Ungaphila Isikhathi Eside Kangakanani?

ININGI lethu lizosheshe livume ukuthi kunezinkinga ekuphileni. Nokho, siyajabula ngokuthi siyaphila. Asaneliswa nje isikhathi sobuntwana bethu noma ukuphila isikhashana; singathanda ukuphila iminyaka eminingi. Nakuba kunjalo, ukufa kubonakala kungenakugwenywa. Ingabe kunjalo?

Kungenzeka yini ukwazi ukuhlehlisa ukufa? Ingabe ubude besikhathi sokuphila kwethu bunganwetshwa?

Ingabe Kuwubude Obunwetshiwe Besikhathi Sokuphila?

Ngo-1990 umbiko wezindaba wamemezela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuba ubude besikhathi sokuphila komuntu bunwetshwe bube “iminyaka eyikhulu neshumi.” Akungabazeki ukuthi lokhu kwakuwukubhekisela okugigiyelayo emazwini omhubi weBhayibheli uMose: “Izinsuku zeminyaka yethu zineminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa; kuthi uma ziziningi, zineminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili; nokho ukuvama kwazo kungukuhlupheka nelize, ngokuba zidlula masinyane, thina siyandiza, simuke.” (IHubo 90:10) Ngakho iBhayibheli linikeza iminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80 njengesilinganiso sobude bokuphila komuntu. Cishe mingaki iminyaka umuntu angalindela ukuyiphila namuhla?

Umbiko owakhishwa yi-WHO (World Health Organization) ngo-1992 wathi isilinganiso seminyaka yokuphila komuntu emhlabeni wonke singu-65. Ngokwe-WHO, lena “kwakulindeleke ukuba ikhule ngezinyanga ezicishe zibe zine ngonyaka eminyakeni emihlanu eyayizolandela, ngokuyinhloko ngenxa yokuncipha kokufa kwezinsana.” Nokho, ngisho nakuba isimangaliso sezokwelapha sasingavimbela ukufa kwanoma ubani ngaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka engu-50, umagazini i-Time uthi e-United States, “ukwanda kwesilinganiso seminyaka yokuphila bekuyoba iminyaka emithathu nengxenye kuphela.”

Kungani Ukuphila Kukufushane Kangaka?

UDkt. Jan Vijg we-Institute of Experimental Gerontology yaseNetherlands uphikisa ngokuthi njengoba nje izifo ezithile zihlobene nobuthakathaka bokwakheka kwamangqamuzana omzimba womuntu, ngakho inqubo yokuguga ibonakala ithonywa izici zofuzo. Abanye abacwaningi bakholelwa ukuthi singaphila isikhathi eside uma “ama-gene ayinhloko ambalwa” engathathelwa indawo ngamasha njengoba siguga. Abanye bachaza lokho kusikisela ngokuthi “okulula ngokweqisayo.”

Kunoma yikuphi, ososayensi bayavuma ukuthi “kubonakala kunohlobo oluthile lokulinganisela okungokwemvelo okwakhelwe ngaphakathi okwenziwe emangqamuzaneni omzimba womuntu,” kubika umagazini i-Time. Ngisho nalabo abaphikisa ngokuthi “senziwe ukuba sihlale siphila” bayavuma ukuthi “kunokuthile okuye kungahambi  kahle.” Ngempela, eminyakeni engu-65, 70, noma engu-80 noma iminyaka embalwa eyengeziwe, ukuphila kwethu ‘kudlula masinyane’ ngokufa, njengoba iBhayibheli lisho.

Nokho, umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu wekhulu lokuqala C.E. wabikezela ngesibindi: “Isitha sokugcina esiyakuchithwa singukufa.” (1 Korinte 15:26) Kungaqedwa kanjani ukufa? Ngisho nakuba kungaqedwa, ungabhekana kanjani nokufa kwabathandekayo namuhla?