“Besingakafiki Isikhathi Sami”
Umshayeli waphunyukwa iloli elikhulu elithutha udoti laphuma endleleni. Lashayisa unqenqema lomgwaqo, lashayisa umbhangqwana othile nensizwa eneminyaka engu-23 ababehamba eceleni komgwaqo. Ngokombiko wephephandaba laseNew York City, umbhangqwana wafa ngaso leso sikhathi kodwa le nsizwa yaquleka. Lapho iphaphama futhi ibona okwakwenzekile, into yokuqala eyafika engqondweni ukuthi: ‘Angikholwa. Ngiyakucela Nkulunkulu, ngophule kulokhu.’ Yathi: “Besingakafiki isikhathi sami.”
NGOKUQINISEKILE usuke wazizwa izindaba ezinjalo. Lapho umuntu esinda ngokulambisa enhlekeleleni, abantu bathi, ‘Besingakafiki isikhathi sakhe,’ kodwa lapho othile efa engozini engavamile, baphetha ngokuthi, ‘Besesifikile isikhathi sakhe’ noma bathi, ‘Kwenzeke intando kaNkulunkulu.’ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokhu kwenzeke ngenxa yokudalelwa, inhlanhla noma uNkulunkulu, inkolelo iyefana. Abantu abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi izinto ezenzeka ekuphileni kwabo nemiphumela yazo kunqunywa kusengaphambili futhi ayikho into abangayenza ngakho. Futhi le ndlela yokusabela ayigcini nje lapho kuhileleke ukufa noma izingozi; futhi ayiqali nje ukuba khona kule nkathi.
Ngokwesibonelo, abantu baseBhabhiloni lasendulo babekholelwa ukuthi izindaba zabantu zithonywa yizinkanyezi nokuhamba kwazo. Ngakho-ke, babebheka ezulwini ukuze bathole izimpawu namabika azobaqondisa. AmaGreki namaRoma ayekhulekela onkulunkulukazi bokudalelwa, ngezinye izikhathi okubonakala sengathi amandla abo okubangela okuhle noma okubi ayedlula ngisho intando yonkulunkulu babo abakhulu, uZeyusi noJupiter.
Emazweni aseMpumalanga, amaHindu namaBuddha akholelwa ukuthi lokho umuntu abhekene nakho njengamanje kuwumphumela walokho akwenza esikhathini esidlule, futhi izenzo zakhe ekuphileni kwamanje ziyonquma ukuthi uyobhekana nani ekuphileni kwakhe okuzayo. Ezinye izinkolo—kuhlanganise namasonto amaningi eLobukholwa—nazo ziyazemukela izinkolelo ezinjalo ngokufundisa imfundiso yokudalelwa.
Ngakho-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi ngisho nasenkathini yethu okuthiwa ikhanyiselwe, abantu abaningi basakholelwa ukuthi isimo sabo ekuphileni, nemiphumela yezinto zansuku zonke, kuhlanganise nesiphetho sabo konke kulawulwa ukudalelwa futhi kuncane kakhulu abangakwenza ngakho. Ingabe uzizwa ngaleyo ndlela ngokuphila? Ingabe izenzakalo zokuphila nezingozi, ukuphumelela nokwehluleka—ngisho nokuzalwa nokufa—kwanqunywa ngempela? Ingabe ukuphila kwakho kubuswa ukudalelwa? Ake sibone ukuthi iBhayibheli lingasisiza kanjani ekuphenduleni le mibuzo.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Ken Murray/New York Daily News