Unokuphila Ixesha Elide Kangakanani?

XA UHARRIET wafayo ngo-2006, wayeneminyaka emalunga ne-175 ubudala. Kodwa ke, uHarriet wayengengomntu. Wayelufudo olufumaneka kwiziqithi zeGalapagos, ibe wayehlala kwizu yaseOstreliya. Xa simthelekisa nathi, yena waphila ixesha elide kakhulu. Noko ke, ukuba ubunokumthelekisa nezinye izinto eziphilayo, akathathi nto kuzo. Nantsi eminye imizekelo.

• Abaphandi eFinland bathi ezinye iimbaza ezifumaneka emilanjeni zinokuphila kangangeminyaka eyi-200.

• Imbaza yaselwandle (ocean quahog) idla ngokuphila iminyaka engaphaya kweyi-100, kanti ezinye kuthiwa ziye zaphila ngaphezu kweminyaka eyi-400.

• Eminye imithi, njengomthi wompayina, umsequoia, kunye neendidi ezithile zomcypress kunye nespruce, iphila kangangamawaka eminyaka.

Kodwa abantu, abajongwa njengezona zidalwa zikrelekrele, baphila iminyaka nje eyi-80 okanye eyi-90—nakuba bebila besoma befuna iindlela zokuphila ubomi obude!

Ucinga ntoni—yiminyaka nje engamashumi asibhozo esinokuyiphila? Okanye ngaba likhona ithemba lokuphila ubomi obude kunoko? Abantu abaninzi babeke ithemba labo kwisayensi nakwezonyango.

Isayensi idlale indima enkulu kwezempilo nakwezonyango. Imagazini ethi Scientific American ithi: “Bambalwa ngoku abantu [eUnited Sates] ababulawa zizigulo ezosulelayo okanye iingxaki zokubeleka. Inani leentsana ezifayo lehle nge-75 pesenti ukususela ngo-1960.” Nangona kunjalo, isayensi khange ikwazi ukunika abantu ubomi obude. IScientific American ithi: “Nasemva kophando oluthathe amashumi eminyaka, ukuguga kuseyingxubakaxaka.” Noko ke, “ubungqina bubonisa ukuba umntu uqalisa ukuguga xa iinkqubo ezilawula imizila yemfuza ziyeka ukusebenza kakuhle.” Eli nqaku liqhubeka lithi: “Ukuba ukuguga kwenziwa ziingxaki kwinkqubo yemizila yemfuza, kucacile ukuba kunokuphela ngenye imini.”

Kuphando lwazo lwezinto ezenza abantu baguge, kunye nezigulo eziza nokuguga, ezinye iingcali zibhenela ekuhloleni iepigenetics—indlela eyakhiwe ngayo imizila yemfuza. Yakhiwe njani?

Iiseli zomzimba zinenkcazelo yemizila yemfuza, nto leyo efunekayo ekuveliseni iiseli ezintsha. Le nkcazelo ifumaneka kwigenome, igama elibhekisela kuyo yonke iDNA ekwiseli. Kutshanje, izazinzulu ziye zakwazi ukufunda ngakumbi nge-epigenome, igama elithetha “ngaphaya kwegenome.” Ngoko ke, kwiepigenetics kufundwa ngendlela eyakhiwa ngayo le nxalenye imangalisayo yemizimba yethu.

Iimolekyuli ezakha iepigenome zahlukile kwezeDNA. IDNA imile oku kweleli ejijekileyo, ngoxa yona iepigenome ithe nca kwiDNA. Yintoni umsebenzi we-epigenome? Njengomculisi weokhestra iepigenome ilungelelanisa imizila yemfuza ekwiDNA. Iepigenome ilawula indlela iiseli ezisabela ngayo xa iimeko zitshintsha, njengendlela esitya ngayo, xa sixinezelekile, naxa umzimba usilwa neentsholongwane. Kutshanje kufunyaniswe ukuba iepigenome yenye yoonobangela bezifo ezithile nokuguga.

UNessa Carey ophanda nge-epigenetics uthi: “I[epigenetics] iye yafak’ isandla kwizigulo ezithile ezinjengesigulo sengqondo esibangela umntu ukuba angakwazi ukucinga kakuhle, esibizwa ngokuba si-schizophrenia, esamathambo nesomhlaza. Ibe iepigenetics zingunobangela wokwaluphala.” Ngoko ke, uphando olwenziwayo nge-epigenetics lunokuziphucula iindlela zonyango ezikhoyo, ukulwa nezifo ezinjengesomhlaza, ngaloo ndlela ubomi bube bude. Kodwa ke, okwangoku akukabikho nto ikhoyo. UCarey uqhubeka athi: “Eyona ndlela isabonakala iphumelela [ekulweni nokwaluphala] kukutya imifuno kakhulu nokujima.”

Umbuzo ngulo, kutheni abantu bebila besoma bezama ukufumana iindlela zokwandisa ubomi? Kutheni sinomnqweno wokuphila ubomi obungenasiphelo? Iphephandaba laseBritani iThe Times nalo lakha labuza lo mbuzo: “Kutheni abantu bengafuni kangaka ukufa, enokuba oku bakwenza ngokucinga ngokungafi, ukuvuka ekufeni nobomi emva kokufa okanye ukuzalwa ngokutsha?” Impendulo yale mibuzo iza kubonisa oyena nobangela wokwaluphala.

Kangangamawaka eminyaka, abantu bebejikajikana nalo mbuzo. Ngaba ikhona impendulo ecacileyo evisisana nendlela esenziwe ngayo nomnqweno wethu wokuphila ngonaphakade? Ngeliphandle izigidi zabantu beziya kuthi ewe! Ngoba? IBhayibhile iye yazinika iimpendulo ezanelisayo ngendlela abantu abadalwe ngayo.

Zisuka nje, iBhayibhile ibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba nakubeni zikho izinto abantu abafana ngazo nezinye izidalwa, kodwa bohluke kuzo ngokupheleleyo. Ngokomzekelo, kwiGenesis 1:27 sifunda ukuba uThixo wadala abantu ngokomfanekiso wakhe. Njani? Wasenza sangabantu abakwaziyo ukuba nothando, ukwenza okusesikweni nokuba nobulumko. NjengoThixo kanaphakade, usenze sanomnqweno wokuphila ngonaphakade. INtshumayeli 3:11 ithi: “Utyale umnqweno wokuphila ngonaphakade ezintliziyweni nasezingqondweni zabantu.”—IThe Amplified Bible.

Ubungqina bokuba abantu babedalelwe ukuphila ixesha elide bunokubonwa kumandla engqondo, ingakumbi kwindlela ekwazi ngayo ukufunda izinto. IThe Encyclopedia of the Brain and Brain Disorders ithi, “akukho nto ingenakukwazi ukuyigcina” ingqondo. Kutheni isebenza ngolu hlobo ukuba kanti yayingadalelwanga ukwenjenjalo? Ngoko ke, indlela adalwe ngayo umntu ibonisa injongo uThixo awayenayo kuqala ngoluntu. Xa kunjalo, kutheni sisaluphala, sigula size sife?

Indoda nebhinqa lokuqala badalwa banemizimba efezekileyo nenkululeko yokuzikhethela. Okubuhlungu kukuba, bayisebenzisa kakubi loo nkululeko xa bavukela uMenzi wabo.a (Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:6-11) Ukungathobeli kwabo, okanye isono abasenzayo sabenza batyiwa sisazela baza baneentloni. Kwakhona, oko kwabangela ukuba imizimba yabo iwohloke de baphelela ekufeni. Eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:56 ithi: “Ulwamvila oluvelisa ukufa sisono.”

Ngenxa yemfuza esiye sayifumana kuAdam noEva, asifezekanga yaye sinesono. AmaRoma 5:12 athi: “Isono sangena ngamntu mnye ehlabathini nokufa ngaso isono, ngaloo ndlela ukufa kwasasazeka kubo bonke abantu ngenxa yokuba bonke bonayo.”

Ngoko sinokugqiba ngelithini? Inyani yile: Imfihlelo yobomi obungenasiphelo ayinakufunyanwa ziingcali. NguThixo kuphela onokususa umonakalo obangelwe sisono. Kodwa ngaba uza kukwenza oko? IBhayibhile iyasiqinisekisa ukuba uza kwenjenjalo!

UThixo sele enze eyona nto ibalulekileyo ebonisa ukuba uza kuphelisa isono nokufa. Wathumela uYesu Kristu ukuba anikele ngobomi bakhe ngenxa yethu. Ukufa kukaYesu kunokusinceda njani? UYesu wazalwa efezekile yaye “akazange enze sono.” (1 Petros 2:22) Wenza ntoni ngobomi bakhe obufezekileyo? Wabunikela ngokuzithandela ukuze ahlawule izono zethu. UYesu wanikela ngobomi bakhe ukuze ‘bube yintlawulelo ngenxa yabaninzi.’ (Mateyu 20:28) Kungekudala, loo ntlawulelo iya kusebenza kuthi ngokupheleleyo. Loo nto ithetha ntoni kuwe? Khawucinge ngezi zibhalo:

• “UThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo kuye angatshabalali kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.”—Yohane 3:16.

• “Uya kuginya ukufa ngonaphakade, yaye iNkosi enguMongami uYehova ngokuqinisekileyo iya kosula iinyembezi ebusweni bonke.”—Isaya 25:8.

• “Olokugqibela utshaba oluya kutshitshiswa kukufa.”—1 Korinte 15:26.

• ‘Intente kaThixo iphakathi koluntu. Uya kuzisula zonke iinyembezi emehlweni abo, kungabi sabakho kufa.’—ISityhilelo 21:3, 4.

Unokuphila ixesha elide kangakanani? Impendulo yeBhayibhile icacile: Abantu banethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade yaye elo themba liya kuzalisekiswa emva kokuba uThixo esuse bonke ubungendawo emhlabeni. (INdumiso 37:28, 29) UYesu wayecinga ngeli themba limangalisayo xa waxelela indoda eyayibethelelwe ecaleni kwakhe: “Uya kuba nam eParadesi.”—Luka 23:43.

Abantu badalwe banomnqweno wokuphila ngonaphakade, ibe uThixo uza kuwuzalisekisa loo mnqweno. (INdumiso 145:16) Noko ke, nathi sinendima esimele siyidlale. Ngokomzekelo, kufuneka sibe nokholo kuThixo. AmaHebhere 11:6 athi: “Ngaphandle kokholo akunakwenzeka ukumkholisa kakuhle, kuba lowo uzayo kuThixo umele akholwe ukuba ukho nokuba ungumvuzi wabo bamfuna ngenyameko.” Umntu onokholo olunjalo akakholelwa yonke into kodwa uqinisekiswa lulwazi oluchanileyo olusekelwe eBhayibhileni. (Hebhere 11:1) Ukuba ufuna ukuba nokholo olunjalo, nceda uthethe namaNgqina kaYehova akwindawo ohlala kuyo okanye uye kwiWebhsayithi yethu ethi www.jw.org/xh.