Abafana ababehambe nesikole babekwa icala lokuhlukumeza omunye umfundi wesilisa ngokocansi. Bonke babefunda esikoleni esithenjwayo nesihlonishwayo esingesona esikahulumeni eCanada. Ngemva kwaleso sigameko, uLeonard Stern wabhala lokhu ephephandabeni i-Ottawa Citizen: “Ukuhlakanipha, imfundo ephezulu, nokuceba akubavimbi abantu abasha ukuba benze izinto ezimbi.”

UStern waphinde wathi: “Ungase ucabange ukuthi ukufundisa ingane indlela enhle yokuziphatha, kuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu kuwo wonke umzali. Nokho, kubonakala sengathi into abazali abaningi abakhathazeka ngayo kakhulu ukuba izingane zabo ziphumelele esikoleni ukuze zithole imisebenzi eholela kahle.”

Kubalulekile ukuba izingane zifunde. Kodwa ngisho nokufunda ezikoleni eziphambili akumsizi umuntu ukuba anqobe ububi obusenhliziyweni yakhe. Pho singayitholaphi imfundo engasisiza sikwazi ukuziphatha kahle?

IBhayibheli lifana nesibuko. Lapho silifunda sikwazi ukubona kahle izinto esikwazi ukuzenza, nobuthakathaka bethu. (Jakobe 1:23-25) Kodwa akupheleli lapho. IBhayibheli lisisiza nokuba sishintshe ubuntu bethu, sibe nomusa, sikwazi ukubekezela, ukuzibamba futhi sibe nothando. Konke lokho kusisiza sibe nokuthula nobunye nabanye. Kuthiwa uthando “lwenza abantu babe nobunye ngokuphelele.” (Kolose 3:14) Kungani uthando lubaluleke kangaka? Nakhu iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngothando:

• “Uthando luyabekezela futhi lunomusa. Uthando alunamona. Aluzigabisi, aluzikhukhumezi, aluziphathi ngokuhlazisayo, aluzifuneli izinzuzo zalo, alucasuki. Alunamagqubu. Alujabuli ngokungalungi, kodwa lujabulela iqiniso. Lubekezelela zonke izinto, . . . lukhuthazelela zonke izinto. Uthando alusoze lwaphela nanini.”—1 Korinte 13:4-8.

• “Uthando alwenzi okubi kumakhelwane womuntu.”—Roma 13:10.

• “Ngaphezu kwakho konke, thandanani kakhulu, ngoba uthando lumboza izono eziningi.”—1 Petru 4:8.

Uzizwa kanjani lapho unabantu abakuthandayo? Uzizwa uphephile? Ulondekile? Ukhululekile? Impela! Ngoba uyazi ukuthi bakufunela okungcono, futhi abasoze benza izinto ezingakulimaza ngamabomu.

Uthando lungenza abantu bayeke izinto abazithandayo, baze bashintshe nendlela abaphila ngayo, ukuze nje kuzuze abanye. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho indoda esizoyibiza ngokuthi uGeorge iba nomzukulu, yafuna ukuchitha isikhathi nomzukulu wayo. Kodwa kwakukhona inkinga. UGeorge wayebhema kakhulu futhi umkhwenyane wakwakhe wayengafuni ukuba abheme  eduze kwengane. Yini uGeorge ayenza? Nakuba kwase kuphele iminyaka engu-50 ebhema, ngenxa yomzukulu wakhe, uGeorge wakuyeka ukubhema. Uthando lunamandla ngempela!

Singakufunda ukuba nothando. Abazali benza okuningi ukuze bafundise izingane zabo ukuba nothando. Bayazondla, bazivikele futhi bazisize lapho ziphatheke kabi noma zigula. Abazali abahle bayaxoxa nezingane zabo futhi bazifundise. Baphinde baziyale futhi bazifundise ukuba zikwazi ukuhlukanisa okulungile kokungalungile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abazali abahle babekela izingane zabo isibonelo esihle ezizokwazi ukusilingisa.

Kuyadabukisa ukuthi abanye abazali bayahluleka ukukhulisa kahle izingane zabo. Ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi izingane zabo zizohluleka ukuba abantu abalungile? Cha! Kunabantu abaningi abakhulele emindenini engesona isibonelo esihle kodwa abaye bakwazi ukushintsha ukuphila kwabo, manje bangabantu abanomusa nabathembekile. Esihlokweni esilandelayo sizofunda ngezibonelo zabantu okwakucatshangwa ukuthi abasoze bashintsha!