UKUQUBUKA kweMpi Yezwe I ngo-1914 kwabonisa umhlaba ukuthi abaFundi BeBhayibheli abaluthathi uhlangothi ezimpini. (Isaya 2:2-4; Joh. 18:36; Efe. 6:12) Kwazihambela kanjani izinceku zikaNkulunkulu eBrithani?

Ngemva koMthetho Wenkonzo Yezempi Ka-1916, amadoda aseBrithani angashadile aneminyaka ephakathi kuka-18 no-40 abuthelwa empini. Ngaphansi kwalo mthetho babekhululwa labo ababenqaba ukuya empini ngenxa yezizathu zangempela “ezingokwenkolo noma zikanembeza.” Uhulumeni wamisa izinkantolo ezazinquma ukuthi obani okufanele bakhululwe futhi ngokwezinga elingakanani.

Ngokushesha nje, abaFundi BeBhayibheli abangaba ngu-40 bafakwa emajele amasosha, futhi abangu-8 bayiswa empini eFrance ngempoqo. Leso senzo esingenabulungisa sashukumisela abazalwane eBrithani ukuba babhalele uNdunankulu uHerbert Asquith incwadi yokukhalaza ngalokhu kuboshwa, ihambisana nesicelo esasisayinwe abantu abangu-5 500 sokuba bakhishwe.

Kwabe sekuzwakala izindaba zokuthi labo abangu-8 abathunyelwe eFrance, babegwetshwe ukuba badutshulwe ngenxa yokwenqaba ukuya empini. Kodwa kwathi lapho laba bazalwane sebemiswe ujenga ukuze badutshulwe, isigwebo sabo sashintshwa saba iminyaka eyishumi besebenza njengezigqila ejele. Babuyiselwa eNgilandi ukuze badonse isigwebo sabo emajele avamile.

Njengoba impi yayiqhubeka, kwabe sekubuthwa namadoda ashadile. Ecaleni eliwumhlahlandlela eManchester, eNgilandi, ummangalelwa kwakunguHenry Hudson, owayengudokotela futhi engomunye wabaFundi BeBhayibheli. Ngomhla ka-3 August 1916, inkantolo yakhipha isinqumo sokuthi ahlawuliswe futhi anikelwe emnyangweni wezempi ngoba wayebalekele ukufeza inkonzo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kwakulalelwa elinye icala eliwumhlahlandlela e-Edinburgh, eScotland. UJames Frederick Scott, iphayona elineminyaka engu-25 ubudala, watholwa engenacala. Uhulumeni walidlulisela phambili icala, wabuye walihoxisa ngenxa yelinye icala elalizolandela eLondon. Kulelo cala, umzalwane uHerbert Kipps watholakala enecala, wahlawuliswa, wanikelwa emnyangweni wezempi.

Ngo-September 1916, bangu-264 abazalwane abase befake isicelo sokukhululwa enkonzweni yezempi. Kulaba kwakhululwa abahlanu, abangu-154 banikwa “imisebenzi ebalulekile esizweni,” abangu-23 banikezwa imisebenzi yasebusosheni engahlanganisi ukulwa, abangu-82 banikelwa emnyangweni wezempi futhi abanye babo baboshwa ngoba kuthiwa abazilaleli iziyalezo. Umphakathi awuvumelananga nokuphathwa  ngonya kwalaba bazalwane, ngakho uhulumeni wabasusa ejele lezempi wabayisa emakamu okufukuza.

U-Edgar Clay noPryce Hughes, kamuva owakhonza njengombonisi wegatsha eBrithani, basebenza edanyini eWales. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uHerbert Senior, omunye wabangu-8 ababuyiswa eFrance, wathunyelwa eJele LaseWakefield eYorkshire. Abanye izigwebo zabo zokufukuziswa bazidonsa ngaphansi kwezimo ezinzima zaseJele LaseDartmoor, futhi lokho kwenza lelo Jele laba nesibalo esikhulu kakhulu sabantu abenqaba ukubuthelwa empini ngenxa kanembeza.

UFrank Platt, umFundi WeBhayibheli owavuma ukwenza imisebenzi yasebusosheni engahlanganisi ukulwa, washushiswa ngesihluku isikhathi eside lapho enqaba ukuyolwa. U-Atkinson Padgett, owafunda amaqiniso ngemva nje kokubuthwa, naye iziphathimandla zempi zamphatha ngonya ngenxa yokwenqaba ukulwa.

Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi ngaleyo minyaka engaba ikhulu edlule abafowethu babengakuqondi ngokuphelele ukuma kwethu kokungathathi hlangothi njengamaKristu, bafuna ukujabulisa uJehova uNkulunkulu. Labo ababizwe ngamagama kulo mbiko babeka isibonelo esihle sokungathathi hlangothi ‘ngehora lokuvivinywa’ elinzima kakhulu. (IsAm. 3:10)—Sivela ezinqolobaneni zethu eBrithani.