KUBONAKALA sengathi izinhlekelele ziyindab’ egudwini kwabezindaba. Abantu abaningi kunanini ngaphambili bahlaselwa uhlobo oluthile lwenhlekelele. ICentre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, eBelgium, ibika ukuthi ngo-2010 kuphela kwaba nezinhlekelele ezingu-373 futhi kwafa abantu abangu-296 000.

Inani lezinhlekelele ezibikiwe liye landa ngokuphawulekayo phakathi namashumi eminyaka adlule. Ngokwesibonelo, phakathi no-1975 no-1999, kwakubikwa izinhlekelele ezicishe zibe ngu-300 unyaka ngamunye. Nokho, phakathi kuka-2000 no-2010, kwabikwa ezicishe zibe ngu-400 unyaka ngamunye. Mhlawumbe nawe uyazibuza, ‘Kungani sekunezinhlekelele eziningi kangaka manje?’

Nakuba abantu bevame ukubiza izinhlekelele ezinjalo ngokuthi “yizenzo zikaNkulunkulu,” lokhu akulona iqiniso ngempela. UNkulunkulu akayona imbangela yezinhlekelele ezithinta abantu abaningi kangaka namuhla. Nokho, iBhayibheli lakubikezela ukuthi kuyoba nezinhlekelele esikhathini sethu. Ngokwesibonelo, kuMathewu 24:7, 8 sifunda amazwi kaJesu athi: “Kuyoba khona ukusweleka kokudla nokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ngezindawo. Zonke lezi zinto ziwukuqala kwemihelo yokucindezeleka.” Kungani uJesu abikezela ngalezi zenzakalo, futhi zisho ukuthini kithi?

UJesu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wayephendula umbuzo ayebuzwe wona othi: “Siyoba yini isibonakaliso . . . sesiphelo sesimiso sezinto?” (Mathewu 24:3) Wakhuluma ngezinto ezihlukahlukene ezaziyokwenzeka, kuhlanganise nezinhlekelele ezifana nalezi okukhulunywe ngazo ngenhla. Wabe esesho la mazwi abalulekile: “Lapho nibona lezi zinto zenzeka, yazini ukuthi umbuso kaNkulunkulu useduze.” (Luka 21:31) Ngakho, lezo zinhlekelele zemvelo zisho okuthile okubalulekile kithi. Zikhomba esikhathini sezinguquko ezinkulu ezizokwenzeka maduze nje.

Nokho, abantu abaningi basazibuza, Uma kungeyena uNkulunkulu obangela izinhlekelele, pho ubani noma yini ezibangelayo? Impendulo  singayiqonda kuphela uma sazi iqiniso elibalulekile eliseBhayibhelini: “Lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi.” (1 Johane 5:19) Leli vesi lembula ukuthi akuyena uNkulunkulu obangela izimo ezicindezelayo ezisezweni, kodwa ezimweni eziningi yisitha sakhe, “omubi”—iBhayibheli elibuye limbize ngokuthi “uDeveli.”—IsAmbulo 12:9, 12.

Siqondiswa isifiso saso sokuzicabangela, lesi sitha sikaNkulunkulu sibheka abantu njengabangezinto zalutho. Njengoba lonke izwe lilawulwa yiso, sikhuthaza umoya ofanayo kubantu. Ngokuqinisekile, iBhayibheli libhekisela kulokhu uma libikezela ukuthi “ezinsukwini zokugcina” abantu bayokuba “abazithandayo, abathanda imali, abazazisayo, abazidlayo.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1, 2) Ngakho-ke, akusimangazi ukuthi uDeveli wenza abantu baphumelele kuleli zwe uma benza izinto ezingamjabulisi uNkulunkulu. Ukhuthaza ukuzicabangela nokuxhaphaza kobugovu okuvame ukulimaza abanye.

Izenzo zabantu zobugovu zizandisa kanjani izinhlekelele? Lapho ukhuluma ngezinhlekelele zembulunga yonke, umbiko weZizwe Ezihlangene uthi: “Abantu bahlaliswa ezindaweni eziyingozi njengezindawo ezithandwa izikhukhula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukucekelwa phansi kwamahlathi namaxhaphozi kulimaza ikhono lemvelo lokumelana nezingozi. Okubi kunakho konke, usongo lokushintsha kwesimo sezulu nokugcwala kwezilwandle ngenxa yokwanda kwamagesi ayingozi . . . abangelwa izenzo zabantu.” Eziningi zalezi “zenzo zabantu” kuthiwa zenzelwa ukusimamisa umnotho, kube eqinisweni kuyizenzo zobugovu ezithé chithi saka kuleli zwe.

Ngakho-ke, izazi eziningi ziyaqaphela ukuthi izenzo zabantu zokungacabangi sezenze izinhlekelele zaba nemiphumela emibi nakakhulu. Eqinisweni, abantu baye basekela indlela kaSathane yokwenza izinto ukuze andise izinhlekelele.

Ngakho-ke, siyabona ukuthi izinhlekelele eziningi zibangelwa yizenzo zabantu zokunganaki. Ezinye izinhlekelele bezingeke zidale umonakalo omkhulu ukube azenzekanga lapho ezenzeka khona. Ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, umonakalo wezinhlekelele zemvelo uye waba mubi nakakhulu ngenxa yezenzo zomshoshaphansi zabantu abonakele, noma ngenxa yokuthi abantu abaningi baye baphoqeleka ukuba bahlale ezindaweni eziyingozi ngenxa yezimo zomnotho noma zenhlalo eziyingxenye yezwe lanamuhla. Yiqiniso, abanye bahlaselwa izinhlekelele, hhayi ngenxa yephutha lomuntu othile noma ukunganaki, kodwa ngenxa ‘yesikhathi nesenzakalo esingalindelekile esisehlela sonke.’—UmShumayeli 9:11.

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyini isizathu, uma uyisisulu senhlekelele yemvelo, ungabhekana kanjani nakho? Manje sizobheka ukuthi yini esingayenza ukuze sinciphise umonakalo lapho kugadla izinhlekelele.