Umbono WeBhayibheli
Iyini Injongo Yokuphila?
“ABASEKELI BEMFUNDISO KADARWIN BAPHIKISA NGOKUTHI INQUBO YOKUZIKHETHELA KWEMVELO IYINCAZELO EYANELE YOKUPHILA. NOKHO KUBONAKALA KUYINTO ESOBALA UKUTHI, UMA INTO EPHILAYO IQHUBEKA IBA INKIMBINKIMBI, IZIQAPHELA FUTHI IHLAKANIPHA NGOKWENGEZIWE, KHONA-KE KUNGENXA YOKUBA LEZOZIMFANELO ZISUKE ZIFISELEKA.”—DYLAN THOMAS (1914-53, IMBONGI NOMLOBI WASEWALES).
UKUFUNA injongo yokuphila akukusha. Emakhulwini eminyaka kuye kwahlupha izingqondo zabanelukuluku lokwazi. Ukuhlola kwamuva nje kubonisa ukuthi baningi abantu baseNew Zealand abacabanga ngayo namuhla kunaseminyakeni eyishumi edlule. Umbiko owanyatheliswa kuyi-Listener uthi amaphesenti angu-49 enani labantu, abaneminyaka engu-15 ubudala nangaphezulu, “ayecabanga njalo ngenjongo yokuphila,” ukwanda okusuka kumaphesenti angu-32 lapho kwenziwa ukuhlola okufanayo ngo-1985.
Kubonakala sengathi abaseNew Zealand baveza imizwa abantu bakwamanye amazwe abanayo. I-Listener iqhubeka ithi: “Ukuthambekela okwandayo kokuhlaziya ukubaluleka kokuba khona kwethu kungase kubonise ukuthi sikhathazeke ngokwengeziwe manje kunalokho esasiyikho ngawo-[1980], kunciphile ukuqiniseka ngesiqondiso.”
Ngokobufakazi obutholakalayo, izimpendulo ezinikezwa yizazi zemfundiso yokuziphendukela kwemvelo embuzweni obuzwa emhlabeni wonke othi, Kungani silapha? azanelisi enanini labantu elandayo. Ingabe iBhayibheli lingasinikeza isiqondiso esidingekayo ukuze umuntu athole injongo ekuphileni kwakhe?
“Amandla Ayinhloko Ashukumisayo”
Kuzo zonke izidalwa zomhlaba, umuntu kuphela ocabanga ngenjongo yokuphila. Uyazi ukuthi kungani? IBhayibheli linikeza esinye sezizathu kumShumayeli 3:11. Ngokuphathelene noMdali, lithi: “Uye wanika abantu umuzwa wesikhathi esidlule nesizayo.” (The New English Bible) Nakuba zonke izinto eziphilayo zingafuni ukuhlukana nokuphila, kubonakala sengathi umuntu uvelele ngokuba nomqondo wesikhathi—esidlule, esamanje, nesizayo. Umuntu angazindla ngesikhathi esidlule futhi abheke ikusasa, alihlelele, yebo, aze abe ngisho nanesifiso esinamandla sokuhlanganyela kulo. Futhi angakhungatheka lapho engakwazi ukufeza imigomo yakhe yekusasa ngenxa yesilinganiso esifushane sokuphila kwakhe okudlula ngokushesha.
Ngakho, umuntu kuphela obuza lemibuzo ethi, Kungani ngilapha? Ngiyaphi? Isazi sokusebenza kwengqondo uViktor Frankl sabhala: “Ukulwela ukuthola injongo ekuphileni komuntu kungamandla ayinhloko ashukumisayo kuye. . . . Ngikusho ngesibindi ukuthi, akukho lutho emhlabeni olungasiza umuntu ngokuphumelelayo ukuba asinde ngisho nasezimweni ezimbi kakhulu, kunolwazi lokuthi kukhona injongo ekuphileni kwakhe.”
Okwatholwa USolomoni Kwaqinisekiswa NguJesu
Isidingo sokuthola injongo ekuphileni sasihlaba umxhwele kubantu basendulo. Ake siphenye amakhasi omlando sihlehlele emuva eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezintathu embusweni wakwa-Israyeli ngaphansi kokubusa kukaSolomoni. INdlovukazi yaseSheba yathi ngaye: “Yayiqinisile indaba engayizwa ezweni lami ngamazwi akho nangokuhlakanipha kwakho. Kepha angikholwanga ngamazwi ngaze ngafika, kwabona amehlo ami; bheka, angitshelwanga nanxenye; udlula ngokuhlakanipha nenhlanhla udumo engaluzwa.”—1 AmaKhosi 10:6, 7.
Lapho ibhala incwadi yeBhayibheli yomShumayeli, iNkosi uSolomoni yazisa abafundi bencwadi yayo ngemiphumela yokuhlola eyakwenza ukuze ikhanyise injongo yokuphila. Kwakuwukuhlolwa kwamathuba okujabulela ukuphila afanela inkosi evamile yaseMpumalanga yasendulo. Esahlukweni 2, amavesi 1-10, yachaza ukuphila okujabulisayo okunzima ukukubona ngeso lengqondo namuhla. Yazama yonke into ukuphila okwakuyinikeza ngokuphathelene nengcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo nezinjabulo ezingokwenyama. Ingabe yathi ingakanani injongo enikezwa ukuphishekela izinto ezinjalo? Impendulo yayo izobamangaza labo abazethemba ngokweqile.
Lapho ibheka emuva kuzo zonke lezizinto, isinqumo sayo ngokuvamile sasingesona esihle. Zaziyize, ziwukuchitha isikhathi. Yabhala: “Ngase ngibhekana nemisebenzi yonke ezaziyenzile izandla zami, nomshikashika engangishikashikile ukuwenza; bheka, konke kwakuyize nokufuna umoya, akukho-nzuzo phansi kwelanga.”—UmShumayeli 2:11.
Yaphetha ngokuthi, ngaphansi kwezimo ezinhle kakhulu, izinjabulo zasemhlabeni ziletha injabulo yesikhashana kuphela. Ngisho nokuhlakanipha komuntu akunakumkhulula ebuhlungwini nasosizini lokuphila.
Esabela ekukhathazekeni okungadingekile kwendoda ethile ngefa lezinto ezibonakalayo, uJesu Kristu waphetha ngendlela efanayo lapho ethi esixukwini esasimlalele: “Hlalani nivule amehlo futhi niqaphe yonke inhlobo yokukhanuka, ngoba ngisho nalapho umuntu enensada ukuphila kwakhe akuveli ezintweni anazo.”—Luka 12:15.
UJehova uNkulunkulu kuphela onganqoba ubuthakathaka besintu ngokuphelele ekuphileni kwansuku zonke futhi anikeze izenzo zomuntu injongo ehlakaniphile. Ngakho, ukuphila ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu kuyize. Njengoba kulotshwe kumShumayeli 12:13, uSolomoni wachaza: “Nakhu ukuphela kwendaba, lapho sekuzwakele konke: Mesabe uNkulunkulu, ugcine imiyalo yakhe, ngokuba lokho kungokwabantu bonke.”
Ukuthola Injongo Yokuphila
Isinqumo sikaSolomoni sokuthi injongo yokuphila ayinakuhlukaniswa nokwesaba uNkulunkulu okunempilo saqinisekiswa uJesu Kristu ngokuphindaphindiwe. “Kulotshiwe ukuthi,” kusho uJesu, ecaphuna iZwi likaNkulunkulu, “Umuntu akumelwe aphile ngesinkwa sodwa, kodwa ngawo wonke amazwi aphuma emlonyeni kaJehova.” (Mathewu 4:4; Duteronomi 8:3) Yebo, ukuze ukuphila komuntu kwanelise, izici ezingokomoya azinakushaywa indiva. Ekhuluma ngaye ngokwakhe, uJesu waqhubeka wathi: “Ukudla kwami kuwukuba ngenze intando yalowo ongithumile nokuba ngiqede umsebenzi wakhe.” (Johane 4:34) Ukukhonza uYise wasezulwini ngokulalela kwakuwumthombo wenjabulo nokwaneliseka. Kwakumondla. Kwakwenza ukuphila kwakhe kube nenjongo.
Ngakho-ke, ingabe singaphila ngezinga eligcwele ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu? Cha! Ngokuthakazelisayo, isazi-mlando u-Arnold Toynbee sake sabhala ukuthi: “Injongo yeqiniso yenkolo ephakeme iwukukhipha izeluleko namaqiniso angokomoya awumongo wayo kungene emiphefumulweni eminingi engayifinyelela, ukuze ngamunye walemiphefumulo ukwazi ukugcwalisa injongo yeqiniso yoMuntu. Injongo yeqiniso yoMuntu iwukukhazimulisa uNkulunkulu nokujabula ngaYe phakade.” Umprofethi uMalaki wazwakalisa umbono kaNkulunkulu: “Besenibuya, [nibone umahluko phakathi kwabalungileyo, NW] nababi, abamkhonza uNkulunkulu nabangamkhonziyo.”—Malaki 3:18.
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
“Umuntu Ocabangayo,” nguRodin
[Umthombo]
Scala/Art Resource, N.Y.