Ukufa—Isibetho Esisehlabathini Lonke
NYAKA ngamnye abantu abazizigidi ezingama-50 bayafa ehlabathini jikelele. Oko kuthetha ukuba ngabantu abali-137 000 ngosuku, abangama-5 700 ngeyure, abamalunga ne-100 ngomzuzu, okanye ngabantu abangaphezu kwabathathu qho ngemizuzwana emibini. Isibetho sokufa asinantsimi yankosi. UKumkani okanye umntu nje, isityebi okanye ihlwempu, indoda okanye ibhinqa—bonke ngokufanayo bayafa.
Umpapashi ongumyili nongunozakuzaku odumileyo waseMerika, uBenjamin Franklin, wabhalela umhlobo wakhe ngowe-1789: “Kweli hlabathi akukho nto iqinisekileyo ngaphandle kokufa nokuhlawula iirhafu.” Noko ke, wayengengowokuqala ukuphawula oko. Kwiminyaka emalunga nama-2 800 ngaphambilana, uKumkani uSolomon osisilumko wohlanga lwamandulo lwakwaSirayeli wathi: “Abadla ubomi bayazi ukuba baya kufa.” Sekunjalo, wayengqina nje into eyathethwa koyena mntu wokuqala emhlabeni kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-3 000 ngaphambilana. “Uluthuli, uya kubuyela kwaseluthulini.”—INtshumayeli 9:5; Genesis 3:19.
Njengoko ukufa kuye kwaba kokungenakuthintelwa ukutyhubela imbali yomntu, kusengunobangela wentlungu enkulu. Kuye kwatshiwo ngokufanelekileyo ukuba umnqweno wethu wemvelo kukuba siphile, singafi. Ulwalamano esinalo nentsapho nabahlobo lumanyano olomeleleyo esinqwenela ukuba luhlale luhleli. Kodwa ke, njengoko iminyaka ihamba, olu manyano lupheliswa kukufa kancinane kancinane. Oomawokhulu, abazali nabahlobo bethu bayafa.
IGuinness Book of World Records ithi: “Inyaniso ikukuba abantu abaphila iminyaka elikhulu nangaphezu koko abagqithileyo ngoku kunyaka wabo we-113 banqabe gqitha yaye umlinganiselo osisiseko okhoyo wobude bobomi babantu nongqinwe uchanile awubonisi kukho nabani na ophila ukuze abhiyozele nawuphi umhla kwakhe wokuzalwa emva kokubhiyozela owe-120.” Ngoko ke, akukho mntu uphilayo namhlanje owayekho ukuzalwa kukaWinston Churchill (1874) okanye kukaMohandas Gandhi (1869), ngokuthengiswa kweAlaska kwiUnited States yiRashiya ngowe-1867, okanye ngokugwintwa kuka-Abraham Lincoln ngowe-1865—singasathethi ke ngazo zonke iziganeko zembali ezenzeka ngaphambi kwezi zenkulungwane ye-19.
Eneneni, phezu kwako nje konke ukuhambela phambili elwazini kwezonyango nakwezenzululwazi namhlanje, ubude bobomi bomntu busalingana nobo bachazwa yindoda yamandulo uMoses: “Imihla yeminyaka yethu iseminyakeni engamashumi asixhenxe; ukuba ithe yaba mininzi kakhulu, iba yiminyaka emashumi asibhozo, libe ke iqhayiya layo likukwaphuka nokungabi nto yanto, ngokuba ithe phe yakhawuleza, saphaphazela semka.” (INdumiso 90:10) Oku kwakubhekisela kuluntu ngokubanzi. Naye uMoses waphila iminyaka eli-120.
Nokuba ubomi bunganeenkathazo kangakanani na, ukufa kothandekayo kubangela intlungu nodandatheko olukhethekileyo. Ngokufuthi konakalisa impilo yabo basaphilayo yaye bekusaziwa njengento exhokonxa ukugula nokufa. Akukhathaliseki nokuba liliphi na ilungu lentsapho elifayo, kukho imvakalelo enkulu yokulahlekelwa. Kunjengokuba omnye ugqirha wezifo zengqondo ekubeka ngale ndlela oku, “xa umzali wakho esifa, ulahlekelwe yimvelaphi yakho. Xa umntwana wakho esifa, ulahlekelwe likamva lakho.” Udandatheko nokuxinezeleka kweemvakalelo okuthi kubekho akuchazeki. Ngokufuthi kumngenisa ubani ezindlekweni, nto leyo eyenza izinto zibe mbi ngakumbi. Ingcinezelo yokuba unamathele kwiindlela ezithile namasiko athile okungcwaba inokongezelela kule ntlungu.
Noko ke, ngaba ikho indlela ethile esinokubunciphisa ngayo obunye ubunzima noxanduva oluba phezu kwethu xa kusifa othandekayo?