Izimpumputhe Zinaliphi Ithemba?
UJOHN MILTON waloba inkondlo yakhe ethi Paradise Lost nethi Paradise Regained nakuba ayeyimpumputhe ngokuphelele. Ukuba yimpumputhe nesimungulu akumvimbanga uHelen Keller emizamweni yakhe yokusiza labo abakhubazeke emzimbeni. Yebo, abantu abaningi abayizimpumputhe babhekana kahle nesimo abakuso. Kodwa yeka ukuthi bekuyoba kuhle kanjani ukube wonke umuntu ubekwazi ukubona kahle! Ungase uvume ikakhulukazi uma unothandekayo noma umngane oyimpumputhe noma ongaboni kahle.
Yiqiniso, kwamanye amazwe izinhlelo zokusiza abakhubazekile zifundisa abantu abanezinkinga zokubona amakhono okuphila kwansuku zonke. IBraille nezinja ezihola izimpumputhe kusiza izimpumputhe ukuba zinakekele izidingo zazo eziningi. Nakuba kunjalo, abantu abaningi babheka ubumpumputhe njengokukhubazeka okungathandeki kakhulu. Omunye umlobi wathi: “Ukuba impumputhe kuwukulahlekelwa inkululeko yokuthintana nengxenye ebaluleke kakhulu yezwe lethu elibonakalayo.” Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abaningi baya bedinga ukuthembela kwabanye.
Ungase uzibuze, kungani ubumpumputhe banda kangaka? Nokho, uke wezwa nge-trachoma? Yiyo ebangela ubumpumputhe kwabayizigidi ezingu-9. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi ngokuphathelene nayo: “Lesisifo siyathathelwana futhi sichume lapho umphakathi uminyene khona endaweni ezungezile engahlanzekile. Ukuntuleka kwamanzi okuwasha, nenqwaba yezimpukane ezidonswa yindle yabantu, kubhebhezela ukusakazeka kwalesisifo. Ngezindlela ezithile i-trachoma iyinkinga yomphakathi kunokuba inkinga yabezokwelapha; uma kungase kuthuthukiswe izinga lokuphila, kuncishiswe ukuminyana kwabantu, kuqedwe izimpukane, futhi kuqikelelwe ukuthi kunamanzi anele, abantu abangenwa i-trachoma bangancipha kakhulu.” Abanye abayisigidi noma ngaphezulu baphethwe i-onchocerciasis. Noma kuthiwani nge-xerophthalmia? Nakuba leligama lilukhuni nje, iqiniso liwukuthi yiyona eyimbangela evamile yobumpumputhe. Isifo sikashukela, i-diphtheria, isimungumungwane, i-scarlet fever, nezifo ezithathelwana ngobulili nazo zingaholela ebumpumputheni.
Njengoba siya sikhula, ukubona kwethu kungase kufiphale ngenxa yokuxhwala kwamehlo kanye ne-glaucoma, futhi ngeke siwashiye ama-cataract. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica iyaphawula: “Ama-cataract asahamba phambili ezimbangeleni zobumpumputhe emazweni amaningi omhlaba, futhi okwenza lokhu kube impicabadala kakhulu ukuthi alapheka kalula kakhulu ngokuhlinzwa.”
Naphezu kwezinto ezintsha ezitholwe abezokucwaninga ngamehlo, ukuqedwa kobumpumputhe kubonakala kusekude. Yona le-encyclopedia ithi: “Intuthuko ekuvinjelweni nasekwelashweni kobumpumputhe ngemithi nangokuhlinzwa ingazuzisa kuphela umphakathi othola ukunakekelwa kwezempilo. Kuze kube yilapho amazinga okudla nawezempilo engxenye enkulu yomphakathi emhlabeni esethuthukisiwe, ubumpumputhe obelaphekayo busazohlala bukulelizinga eliphakeme obukulo.”
Nakuba imithi elwa namagciwane nokuhlinza kunengxenye yako ekulweni nobumpumputhe, ithemba lekhambi elihlala njalo lihlobene nalokho okwenzeka eminyakeni engaba izinkulungwane ezimbili ezidlule.
Ukwelapha Izimpumputhe Osukwini LukaJesu
Ake ubone ngeso lengqondo indoda engaba neminyaka engu-30 ihamba emgwaqweni owubhuqu. Ezwa ukuthi idlula ngakuwo, amadoda amabili ayizimpumputhe aseceleni komgwaqo ayamemeza: “Sihawukele!” Nakuba ababukele beziyala ukuba zithule, lezizimpumputhe zimememeza kakhulu kunakuqala: “Sihawukele!” Lendoda ibuza ngomusa: “Nifuna ukuba nginenzeleni?” Aphendula ngentshiseko: “Ukuba amehlo ethu avuleke.” Manje bona ngeso lengqondo: Lendoda ithinta amehlo azo, futhi masinyane ziyabona!—Mathewu 20:29-34.
Yeka ukuthi lamadoda ayeyizimpumputhe ajabula kanjani! Kodwa-ke, ubumpumputhe buvame kakhulu. Lokhu kwakumane nje kuyisenzakalo esisodwa. Kungani kufanele usinakisise? Ngenxa yokuthi nguJesu waseNazaretha owenzela lamadoda ayizimpumputhe umusa wokuba abone. Eqinisweni, ngaphezu ‘kokugcotshelwa ukuba ashumayele ivangeli kwabampofu,’ uJesu ‘wayethunyelwe ukubona kwabayizimpumputhe.’—Luka 4:18.
Abantu babekhexe imilomo ngokuphulukisa okunjalo okuyisimangaliso okwenziwa ngamandla omoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu. Siyafunda: “Baze bamangala abantu bebona izimungulu zikhuluma‚ izilima zisindile, izinyonga zihamba‚ izimpumputhe zibona; bamdumisa uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.” (Mathewu 15:31) Engafuni inkokhelo noma ukubukisa ngekhono lakhe noma ukuzifunela udumo ngokuphilisa okunjalo, uJesu waqokomisa uthando nesihe sikaJehova uNkulunkulu. Nokho, uJesu wayenesihawu nangabantu abayizimpumputhe ngokomoya futhi abangenakuzisiza ‘ababekhathazekile‚ behlakazekile njengezimvu ezingenamelusi.’—Mathewu 9:36.
Nakuba lomlando ungase uthakazelise, ungase uzibuze ukuthi Kuthiwani ngosuku lwanamuhla? Njengoba namuhla engekho umuntu owelapha abantu njengoJesu, lokhuya kuphulukisa kusho okuthile yini kithi? Likhona yini ithemba ngezimpumputhe? Siza ufunde isihloko esilandelayo.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]
“Kuze kube yilapho amazinga okudla naweze-mpilo engxenye enkulu yomphakathi emhlabeni esethuthukisiwe, ubumpu-mputhe obelaphekayo busazohlala bukulelizinga eliphakeme obukulo.”—The New Encyclopædia Britannica