Ingabe Siphila Ezinsukwini Zokugcina?
AMAZWI athi “izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo” ahunyushwe kwawesiGreki athi kai·roiʹ kha·le·poiʹ. (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Igama elithi kha·le·poiʹ liwubuningi begama ngokwezwi nezwi elisho “ukuba nolaka” futhi liqukethe umqondo wokuba usongo nengozi. Omunye umhlaziyi weBhayibheli uthi leligama libhekisela “ekugaseleni ngonya kobubi.” Ngakho-ke, nakuba ezinkathini ezidlule kwakunosizi, ‘izinsuku zokugcina’ zaziyoba zimbi ngokungavamile. Njengoba eyesi-2 Thimothewu 3:13 ikubeka, “abantu ababi nabakhohlisi bayoqhubeka besuka kokubi baye kokubi kakhulu.”
Ingabe lokhu kuchaza usuku lwethu? Ake sihlaziye obunye ubufakazi obuqondile obulotshwe kweyesi-2 Thimothewu 3:2-5 ukuze sibone ukuthi buyabonisa yini ukuthi siphila ezinsukwini zokugcina.
“Abantu bayoba . . . abathandi bemali.”—2 Thimothewu 3:2.
I-U.S.News & World Report ibiza ukukhwabanisa ngokuthi “ukuzitika ngobugebengu bemali.” E-United States, ukukhwabanisa kwezempilo kukodwa kudla imali ephakathi kwama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-50 (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-181) nama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-80 (amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-290) ngonyaka. Ngokudabukisayo, ukungathembeki okunjalo kuyinsakavukela. Njengoba uGary Edwards, umongameli we-Ethics Resource Center ephawula, ‘sinomphakathi ngezinye izikhathi odumisa ukungathembeki.’ Uyachaza: “Siwabheka njengamaqhawe amashinga, abantu abayizazi zezombangazwe, osomabhizinisi abakhohlisa uhulumeni kodwa bangatholi sigwebo.”
“Abazidlayo.”—2 Thimothewu 3:2.
Umuntu ozidlayo ubheka abanye ngokubeyisa. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kusobala kangakanani namuhla obandlululweni lobuhlanga nolobuzwe! “Wonke amaqembu amancane ayizisulu,” kusho i-Globe and Mail yaseToronto, eCanada. “Udlame lobuhlanga luyabhebhetheka eJalimane, i-Ku Klux Klan imatasa e-United States futhi imigwaqo namasinagoge aseToronto kungcoliswe ama-swastika.” U-Irving Abella, umongameli we-Canadian Jewish Congress, uthi: “Silubona kuyo yonke indawo: eSweden, e-Italy, eHolland naseBelgium kanye naseJalimane.”
“Abangalaleli abazali.”—2 Thimothewu 3:2.
“Abantu abazalwa ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II badunyiswa abaningi ngenxa yokukhulisa isizukulwane samahlongandlebe alevuzayo, athanda izimpikiswano, nangenanhlonipho,” kuphawula i-Toronto Star. Ukuvukela okuqala ekhaya kuvame ukudlulela esikoleni. Uthisha othile uphawula ukuthi izingane ezineminyaka emine ubudala ziqophisana nabo ngamazwi. Uthi: “Othisha bachitha isikhathi esiningi besingatha ukuziphatha kunokuba bafundise.” Yiqiniso, akuyona yonke intsha evukelayo. Nokho, “ngokuvamile,” kuphawula uthisha wasesikoleni esiphakeme ongumakad’ ebona uBruce MacGregor, “ibonakala ingenanhlonipho nganoma yini.”
“Abangenakho ukusondelana ngokomzwelo okungokwemvelo.”—2 Thimothewu 3:3.
Ezinsukwini zokugcina kwakuyoba nokuwohloka okuphawulekayo emkhayeni—lapho, ngaphezu kwanoma iyiphi enye indawo, kufanele kubuse khona ukusondelana ngokomzwelo okungokwemvelo. I-New York Times ibika ukuthi “ubudlova basekhaya buyimbangela ephambili yokulimala nokufa kwabesifazane baseMelika, bubangela ukulimala okukhulu kunezingozi zezimoto, ukudlwengulwa nokuphangwa kuhlangene.” Ukunukubezwa okukhulu kwabantwana kushoshozelwa amalungu omkhaya athenjwayo. Izinga eliphakeme lesehlukaniso, ukuxhashazwa kwasebekhulile, nokukhishwa kwezisu nakho kunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi abaningi “bakuntula ngokuphelele . . . ukusondelana ngokomzwelo kobuntu.”—Phillips.
“Abanolaka, abangenalo uthando ngobuhle.”—2 Thimothewu 3:3.
“Ababulali abasebasha abazidingi izisusa ezinamandla,” kubhala umlobeli wephephandaba uBob Herbert. “Izingane eziningi ziye zawamukela ngentshiseko umbono wokudubula omunye umuntu ‘ngaphandle kwesizathu.’” Ngisho nabanye abazali kubonakala bentula umuzwa wokuziphatha. Lapho iqembu labafana abasebasha limangalelwa ngokuqongelela amaphuzu okuncintisana ngokuhlanganyela ubulili namantombazane amaningi ngangokunokwenzeka, ubaba othile waphawula: “Akukho okwenziwe indodana yami obekungeke kwenziwe yinoma imuphi umfana waseMelika onobungqabavu onguntanga wayo.”
“Abathandi bezinjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu.”—2 Thimothewu 3:4.
Ngokokunye ukulinganisela, intsha eyevé eshumini nambili ichitha amahora angu-15 ngemishini yama-electron ngalawo nalawomahora amane ewachitha neqembu lenkolo. “Namuhla,” kubika i-Altoona Mirror, “impucuko ebuswa imithombo yezindaba egcwele ezikhungweni zezitolo nasezikoleni ibusa ukuphila kwentsha. Bese kulandela umkhaya. Ekugcineni kwaloluhlu kukhona isonto.” I-Mirror iyaphawula futhi, “uma abazali bengekho, namasonto ezithulele, khona-ke imithombo yezindaba iba nethonya elikhulu ekuphileni kwentsha.”
“Benesimo sokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kodwa bezibonakalisa bengathembekile emandleni ako.”—2 Thimothewu 3:5.
Iqiniso leBhayibheli linamandla okushintsha ukuphila. (Efesu 4:22-24) Kodwa ezinye zezenzo zokungamhloniphi ngempela uNkulunkulu zenzeka ngaphansi kwebhaxa lenkolo. Isibonelo esidabukisayo ukuxhaphaza kwabefundisi izingane ngokobulili. Ngokwe-New York Times, ummeli othile e-United States “uthi unamacala angu-200 asaqulwa ezifundazweni ezingu-27 amakhasimende athi anukubezwa abapristi.” Ngempela, noma ikuphi ukubonakalisa noma ukuzenzisa kokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu okuboniswa yilabefundisi kudalulwa njengokuzenzisa yimisebenzi yabo emibi.
OBUNYE UBUFAKAZI BEZINSUKU ZOKUGCINA EYESI-2 THIMOTHEWU 3:2-4 ITHI FUTHI ABANTU BAYOBA . . .
□ Abazazisayo
□ Abahlambalazi
□ Abangabongiyo
□ Abangathembekile
□ Abangafuni sivumelwano
□ Abanyundeli
□ Abangenakho ukuzithiba
□ Abakhapheli
□ Abanenkani
□ Abakhukhumele ngokuziqhenya
“ISIBONAKALISO SOKUBA KHONA KWAKHO”
Ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wabuzwa: “Siyoba yini isibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakho nesesiphelo sesimiso sezinto?” (Mathewu 24:3) UJesu wabala izimo nezenzakalo ezaziyophawula izinsuku zokugcina. Ake sihlole ezinye zazo.
“Isizwe siyovukela isizwe nombuso uvukele umbuso.”—Mathewu 24:7.
“Ikhulu lamashumi amabili—nakuba ngokuvamile linentuthuko yezomphakathi nokukhathalela kukahulumeni okukhulu ngokuphila kwabampofu—liye labuswa isibhamu esiwuntuluntulu, inganono, i-B-52, ibhomu lenuzi futhi, ekugcineni, amabhomu acitshwayo. Liye laphawuleka ngezimpi ezichitha igazi eliningi nezibhubhisa kakhulu kunezanganoma iyiphi enye inkathi.”—Milestones of History.
‘Ukuzamazama komhlaba ezindaweni ngezindawo.’—Mathewu 24:7.
Phakathi nalelikhulu leminyaka, ukuzamazama komhlaba okunesilinganiso esingu-7,5 kuya ku-8,3 esikalini sikaRichter kuye kwagasela eChile, eChina, e-Iran, e-Italy, eJapane, eNdiya, ePeru, naseTurkey.
“Kuyoba khona imibono eyesabekayo.”—Luka 21:11.
Ngenxa yezenzakalo ezesabekayo eminyakeni yamuva nje, cishe ukwesaba kuwumzwelo owodwa omkhulu ekuphileni kwabantu. Abantu besaba impi, ubugebengu, ukungcola, izifo, ukwehla kwamandla emali, nezinye izinto eziningi ezisongela ukulondeka kwabo nakho kanye ukuphila kwabo.
“Ukuswelakala Kokudla.”—Mathewu 24:7.
“Indlala Iyanda Kuyilapho Amaqembu Osizo Encipha,” kumemezela isihloko esikhulu kumagazini i-New Scientist. Ngokusho kowayengumongameli wase-United States, indlala isongela ukuqothula iplanethi phakathi neminyaka engu-20. Lesisihloko siyaphawula: “Naphezu kwalezizibikezelo ezisabisayo, usizo lwamazwe acebile lokuthuthukisa ezolimo emazweni asathuthuka luncipha ngokuphawulekayo.”
“Ezindaweni ngezindawo kube khona izifo eziwumshayabhuqe.”—Luka 21:11.
Ngokweqembu elithile lochwepheshe, ukulwa nengculaza kukahulumeni wase-United States—okubiza ama-dollar angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-500 (amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-1 815) ngonyaka—kuye kwabizwa ngokuthi ukwehluleka okudabukisayo. “Silahlekelwa isizukulwane esiphelele somkhiqizo ngenxa yengculaza,” kuxwayisa uDkt. Donna Sweet, osebenza ngeziguli ezingaba ngu-200 kuya ku-300. E-United States, ingculaza isiyimbangela ephambili yokufa kwamadoda aneminyaka engu-25 kuya kwengu-44 ubudala.
‘Ukwanda kokungabi namthetho.’—Mathewu 24:12.
Ukuhlolwa kwabasha abangu-2 500 e-United States kwembule ukuthi amaphesenti angu-15 ayephathe isibhamu esikhathini esithile phakathi nezinsuku ezingu-30 ezingaphambi kwalokho, amaphesenti angu-11 ayedutshuliwe phakathi nonyaka odlule, futhi amaphesenti angu-9 ayedubule omunye umuntu esikhathini esithile.
YINI ENGAPHAMBILI?
Njengoba sibonile, isintu siyanhlanhlatha, sikude nezwe elinokuthula. Ubunzima bezimo ezingenhla abunakulinganiswa. Ngempela, umkhaya wesintu uzithola usendaweni ongayijwayele. Udlula enkathini ebizwa ngokuthi izinsuku zokugcina.
Yini eyolandela ngemva kwalenkathi?
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]
Michael Lewis/Sipa Press