Incazelo yokuqala kaMerriam-Webster yegama elithi “uthando” isho “uthando oluqinile ngomunye oluvela ngenxa yokuhlobana noma ubuhlobo bomuntu siqu.” Yebo, yebo, kodwa “uthando oluqinile” lubonakala lubuthakathaka, futhi izisusa zingaba zinhle “kunobuhlobo noma ubuhlobo bomuntu siqu.” Lesi sichazamazwi sibuye sinikeze “uthando olusekelwe ekutuseni, ezenzweni zokulunga noma ezithakazelweni ezifanayo,” “ukusondelana okufudumele, intshiseko, noma ukuzinikela,” kanye “nokukhathalela okungenabugovu okuqotho nokunomusa ngokuzuzisa omunye umuntu.” Akekho kubo olingana ncamashí nomzwelo, akunjalo?
Ngakho-ke yini ethathwa yiSwedenborg? Uthando, kuyimfundiso yenkolo yobuKrestu obusha, lumayelana nokuba munye nabanye.
“Uphawu lothando alukona ukuzithanda thina kodwa ukuthanda abanye futhi sihlanganiswe nabo ngothando,” ebhala kwethi “Uthando Lwaphezulu Nokuhlakanipha.” "Ngempela, ingqikithi yalo lonke uthando itholakala ebunyeni ..."
Lokho, nokho, kuyindlela nje yokuphela kweqhwa: Imisebenzi yaseSwedenborg ithi uthando - isifiso sokuhlangana - luwumthombo wangempela wakho konke ukuba khona. Uthando lunguNkulunkulu, uthando luwukuphila, uthando luwumgomo wawo wonke umuntu, uthando yilo olusiyisa ezulwini noma esihogweni, uthando luwumthombo wangempela wazo zonke izinto namandla endaweni yonke, uthando ngumdali weqiniso ngokwalo.
Kunjani lokho? I-Swedenborg ibhala ukuthi ingqikithi kaNkulunkulu - ingqikithi kaNkulunkulu yangempela - ihlanzekile, iphelele, inothando olungapheli, isifiso sokuhlangana ngaphezu kwanoma yini esingase sithembe ukuyicabanga. Leso sifiso sageleza sokudala indawo yonke nezinto ezingokoqobo njengoba sikwazi, ngenjongo eyodwa yokuba nokuthile esingahlanganiswa nakho. Futhi thina bantu siyilokho okuthile: Izidalwa ezikwazi ukwamukela uthando futhi zilubuyisele ngaphandle kokuzikhethela.
Izindlela esidalwe ngazo othandweni, futhi sidalwe sinomgomo wokuthanda. Ngakho-ke kulandela ukuthi esikuthandayo, esikufisayo, kusezinhliziyweni zethu, futhi empeleni ukuphila kwethu, ingqikithi yethu - empeleni yilokho esiyikho.
Lokho kuholela emibuzweni emibili esobala: 1. Uma sidalwe othandweni lukaNkulunkulu, kungani sibabi kangaka futhi sinobugovu? 2. Kuthiwani ngemicabango nemibono yethu? Ababali lutho?
Izimpendulo zalezo zihlobene.
Okokuqala, uNkulunkulu kwadingeka asidale sinamandla obubi ukuze sibe enkululekweni, ngoba ukube besingenankululeko, ukukhetha ukwamukela nokubuyisela uthando Lwakhe bekungeke kube ukukhetha nhlobo, futhi bekuyoba yize. . Ezingeni elijulile, uNkulunkulu ukupheleliswa, futhi ukube edale into ephelele bekuyoba okungaphezu Kwakhe futhi ubeyobe ezithanda Yena. Ngakho kufanele sibe abangaphelele, kodwa sibe nekhono lokukhetha uthando.
Lelo khono lokukhetha liyimpendulo yombuzo wesibili. Amandla ethu okucabanga nokwazi angahlukaniswa nothando lwethu, okusho ukuthi singakwazi ukuthi into ilungile noma ishayisana nezifiso zethu. Singasebenzisa lelo khono ukuze siziphoqelele ukuba sikhethe okulungile, futhi sicele uNkulunkulu ukuba empeleni aguqule esikuthandayo akwenze kube kuhle. Uma sikhuthele futhi siqotho, uNkulunkulu uzolushintsha ngempela uthando lwethu phakathi nenkambo yokuphila kwethu. Ngesikhathi sesilungele ukuya ezulwini, siphila othandweni oluqotho ngabanye abantu kanye neNkosi, futhi kulolo uthando lokwenzela abanye izinto ezinhle. Ngaleso sikhathi empeleni sisenkululekweni yangempela, ngoba esikufunayo kuhambisana ngokuphelele nalokho esikwaziyo ukuthi kulungile, futhi singakwazi ukwenza esikufunayo.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi: Uma senqaba ukuhileleka kuleyo nqubo, senqaba ukubona okulungile, senqaba ukwenza umzamo wokwenza okulungile futhi senqabe isifiso sikaNkulunkulu sokuguqula esikuthandayo, siyogcina sesihogweni, kanye abanye abathanda bona kuphela.
Lokhu kudala umbuzo othakazelisayo nobalulekile sonke esingazibuza wona: Ekujuleni, ekujuleni kwethu, yini esiyithandayo? Ingabe kuhle? Ingabe sizimisele ukuyivulela uNkulunkulu futhi simcele ukuthi ayiguqule?
