Lapho Kugadla Izinhlekelele Ezingokwemvelo
E-Accra, eGhana, ngo-July 4, 1995: Imvula enkulu kakhulu cishe eminyakeni engu-60 yabangela isikhukhula esikhulu. Abangaba ngu-200 000 balahlekelwa yikho konke, abangu- 500 000 balahlekelwa amakhaya, kwathi abangu-22 bafa.
ESan Angelo, eTexas, e-U.S.A., ngo-May 28, 1995: Iziphepho ezinkulu nesichotho konakalisa leli dolobha lezakhamuzi ezingu-90 000, kwadaleka umonakalo olinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-522 zamaRandi.
EKobe, eJapane, ngo-January 17, 1995: Ukuzamazama komhlaba okwathatha imizuzwana engu-20 kuphela kwashiya izinkulungwane zifile, amashumi ezinkulungwane elimele, namakhulu ezinkulungwane engenamakhaya.
SIPHILA kulokho okungase kubizwe ngokuthi isikhathi sezinhlekelele. Umbiko weZizwe Ezihlangene umbula ukuthi enkathini yeminyaka engu-30 yango-1963-92, inani labantu abafa, abalimala, noma abaswela amakhaya ngenxa yezinhlekelele lalikhuphuka ngesilinganiso samaphesenti ayisithupha unyaka ngamunye. Lesi simo esingenathemba siye sabangela i-UN ukuba ibize iminyaka yawo-1990 ngokuthi “i-International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.”
Yebo, amandla emvelo—njengesivunguvungu, intaba-mlilo, noma ukuzamazama komhlaba—awabangeli inhlekelele ngaso sonke isikhathi. Unyaka nonyaka kwenzeka eziningi zalezi zinto kungalimali muntu. Kodwa lapho kuhileleke ukuphila kwabantu abaningi nempahla, kubizwa ngokufanelekile ngokuthi inhlekelele.
Ukwanda kwezinhlekelele ezingokwemvelo kubonakala kungenakugwenywa. Incwadi ethi Natural Disasters—Acts of God or Acts of Man? iyaphawula: “Abantu bashintsha indawo ebazungezile bayenze ithambekele kakhudlwana ezinhlekeleleni ezithile, futhi baziphatha ngendlela ebenza bachayeke kakhudlwana kulezo zingozi.” Lencwadi inikeza isibonelo esicatshangelwe: “Ukuzamazama komhlaba okungatheni emijondolo eyakhiwe ngodaka olusindayo esemhosheni owehlelayo kungaba inhlekelele yokufa nokuhlupheka kwabantu. Ingabe ngokuyinhloko leyo nhlekelele ibangelwe ukungquzuleka komhlaba noma ukuhlala kwabantu ezindlini eziyingozi kangako endaweni eyingozi kangako?”
Kubafundi beBhayibheli, kukhona nesinye isizathu esenza ukwanda kwezinhlekelele zemvelo kungamangazi. Cishe eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule, uJesu Kristu wabikezela ukuthi ‘isiphelo sesimiso sezinto,’ phakathi kokunye, sasiyophawulwa “ukuswelakala kokudla nokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ngezindawo.” (Mathewu 24:3, 6-8) IBhayibheli labikezela nokuthi phakathi ‘nezinsuku zokugcina,’ abantu babeyoba abazithandayo, abathandi bemali, abangenakho ukusondelana ngokomzwelo okungokwemvelo, nabangenalo uthando ngobuhle.a (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Lezi zici zivame ukubangela umuntu ukuba enze ngokuphikisana nendawo emzungezile, kwenze abantu bachayeke kakhudlwana emandleni angokwemvelo. Izinhlekelele ezenziwe abantu nazo ziwumxhantela obangelwa umphakathi ongenaluthando abaningi bethu okufanele baphile kuwo.
Njengoba iplanethi yethu igcwala abantu ngokwengeziwe, njengoba ukuziphatha komuntu kubeka abantu engozini enkudlwana, futhi njengoba imithombo yomhlaba iphathwa kabi ngokwandayo, izinhlekelele zizoqhubeka zihlupha abantu. Ukunikeza usizo kuyinselele, njengoba isihloko esilandelayo sizobonisa.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngesibonakaliso sezinsuku zokugcina, bheka incwadi ethi Ulwazi Oluholela Ekuphileni Okumi Phakade, amakhasi 98-107, enyatheliswa yi-Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]
COVER: Maxie Roberts/Courtesy of THE STATE
[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 3]
Top: Information Services Department, Ghana; right: San Angelo Standard-Times