UKUNGATHATHI ihlangothi kwabaFundi beBhayibhili hlangana nePi yePhasi 1 ngo-1914 kwabadosela amehlo ngokukhamba kwesikhathi. (Isa. 2:2-4; Jwa. 18:36; Efe. 6:12) Iinkhonzi zakaZimu zeBritain zaqalana njani nobujamobu?

Ngo-1916 eBritain kwabekwa umthetho wokobana abantu bembaji abaneminyaka eli-18 ukuya kwe-40 kufuze baye epini. Kwaba nelungiselelo lokuvumela labo abangafuni ukuyokulwa ngebanga “leenkolelo zokuziphatha namtjhana zekolo” bona bangayi epini. Urhulumende wasungula amakomidi akhethekileko azokuqunta bona ngabanjani ekufuze bavunyelwe ukungalwi begodu ngokwezinga elingangani.

Ngesikhatjhana, abaFundi beBhayibhili aba-40 bavalelwa emajele wezepi, begodu ababunane bathunyelwa epini eFrance. Basikinywe sisenzo sokungabi nobulungiswesi, abazalwana beBritain batlolela uNdunakulu uHerbet Asquith incwadi elahla ukubotjhokho enesibawo esinemitlikitlo ezi-5 500.

Kwavela iindaba zokobana abazalwana ababunane abathunyelwa eFrance bagwetjelwe ukubulawa ngokudunyuzwa ngombana balile ukuya epini. Kodwana abazalwana nebasarhenyiselwe ukuqalana nesiqhema egade sizobadumuza sibabulale, isigwebo sabo satjhentjhwa saba kubhadla ejele iminyaka elitjhumi. Babuyiselwa e-England ukuyokubhadala isigwebo sabo emajele womphakathi.

Njengombana ipi irhagala, kwathonywa ukubutha namadoda atjhadileko. Ekudenjweni komlandu eManchester, e-England, umsolwa bekunguHenry Hudson ongudorhodere begodu amFundi weBhayibhili. Ngo-Arhostosi 3, 1916, ikhotho yaqunta bona bekasiseqamthetho, yamhlawulisa yamphara ebuthweni lezepi. Ngesikhathi esifanako, godu bekudenjwa umlandu e-Edinburgh, eScotland. UJames Frederick Scott iphayona elineminyaka ema-25, wafunyanwa anganamlandu. URhulumende wafaka isibawo sokubuyekezwa komlandu kodwana wasilisa godu ngebanga lokudzimelela komunye umlandu egade useLondon. Kilokho, umzalwana uHerbert Kipps wathweswa umlandu, wahlawuliswa wanikelwa ebuthweni lezepi.

NgoSeptemba 1916, abazalwana abayi-246 besele bafake isibawo sokungayi epini. Bahlanu kwaphela abafumana imvumo yokungayi, abayi-154 baphoswa ngomsebenzi obudisi, abama-23 banikelwa umsebenzi ongabandakanyi ipi ebuthweni lezepi, aba-82 bathunyelwa epini begodu abanye bagwetjwa bavalelwa. Abanengi akhenge bayithande indlela  enelunya amadoda la aphathwa ngayo, ngalokho urhulumende wawasusa ejele lezepi wayowasebenzisa emakampeni womphakathi.

U-Edgar Clay noPryce Hughes kamva abakhonza njengababonisi begatja leBritain, khe basebenza edamini eWales. Kodwana uHerbert Senior, omunye wababunanaba egade ingasi kade abuyiswa eFrance, wathunyelwa eJele leWakefield eYorkshire. Abanye badosa iingwebo zabo benza imisebenzi ebudisi ebujamweni obumbi eJele leDartmoor egade kungilo ebelinabantu abanengi abangafuni ukuya epini.

UmFundi weBhayibhili uFrank Platt owavumako ukwenza imisebenzi engabandakanyi ipi, watlhoriswa ngelunya isikhathi eside nekathunyelwa lapho ipi beyibambene khona ngeenhluthu. U-Atkinson Padgett owafunda iqiniso msinyana ngemva kokutlolisela ipi, naye waphathwa ngelunya ziimphathimandla zepi ngebanga lokwala ukuya epini.

Nanyana abanakwethu abanengi bangakhenge bakuzwisise ngokuzeleko ukungathathi kwethu ihlangothi njengamaKrestu ekhulwini leminyaka elidlulileko, bafuna ukuthabisa uJehova uZimu. Labo abagagulwe ngamagama eembikweni lo babeka isibonelo esihle sokungathathi ihlangothi khulukhulu ‘ngesikhathi sokulingwa’ esibudisi. (sAm. 3:10)—Ezivela ebulungelweni lethu eBritain.