Liyintoni Ithemba Ngobomi Obude?
“Umntu, ozelwe ngumfazi, ubomi bakhe bufutshane sekunjalo buzaliswe lusizi.”—Amazwi kaYobhi abhalwe kuYobhi 14:1, “The Jerusalem Bible.”
HAYI indlela obuchazwa ngokufuthi ngayo ubufutshane bobomi kwimibongo! NjengoYobhi, umbhali wenkulungwane yokuqala wathi: “Bungumphunga obonakala ixesha elincinane, uze ke uthi shwaka.”—Yakobi 4:14.
Ngaba nawe ukhe waphawula ukuba ubomi bufutshane ngokulusizi? Malunga neminyaka engama-400 eyadlulayo, uWilliam Shakespeare wabhala: “Cima, cima, ikhandlela elifutshane! Ubomi bufutshane.” Yaye ebudeni benkulungwane edluleyo, inkosi yamaIndiya aseMerika yabuza: “Buyintoni ubomi?” Yandula yaphendula: “Bukukukhanya kwenkanyezi ebusuku.”
Abantu banokulindela ukuba ubomi babo bube bude kangakanani? Umprofeti uMoses wayichaza le meko ngomhla wakhe, malunga neminyaka engama-3 500 eyadlulayo wathi: “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.
Iminyaka engama-70—ziintsuku ezingama-25-567 kuphela. Yaye iminyaka engama-80 ziintsuku ezingama-29 219 kuphela. Ngokwenene, zimbalwa gqitha! Ngaba ikho into enokwenziwa ukwandisa ubomi bomntu?
Ngaba Inzululwazi Yezamayeza Ingaluncedo?
Iphephancwadi iScience lathi: “Umlinganiselo wobomi olindelekileyo ukususela ekuzalweni [eUnited States] wande ukususela kwiminyaka engama-47 ngowe-1900 ukusa kwiminyaka emalunga nama-75 ngowe-1988.” Ngenxa yokuncitshiswa komlinganiselo wokufa kweemveku kuba zinyanyekelwa ngokwempilo nangezondlo ezilunge ngakumbi, abantu baseUnited States ngoku banokulindela ukuphila ixesha elingangelo lachazwa nguMoses. Sekunjalo, ngaba kukho naluphi na ulwando oluphawulekayo olunokulindelwa ngobude bobomi obuphilwa ngabantu abaninzi?
Kuyaphawuleka ukuba, uLeonard Hayflick, igosa eliphambili ngezokwaluphala, wathi kwincwadi yakhe ethi How and Why We Age: “Ukuhambela phambili nohlolisiso ngonyango lwezamayeza nokusetyenziswa kweendlela zonyango eziphuculiweyo kule nkulungwane ngokuqinisekileyo kube negalelo ekuphileni komntu ixesha elide, kodwa kuphelele nje ekwenzeni abantu abangakumbi bafikelele umda omiselweyo womlinganiselo wobude bobomi bomntu.” Ngoko wachaza: “Umlinganiselo wobomi olindelekileyo wandile kodwa akunjalo ngomlinganiselo wobomi; umahluko mkhulu.”
Nguwuphi “owona mda umiselweyo” womlinganiselo wobude bobomi bomntu? Bambi bathi kuyathandabuzeka ukuba kumaxesha akutshanje kukhe kwakho nabani na okhe waphila ngaphezu kweminyaka eli-115 ubudala. Sekunjalo, iphephancwadi iScience lathi: “Ngowe-1990, oyena mntu obaqinisekiswayo ubudala bakhe waphila iminyaka engaphezulu kuhle kweli-120 ubudala.” Yaye ebutsheni balo nyaka, umphathiswa wezempilo waseFransi, kunye negquba leentatheli nabafoti, batyelele uJeanne Calment waseArles, eFransi, besiya kwisikhumbuzo somhla wokuzalwa kwakhe se-120. NoMoses waphila iminyaka eli-120 ubudala, minyaka leyo engaphezulu lee kuneqhelekileyo.—Duteronomi 34:7.
Ngaba izazinzulu zinikela ithemba lokuba abantu ngokuqhelekileyo basenokuphila ixesha elide kangako okanye nangaphezulu? Akunjalo, ezininzi aziqalisi. Umxholo ophambili weDetroit News wawufundeka ngolu hlobo: “Abaphengululi Bathi Ama-85 Asenokuba Ngowona Mlinganiselo Uphakamileyo Wobude Bobomi.” Kweli nqaku igosa elaziwayo ngezokwaluphala, uS. Jay Olshansky, wathi: “Bakudlula eminyakeni engama-85 ubudala, bayafa ngenxa yokuyeka ukusebenza kwamalungu omzimba amaninzi. Bayayeka ukuphefumla. Ngokusisiseko, babulawa kukwaluphala. Yaye alikho iyeza lako.” Walek’ umsundulo ngelithi: “Ngaphandle kokuba ukwaluphala kweeseli zomntu kunokuthintelwa, ulindelo lomlinganiselo weminyaka ethile ebomini luya kuba yinto yexesha elidlulileyo.”
Iphephancwadi iScience lathi mhlawumbi “owona mda wobude bobomi sele ufikelelwe yaye akubonakali ngathi umlinganiselo wokufa ungehla ngokuphawulekayo.” Kuthiwa ukuba bekunokuphiliswa bonke oonobangela bokufa abachazwe kwiziqinisekiso zokufa, umlinganiselo wobomi ubunokwanda ngeminyaka engaphantsi kwama-20.
Ngaloo ndlela, umlinganiselo wobude bobomi bomntu izazinzulu ezininzi aziwujongi njengento engaqhelekanga okanye into engaguquka nanini. Kanti kutheni kusengqiqweni ukukholelwa ukuba ekugqibeleni abantu baya kuphila ubomi obude?