Ukufa—Usizi Lomhlaba Wonke
UNYAKA ngamunye abantu abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-50 bayafa embulungeni yonke. Lokho kusho ukuthi bangu-137-000 ngosuku, bangu-5 700 ngehora, bacishe babe yikhulu ngomzuzu, noma abantu abangaphezu kwabathathu njalo ngemizuzwana emibili. Awukho umkhaya ongathintwa usizi lokufa. Inkosi noma umfokazana, isicebi noma ompofu, indoda noma owesifazane—bonke bayafa ngokufanayo.
“Kulelizwe akukho okuqiniseke njengokufa kanye nokukhokha izintela,” kubhala umshicileli odumile waseMelika, owumsunguli, kanye nesikhulu sezokuphathwa kwezwe uBenjamin Franklin esho kumngane wakhe ngo-1789. Nokho, umbono wakhe wawungewona ongavamile. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 800 ngaphambili, iNkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yesizwe samandulo sakwaIsrayeli yathi: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa.” Nokho, yayimane nje iqinisekisa lokho okwashiwo eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 000 ngaphambili kushiwo kumuntu wokuqala ngqá emhlabeni: “Ungumhlabathi, uyakuphenduka umhlabathi.”—UmShumayeli 9:5; Genesise 3:19.
Njengoba ukufa kuye kwaba into engagwemeki kuwo wonke umlando wesintu, namanje kusewumthombo wosizi olukhulu. Kuye kwashiwo ngokufanelekile ukuthi isifiso sethu esivamile siwukuphila, hhayi ukufa. Ubuhlobo esinabo nomkhaya kanye nabangane buyizibopho eziqinile esilangazelela ukuba ziqhubeke. Kodwa njengoba iminyaka iqhubeka, ngasinye ngasinye, lezibopho zigqashulwa ukufa. Ogogo nomkhulu bethu, abazali, kanye nabangane bayafa.
“Amaqiniso awukuthi abantu asebedlulile eminyakeni eyikhulu ubudala abaphila baze badlule unyaka we-113 ubudala bayindlala kakhulu futhi isilinganiso samanje esiwujuqu sokuphila isikhathi eside komuntu esiqinisekisiwe asivumi ukuthi kukhona umuntu owaphila waze wadlula unyaka we-120 ubudala,” kusho iGuinness Book of World Records. Ngakho, akekho umuntu ophilayo namuhla owabona ukuzalwa kukaWinston Churchill (1874) noma kukaMohandas Gandhi (1869), ukudayiswa kweAlaska eUnited States yiRussia ngo-1867, noma ukubulawa kuka-Abraham Lincoln ngo-1865—ingasaphathwa eyazo zonke izenzakalo zomlando ezandulela lezi zekhulu le-19 leminyaka.
Empeleni, naphezu kwayo yonke intuthuko yesimanje yezokwelapha kanye nezesayensi, ubude besikhathi sokuphila komuntu busalingana nalobo obashiwo indoda yakudala uMose: “Izinsuku zeminyaka yethu zineminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa; kuthi uma ziziningi, zineminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili; nokho ukuvama kwazo kungukuhlupheka nelize, ngokuba zidlula masinyane, thina siyandiza, simuke.” (IHubo 90:10) Lokhu kwakuchaza isimo esivamile. UMose ngokwakhe waphila iminyaka engu-120.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukuphila kungaba nezinkathazo kangakanani, ukushonelwa kuletha ubuhlungu nosizi okukhulu. Ngokuvamile kuba nomphumela omubi empilweni yalabo abasele futhi kuye kwaziwa njengokusheshisa ukugula nokufa. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iliphi ilungu lomkhaya elifayo, kuba nomuzwa omkhulu wokulahlekelwa. Njengoba esinye isazi sezifo zengqondo sikubeka, “lapho umzali wakho efa, usuke usulahlekelwe isikhathi sakho esedlule. Lapho ingane yakho ifa, usuke usulahlekelwe ikusasa lakho.” Ukukhathazeka kanye nokucindezeleka kwemizwelo okulandelayo kungaba kukhulu kakhulu. Ngokuvamile ukushonelwa kudinga izimali ezinkulu, okwenza izimo zibe zimbi nakakhulu. Ukucindezela kokunamathela emikhubeni ethile yomngcwabo kanye namasiko kunganezela osizini.
Nakuba kunjalo, ingabe ikhona indlela esinganciphisa ngayo okunye kokucindezela kanye nomthwalo oba phezu kwethu lapho othandekayo efa?