Abantu Bangaphila Isikhathi Eside Kangakanani?
NGO-MARCH 3, 1513, umhloli wamazwe waseSpain, uJuan Ponce de León wangena emkhunjini wathatha uhambo oluphawulekayo. Wasuka ePuerto Rico enethemba lokufika esiqhingini saseBimini. Inganekwane ithi wayefuna umthombo wezimanga—uMthombo Wobusha. Kodwa wazithola esesifundazweni manje okuthiwa iFlorida, e-U.S.A. Yebo, akazange awuthole lowo mthombo ngoba wawungekho.
Namuhla, abantu ngokuvamile abaphili iminyaka engaphezu kuka-70 noma kuka-80. Nakuba iBhayibheli likhuluma ngabantu abaphila isikhathi eside kakhulu kunalokho, i-Guinness Book of World Records Ka-2002 ithi umuntu owaphila isikhathi eside kunabo bonke waphila iminyaka engu-122 nezinsuku ezingu-164. (Genesise 5:3-32) Nokho, uJohn Harris, isazi sezimiso zabacwaningi kwezokwelapha, wathi: “Manje ucwaningo olusha lubonisa ukuthi sekungenzeka ukuba ukuguga—ngisho nokufa—kungabe kusaba into engagwemeki kubantu.” Abacwaningi abaningi bekhulu lama-21 bakhuluma ngomqondo othile “wokungafi,” bakhulume nangokuthi “abantu bayobe sebephila ukuphila okunganqamuki lapho kufika unyaka ka-2099,” bakhulume “ngokuphindaphindeka kwamangqamuzana okungafiki esiphelweni,” nezinye izinto ezifana nalezo.
Encwadini yakhe ethi The Dream of Eternal Life, uMark Benecke uthi: “Cishe wonke umzimba uvuseleleka kaningana phakathi nokuphila komuntu. . . . Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-7, sisuke sesinomzimba omusha ngempela.” Nokho, lokhu akuqhubeki unomphela ngoba amangqamuzana awabe esaphindaphindeka ngemva kokuba ephindaphindeke izikhathi ezithile. Nokho, ukube bekungenzeki lokho, “umzimba womuntu ubuyozivuselela isikhathi eside kabi—kuze kube phakade imbala,” kusho uBenecke.
Cabanga futhi ngamandla amangalisayo obuchopho bomuntu, amandla amakhulu kakhulu kunalawo esiwasebenzisa ekuphileni kwethu okufushane. Ngokwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, ubuchopho bomuntu “bunekhono elikhulu kakhulu kunalokho umuntu angakusebenzisa ekuphileni okukodwa.” (UHlelo lwango-1976, uMqulu 12, ikhasi 998) Incwadi kaDavid A. Sousa ethi How the Brain Learns, ithi: “Empeleni, ikhono lobuchopho lokugcina ukwaziswa alinamkhawulo.”—Ikhasi 78, UHlelo Lwesibili, copyright 2001.
Ngokwendlela umzimba owakheke ngayo, kungani abacwaningi bengazitholi izizathu ezenza sife? Futhi kungani ubuchopho bomuntu bukwazi ukumumatha kangaka? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi sasidalelwe ukuhlala singenisa ulwazi phakade? Kungani sikwazi ukucabanga ngokuphila okuphakade?
IBhayibheli lithi: “[UNkulunkulu] ufake ngisho nobuphakade ezinhliziyweni [zabo], ukuze abantu bangawutholi nanini umsebenzi uNkulunkulu weqiniso awenzile kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni.” (UmShumayeli 3:11) La mazwi abonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wafaka kithi umqondo wokuphila phakade. Ngenxa yalokho, sasiyohlale sinokuthile kokukufunda ngoNkulunkulu nangemisebenzi yakhe. Ukube besingaphila izigidi zeminyaka—yebo, siphile phakade—besiyokwazi ukuhlala sifunda okwengeziwe ngezinto ezimangalisayo uNkulunkulu azidalile.
Amazwi kaJesu Kristu abonisa nokuthi ukuphila kwabantu phakade kungenzeka. Wathi: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okuphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo omthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) Wena? Uyafuna yini ukuphila phakade?
[Izithombe ekhasini 3]
UJuan Ponce de León wafuna umthombo wobusha
[Umthombo]
Ponce de León: Harper’s Encyclopædia of United States History