Repere aduru Botaeɛ no ho
Ɛmfa ho bebree ne deɛ yɛrefa mu wɔ abrabɔ mu na mmom deɛ yɛreba abɛyɛ.
Berɛ a mekenkan Asomafoɔ Nwuma no ne Paulo nwoma ahodoɔ no a, ɛyɛ me nwanwa wɔ ɔkwan a Paulo nyaa nkanyan ɛnam ɔdɔ ne anisɔ so berɛ a na ɔresom, rekyerɛkyerɛ na ɔredi Yesu Kristo ho adanseɛ no. Ɛyɛ dɛn na onipa a ɔte sei bɛtumi de ɔdɔ ne anisɔ a ɛte sei som, nkanka wɔ n’amanehunu akɛseɛ no mu? Deɛn na ɛmaa Paulo nyaa nkanyan sɛ ɔbɛsom? “Mepere duru botaeɛ No Ho sɛdeɛ mɛnya ɔsoro frɛ a Onyankopɔn nam Yesu Kristo so afrɛ me ne mu nkonimboɔ no.”1
Repere aduru botaeɛ No Ho ne sɛ wɔnam gyedie so ne yɛn Agyenkwa ne yɛn Agya “ara wɔ ɔkwan teatea a ”2 ɛyɛ hiahia a ɛkɔ nkwa a ɛnniawieɛ no mu. Paulo hwɛɛ n’amanehunu sɛ “ɛmfata animuonyam a wɔrebɛyi no adie de ama yɛn no.”3 Paulo krataa a ɔtwerɛ kɔmaa Filipifoɔ berɛ a na ɔda afiase no, yɛ krataa a ɛyɛ anigye mmorosoɔ ne ahurusie ne nkuranhyɛ ma yɛn nyinaa, nkanka wɔ saa mmerɛ yi a ɛmu yɛ den a yɛnim deɛ ɛrekɔwie. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛn nyinaa nya akokoɔduru firi Paulo hɔ: “Mebu nnoɔma nyinaa adehwereɛ, m’Awuarade Yesu Kristo nimdeɛ a ɛboro so no nti: Ne nti na mehweree nnoɔma no nyinaa na mebu no sɛ suminaso adeɛ, na Kristo ayɛ me mfasoɔ.”4
Berɛ a yɛhwɛ Paulo som no, yɛnya nkanyan na ɛpagya yɛn nam yɛn ara yɛn “Paulofoɔ” a wɔwɔ yɛn berɛ yi mu, a wɔn nso som, kyerɛkyerɛ na wɔde ɔdɔ ne ayɛyie di adanseɛ wɔ berɛ a wɔnam akwansideɛ a wɔhyia wɔ wɔne wɔn adofonom abrabɔ mu. Suahunu bi a menyaeɛ mfeɛ nkrɔn a atwam no boa maa mehunuu mfasoɔ a ɛwɔ sɛ worepere kɔduru botaeɛ no ho so.
Wɔ afe 2012 mu, berɛ a na merekɔ akannifoɔ nhyiamu, wɔ amansan nhyiamu ase no, na mentumi nnyina abomfeaa kɛseɛ bi a na me ara mewɔ ma me ho. Wɔ madwene mu no na nne bi kɔso si sio dua sɛ, “Wo mfata ha! Na mfomsoɔ kɛseɛ bi asi!” Merenante apɛ baabi atena pɛ na Ɛlda Jeffrey R. Holland ani bɔɔ me so. Ɔbaa me nkyɛn na ɔkaa sɛ, “Edward, ɛyɛ sɛ mahyia wo ha,” na ɔde ne nsa faa m’anim bɔkɔɔ. Menyaa atenka sɛ akwadaa bi! Ne dɔ ne n’atuu maa me nkanyan bi maa menyaa honhom sɛ me nso me ka ho bi, ne onuadɔ honhom nso. Ɛda a ɛtɔ so no, mehunuu sɛ Elder Holland reyɛ adekorɔ no ara a ɔyɛɛ me da a ɛdi kan no, saa ara pɛ, a ɔde ne nsa refefa Elder Dallin H. Oaks nso anim, ɔno mpo a na ɔyɛ ne dikanfoɔ!
Saa berɛ no mu, menyaa Awurade dɔ no mu atenka nam saa mmarima yi a yɛgye wɔn to mu sɛ nkɔmhyɛfoɔ, adehunufoɔ ne adiyifoɔ yi so. Elder Holland nam saa ɔdɔ a ɛfiri akoma mu a ɔdaa no adi no so boa maa medii me-ara-menko me tirim ne abomfeaa atenka, no firii me mu. Ɔboaa me maa mede m’ani sii adwuma kronkron a ɛyɛ anigyeɛ mmoroso no a na wɔafrɛ me sɛ memmɛyɛ no so—sɛ mede akra bɛba Awurade hɔ. Ɔno, te sɛ tete Paulo no, akyerɛ me sɛdeɛ mɛpere akɔduru botaeɛ no ho.
Anigyesɛm ne sɛ, Paulo rehyɛ yɛn nkuran sɛ yɛbɛpere akɔ yɛn anim, berɛ a ɔrefrɛ yɛn sɛ yɛn werɛ mfiri deɛ ɛwɔ yɛn akyiri no—Yɛn hu a abɛsene, yɛn botaeɛ a abɛsene, yɛn nkoguo a abɛsene ɛne yɛn awerɛhoɔ a abɛsene. Ɔreto nsa afrɛ yɛn, sɛdeɛ yɛn nkɔmhyɛni dɔfoɔ, Titenani Russell M. Nelson, reyɛ no ara pɛ “de kɔ ɔkwan foforɔ a ɛyɛ kronkron so.”5 Agyenkwa no bɔhyɛ no yɛ kann: “Na obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔgye ne kra nkwa no, ɛbɛfiri ne nsa: na obiara a, me nti ne kra bɛyera no deɛ ne nsa bɛka.”6
Wɔ mekasa a ɛdi kan wɔ Amansan Nhyiamu mu no, mekyɛɛ suahunu a na me maame rekyerɛ me adwumayɔ wɔ yɛn afuo mu. “Ntwa mani nhwɛ wakyiri,” aa ɔkaaeɛ. “Hwɛ w’anim wɔ deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɔ no.”7
Berɛ a me maame abrabɔ rekɔ awieɛ no, berɛ a na ɔreko yareɛ koankorɔ no, na ɔne me ne Naume na ɛteɛ. Anadwo bi metee sɛ ɔrepene wɔ ne dan a ɔda mu no. Na ne yea no ano yɛ den mpo wɔ berɛ a na w’anom n’aduro a ɛtwa toɔ wɔ ɛda biara mu a na ɛyɛ morphine wɔ dɔnhwere mmienu akyiri mu no.
Mewuraa ne dan no mu ne no tee nisuo. Mebɔɔ mpaeɛ kɛse maa no sɛdeɛ ɔbɛnya ahotɔ amonom hɔ ara afiri ne yea no mu. Na afei ɔsan nso yɛɛ adekorɔ no ara a ɔyɛɛe wɔ afuo mu hɔ mfeɛ bebree a abɛsene no bio: ɔgyaeeɛ na ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ me adesua bi. Mewerɛ remfiri n’anim saa berɛ no da biara da: mmerɛyɛ, onyini a yea ahyɛ ma, a ɔrehwɛ ne babarima a ɔredi awerɛhoɔ anim awerɛhoɔ mu. Ɔnwenweneeɛ faa ne nisuo mu, hwɛɛ m’anim hann na ɔkaa sɛ, “ɛnyɛ wo anaa obi foforɔ biara, na mmom ɛwɔ Onyankopɔn nsam sɛ saa ɔyea yi bɛkɔ anaa sɛ ɛrenkɔ.”
Metenaa hɔ dinn. Na ɔno nso tenaa hɔ dinn. Saa mfonin no da so ara da m’adwene mu kann. Saa anadwo no, ɛnam me maame so, Awurade kyerɛkyerɛɛ me adesua bi a ɛne me bɛtena afebɔɔ. Berɛ a me maame gyaee Onyankopɔn pɛ mu maa no no, mekaee deɛ nti a Yesu Kristo hunuu amane wɔ Gethsemane turo no mu ne asennua no so wɔ Golgotha. Ɔkaa sɛ: “Monhwɛ mede m’asɛmpa no ama mo, na yei ne asɛmpa no a [Mede] ama mo no—Na mebaa wiase bɛyɛɛ m’Agya no pɛ, ɛfiri sɛ m’Agya na ɔsomaa me.”8
Medwendwene yɛn nkɔmhyɛni dɔfoɔ Titenani Nelson nkɔmhyɛ nsɛmmisa a ɔto maa yɛn wɔ amansan nhyiamu a ɛtwaa mu no ho. Titenani Nelson bisaa sɛ: “Wowɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn adi w’abrabɔ so? Wowɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn anya nsunsuansoɔ a ɛho hia wɔ w’abrabɔ mu? Wobɛma Ne nne ho kwan ma adi ɛnne foforɔ biara anim? Wowɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma wo pɛ akɔhyɛ ne deɛ mu?”9 Anka me maame firi n’adwene tebea mu agye so sɛ “aane,” na anka asɔremma afoforɔ nso a wɔwɔ wiase nyinaa nso de wɔn adwene mu tebea so na wɔagye so sɛ “aane,” Titenani Nelson, meda wo ase sɛ wonam saa nkɔmhyɛ nsɛmmisa yi so akanyan yɛn.
Ɛnkyɛree biara, me ne bishop bi a na wasie ne yere ne ne babaa a wanyini da koro dii nkɔmmɔ wɔ Pretoria a ɛwɔ South Africa. Saa amansan yareɛ Coronavirus yi na ɛgyee wɔn kra. Mebisaa no sɛdeɛ ne ho teɛ. Ɔhwɛfoɔ Teddy Thabete mmuaeɛ no hyɛɛ me den ma mesii m’adwene pi sɛ mɛdi nsɛm ne afotuo a ɛfiri Awurade nkɔmhyɛfoɔ, adehunufoɔ ne adiyifoɔ no so. Bishop Thabete yii ano sɛ berɛbiara mu no anidasoɔ ne awerɛkyekyerɛ wɔ hɔ sɛ yɛrehunu sɛ Agyenkwa no afa ne nkurɔfoɔ yea ato Ne ho so, sɛdeɛ ɔbɛhunu ne sɛdeɛ Ɔbɛboa yɛn.10 Wama yɛn ɔgyeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ, nkwagyeɛ “nhyehyɛeɛ ne mpo anigyeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ no.” Afei Ɔbisaa asɛmmisa bi, “Ɛnyɛ yei na na yɛn nkɔmhyɛni rebɔ mmɔden sɛ ɔbɛkyerɛkyerɛ yɛn wɔ nhyiamu kɛseɛ a ɛtwaa mu yi mu no?”
Berɛ a asetena yi mu akwansideɛ bɛba yɛn nyinaa so nam ɔkwan baako anaa foforɔ so no, momma yɛmfa yɛn ani nsi yɛn botaeɛ sɛ yɛn “re[pere] aduru,” botaeɛ no ho “a ɛyɛ nkunimboɔ” no a ɛyɛ ɔsoro frɛ a Onyankopɔn afrɛ no.”11
M’ahobrɛaseɛ frɛ ma yɛn nyinaa ne sɛ momma yɛnnyae mu da biara da! Wɔafrɛ yɛn sɛ “yɛnto adesoa biara, ne bɔne a ɛnkyɛ na ɛtwa yɛn ho hyia si yɛn kwan no ngu, na yɛmfa boasetɔ nto aperepereɛ a ɛda yɛn anim no mu mmirika, nhwɛ yɛn gyedie mu kannifoɔ ne ne wiefoɔ Yesu anim.”12
Ɛmfa ho bebree ne deɛ yɛrefa mu wɔ abrabɔ mu na mmom deɛ yɛrebɛba abɛyɛ. Anigyeɛ mmorosoɔ wɔ sɛ yɛrepere akɔduru botaeɛ no ho mu. Medi adanseɛ sɛ Ɔno a Ɔdii nkunim wɔ ade nyinaa so no bɛboa yɛn wɔ berɛ a yɛhwɛ N’anim no. Wɔ Yesu Kristo din mu, amen.