Ingabe Umdala Kakhulu Ukuba Ufunde?—“Phinde!”
KUNGENZEKA ukuba ube mdala kakhulu ukuba ufunde? Nokho, cabanga nje ngezinto ezimbalwa abantu abadala abaye bazifeza. Eseneminyaka engama-92 ubudala umqambi wamaculo uIrving Berlin wayesabhala umculo futhi nomdlali wopiyano uArthur Rubinstein wayesadlala eseneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nane. UJustice Oliver Wendell Holmes, eseneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nambili, watadisha isiGreki. Eseneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili, uMose wangenela umsebenzi omusha njengomholi wesizwe nesikhulumi sasobala. (Eksodusi 7:7) Futhi umphostoli uJohane kumelwe ukuba wayesesemashumini ayisishiyagalolunye lapho esetshenziswa ukuba abhale iVangeli lakhe elaziwa kakhulu nencwadi yesAmbulo.
Cha, ubudala abuwuvimbeli umsebenzi wengqondo. Kunezinye izifo ezingehlisa inqubo yokucabanga kwabadala. Esiyinhloko yazo i“Alzheimer”, ngezinye izikhathi esibizwa ngokuthi ukuguga, ezibangela ukuguga okungokwenyama engqondweni. Ezinye izifo ezithile zibonisa izimpawu ezifanayo. Kodwa iningi impela labantu abadala abakhathazwa yizifo ezinjalo. Omunye umcwaningi wathi ngabo, “Amandla okudala awanabudala.”
Ekuhloleni eYunivesithi yaseCambridge, eNgilandi, imisebenzi yabantu abadala abathile yayinjengeyabafundi abasebancane. UDr. Weinberg, isazi sengqondo nesikhulu esihlonishwayo kwezokuguga, ubika ukuthi, ngaphandle kokuba izifo ezithile zingenele, ingqondo yomuntu igcina amandla nekhono lokufunda aze abe mdala impela—ikakhulukazi uma abantu abadala bezigcina bematasatasa ngokwenyama futhi bexubana nabantu ababakhathalelayo. “Ikusasa labadala liyakhanya,” kusho uDr. Weinberg, oneminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa ubudala, “uma nje begcina ukulangazelela kwabo ukwazi nesifiso sabo sokufunda nokukhula.”
Ngabanye, lokho ngempela kuye kwaba kanjalo. Eqinisweni, inkulumo kaDr. Weinberg iye yabonakala iyiqiniso ngokungangabazeki ngendlela ephawuleka ngokwengeziwe kunokuba ayecabanga.
Isikhathi Sokushintsha Inkambo
Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngoAlice Okon eNigeria. Indodana yakhe yayingumKristu, futhi yakhuthaza unina ukuba afunde iBhayibheli futhi afunde ngethemba elilinikezayo. Ekugcineni, wavuma ukutadisha iBhayibheli, wakhiwa okholweni, futhi eseneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili, wabhapathizwa emanzini ukuba abonise ukuzimisela kwakhe ukusebenzisa konke ukuphila kwakhe ekhonza uNkulunkulu.
Uwakholelwa ngokuqinile amazwi athi: “Ngokuba uNkululunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Futhi ngenxa yokuba manje uyakholwa, ubheka phambili ngokuqiniseka ekuphileni okuphakade uNkulunkulu akwethembisile. Eseneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili ubudala, ngokuqinisekile wayengemdala kakhulu ukuba afunde.
Ukwenza Izinqumo
Abantu abadala bangenza izinqumo ezinzima futhi baphile ngemiphumela yazo. UPaul Iryang Atua oneminyaka engamashumi ayisikhomba nesishiyagalolunye ubudala, naye ohlala eNigeria, wayenesinqumo esinzima okwakumelwe asenze. Kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe wayefuna inkolo efundisa iqiniso leBhayibheli. Ekugcineni, ofakazi bakaJehova abangamaKristu bafika kuye, futhi wazi ukuthi wayekutholile ayekufuna. Nokho, abanye babengajabuli ngesinqumo sakhe.
Umfundisi wenkolo uPaul ayekade ekuyo wamvakashela. Lapho ebona iBhayibheli etafuleni endlini kaPaul, walithatha, walibiza ngokuthi incwadi engamanga yenkolo futhi walinephunephuza. UPaul manje kwakudingeka abhekane nalendoda ethukuthele futhi ayibohlise, ngesikhathi esifanayo ezama ukuvikela amanye alamaqiniso eBhayibheli ayesewafundile.
Umfundisi akaneliswanga. Wahamba ethukuthele futhi wazama ukushushisa uPaul. Ngokungaphezulu, ezinye izakhamuzi ezikanye noPaul zafuna ukumkhetha njengenkosi esigodini ukuze zimyekise lolukholo lwakhe olusha. UPaul wakwenqaba lokhu, eqaphela isisusa sabo.
Khona-ke uPaul kwakufanele athathe isinyathelo esinzima ngokwengeziwe. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi umKristu, ukuze ajabulise uNkulunkulu, kumelwe abe “indoda emfazi munye.” (1 Thimothewu 3:2) Ngakho-ke kwakumelwe enze amalungiselelo, ngokuvumelana nezimiso zobuKristu, ukuba abe-mfazi munye. Wakwenza lokhu. Umshado wakhe wabhaliswa ngokomthetho, futhi ekugcineni, wabhapathizwa.
Khumbula, uPaul wayeneminyaka engama-79 ubudala lapho enza lokhu kulungisa okukhulu ekuphileni. Uthi: “Ngisho nakuba zonke lezizinguquko ziye zenzeka eminyakeni yami yobudala, ngiyambonga uJehova ngokuthi uye wanginikeza lelithuba lokusebenzisa izinsuku zami zokugcina enkonzweni.” UPaul, naye manje unombono okhanya ngokwengeziwe wesikhathi esizayo kunokuba kwakunjalo. Ingabe wayemdala kakhulu ukuba afunde? Hhayi uPaul Iryang Atua oneminyaka engama-79 ubudala!
Naphezu Kokugula
Abantu abadala ngezinye izikhathi banezinkinga zempilo, kodwa lokho akumelwe kubavimbele ukuba balangazelele ukwazi ngezinto nokufuna ukufunda. Umshumayell wesikhathi esigcwele uMichiyo Fujimi wakuthola kuyiqiniso lokhu. UMichiyo wayevakashela abantu enyakatho yeHonshu Island, eJaphane, lapho ahlangana khona noMnu. Kato osemdala.
UMnu. Kato wakhanga ukunakekela kukaMichiyo uma ethi: “UNkulunkulu wobuKristu ufuna ukuba abantu babe nokuphila, hhayi ukufa. Akunjalo?” Kwakuwukuphawula okuhlaba umxhwele. Nokho, ingxoxo yayinzima kakhulu ngoba umuntu omdala cishe wayengezwa nhlobo. Nokho, wayenesithakazelo ekufundeni futhi uMichiyo wamshiyela omagazini beBhayibheli. Wazama ukumsiza ukuba afunde iBhayibheli, kodwa wabonakala engaliqondi lelilungiselelo. Ngakho-ke eminyakeni emithathu, wamphathela omagazini beBhayibheli njalo ukuba abafunde. Wafunda ukuphendula noma imiphi imibuzo ngokusebenzisa ipensela nephepha.
Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezidlule uMnu. Kato—manje oneminyaka engama-90 ubudala—wabonisa ukuthi wayenokuthile ayefuna ukuxoxa ngakho. Wayethole ulwazi olujulile lweBhayibheli ekufundeni kwakhe. Isihloko sikamagazini sasimqondise ukuba athintane noFakazi BakaJehova, njengoba bengamsiza ukuba afunde ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. Wabuza: “Ngingathintana kanjani noFakazi BakaJehova?”
UMichiyo waphakamisa umunwe wokukhomba ngasekhaleni lakhe—ukukhuluma ngesandla kwaseJaphane okusho ukuthi “nginguye.” Yebo, wayengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Ixhegu lajabula lafuna ukwazi ukuthi likuphi iHholo LoMbuso. Lalifunde nangalo ekufundeni kwalo. Manje, naphezu kokuba yisithulu kwakhe, lomuntu omdala utadisha iBhayibheli esebenzisa ipensela nephepha njengendlela yokukhulumisana. Uyakhanyelwa ngamaqiniso eBhayibheli futhi uhlanganyela namaKristu akanye naye. Ingabe uMnu. Kato, esenamashumi angama-90, wayemdala kakhulu ukuba afunde? Ngokuqinisekile akunjalo!
Futhi kungokufanayo nangoNkkz. Takahashi. Uma eqhathaniswa noMnu. Kato, angase abonakale emncane—uneminyaka engama-73 “kuphela” ubudala! Kodwa unenkinga. Eminyakeni engama-43 edlule wavaleka amehlo, futhi akazange abe nalo ithuba lokufunda iBraille. Kodwa lapho ehlangana noFakazi BakaJehova, wabonisa ukuthi wayefuna ukufunda iBhayibheli, ngakho abashumayeli ababili balitadisha naye. Ngenxa yobumpumputhe bakhe kwafuneka abambe ngekhanda ayekufunda; ngakho-ke, eseneminyaka engama-73 ubudala, uNkkz. Takahashi waqala ukubamba ngekhanda izingxenye zeBhayibheli.
Manje, uba khona njalo emihlanganweni yenkolo naphezu kobunzima bakhe nobudala. Futhi, nakuba kwenzeka aguliswe ukuhamba, uye wahamba amakhilomitha angama-600 ukuze abe khona emhlanganweni ongokwenkolo. Nyakenye wabhapathizwa. Ingabe wayemdala kakhulu ukuba afunde? UNkkz. Takahashi akacabanganga kanjalo!
Kungani Bethi “Qha!”
Yebo, njengoba uDr. Weinberg asho: “Ikusasa labadala liyakhanya uma nje begcina ukulangazelela kwabo nesifiso sabo sokufunda nesokukhula.” Ngalabo asebegugile abathuthukisa ukulangazelela kwabo ukwazi ngoNkulunkulu nezinjongo zakhe, nesifiso sokufunda ngaye nokukhula okholweni, ikusasa liyakhazimula.
Bayaqaphela ukuthi ukuphila kwabo kuze kube manje—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iminyaka engama-70, engama-80 noma engama-90 noma ngaphezulu—kuye kwaba yisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu. Futhi bayaqaphela ukuthi, ngisho nakuba bebadala futhi benokuhlangenwe nakho, kusenezinto abangazifunda. Eqinisweni, ngokulinganisa kukaNkulunkulu, ababadala ngempela. IBhayibheli lithi: “Usuku lunye lunjengeminyaka eyinkulungwane nokuthi iminyaka eyinkulungwane injengosuku lunye.” (2 Petru 3:8) Ngalokhu kubala, umuntu oneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili uye waphila cishe amahora amabili kuphela! Ngakho-ke, ngisho nomuntu omdala angafunda ngolwazi lukaNkulunkulu, ophila “kusukela phakade kuze kube-phakade.”—IHubo 90:2.
Ngokungaphezulu, uNkulunkulu unikeza bonke, abancane nabadala, ithemba lokuphila isikhathi eside njengaye esikhathini esizayo. UJesu Kristu wathi: “Ukuphila okuphakade yilokhu ukuba bazi wena-Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo, nomthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) Ingabe kungenzeka ukuba ube mdala kakhulu ukuba usabele kulesisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu? Kulo lonke izwe, amadoda amadala nabesifazane baphendula ngokuthi: “Phinde!”
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Ekuhloleni kwaseYunivesithi yaseCambridge, eNgilandi, imisebenzi yabadala abathile yayifana neyabafundi abasebancane
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U-Iwaji Kato, eneminyaka engama-90 ubudala, nakuba cishe ayengezwa nhlobo, wayengemdala kakhulu ukuba afunde inkolo yeqiniso
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UTei Takahashi, oneminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa nantathu ubudala futhi oyimpumputhe, uhlanganyela nabanye aye wakufunda