“Njengoko ndinithandileyo nina”

Kwiminyaka eyadlulayo umhlobo ogama elingu Louis wandibalisela ibali ngomama wakhe, onobubele othethela phantsi. Xa esweleka, zange ashiyele oonyana neentombi zakhe ubutyebi bemali kodwa ilifa lomzekelo, wokuncama nokuthobela.

Emveni isifundo somfi sifundiwe kwaye uhambo olubuhlungu oluya emadlakeni lugqityiwe, usapho olukhulileyo lwakhangela kwizinto eziphathekayo ezazishiywe ngumama. Kuzo, uLouis wabhaqa umyalezo nesitshixo. Lencwadi yayalela: “Ekoneni yekamere, ezantsi kwidrowa, kukho ibhokisi encinci. Iqulathe ubutyebi bentliziyo yam. Esisitshixo sizoyivula ibhokisi.”

Bonke babezibuza ukuba yintoni enexabiso umama awayenokuyiqhagela.

Ibhokisi yasuswa kwindawo eyayihleli kuyo kwaye yavulwa ngononophelo ngesitshixo. Xa uLouis nabanye bekhangela okuqulathwe yilebhokisi, bafumana ifoto yomntana ngamnye, eyinegama lalomntana nemini yakhe yokuzalwa. Louis wakhupha ivalentine eyenziwe ngeezandla. Ngendlela enobuntwana, awayiqonda ukuba yabhalwa nguye, wafunda amazwi awayewabhale kwiminyaka engama-60 phambili: “Mama othandekayo, ndiyakuthanda.”

Intliziyo zazibuthamba, amazwi esezantsi, amehlo efumile. Ubutyebi bukamama yayilusapho lwakhe. Amandla alo ayengqengqe kwisiseko esithi “Ndiyakuthanda.”

Kwimihla esiphila kuyo eyona ndawo ifuna lonto ngaphezulu kunezinye kusekhaya. Kwaye akukho ndawo ilizwe linofumana khona umzekelo omhle yesosiseko ngaphezu kwekhaya babalandeli bakhe kwimihla yokugqibela abenze uthando intliziyo yekhaya labo.

Kuthi abo bathi bangabalandeli boMsindisi uYesu Krestu, wanika lomyalelo ufikelela kude:

“Ndiniwisela umthetho omtsha, wokuba nithandane, njengoko ndinithandileyo nina, ukuze nani nithandane.

“Ngayo le nto baya kwazi bonke, ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba nithe nathandana.”¹

Ukuze sigcine lomyalelo wokuthandana, kufuneka siphathane ngemfesane nangembeko, sibonise uthando kunxibelelwano lwemihla ngemihla. Uthando lunikela ngelizwi elinobubele, ngempendulo enomonde, ngesenzo sokuzincama, ngendlebe eqondayo, nentliziyo exolelayo. Kwindibano zethu zonke, ezi nezinye izenzo zinceda senze ubungqina ngothando olusezintliziyweni zethu.

UMongameli Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) waqaphela: “Uthando yimbiza yegolide ekhupheleni Komgcamabala. Kanti lungakumbi kokuphela komgcamabala. Uthando lusekuqaleni ngokunjalo, kwaye kulo kuphuma ubuhle obunqumla kwisibhakabhaka ngemini esibakeleyo. Uthando lukhusela abantwana abalukhalelayo, ulutsha olululangazelelayo, lulo oluncamathisela umtshato, lusisithambisi esikhusela ukungavani ekhaya; luluxolo ebudaleni, ukukhanya kwelanga ekufeni. Banobutyebi abo balufumana kwiimanyano zabo nosapho, izihlobo, kwibandla kwaye nabamelwane.”²

Uthando yingcambu yevangeli, lolona phawu lubalulekileyo lomphefumlo womntu . Uthando liyeza lweentsapho ezisezintlungwini, uluntu nezizwe ezigulayo. Uthando luncumo, ukubulisa, intetho yobubele, kwaye nesincomo. Uthando lulidini, inkonzo nokuzincama.

Bayeni, bathandeni abafazi benu. Baphatheni ngesidima kunye nombulelo. Bodade, bathandeni abayeni benu. Baphatheni ngembeko kunye nenkuthazo.

Bazali, bathandeni abantwana benu. Bathandazeleni, bafundiseni, kwaye ningqine kubo. Bantwana, bathandeni abazali benu. Baboniseni intlonipho, umbulelo, kunye nokuzithoba.

Ngaphandle kothando lukaKrestu olumsulwa, uMormoni uyasiyala, “[asiyi]nto yanto.”³ Umthandazo wam yinto yokuba singalandela umyalelo kaMormoni othi “thandazani kuye uBawo ngawo onke amandla entliziyo ukuze nibe nokuzaliswangolu thando, olo lunikwe phezukwabo bonke abangabalandeli bokwenyani boNyana wakhe,uYesu Krestu; ukuze nibe nokubangoonyana bakaThixo; ukuze xa sukuba eya kubonakala siya kubanjengaye”⁴