Umnqweno Wethu Wokuphila Ubomi Obude
“Umntu, into ezelwe ngumfazi, imihla yakhe mifutshane, izele ziinkathazo. Uphuma njengentyantyambo, abune; ubaleka njengethunzi, angemi.”—Yobhi 14:1, 2.
KWANANAMHLANJE bambalwa abantu abanokukuphikisa xa usithi ubomi bufutshane, nangona oku kwabhalwa kwiminyaka engama-3 500 eyadlulayo. Abantu bebesoloko benganeliswa kukungcamla nje ubomi obumnandi umzuzwana baze bathi besajongile baluphale baze bafe. Ngoko ke, iindlela zokwandisa ubomi ziye zanda ukutyhubela imbali.
Ngemihla kaYobhi amaYiputa ayesitya amasende ezilwanyana ngelinge elililize lokubuyela ebutsheni. Enye into ababekhangele phambili kuyo abantu kumaxesha aphakathi yokunyanga yayikukwenza imichiza yenzululwazi eyayiza kubanceda baphile ubomi obude. Izazinzulu ngokuveliswa kwamachiza okuzuza ubomi obungunaphakade zazikholelwa ukuba igolide eyenziweyo yayinokubanceda baphile ubomi obungenasiphelo nokuba ukutyela kwizitya zegolide kwakuza kubanceda baphile ubomi obude. AmaTshayina amandulo angamaTao, ayecinga ukuba ayenokuyiguqula inkqubo yokusebenza komzimba womntu ngokusebenzisa ubuchule obunjengokucamngca, ukwenza umthambo ngokuphefumla nangokutya okuthile yaye ngaloo ndlela baphile ubomi obungenasiphelo.
Umhloli wamazwe waseSpeyin uJuan Ponce de León waziwa ngokuba nomnqweno ongapheliyo wokuphanda ngomthombo wobutsha. Omnye ugqirha wenkulungwane ye-18 kwincwadi yakhe ethi Hermippus Redivivus wancomela ukuba iintombi ezinyulu eziselula zigcinwe kwindlu encinane xa kusentwasahlobo ize loo nto ziyiphefumlayo iqokelelwe ngeebhotile ukuze isetyenziselwe ukwandisa ubomi. Alithandabuzeki elokuba, akukho nenye kwezi ndlela eyaphumelelayo.
Namhlanje, kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-3 500 emva kokuba uMoses wabhala ingxelo kaYobhi, umntu uye wahamba enyangeni, wenza iinqwelo-mafutha neekhompyutha, waza waphanda ngeathom nangeseli. Sekunjalo, phezu kwayo nje loo nkqubela kubugcisa, ‘sisaphila ubomi obufutshane obuzaliswe ziinkathazo.’ Liyinyaniso elokuba kumazwe asakhasayo ixesha ekulindeleke ukuba abantu baliphile liye landa ngokuphawulekayo kule nkulungwane sikuyo. Kodwa oku kubangelwa kukuphuculwa kwempilo, iindlela zococeko ezingakumbi, nokutya okusemgangathweni. Ngokomzekelo, ukususela phakathi kwinkulungwane ye-19 ukusa ekuqaleni kowe-1990, umlinganiselo wobomi obuphilwa ngamadoda eSweden wantinga ususela kwiminyaka engama-40 ukusa kwengama-75 nokusuka kwengama-44 ukusa kuma-80 kumabhinqa. Kodwa ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba umnqweno womntu wokuphila ubomi obude uye waneliswe?
Akunjalo, ngenxa yokuba kwamanye amazwe abantu baphila bade baluphale, amazwi uMoses awawabhala kwiminyaka eyadlulayo asasebenza: “Imihla yeminyaka yethu iseminyakeni engamashumi asixhenxe; ukuba ithe yaba mininzi kakhulu, iba yiminyaka emashumi asibhozo . . . , ngokuba ithe phe yakhawuleza, saphaphazela semka.” (INdumiso 90:10) Ngaba izinto ziya kuguquka kwixesha elizayo? Ngaba umntu uya kuphila ubomi obude ngokucacileyo? Inqaku elilandelayo liya kuphendula imibuzo enjalo.