EKUQALENI konyaka ka-2017 kwaphuma isimemezelo esithusayo esivela kososayensi. NgoJanuwari bathi sekusele kancane ukuba umhlaba uvelelwe inhlekelele engakaze ibe khona. Basebenzisa iwashi abalibiza ngokuthi i-Doomsday Clock, ukuze babonise ukuthi le nhlekelele isiseduze kangakanani. Manje leli washi libonisa ukuthi sekusele imizuzu emibili nohhafu ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke inhlekelele, okuyisikhathi esiseduze kakhulu abake basisho kule minyaka engaphezu kwengu-60 edlule.

Ososayensi bahlela ukuthi ngo-2018 baphinde bahlole ukuthi sekuseduze kangakanani ukuba umhlaba ufike ekupheleni kwawo. Kungenzeka yini leli washi liphinde libonise ukuthi kunenhlekelele ezayo? Ucabangani? Usengalungiseka yini umhlaba? Kungase kube nzima ukuphendula lo mbuzo. Ngisho nezifundiswa zinemibono engafani ngale ndaba. Akubona bonke abantu abakholelwa ukuthi kuzoba nenhlekelele ezobhubhisa umhlaba.

Izigidi zabantu zikholelwa ukuthi ukuphila kuzoba ngcono. Bathi banobufakazi obuphathekayo obubonisa ukuthi umhlaba awusoze wabhubha, kuzolokhu kunabantu abahlala kuwo futhi ukuphila kwabo kuzoba ngcono. Singabethemba yini lobo bufakazi? Usengalungiseka yini umhlaba noma cha?

UMA ufikelwa ukwesaba ngenxa yokuthi uzwa izindaba ezimbi njalo, awuwedwa. Ngo-2014, uBarack Obama, owayengumongameli waseMelika ngaleso sikhathi, wathi ngenxa yokuthi ziningi izinto ezimbi ezishiwo ezindabeni, abantu abaningi baphetha ngokuthi “akekho umuntu ongakwazi ukulungisa umonakalo owenzeka emhlabeni, ngenxa yokuthi awusalawuleki.”

Nokho, ngemva kokusho lawo mazwi wakhuluma ngokuqiniseka mayelana nezindlela zokulungisa izinkinga ezisemhlabeni. Wabiza ezinye izinhlelo zikahulumeni ngokuthi “ziyizindaba ezinhle” futhi wathi “unethemba lokuthi zizophumelela.” Ngamanye amazwi, wathi abantu banazo izindlela zokulungisa umhlaba, bavimbele umonakalo ongenzeka emhlabeni wonke.

Baningi abawusekelayo umbono wakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye babeke ithemba labo kuyisayensi futhi bathi kuzoba nentuthuko kwezobuchwepheshe engalungisa umhlaba. Enye ingcweti kwezobuchwepheshe nasekusungulweni kwezinto, yasho ngokuqiniseka ukuthi ngonyaka ka-2030 “ezobuchwepheshe zizobe sezinamandla kakhulu, futhi ngo-2045 amandla azo azobe esephindwe ngesigidi.” Yanezela, “Indlela esenza ngayo ibonisa ukuthi lokho kuzofezeka. Nakuba izinkinga esibhekene nazo sezizimbi kakhulu, ikhono lethu lokuzilungisa lithuthuka ngokushesha ukudlula izinga ezenzeka ngalo.”

Libi kangakanani ngempela izwe? Kuyiqiniso yini ukuthi sekuseduze ukuba kwenzeke inhlekelele ezobhubhisa umhlaba wonke? Nakuba ososayensi nabezepolitiki bethi umhlaba uzolungiseka, abantu abaningi sebephelelwe ithemba. Kungani?

IZIKHALI ZEMBUBHISO. Imizamo yenhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene nezinye izinhlangano, ihlulekile ukuqeda izikhali zenuzi. Kunalokho, abanye abaholi bayenza ihlaya imithetho enqabela ukusetshenziswa kwalezi zikhali. Amazwe anomlando wokuba nezikhali zenuzi, ayazithuthukisa izikhali zawo futhi enza nezinye eziyingozi nakakhulu. Namazwe ayengenazo izikhali zembubhiso ngaphambili, asengakwazi ukubulala abantu abaningi.

Okwenza umhlaba ube indawo engaphephile ngisho noma kuthiwa “kunokuthula,” ukuthi izizwe sezikulungele kunanini ngaphambili ukuhlasela ngezikhali zenuzi. I-Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ixwayisa ngokuthi, “Uma bekungaba khona izikhali eziyingozi ezikwazi ukubulala ngaphandle kokuqondiswa umuntu, lokho bekungenza abantu bahlalele ovalweni.”

IMPILO YETHU ISENGCUPHENI. Kuncane kakhulu okungenziwa isayensi ukuze sibe nempilo enhle. Ziyanda izinkinga zempilo ezibangelwa ukunyuka komfutho wegazi, ukukhuluphala, ukungcoliswa komoya nokusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa. Abantu abaningi babulawa izifo ezingalapheki ezinjengomdlavuza, isifo senhliziyo kanye nesifo sikashukela. Bayanda nabantu abakhubazwa ezinye izifo, ezihlanganisa nokuphazamiseka kwengqondo. Eminyakeni yamuva, sibone izifo eziyingozi ezisabalala ngokushesha ezifana ne-Ebola kanye negciwane iZika. Kuyacaca ukuthi ayikho into engenziwa abantu ukuze baqede ukugula.

ABANTU BALIMAZA IMVELO. Amafemu ayaqhubeka engcolisa umoya. Minyaka yonke kufa izigidi zabantu ngenxa yokuhogela umoya ongcolile.

Abantu, imiphakathi, kanye nezinhlangano zikahulumeni bayaqhubeka nokuchitha olwandle indle, udoti olahlwa izibhedlela namakiliniki nabezolimo, amapulastiki nokunye. I-Encyclopedia of Marine Science ithi, “Lokhu kungcoliswa kwamanzi kulimaza izilwane nezitshalo zasolwandle kanye nabantu abadla lezo zilwane nezitshalo.”

Ayaphela amanzi ahlanzekile. URobin McKie waseBrithani obhala ngesayensi uyaxwayisa, “Umhlaba wonke ubhekene nenkinga yamanzi.” Abezepolitiki bayavuma ukuthi abantu yibona abayimbangela enkulu yokushoda kwamanzi futhi ukushoda kwawo kuyinkinga enkulu.

IMVELO IHLASELA ABANTU. Iziphepho nokuzamazama komhlaba kubangela izikhukhula nokudilika kwenhlabathi okulimazayo, kubangele nezinye izinkinga. Baningi kunanini ngaphambili abantu abafile noma bavelelwa yizinkinga ngenxa yalezi zinto. Ucwaningo olwenziwe inhlangano yezasemkhathini yaseMelika i-NASA, lubonise ukuthi kusengenzeka kube “nezinye iziphepho, ukushisa okubulalayo, kanye nezikhukhula nesomiso.” Imvelo izobabhubhisa ngempela yini abantu?

Kungenzeka zikhona nezinye izinto ozicabangayo ezingasibulala. Nokho, izimpendulo ezanelisayo ngokuthi ikusasa lisiphatheleni ngeke uzithole ngokuhlola zonke izinto ezimbi ezenzakayo namuhla. Abanye bathi ngeke uzithole ngisho noma ungalalela okushiwo abezepolitiki kanye nososayensi. Njengoba kubonisiwe esihlokweni esidlule, abaningi bazitholile izimpendulo ezanelisayo zemibuzo yabo emayelana nezinto ezenzekayo ezweni kanye nekusasa. Zitholakalaphi lezo zimpendulo?

Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngalezi ziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezilandelayo:

• “Isizwe siyovukela isizwe nombuso uvukele umbuso, futhi kuyoba khona ukusweleka kokudla nokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ngezindawo.”—Mathewu 24:7.

• “Ezinsukwini zokugcina kuyofika izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo. Ngoba abantu bayokuba abazithandayo, abathanda imali, abazazisayo, abazidlayo, abahlambalazi, abangalaleli abazali, abangabongiyo, abangathembeki, abangenalo uthando, abangafuni sivumelwano, abanyundeli, abangenakho ukuzithiba, abanolaka, abangenalo uthando lokuhle, abakhapheli, abanenkani, abakhukhumele, abathandi benjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu.”—2 Thimothewu 3:1-4.

Lezi ziprofetho zichaza umhlaba abantu abaningi abangathi awusalawuleki. Ngokomqondo othile, singasho ukuthi umhlaba awusalawuleki ngoba abantu bahlulekile ukuwulawula. Ngokusho kweBhayibheli, abantu abanakho ukuhlakanipha namandla ukuze balungise umhlaba ngokuphelele. Lokhu kuchazwe kahle kule miBhalo elandelayo:

• “Kukhona indlela eqondile phambi komuntu, kodwa ukuphela kwayo kamuva kuyizindlela zokufa.”​—IzAga 14:12.

• ‘Umuntu uye wabusa umuntu kwaba ukulimala kwakhe.’​—UmShumayeli 8:9.

• “Akukona okomuntu . . . ngisho nokuqondisa isinyathelo sakhe.”​—Jeremiya 10:23.

Ukube abantu bebengaqhubeka benza noma yini abayithandayo, bekungaba nenhlekelele emhlabeni wonke. Kodwa lokho akusoze kwenzeka! Kungani? Ngenxa yalezi zizathu ezishiwo iBhayibheli:

• UNkulunkulu “usekelé umhlaba phezu kwezindawo zawo ezimisiweyo; ngeke untengantengiswe kuze kube nini nanini, noma kuze kube phakade.”​—IHubo 104:5.

• “Isizukulwane siyamuka, isizukulwane siyeza; kodwa umhlaba umi kuze kube nini nanini.”​—UmShumayeli 1:4.

• “Abalungile bayokudla ifa lomhlaba, futhi bayohlala kuwo kuze kube phakade.”​—IHubo 37:29.

• “Kuyoba khona inala yokusanhlamvu emhlabeni; kuyoba khona ukuchichima esiqongweni sezintaba.”​—IHubo 72:16.

Lezi zimfundiso eziseBhayibhelini zinikeza izimpendulo ezicacile. Abantu ngeke babhujiswe ukungcola komhlaba, ukungabi khona kokudla namanzi okwanele noma isifo esibulalayo. Izikhali zenuzi ngeke ziwubhubhise umhlaba. Kungani? Ikusasa lomhlaba lisezandleni zikaNkulunkulu. Kuyavunywa, uNkulunkulu uyabavumela abantu ukuba bazinqumele ukuthi yini abafuna ukuyenza. Kodwa bayobhekana nemiphumela yezenzo zabo. (Galathiya 6:7) Umhlaba awufani nesitimela esingalawuleki esibheke enhlekeleleni. UNkulunkulu ubeke imingcele yokuthi ungakanani umonakalo ongenziwa abantu.—IHubo 83:18; Hebheru 4:13.

UNkulunkulu uyokwenza okungaphezu kwalokho. Uyokwenza kube ‘nokuchichima kokuthula.’ (IHubo 37:11) Lokhu esikhulume ngakho kulesi sihloko, kumane kungamazwibela ethemba eliqhakazile izigidi zoFakazi BakaJehova ezilifundile ngokutadisha iBhayibheli.

OFakazi BakaJehova bangamadoda nabesifazane abaneminyaka engafani, abavela ezindaweni ezehlukahlukene emhlabeni wonke. Bakhonza uNkulunkulu weqiniso, iBhayibheli elimbiza ngoJehova. Abakwesabi lokho okuzokwenzeka esikhathini esizayo ngoba iBhayibheli lithi: “Yilokhu uJehova akushilo, uMdali wamazulu, Yena onguNkulunkulu weqiniso, uMbumbi womhlaba noMenzi wawo, Yena owawumisa waqina, ongazange awudalele ize nje, owawubumba ukuze uhlalwe ngisho nokuhlalwa: ‘NginguJehova, akekho omunye.’”​—Isaya 45:18.