Abantu Banokuphila Ixesha Elide Kangakanani?
NGOMATSHI 3, 1513, umhloli wamazwe waseSpeyin uJuan Ponce de León wathabatha uhambo olubalulekileyo. Wahamba ngenqanawa ukusuka Puerto Rico enethemba lokufika kwisiqithi saseBimini. Ngokutsho kwembali wayefuna umthombo wamanzi angummangaliso—iFountain of Youth (Umthombo Wobutsha). Kodwa wamisa kwindawo ngoku eyaziwa ngokuba yiFlorida, eUnited States. Kakade ke, akazange awufumane loo mthombo kuba eneneni wawungekho.
Namhlanje, ngokuqhelekileyo abantu abaphili ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-70 okanye engama-80. Nangona iBhayibhile ithetha ngabantu abaphila ixesha elide kakhulu, ngokutsho kwe-2002 Guinness Book of World Records, iminyaka yoyena mntu mdala wakha waphila yayili-122 neentsuku ezili-164. (Genesis 5:3-32) Noko ke, uJohn Harris ingcali kwimicimbi yezonyango ekuthiwa yibioethicist wathi: “Uphando olutsha lubonisa ukuba kunokwenzeka ukuba kubekho ihlabathi apho ukwaluphala—yaye kwanokufa—kungasayi kuba yinto enokuphepheka.” Abaphengululi abaninzi benkulungwane yama-21 bathetha “ngokungafi” “ukungabikho komlinganiselo kubude bobomi babantu ngowama-2099,” “ukwanda kweeseli okungenasiphelo,” nezinye izinto ezifana nezo.
Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Dream of Eternal Life, uMark Benecke uthi: “Phantse zonke iiseli zomzimba ziyazihlaziya izihlandlo ezininzi ngoxa umntu esaphila. . . . Emva kweminyaka enokuba sixhenxe, ngandlel’ ithile siba nemizimba emitsha ngokupheleleyo.” Noko ke, oku akwenzeki ngonaphakade kuba iiseli ziyayeka ukuphindaphindeka emva kokuba oko kwenzeke izihlandlo ezithile. Noko ke ukuba bekungenjalo, lo kaBenecke uthi “umzimba womntu ubunokuzihlaziya ixesha elide—kwanangonaphakade.”
Kwakhona, cinga ngamandla obuchopho bomntu, sekunjalo mancinane gqitha esiwasebenzisayo kubomi bethu obufutshane. Ngokutsho kwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, ubuchopho bomntu “bunamandla amaninzi angaphezu kwalawo anokusetyenziswa ngumntu ebomini bakhe.” (Uhlelo lowe-1976, Umqulu 12, iphepha 998) Incwadi ethi How the Brain Learns, kaDavid A. Sousa ithi: “Amandla obuchopho okugcina inkcazelo akanamda.”—Iphepha 78, Uhlelo Lwesibini, copyright 2001.
Ngenxa yendlela esenziwe ngayo, kutheni abaphengululi bengasifumani isizathu sokuba sisifa? Yaye kutheni ubuchopho bomntu bunamandla amakhulu kangaka? Ngaba kunokwenzeka ukuba sasidalelwe ukuba singenise ulwazi ngonaphakade? Kutheni sicinga ngokuphila ubomi obungunaphakade?
IBhayibhile ithi: “Kwanexesha elingenammiselo [uThixo] ulibeke ezintliziyweni zabo, ukuze uluntu lungaze luwufumane umsebenzi uThixo oyinyaniso awenzileyo ukususela ekuqaleni kuse ekupheleni.” (INtshumayeli 3:11) La mazwi abonisa ukuba uThixo usenze saba nengcamango yokuphila ngonaphakade. Ngenxa yeso sizathu, siya kusoloko sinento esinokufunda ngayo ngoThixo nangemisebenzi yakhe. Ukuba siphila iminyaka engamawaka ezigidi—ewe, ngonaphakade—siya kusoloko sikwazi ukufunda okungakumbi ngemisebenzi kaThixo emangalisayo yendalo.
Amazwi kaYesu Kristu akwabonisa ukuba ukuphila ngonaphakade kuyinto enokwenzeka. Wathi: “Oku kuthetha ubomi obungunaphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, wena ukuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, nangalowo umthumileyo, uYesu Kristu.” (Yohane 17:3) Kuthekani ngawe? Ngaba uyakufuna ukuphila ngonaphakade?
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 3]
UJuan Ponce de León wayefuna umthombo wobutsha
[Inkcazelo]
Ponce de León: Harper’s Encyclopædia of United States History