Ukufuna Kwethu Ukuphila Isikhathi Esijana
“Umuntu ozelwe ngowesifazane imihla yakhe mifushane, igcwele ukuyaluza. Uyavela njengembali, abune; ubaleka njengethunzi, angemi.”—Jobe 14:1, 2.
NGISHO nanamuhla bambalwa abangaphikisana nalo mbono wobufushane bokuphila, nakuba walotshwa eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 500 edlule. Ngaso sonke isikhathi abantu baye bakuthola kungenelisi ukunambitha kancane ukuphila kobungqabavu bese beguga befa. Ngakho-ke, kuwo wonke umlando ziye zanda izindlela zokwenza ukuphila kube kude.
Ngesikhathi sikaJobe abantu baseGibithe babedla amasende ezilwane, bezama ukubuyela ebusheni, kodwa kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya. Enye yezinjongo eziyinhloko zesayensi yokuthakwa kwemithi yangeNkathi Ephakathi yayiwukwenza ikhambi elingaholela ekuphileni isikhathi esijana. Abathaki abaningi bangeNkathi Ephakathi babekholelwa ukuthi igolide lokuzenzela lalingenza umuntu angafi nokuthi ukudlela ezitsheni zegolide kwakuzokwenza umuntu aphile isikhathi eside. AmaShayina asendulo angamaTao ayecabanga ukuthi ayengashintsha izakhi zomzimba ngokusebenzisa izindlela ezinjengokuzindla, ukuzivivinya ngokuphefumula nangokudla ukudla okuthile, ngaleyo ndlela angafi.
Umhloli wamazwe waseSpain uJuan Ponce de León waziwa ngokufuna ngokungadeli umthombo wobusha. Udokotela wangekhulu le-18 encwadini yakhe ethi Hermippus Redivivus watusa ukuba izincasakazi ezisencane zigcinwe egunjini elincane entwasahlobo bese umoya eziwuphefumulayo uqoqelwe emabhodleleni usetshenziswe njengomuthi wokunweba ukuphila. Akudingeki nokuba kushiwo ukuthi ayikho kulezi zindlela eye yaphumelela.
Namuhla, ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-3 500 uMose aloba amazwi kaJobe, umuntu uye wahamba enyangeni, wasungula izimoto nama-computer, futhi wacwaninga i-athomu nengqamuzana. Nokho, naphezu kwentuthuko enjalo yezobuchwepheshe, ‘sisenemihla emifushane, egcwele ukuyaluza.’ Kuyiqiniso ukuthi emazweni athuthukile iminyaka yokuphila iye yakhuphuka ngokuphawulekayo ekhulwini elidlule leminyaka. Kodwa lokhu kubangelwa ngokuyinhloko ukunakekelwa kwempilo okuthuthukile, izindlela eziphumelela ngokwengeziwe zenhlanzeko kanye nokondleka kangcono. Ngokwesibonelo, kusukela phakathi nekhulu le-19 kuya ekuqaleni kweminyaka yawo-1900, isilinganiso seminyaka ephilwayo eSweden sakhuphuka sisuka eminyakeni engu-40 saya eminyakeni engu-75 kwabesilisa kanti kwabesifazane sasuka eminyakeni engu-44 saya kwengu-80. Kodwa ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi isifiso somuntu sokuphila isikhathi esijana siye saneliswa?
Cha, ngenxa yokuthi nakuba kwamanye amazwe kunabantu abengeziwe abaphila baze baguge, amazwi uMose awabhala eminyakeni eminingi edlule asasebenza: “Izinsuku zeminyaka yethu zineminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa; kuthi uma ziziningi, zineminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili . . . , ngokuba zidlula masinyane, thina siyandiza, simuke.” (IHubo 90:10) Ingabe kuyoshintsha esikhathini esiseduze esizayo? Ingabe umuntu uyokwazi ukuphila isikhathi eside ngokuphawulekayo? Isihloko esilandelayo sizoxoxa ngemibuzo enjalo.