Ithemba—Ngaba Ngokwenene Lenza Umahluko?
UDANIEL wayeneminyaka elishumi kuphela ubudala, kodwa wayesele enethuba elingangonyaka elwisana nesifo somhlaza. Oogqirha nabahlobo bakhe babesele bephelelwe lithemba. Kodwa uDaniel wayengavumi ukunikezela. Wayekholelwa ukuba uza kukhula abe yingcali yophando aze ngeny’ imini ancedise ekufumaneni iyeza lomhlaza. Eyona nto yayimenza abe nethemba yayikukuza kogqirha owayenyanga uhlobo lomhlaza awayenalo. Noko ke, lwafika olo suku kodwa ngenxa yemozulu embi kwanyanzeleka ukuba ugqirha aluhlehlise uhambo lwakhe. UDaniel waphelelwa lithemba. Okwesihlandlo sokuqala, waphelelwa ngumdla kwinto yonke. Kwadlula iintsuku nje ezimbalwa wafa.
Ibali likaDaniel labaliswa ngumsebenzi wezonyango owayesenza uphando ngendlela impilo yomntu echaphazeleka ngayo kukuba nethemba nokungabi nalo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wakha waweva amabali afana neli. Ngokomzekelo, masithi umntu osele ekhulile ugulel’ ufa kodwa kukho isiganeko esithile esibalulekileyo ebomini bakhe asilindeleyo—mhlawumbi utyelelo lomntu amthandayo okanye isikhumbuzo esithile. Kamsinya nje emva kokuba sidlulile eso siganeko, usutywa kukufa. Ibangelwa yintoni loo nto? Ngaba ngokwenene ithemba linendima eliyidlalayo njengoko abaninzi becinga njalo?
Abaphandi abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba ithemba nesimo sengqondo esifanelekileyo linempembelelo enkulu ebomini nakwimpilo yomntu. Kodwa asingabo bonke abaphandi abanaloo mbono. Bambi bathi obo bubuvuvu nje babantu obungasekelwanga kwinzululwazi. Bakholelwa ukuba ukugula akunanto yakwenza nendlela esivakalelwa ngayo.
Kakade ke, amathandabuzo ngokuphathelele ukubaluleka kwethemba akaqali ngoku. Kumawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo, xa kwathiwa isithandi sobulumko esingumGrike uAristotle masichaze intsingiselo yegama elithi ithemba, saphendula sathi: “Kukuphupha emini.” Yaye kutshanje, isithethi sikarhulumente waseMerika uBenjamin Franklin sathi: “Umntu oxhomekeke kwithemba uya kufa esong’ izandla.”
Ngoko yiyiphi inyaniso ngethemba? Ngaba ukuba nethemba kusoloko ikukuzikhohlisa, indlela nje abantu abazithuthuzela ngayo? Okanye ngaba sikho isizathu esibambekayo sokukholelwa kumandla ethemba—njengento ebalulekileyo kuthi sonke ukuze sihlale sisempilweni yaye sonwabile, into enesiseko neengenelo zokwenene?