa n’akatono. Yali kyokulabirako ky’amazima Pawulo ge yawandiikira Abakkolinso: “Naye olw’ekisa kya Katonda ndi nga bwe ndi kaakano, era ekisa Katonda kye yankwatirwa tekyafa bwereere” (1 Abakkolinso 15:10). Ekisa tekyafa bwereere mu John Newton. Kyamufuula omu ku basumba abasinga okusaasira n’okubala ebibala mu kyasa kye.

Essaala

Ayi Katonda ow’ekitalo, ow’ekisa ekisinga buli kibi kye twakola na buli kizikiza kye twabeeramu, tufuule abasumba abatalekaayo kwewuunya nti twasonyiyibwa. Bwe tukemebwa okulunda nga twetwala ku ntikko y’obutukuvu bwaffe, tuzzeeyo okujjukira bye twali ng’ekisa kyo tekinnatuzuula. Tuwe obukkakkamu bwa Newton eri abatawaana, okugumiikiriza kwe eri abagenda empola, n’obwetegefu bwe obutaggwaawo okugumya abalala n’okugumya kwe twafuna ffe ffennyini. Amiina.