Ngaba Akukho Themba Ngabafileyo?
NGOFEBRUWARI 1987, enye indoda eneminyaka engama-85 ubudala yayeka ukusebenzisa umatshini wokucoca igazi, owawuyinceda ukuba iqhubeke iphila. Emva kweeveki ezimbini yafa ikunye nonyana wayo okuphela kwakhe.
Kwimizuzu yokugqibela bekunye babexubusha ngombandela othi: Ngaba abafileyo baza kuphila kwakhona? Uyise walo mfana owayesisifundiswa, wayenamathandabuzo ngombandela wokufa. Wayephenjelelwe yimfundiso yendaleko ecatshukiswa naluhanahaniso olusezicaweni. Wayesithi yena akakholelwa ukuba uThixo ukho—ukholelwa ukuba akukho mntu waziyo ukuba uThixo ukho ngokwenene.
Unyana wakhe, owayefuna ukumthuthuzela nokumnik’ ithemba, wamxelela ukuba unokuphinda aphile. Xa sele eza kufa, uyise wathi bekuya kuba mnandi ukuphila kwakhona, uphile ubomi obusempilweni.
Intuthuzelo Ngoxa Sijamelene Nokufa
Abantu abaninzi bangathanda ukuphila kwakhona kwihlabathi elizaliswe luxolo yaye besempilweni. Abantu abafani nezilwanyana, kuba iBhayibhile ithi ‘aziqiqi,’ okanye ‘zinethuku.’ (2 Petros 2:12; New International Version) Siyabangcwaba abantu abafileyo. Sicinga ngekamva. Asifuni ukwaluphala, ukugula nokufa. Sekunjalo, ezi zizinto ezenzekayo ebomini.
Xa sicinga ukuba ngenye imini siya kufa okanye sifelwe ngumntu esimthandayo, siba buhlungu. Noko ke, iBhayibhile isikhuthaza ukuba singabi nadyudyu xa sijamelene nokufa, ithi: “Kulunge ngakumbi ukuya endlwini yokuzila kunokuya endlwini yesidlo.” Yongezelela isithi: “Ophilileyo ufanele akufake entliziyweni yakhe oku.” (INtshumayeli 7:2) Kutheni sifanele sicinge nzulu ngokufa?
Esinye isizathu kukuba, sizelwe sinomnqweno wokuphila ubomi obuseluxolweni nobunqabisekileyo. Akukho namnye kuthi ofuna ukufa. Kunzima ukuyamkela into yokuba ngenye imini siza kufa. IBhayibhile iyasichaza isizathu, ithi: “Kwanexesha elingenammiselo [uThixo] ulibeke ezintliziyweni zabo.” (INtshumayeli 3:11) Sifuna ukuphila—kungekhona ukufa. Khawucinge ngoku: Ngaba besiya kuhlala sinalo mnqweno ukuba uMdali wethu wayengasidalelanga ukuba siphile ngonaphakade? Ngaba kunokwenzeka ukuba siphile ubomi obusempilweni size sonwabe ngonaphakade?
Isizathu Sokuba Sikukholelwe
Kulo nyaka uphelileyo, iAARP The Magazine, epapashwe yiAmerican Association of Retired Persons, yayinenqaku elithi, “Ubomi Emva Kokufa.” Kwadliwan’ indlebe nabantu abaneminyaka engaphezu kwama-50 ubudala, yaye “phantse abangama-73 ekhulwini bavumelana nala mazwi, ‘ndikholelwa ukuba abantu banokuphinda baphile emva kokufa.’” Eli phephancwadi lathi phantse abangama-25 ekhulwini bathi, “Ndikholelwa ukuba xa ndifile, kuphelile ngam.” Kodwa ngaba abantu bafuna ukukholelwa kuloo nto ngokwenene?
Kwakweli nqaku kuthiwa, uTom ongumKatolika ohlala eNew York yena uthi: “Nabefundisi bashumayela ngokuphila emva kokufa. Yheyi, abantu bayashumayela phandl’ apha. Mna ndicinga ukuba umntu umele azenzele isigqibo ngento afuna ukuyikholelwa. Ndiyaya eMthendelekweni. Xa abantu bendibona, basenokucinga ukuba ndiyakholelwa kuvuko lwabafileyo, kodwa akunjalo. Ukuba ngokwenene luza kubakho, yibhasela leyo.”
Abanye bayafana noTom, bayaluthandabuza uvuko—njengotata ekuthethwe ngaye ekuqaleni, owayedla ngokuthi kunyana wakhe, “Ukukholelwa kunqulo kuluncedo kubantu abangafuniyo ukuyamkela into yokuba siza kufa.” Sekunjalo, yena kunye nabanye abaluthandabuzayo uvuko kuye kwafuneka bayiqonde into yokuba xa ukholelwa kuMdali onamandla onke, utsho uyibone indlela enokwenzeka ngayo imimangaliso.
Ngokomzekelo, kwiiveki nje ezintathu umntu ekhulelwe, ubuchopho bemveku buqalisa ukwakheka. Maxa wambi, ngomzuzu nje omnye ezi seli ziyanda zize zibe ngangesiqingatha sesigidi! Kwiinyanga ezisithoba kamva, loo mntwana uzalwa enengqondo ekulungeleyo ukufunda izinto ezininzi. Isazi sebhayoloji yeemolekhyuli uJames Watson sithi ingqondo “yeyona nto intsonkothileyo kwesiye sazifumana kuyo yonke indalo.”
Abantu abaninzi, xa becinga ngemimangaliso enjengale, bayakhwankqiswa. Ngaba kwenzeka okufanayo nakuwe? Ngaba xa ucinga ngezi zinto awuyifumani impendulo yombuzo owabuzwa yenye indoda eyayiphila mandulo, eyathi: “Ukuba indoda eyomeleleyo iyafa ngaba inokuphila kwakhona?” Xa yayithetha noThixo yaphendula yathi: “Uya kubiza, ndisabele. Uya kuwulangazelela umsebenzi wezandla zakho.”—Yobhi 14:14, 15.
Ngokuqinisekileyo sinesizathu sokuhlolisisa ubungqina bokukholelwa ukuba abantu abafileyo baza kuphinda baphile.