Singaphila Isikhathi Eside Kangakanani?
Abantu ngokuvamile baya ngokuya bephila isikhathi eside, benza abaningi bazibuze, ‘Singaphila isikhathi eside kangakanani?’
NGOKWE-NEW ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA (1995), esikhathini esidlule, uPierre Joubert wayethathwa njengowayephile isikhathi eside kunabo bonke abantu. Washona ngo-1814 eneminyaka engu-113 ubudala. Yiqiniso, bakhona abanye okuthiwa baye baphila isikhathi eside kunaleso, kodwa akuzange kugcinwe ukwaziswa okugculisayo kweminyaka yabo. Nokho, ukwaziswa okunembile okugciniwe kuye kwafakazela ukuthi kunabantu abaningi abaye baphila isikhathi eside kunoPierre Joubert.
UJeanne Louise Calment wazalelwa e-Arles, eningizimu-mpumalanga yeFrance, ngo-February 21, 1875. Ukushona kwakhe ngo-August 4, 1997—ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kuka-122—kwasakazeka kabanzi. Ngo-1986, uShigechiyo Izumi waseJapane washona eneminyaka engu-120 ubudala. I-Guinness Book of Records ka-1999 iveza uSarah Knauss owayeseneminyaka engu-118 njengomuntu omdala kunabo bonke ngesikhathi ilotshwa. Wayezalwe ngo-September 24, 1880, ePennsylvania, e-U.S.A. Lapho uMarie-Louise Febronie Meilleur waseQuebec, eCanada, eshona ngo-1998 eneminyaka engu-118, wayemdala ngezinsuku ezingu-26 kunoSarah.
Ngempela, inani labantu abadala kakhulu liye lanyuka ngokuphawulekayo. Kwethenjwa ukuthi inani labaneminyaka eyikhulu nangaphezulu lizokwanda lize libe ngaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-2,2 phakathi nengxenye yokuqala yekhulu leminyaka elizayo! Ngokufanayo, inani labantu abaneminyaka engu-80 ubudala nangaphezulu landa lisukela ezigidini ezingu-26,7 ngo- 1970 laya ezigidini ezingu-66 ngo-1998. Lokho ukwanda okungamaphesenti angu-147, uma kuqhathaniswa nokwanda okungamaphesenti angu-60 kwalo lonke inani labantu bomhlaba.
Futhi akukhona nje ukuthi abantu baphila isikhathi eside ngokwengeziwe. Abaningi benza izinto abantu abaningi abaneminyaka engu-20 abangenakuzenza. Ngo-1990, uJohn Kelley owayeseneminyaka engu-82 ubudala waqeda umjaho webanga elide—umjaho webanga elingamakhilomitha angu-42,2—ngamahora amahlanu nemizuzu emihlanu. Ngo-1991, uMavis Lindgren owayeseneminyaka engu-84 ubudala nabazukulu babazukulu wahlanganisa lelo banga ngamahora angu-7 nemizuzu engu-9. Futhi muva nje, indoda eneminyaka engu-91 ubudala yaqeda uMjaho Webanga Elide WaseNew York City!
Lokhu akusho ukuthi abantu asebekhulile besikhathi esidlule abazange bafeze izinto ezimangalisayo. Lapho isineminyaka engu-99 ubudala, inzalamizi yaseBhayibhelini u-Abrahama ‘yagijima iyohlangabeza’ izihambi zayo. Lapho eseneminyaka engu-85 ubudala, uKalebi wathi: “Njengamandla ami ngaleso sikhathi [eminyakeni engu-45 edlule] anjalo amandla ami manje ekulweni, ekuphumeni nasekungeneni.” Futhi iBhayibheli lithi lapho uMose eneminyaka engu-120, “iso lakhe lalingafiphele, amandla akhe ayengakanciphi.”—Genesise 18:2; Joshuwa 14:10, 11; Duteronomi 34:7.
UJesu Kristu wakhuluma ngomuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, nomakhi womkhumbi uNowa njengabantu abangokomlando. (Mathewu 19:4-6; 24:37-39) UGenesise uthi u-Adamu waphila iminyaka engu-930, uNowa waphila engu-950. (Genesise 5:5; 9:29) Ingabe abantu bake baphila isikhathi eside kangako ngempela? Ingabe singaphila isikhathi eside kunaleso, mhlawumbe phakade? Siza uhlole ubufakazi esihlokweni esilandelayo.