EMAYINI yamalahle eseduze nePittsburgh, ePennsylvania, e-U.S.A., kwagcwala izigidi zamalitha amanzi. Izisebenzi ezingu-9 zavaleleka endaweni encane ejule ngamamitha angu-73. Ezinsukwini ezintathu kamuva zase ziphumile, futhi ziphephile. Zatakulwa kanjani?

Ngosizo lwamabalazwe emayini ne-Global Positioning System, abatakuli babhoboza imbobo engamasentimitha angu-65 ububanzi base befaka ikheji elivalekile balehlisela lapho lezi zisebenzi zazikhona. Zakhishelwa ngaphandle ngekheji, zaphuma ethunzini lokufa, ngasinye ngasinye. Zonke zajabula, zakhululeka futhi zababonga kakhulu abatakuli bazo.

Iningi lethu alisoze lavaleleka emajukujukwini omhlaba njengalezi zisebenzi zasemayini yamalahle ezingu-9 noma sibhekane nokufa ngenxa yezinhlekelele. Noma kunjalo, sonke sidinga ukutakulwa, ngoba asinakuyigwema imiphumela yokugula, ukuguga nokufa ekugcineni. Inzalamizi ethembekile uJobe yathi: “Umuntu, ozalwa owesifazane, uphila isikhashana futhi ugcwele ukuyaluza. Uyavela njengembali anqunywe, uyabaleka njengesithunzi futhi akahlali ekhona.” (Jobe 14:1, 2) Namuhla, ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-3 500 kamuva, la mazwi aseyiqiniso, ngoba ubani phakathi kwethu ongaphunyula esiphethweni sokuphila esibulalayo—esiwukufa? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sihlala kuphi nokuthi siyinakekela kangakanani impilo yethu, sidinga ukutakulwa ekuhluphekeni, ekugugeni nasekufeni.

Ososayensi nabanye basebenza kanzima ekuzameni ukwelula ukuphila kudlule lokho abantu abakubheka njengesikhathi sokuphila esivamile. Inhlangano ethile ithi umgomo wayo “uwukunqoba usizi lokufa okungalindelekile” kanye “nokusiza amalungu ayo aphumelele ekufuneni indlela yokwenza umuntu angafi.” Kodwa, kuze kube manje, ukuhlanganiswa kobuchwepheshe besayensi obuphambili nokuzimisela okukhulu akuzange kukwelule ukuphila komuntu kwadlulela ngalé kweminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80 uMose akhuluma ngayo eminyakeni engu-3 500 edlule.—IHubo 90:10.

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyavumelana nemizwa kaJobe ngokuphathelene nokuphila nokufa noma cha, akunakugwemeka ukuthi njengoba iminyaka iqhubeka, nawe ‘uyobaleka njengesithunzi,’ ushiye abangane bakho, umkhaya, umuzi, nakho konke okufezile—uye ekufeni. Inkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yakwa-Israyeli wasendulo yabhala: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayokufa; kodwa abafileyo bona abazi lutho, futhi abasenawo umvuzo, ngoba ukukhunjulwa kwabo sekulibalekile.”—UmShumayeli 9:5.

Njengoba iBhayibheli libonisa, iqiniso elibuhlungu liwukuthi ukufa kuye “kwabusa njengenkosi,” umbusi onesihluku, phezu kwesintu. Yebo, ukufa kuyisitha sokugcina isintu esidinga ukutakulwa kuso. (Roma 5:14; 1 Korinte 15:26) Abatakuli abaqeqeshiwe futhi abanamathuluzi aphambili emhlabeni abanakukwazi ukukutakula unomphela. Kodwa, uMdali womuntu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uhlele ukuba sitakulwe unomphela.