IPharadesi Elingenazinkathazo—Ingabe Liyiphupho Nje?
“KUNOKUTHULA!” Kwakunokuthula ngempela ukubuka indawo engaphansi kwehlathi likaphayini ngenhla kweRedfish Lake esifundazweni sase-Idaho, e-U.S.A. “Ngicabanga ukuthi ipharadesi kufanele libe njena,” kusho isivakashi.
Lalicwathile ogwini oluseningizimu lwesiqhingi saseMediterranean iCyprus. Amaza ayelokhu esibekela ibhishi. Sihlezi endaweni yokudlela esesiqongweni sentaba, isivakashi sababaza: “Leli ipharadesi!”
Abaningi kithi bayayigcina inkumbulo yezindawo ezinjalo. Kodwa izakhamuzi ziyaqaphela ukuthi indawo eyipharadesi ngokuvamile ifihla amaqiniso abuhlungu okuphila kwansuku zonke: imililo yasemahlathini emagqumeni asitshekelwe yizihlahla eziNtabeni zaseRocky, ukungcoliswa kolwandle okulimaza izinhlanzi futhi ekugcineni kulimaze nabantu—ingasaphathwa eyezingxabano zomhlaba wonke nezombango ezisongela ukuphila.
Ipharadesi—Liyini?
Uyini umbono wakho ngepharadesi? I-New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary ithi encazelweni yayo yokuqala: “Insimu yase-Edene echazwe kuGen[esise] 2, 3.” Lokhu kubhekisela encazelweni esencwadini yokuqala yeBhayibheli yendawo lapho uNkulunkulu abeka khona umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu. Kulelo Pharadesi lokuqala, kwakunemithi eminingi “ebukekayo, emihle, edliwayo.”—Genesise 2:9.
Incazelo yesibili yaleso sichazamazwi ihlobanisa elithi “ipharadesi” nelithi “Izulu, emfundisweni yenkolo yamaKristu namaSulumane” bese inezela: “Manje isetshenziswa ngokuyinhloko [ezinkondlweni].” Nokho, kulezi zivakashi okukhulunywe ngazo, ipharadesi “laliyindawo enhle noma ejabulisa ngokwedlulele,” okuyincazelo yesithathu yalesi sichazamazwi.
Isikhulu sombuso waseBrithani sekhulu le-16 uSir Thomas More sabhala incwadi enesihloko esithi Utopia, esachaza kuyo izwe elicatshangelwayo elalinemithetho, uhulumeni nezimo zezenhlalo eziphelele. Lokhu kwabonakala kungakholeki kangangokuthi namuhla i-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary ichaza elithi “Utopia” ngokuthi “icebo elingenakufezeka lokuthuthukisa ezenhlalo.”
Kubalandeli bomholi wehlelo i-People’s Temple uJim Jones, iZwe Lasemaphusheni kwakuyihlathi eligawulwe imithi eGuyana. Ngokudabukisayo, ngo-1978 leli pharadesi elalilindelwe laba indawo yokubulawa kwabalandeli abangaphezu kuka-900—isimo esithusayo ngempela! Ngenxa yalokho, abantu ngezinye izikhathi bahlobanisa umqondo wepharadesi namahlelo ayinqaba anemikhuba eshaqisayo nephazamisayo.
Ezweni elisongelwa ubugebengu nobudlova, lapho izifo zihlasela khona abantu abadala nabantwana, nalapho inzondo nokungefani ngokwenkolo kuhlukanisa khona imiphakathi, indawo enhle ezungezile imane nje iyisembozo esikhohlisayo. Yingakho abantu becabanga ukuthi ipharadesi liyiphupho nje! Kodwa lokhu akukabanqandi abanye abantu ekuzameni ukuthola noma ngisho ukuzenzela ipharadesi labo. Baye baphumelela kangakanani?