Ukufa—Ingabe Kuyisiphelo Ngempela?

NGO-FEBRUARY 1987, indoda eneminyaka engu-85 yanquma ukuyeka ukusebenzisa umshini wokuhlanza igazi eyayiphila ngawo. Yashona ngokuthula emzini wayo ngemva kwamasonto amabili, indodana yayo ewukuphela kwayo iseceleni kwayo.

Leso sikhathi sokugcina bendawonye sabanika ithuba lokucabanga ngendaba ababeke bayixoxa ngaphambili: Ingabe ungabuye uphile ngemva kokufa? Lo baba, nakuba ayefundile, wayengabaza. Wayethonywe yimfundiso yokuziphendukela kwemvelo futhi ekwenyanya ukuzenzisa kwenkolo. Wayezibheka njengomuntu okholelwa ekutheni ukuba khona kukaNkulunkulu akunakwaziwa.

Indodana yakhe, inesifiso sokumduduza nokumnika ithemba, yambonisa ukuthi kungani ukubuye uphile ngemva kokufa kuyinto engenzeka ngempela. Njengoba ukufa kwakusondela, lo baba wavuma ukuthi ukuphinde uphile, ujabulele okunye ukuphila unobungqabavu, bekungaba yinto efiseleka kakhulu.

Induduzo Lapho Ubhekene Nokufa

Cishe bonke abantu bangathanda ukubuye baphile uma bengaba izingqabavu ezweni elibuswa ukuthula. Abantu abafani nezilwane, ezichazwe eBhayibhelini ngokuthi ‘azinangqondo,’ noma ‘izidalwa ezibuswa umzwelo wemvelo.’ (2 Petru 2:12; New International Version) Siyabangcwaba abafileyo. Siyacabanga ngekusasa. Asifuni ukuguga, sigule bese siyafa. Kodwa, lawa amaqiniso okuphila komuntu.

Ukusondela kokufa kuyasikhathaza, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukufa kwethu noma kothandekayo. Kodwa iBhayibheli lisikhuthaza ukuba singakwesabi, lithi: “Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila kunokuya endlini yedili.” Liyenezela: “Ophilayo kufanele akufake enhliziyweni.” (UmShumayeli 7:2) Kungani kufanele sicabange ngokufa noma sizindle ngakho ngokujulile?

Phakathi kokunye, sinesifiso esingokwemvelo sokujabulela ukuphila ngokuthula nokulondeka. Akekho okuthandayo ukufa—okuwukungabikhona. Kunzima kabi ukukwamukela. IBhayibheli liyachaza ukuthi kungani: “[UNkulunkulu] ufake ubuphakade engqondweni yomuntu,” noma “enhliziyweni yakhe.” (UmShumayeli 3:11; Revised Standard Version) Sifuna ukuphila—hhayi ukufa. Ake ucabange ngakho: Ingabe besiyoba namandla kangako isifiso esinjalo ukube kwakungeyona injongo yoMdali yasekuqaleni ukuba siphile phakade? Kungaba khona yini okunye ukuphila okuphakade ngenjabulo nobungqabavu?

Isizathu Sokukukholelwa

Ngonyaka odlule, i-AARP The Magazine, enyatheliswa i-American Association of Retired Persons, yayinesihloko esithi “Ukuphila Ngemva Kokufa.” Izingxoxo nabantu abaningi ababeneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 zembula ukuthi “abantu okwaxoxwa nabo abangaba yizingxenye ezintathu kwezine (amaphesenti angu-73) bayavumelana nenkulumo ethi ‘Ngiyakholelwa ekuphileni ngemva kokufa.’” Ngakolunye uhlangothi, lo magazini wabika ukuthi cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezine yavumelana nenkulumo ethi “Ngikholelwa ukuthi lapho ngifa, kuphela kanjalo.” Kodwa ingabe yilokho ngempela abantu abafuna ukukukholelwa?

Esihlokweni esifanayo, kubikwa ukuthi uTom, umKatolika waseNew York, wathi: “Uyazi ukuthi bashumayela ivangeli lokuthi kunokuphila ngemva kokufa. Ngimane ngiyasho nje, ziningi izinto abantu abashumayela ngazo. Kufanele uvele uzinqumele ukuthi yini ozoyikholwa. Ngiyaya eMiseni. Ngiphila sengathi kunokuphila ngemva kokufa kodwa angikholwa ukuthi kukhona. Uma kuwukuthi kukhona, hhayi-ke kuhle.”

NjengoTom, abaningi bayangabaza—njengoba kwakunjalo ngobaba okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni, owayevame ukutshela indodana yakhe ukuthi, “Ukukholelwa enkolweni KUHLE kulabo abangakwazi ukubhekana neqiniso lokufa.” Kodwa, njengoba yena nabanye abangabazayo bevuma, ukukholelwa kuMdali onamandla onke kuyimpendulo yezimangaliso ezingaqondakali.

Ngokwesibonelo, ngemva kwamasonto amathathu okukhulelwa, umbungu uqala ukuba namangqamuzana obuchopho. La mangqamuzana anda ngokushesha, ngezinye izikhathi ngamangqamuzana ayingxenye eyodwa kwezine zesigidi umzuzu ngamunye! Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-9 umntwana uyazalwa enobuchopho obunekhono elimangalisayo lokufunda izinto. Isazi samangqamuzana ezinto eziphilayo uJames Watson sathi ubuchopho bomuntu “buyinto eyinkimbinkimbi kunazo zonke esesike sazithola endaweni yonke.”

Lapho ucabanga ngezimangaliso ezinjengalesi, ingabe uyamangala njengoba kunjalo ngabaningi? Ingabe ukucabanga ngezinto ezinjalo kukusizile ukuba ufinyelele impendulo yombuzo owabuzwa indoda ethile endulo: “Uma indoda enamandla ifa ingabuye iphile futhi?” Leyo ndoda yamphendula ngokuqiniseka uNkulunkulu: “Uyobiza, futhi mina ngiyokuphendula. Uyolangazelela umsebenzi wezandla zakho.”—Jobe 14:14, 15.

Ngokuqinisekile siyobe senza kahle ngokucabangela ubufakazi obunikeza isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi umuntu angabuye aphile ngemva kokufa.