NGOJANUARY 2017 abezesayensi benza isimemezelo esethusayo. Bathi sekuseduze ukuthi umhlaba utshabalale. Basebenzisa iwatshi okuthiwa yi-Doomsday Clock ukuze bafanekise ukuthi sekuseduze ukuthi umhlaba utshabalale njalo bahambisa uphondo olukhulu phambili ngemizuzwana engu-30. Khathesi iwatshi le isifakwe ukuthi ibe ngemuva ngemizuzu emibili lengxenye ukuthi kutshaye u-12 ebusuku. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi umhlaba ube seduze lokutshabalala ukwedlula iminyaka engu-60 eyadlulayo.

Abezesayensi bahlela ukuthi ngo-2018 bazaphinda bahlole ukuthi sekuseduze kangakanani ukutshabalala komhlaba. Kambe iwatshi le izabe ilokhu isatshengisa ukutshabalala okuzayo yini? Ubona njani? Umhlaba uzatshabalala yini? Engxenye ukubona kunzima ukuphendula umbuzo lo. Ayisuwe wedwa, ngitsho lezingcitshi zemfundo lazo zilemibono engafananiyo njalo ayisibo bonke abantu abakukholwayo ukuthi umhlaba uzatshabalala.

Banengi abantu abakholwa ukuthi ikusasa lizabangcono. Bathi balobufakazi obuveza ukuthi abantu kanye lomhlaba lo akusoze kutshabalale lokuthi impilo zethu zizabangcono. Kambe ubufakazi lobo bulengqondo yini? Umhlaba usalungiseka yini loba hatshi?

ABANTU abanengi bakhathazekile njalo bayesaba ngoba bahlala besizwa imibiko emibi. Ngo-2014 uBarack Obama owayebusa eMelika wabika ukuthi ngenxa yokwanda kwezindaba ezimbi ezilethwa zintatheli, inengi licina lisithi ‘umhlaba usumubi kakhulu futhi akula muntu ongenelisa ukuwulungisa.’

Isimanga yikuthi wathi eqeda ukutsho njalo, wakhuluma ngedlabuzane esithi akhona amacebo angenziwa ukuze kulungiswe izinhlupho ezisemhlabeni. Wathi amacebo akhulunywa ngabanye ohulumende aletha “izindaba ezinhle” wasesithi “ulethemba sibili lokuthi izinto zizalunga.” Ngamanye amazwi wayesithi abantu bangenelisa ukuwulungisa umhlaba lo futhi bawenze ungatshabalali.

Banengi abacabanga njengaye. Ngokwesibonelo abanye bathembele kwezesayensi njalo bathi intuthuko kwezempucuko itshengisa ukuthi umhlaba uzalungiseka. Enye ingcitshi kwezempucuko ithi ilethemba lokuthi ngomnyaka ka-2030 ‘ezempucuko ziyabe sezithuthuke ngendlela emangalisayo, kuthi ngo-2045 ziyabe seziphambili okwamagama.’ Iqhubeka isithi: “Senza kuhle kakhulu. Lanxa izinhlupho zizinengi kangaka siyenelisa ukuzilungisa masinyane.”

Kodwa umhlaba usumubi okunganani? Kambe sekuseduze yini ukuthi utshabalale? Abantu abanengi abahlalisekanga ngekusasa lanxa abezesayensi labezombusazwe betshumayela ivangeli lokuthi kuzalunga. Kuyini okwenza bangahlaliseki?

IZIKHALI EZESABEKAYO. Lanxa iNhlanganiso Yomanyano Wamazwe Omhlaba (i-UN) lezinye izinhlanganiso zizama ukuthi kuvalwe izikhali ze-nuclear, imizamo yazo iphelela emoyeni. Abanye ababusi abahloniphi imithetho ekhangela ngezikhali futhi amanye amazwe abesaziwa ngokuba lezikhali lezi ayathuthukisa ezindala njalo alokhu elungisa eziyingozi kakhulu. Lokhu akwenza ngenxa yokwesaba ukuthi izikhali zawo zilutshwana. Lamazwe ayengela zikhali ezesabekayo khathesi aselezingathanyela abantu zibaqede du!

Njengoba amazwe eselezikhali eziyingozi kangaka lokhu kwenza ukuthi umhlaba lo ube yindawo eyingozi kakhulu lanxa kukhanya kulokuthula. Elinye ibhuku elikhuluma ngezikhali lithi: ‘Izikhali eziqondiswa ngamakhompiyutha zingadala umonakalo owesabekayo.’

AKUSELA MPILAKAHLE. Kuncane kakhulu okungenziwa ngezesayensi ukuze sibe lempilakahle. Ukungcoliswa komoya esiwuphefumulayo, ukusebenzisa kubi imithi, ukuba lemizimba emikhulu kanye lokukhwela kwama-BP sekubangele imikhuhlane eminengi. Inengi labantu liqedwa yimikhuhlane efanana lemvukuzane, istrokhu, umkhuhlane wenhliziyo lowetshukela. Abanye njalo basala begogekile ngenxa yemikhuhlane ehlasela ingqondo. Eminyakeni esanda kwedlula kube leminye eyingozi efanana le-Ebola lomunye okuthiwa yiZika obangelwa yimiyane. Kusegcekeni ukuthi imikhuhlane ilokhu isiba minengi njalo kukhanya akulathemba lokuthi abantu bangayiqeda.

ABANTU BABULALA EZEMVELO. Amafekithali aqhubeka engcolisa umkhathi. Izigidi zabantu ziyafa ngenxa yokuhogela umoya ongcolileyo.

Abantu balahlela ingcekeza, amaplastiki, imithi etshiyeneyo lokunye okuletshefu elwandle. Elinye ibhuku elikhuluma ngesayensi lithi: “Ingcekeza ephoselwa elwandle ibulala izinyamazana kanye lezihlahlakazana ezisemanzini njalo abantu bayafa ngenxa yokudla abakubambe elwandle.”

Kanti njalo semalutshwana amanzi ahlanzekileyo. URobin McKie umlobi wezesayensi uthi: “Udubo lwamanzi luzahlasela umhlaba wonke.” Abezombusazwe bayavuma ukuthi udubo lwamanzi lubangelwa ngabantu njalo luzadala umonakalo omkhulu.

IZINGOZI ZEMVELO. Izikhukhula, iziphepho, lokuzamazama komhlaba kudala umonakalo omkhulu. Abantu abanengi kakhulu bayafa njalo abanye basala belimele ngenxa yezingozi zemvelo. Okunye okuhlolisisa okwenziwa ngenye inhlanganiso yeMelika kwaveza ukuthi “kungaba lezikhukhula ezinkulu leziphepho kanye lokutshisa kwelanga” okungabangela indlala lomonakalo omkhulu. Izingozi zemvelo zizatshabalalisa bonke abantu yini?

Mhlawumbe kunengi ongakucabanga okungaqeda abantu bonke. Kodwa ukuthi ikusasa lizabe linjani ngeke ukwazi ngokuhlolisisa izinto ezimbi ezenzakala lamuhla. Abanye bathi ngeke sithole izimpendulo ngokulalela okutshiwo ngabezesayensi kanye labezombusazwe. Kodwa njengoba kuke kwatshiwo esihlokweni esisekuqaliseni, banengi abathole izimpendulo zemibuzo abalayo mayelana lomhlaba kanye lekusasa lethu. Zitholakala ngaphi izimpendulo lezi?

Nanzi ezinye:

• “Isizwe sizahlasela isizwe, lombuso uhlasele umbuso. Kuzakuba lendlala lokuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ezitshiyeneyo.”​—UMathewu 24:7.

• “Ezinsukwini zokucina kuzakuba lezikhathi ezinzima. Abantu bazakuba ngabazithandayo, labathanda imali, labazikhukhumezayo, labazigqajayo, labathukayo, labangalaleli abazali babo, labangabongiyo, labangcolileyo, abangelathando, labangathetheleliyo, labahlebayo, labangazikhuziyo, labalesihluku, labangakuthandiyo okuhle, labalamacebo amabi, labacaphuka ngeze, labaziphakamisayo, labathanda injabulo kulokuthanda uNkulunkulu.”​—2 KuThimothi 3:1-4.

Iziphrofetho lezi zikhuluma ngezinto ezingenza abanye bacabange ukuthi umhlaba kawusalungiseki. Baqinisile sibili ngoba abantu abenelisi ukuwulungisa. IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi abantu kabalakuhlakanipha lamandla okuwulungisa ngokupheleleyo. Likhuluma ngakhonokho emavesini alandelayo:

• “Kukhona indlela ebonakala ilungile emuntwini, kodwa isiphetho sayo siyikufa.”​—IZaga 14:12.

• “Lapho umuntu aphatha khona abanye ngochuku kanti uyazilimaza yena.”​—UmTshumayeli 8:9.

• “Umuntu akusikho kwakhe ukuthi aqondise izinyathelo zakhe.”​—UJeremiya 10:23.

Umhlaba lo ungacina utshabalaliswa nxa abantu bangekelwa bezenzela abakufunayo. Kodwa lokhu akusoze kwenzakale. IBhayibhili lithi:

• UNkulunkulu “wawugxilisa umhlaba ezisekelweni zawo; ungeke wagudlulwa.”​—IHubo 104:5.

• “Izizukulwane ziyafika, izizukulwana ziyadlula, kodwa umhlaba umi lanini.”​—UmTshumayeli 1:4.

• “Abalungileyo bazazuza ilifa lelizwe bahlale kulo lanini.”​—IHubo 37:29.

• “Akuthi amabele ande elizweni lonke; azunguze eziqongweni zamaqaqa.”​—IHubo 72:16.

IBhayibhili liyasinika izimpendulo ezicacileyo. Abantu abasoze batshabalaliswe yikungcoliswa komkhathi, ukuswelakala kokudla lamanzi lemikhuhlane. Umhlaba kawusoze utshabalaliswe yizikhali zempi ezesabekayo ngoba uNkulunkulu ulamandla okukuvimba lokhu ukuthi kungenzakali. Kuliqiniso ukuthi uNkulunkulu uvumele abantu ukuthi bazenzele umathanda kodwa bazavuna impumela yezenzo zabo. (KwabaseGalathiya 6:7) Abantu abasoze bawutshabalalise umhlaba ngokupheleleyo. UNkulunkulu ubafakele imingcele yokuthi bangakwenzi khonokho.​—IHubo 83:18; KumaHebheru 4:13.

UNkulunkulu uzaphinda alethe “ukuthula okukhulu.” (IHubo 37:11) Izindaba ezinhle zalokho okuzakwenzakala esikhathini esizayo okukhulunywe ngazo esihlokweni lesi ngokulutshwana nje kwalokho oFakazi bakaJehova abakufundileyo eBhayibhilini.

OFakazi bakaJehova ngabantu abaleminyaka etshiyeneyo njalo abavela ezizweni zonke. Bakhonza uNkulunkulu oyedwa oweqiniso okuthiwa nguJehova. Ibizo leli likhona eBhayibhilini. Abesabi okuzakwenzakala esikhathini esizayo ngoba iBhayibhili lithi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova yena owadala amazulu, unguNkulunkulu, yena owabumba umhlaba wawenza, wawusekela; kawudalelanga ukuba ungabi lalutho, kodwa wawenza ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo, uthi: ‘Mina nginguJehova, kakho omunye.’”​—U-Isaya 45:18.