Ingabe Siyoke Siphinde Sibabone?
“Usishiyé phakade. Bekungalindelekile neze. Kodwa naphezu kobuhlungu obukhulu obubangelwa ukufa kwakho, ezinhliziyweni zethu uyohlala unathi. Asisoze sayikhohlwa iminyaka ejabulisayo esiye sayijabulela nawe futhi asisoze salilahla ithemba lokuphinde sikubone ngolunye usuku.”
EGRAND Duchy of Luxembourg, imikhaya nabangane abasele ngokuphindaphindiwe bazwakalisa imizwa enjengalena ezimemezelweni zemingcwabo zamaphephandaba ezikhishwa ngemva kokufa kothandekayo. Imicabango efanayo isezingqondweni zabanye emhlabeni wonke, imicabango efudumele yenkumbulo, kanye nokuphelelwa ithemba okucindezelayo ngenxa yokulahlekelwa kwabo—ithemba elixubene nokungaqiniseki. Kungenzeka ukuthi wake wasabela kanjalo noma wakuzwa kushiwo umngane ngemva kokufa kothandekayo.
Kubantu abaningi, ithemba lokuphinde babone abathandekayo babo abafile aliqondakali kahle futhi alicacile. Izizathu zisobala. Okokuqala, akekho ngempela kulezinsuku ozinikeza isikhathi sokuba athole ulwazi ngalendaba. Futhi lapho othile ezama, ukwaziswa okunikezwa izinkolo eziningi ngalendaba akuzwakali nhlobo noma kumangalisa kakhulu ukuba kungaba okukholisayo.
Njengoba kungenzeka ukuthi uyazi, kwabaningi okuwukuphela ‘kokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo’ kwabafile kuwukuqhubeka kohlu lozalo lwemikhaya yabo. Kungenzeka ukuthi uye wezwa ngombono wokuthi abantu ‘bayaqhubeka bephila kubantwana babo.’ Kodwa ingabe “ukuphila” okunjalo kuletha inzuzo ezwakalayo kwabafile noma ithemba ngabasele bakubo lokuthi bayophinde bababone? Lutho neze! Ngakho ayikho ngempela induduzo embonweni onjalo!
Ngenxa yokuba nesithakazelo kwabathandekayo bethu, kokubili labo abafile nalabo abasaphila, sidinga izimpendulo zalemibuzo: Uma othile esimthandayo efa, ingabe siyophinde simbone? Uma impendulo inguyebo, lokho kuyokwenzeka nini futhi kuphi? Ezulwini? Noma ngisho nalapha emhlabeni? Ngempela, iliphi ithemba elikhona ngabathandekayo abafile nangathi esikhathini esizayo?
Ngokungagunci, kunezindaba ezinhle ngokuqondene nalemibuzo. Zinhle ngomqondo wokuthi kunethemba eliqinisekile, elijabulisayo. Kuyizindaba ngoba kuyisigijimi esihlukile kulokho okuye kwazwiwa abantu abaningi, ngisho nasemithonjeni yenkolo.
Ekhulwini leminyaka lokuqala leSikhathi sethu Esivamile, lapho isithunywa sevangeli esingumKristu uPawulu siseAthene, eGrisi, sakhuluma ngethemba elingokomBhalo ngabafile. Ezinye izilaleli zazinelukuluku lokuzwa, kodwa ezinye zalalela ngokugxeka. Izazi zefilosofi ezithile zafuna ukuqhubeka nengxoxo yokuphikisana naye, futhi zathi: “Leliphoshophosho lithini na?” Abanye bathi ‘wayengomemezela onkulunkulu abangaziwayo; ngokuba wayeshumayela ivangeli ngoJesu nangokuvuka kwabafileyo.’ (IzEnzo 17:18) Yebo, izindaba ezinhle okwadingeka uPawulu azilandise zazihilela uvuko!
Ubungayibheka kanjani inkulumo ekhuluma ngovuko lwesikhathi esizayo—yokubona abafile bephila futhi? Ingabe bekungabonakala kuyingxoxo engenangqondo? Noma, ingabe ngenxa yemfundo yakho engokwenkolo nemibono yakho siqu, isigijimi semiBhalo eNgcwele ngethemba ngabafile sibonakala sisisha futhi sikumangaza, njengokungathi sivela ‘kunkulunkulu ongaziwayo’?
KuPawulu, abaseAthene bathi: “Uletha ezindlebeni zethu okuthile okungaziwayo; ngalokho sifuna ukwazi ukuthi lokhu kungaba-yini.” (IzEnzo 17:20) Ingabe nawe ufisa ukufunda okwengeziwe ngethemba leBhayibheli ngabafileyo bethu, nangathi esiphilayo? Uma kunjalo, isihloko esilandelayo sizokuthakazelisa.