Lide Kangakanani Ixesha Esinokuliphila?
Buya busiba budana noko ubomi obuphilwa ngabantu ngokubanzi, ibe loo nto ibangela abaninzi ukuba bazibuze, ‘Ngaba lide kangakanani ixesha esinokuliphila?’
NGOKUTSHO kweThe New Encyclopædia Britannica (yowe-1995), kwixesha elidluleyo, wonk’ umntu wayekholelwa ukuba uPierre Joubert wayengoyena mntu uphile ixesha elide. Ngowe-1814 wafa eneminyaka eli-113 ubudala. Kuyinyaniso kona ukuba, bakho nabanye ekuthiwa baye baphila iminyaka engaphezulu kunaleyo, kodwa ke kwakungenakuqinisekwa ngobudala babo. Noko ke, ukugcinwa kakuhle kweengxelo kuye kwangqinela isibakala sokuba abantu abaninzi baye baphila ubomi obude kunoPierre Joubert.
UJeanne Louise Calment wazalwa eArles, kumzantsi-mpuma weFransi, ngoFebruwari 21, 1875. Ukufa kwakhe ngoAgasti 4, 1997—kwiminyaka engaphezu kwe-122 kamva—kwaba ngundaba-mlonyeni. Ngowe-1986, uShigechiyo Izumi waseJapan wafa eneminyaka eli-120 ubudala. IGuinness Book of Records 1999 ichaza uSarah Knauss oneminyaka eli-118 njengoyena mntu mdala ngexesha lokubhalwa kwayo. Wazalwa ngoSeptemba 24, 1880, ePennsylvania, eUnited States. UMarie-Louise Febronie Meilleur waseQuebec, eKhanada, ufe ngowe-1998 eneminyaka eli-118, emdala ngeentsuku ezingama-26 kunoSarah.
Kuyinyaniso ukuba, inani leenkonde neenkondekazi liye lantinga ngendlela ephawulekayo. Kuqikelelwa ukuba inani labantu abafika kwiminyaka eli-100 ubudala liza kwanda liye kutsho ngaphezu kwezigidi ezisisi-2,2 ebudeni besiqingatha sokuqala senkulungwane ezayo! Ngokufanayo, inani labantu abaneminyaka engama-80 nangaphezulu ubudala lande ukusuka kwizigidi ezingama-26,7 ngowe-1970 laya kutsho kwizigidi ezingama-66 ngowe-1998. Olo lulwando lwe-147 ekhulwini, xa luthelekiswa nolwando lwama-60 ekhulwini lwabemi behlabathi liphela.
Yaye ungacingi ukuba aba bantu baphila nje ubomi obudana. Uninzi lwabo lwenza izinto ezingenakwenziwa yinkoliso yabaneminyaka engama-20 ubudala. Ngowe-1990, uJohn Kelley owayeneminyaka engama-82 ubudala wagqiba ugqatso lweembaleki—olwalungumgama oziikhilomitha ezingama-42,195—ngeeyure ezintlanu nemizuzu emihlanu. Ngowe-1991, uMavis Lindgren owayeneminyaka engama-84 nowayesele engukhokho wawugubungela loo mgama ngeeyure ezisixhenxe nemizuzu esithoba. Ibe kutshanje, indoda eneminyaka engama-91 ubudala yagqiba iNew York City Marathon!
Oku akuthethi kuthi abantu abalupheleyo bexesha elidluleyo abazange benze izinto ezimangalisayo. Eneminyaka engama-99 ubudala, usolusapho ekuthethwa ngaye eBhayibhileni, uAbraham “wagidima, eya kukhawulela” iindwendwe zakhe. Eneminyaka engama-85 ubudala, uKhalebhi wavakalisa oku: “Njengoko ayenjalo amandla am oko [kwiminyaka engama-45 ngaphambilana], asenjalo nangoku amandla am okulwa, kwa-awokuphuma nawokubuya.” Kwaye iBhayibhile ithi xa uMoses wayeneminyaka eli-120 ubudala, ‘lalingenalurhatyazo iliso lakhe, esomelele nokomelela.’—Genesis 18:2; Yoshuwa 14:10, 11; Duteronomi 34:7.
UYesu Kristu wachaza umntu wokuqala, uAdam, nomakhi womkhombe uNowa njengabantu abaphila ngokwenene. (Mateyu 19:4-6; 24:37-39) IGenesis ithi uAdam waphila de waneminyaka engama-930, waza uNowa wafikelela kwengama-950. (Genesis 5:5; 9:29) Ngaba yinyaniso into yokuba abantu baphila ubomi obude ngolo hlobo? Ngaba sinako ukuphila ubomi obude nangakumbi kunobo, mhlawumbi ngonaphakade? Nceda uzihlolele ubungqina kwinqaku elilandelayo.