LAPHO uHarriet efa ngo-2006, wayeneminyaka engaba ngu-175 ubudala. Yiqiniso, uHarriet wayengeyena umuntu. Kwakuwufudu lwaseGalapagos olwaluhlala e-zoo yase-Australia. Uma eqhathaniswa nathi, uHarriet waphila isikhathi eside kakhulu. Kodwa uma eqhathaniswa nezinye izinto eziphilayo, isikhathi asiphila asiside ngokungavamile. Cabangela ezinye izibonelo.

• Abacwaningi baseFinland, bathi imbaza okuthiwa yi-pearl ephila emanzini angenasawoti, ingaphila iminyaka engu-200.

• Imbaza okuthiwa yi-barrowing ngokuvamile iphila iminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu futhi kuye kwabikwa nokuthi iyayiphila iminyaka engaphezu kuka-400.

• Izihlahla ezihlukahlukene, njengesihlahla sikaphayini okuthiwa yi-bristlecone, isihlahla esikhulukazi okuthiwa yi-sequoia, nezinye izinhlobo zomsayiphuresi nesihlahla sonwele saseNorway ziphila izinkulungwane zeminyaka.

Kodwa abantu, nakuba ngokuvamile bebhekwa njengezidalwa eziphakeme kweziphila emhlabeni, basuke bephile isikhathi eside uma bephile iminyaka engu-80 noma engu-90—ngezinye izikhathi lokho kwenzeka ngisho naphezu kwemizamo eyengeziwe yokwelula isikhathi sokuphila!

Ucabangani—ingabe iminyaka engu-80 noma ngaphezudlwana iwukuphela kweminyaka esingayiphila? Noma kungenzeka yini siphile isikhathi eside kakhulu kunalokho? Abantu abaningi banethemba lokuthi isayensi nobuchwepheshe bezokwelapha kungasisiza siphile isikhathi eside.

Isayensi iye yaba negalelo elikhulu emkhakheni wezempilo nowobuchwepheshe bezokwelapha. Umagazini i-Scientific American uthi: “Bambalwa abantu [e-United States] abafa ngenxa yezifo ezithathelwanayo noma ngenxa yezinkinga zokubeletha. Ukufa kwezinsana kwehle ngamaphesenti angu-75 kusukela ngo-1960.” Kodwa kuncane kakhulu isayensi eye yaphumelela ukukufeza ekweluleni isikhathi sokuphila kwabantu. Omunye umagazini we-Scientific American, uthi: “Ngisho nangemva kwamashumi eminyaka yocwaningo, ukuguga kusalokhu kuyimpicabadala. Nokho, ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi ukuguga kwenzeka lapho isimiso sezakhi zofuzo esilawula ukukhula siwohloka.” Lesi sihloko siyaqhubeka: “Uma ngokuyinhloko ukuguga kuyinqubo yezakhi zofuzo, cishe kungenzeka ngolunye usuku kunqandeke.”

Ekufuneni kwabo izimbangela zangempela zokuguga, kuhlanganise nezifo ezihlobene nokukhula, abanye ososayensi bahlola ukwaziswa kwamuva emkhakheni wokusebenza kwezakhi zofuzo okuthiwa i-epigenetics. Iyini i-epigenetics?

Amangqamuzana aqukethe ukwaziswa kwezakhi zofuzo, okuyinto edingekayo ukuze kwakheke amangqamuzana amasha. Okuningi kwalokhu kwaziswa kutholakala kuyo yonke i-DNA esengqamuzaneni. Nokho, ezikhathini zamuva ososayensi baye bamba bajula kwezinye zezinqubo ezenzeka ngaphakathi kwengqamuzana, ezibizwa ngokuthi i-epigenome. I-epigenetics, iwucwaningo lwezinqubo ezimangalisayo ezenzeka engqamuzaneni namakhemikhali athonya ukusebenza kwazo.

Izinhlayiyana ze-epigenome azifani neze ne-DNA. Njengoba i-DNA ibukeka njengeladi elisontekile, i-epigenome empeleni iyisimiso samakhemikhali anamathela kuyi-DNA. Uyini umsebenzi we-epigenome? Njengombhidi obhidisa iqembu lomculo wezinsimbi, i-epigenome iqondisa indlela okusebenza ngayo ukwaziswa okusezakhini zofuzo kuyi-DNA. Lezi zinhlayiya zamakhemikhali zilawula indlela izakhi zofuzo ezisabela ngayo ezidingweni zengqamuzana nasezimweni ezilizungezile, njengokudla, ukucindezeleka nobuthi. Okwembulwe ucwaningo lwamuva ngokuphathelene ne-epigenome kuyishintshe kakhulu indlela izinto ezibhekwa ngayo emkhakheni wesayensi yezinto eziphilayo, ehlobanisa i-epigenetics nezifo ezithile ngisho nokuguga.

Umcwaningi we-epigenetics, uNessa Carey uthi: “[I-epigenetics] iyathinteka ezifweni ezihlukahlukene kusukela ekusanganeni kuya ekuqaqambeni kwamalungu omzimba, nasemdlavuzeni kuye ezinhlungwini ezingamahlalakhona. Kanti futhi ngokuqinisekile inesandla ekugugeni.” Ngakho, ukucwaninga nge-epigenetics kungaholela ezindleleni zokwelapha eziphumelelayo zokuthuthukisa impilo, ukulwa nezifo—kuhlanganise nomdlavuza—ngaleyo ndlela kwelulwe isikhathi sokuphila. Nokho, okwamanje akukho mpumelelo ephawulekayo. UCarey uthi: “Sisalokhu sibambelele endleleni yethu endala [yokulwa nokuguga], okuwukuthi, ukudla inqwaba yemifino nokuzivocavoca okungapheli.”

Kodwa kungani abantu benza zonke lezi zinto ukuze baphile isikhathi eside? Kungani sifuna ukuphila phakade? Iphephandaba laseBrithani i-Times labuza: “Kungani bonke abantu emhlabeni bekhathazeke ngokuzama ukubalekela ukufa, kungaba ngethemba lokungafi, lovuko, lokuphila kwangemva kokufa noma lokuphind’ ukuzalwa?” Njengoba sizobona manje, impendulo yembula imbangela yangempela yokuguga.

Sekuyizinkulungwane zeminyaka abantu abacabangayo belwa nalowo mbuzo. Ingabe  ikhona incazelo enengqondo negculisayo, evumelana nokwakheka kwemizimba yethu nesifiso sethu esingokwemvelo sokuphila phakade? Izigidi zabantu zingaphendula le mibuzo ngo-yebo ongathandabuzi! Kungani? Ziye zathola izimpendulo ezanelisa kakhulu ngokwakheka komuntu eBhayibhelini.

Kusukela ekuqaleni, iBhayibheli likwenza kucace ukuthi abantu, nakuba kunezinto ezithile abafana ngazo nezinye izidalwa, bahluke ngokuphawulekayo kuzo. Ngokwesibonelo, kuGenesise 1:27, sifunda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala abantu ngomfanekiso wakhe. Kanjani? Wasinika ikhono lokubonisa uthando, ubulungisa nokuhlakanipha. Kanti njengoba uNkulunkulu ephila phakade, wafaka kithi isifiso sokuphila phakade. “Ufake ubuphakade ezinhliziyweni nasezingqondweni zabantu,” kusho umShumayeli 3:11.—The Amplified Bible.

Ubufakazi obuphathekayo bokuthi abantu babedalelwe ukuphila isikhathi eside kunaleso esisiphilayo bungabonakala emandleni engqondo, ikakhulu ikhono layo lokufunda. I-Encyclopedia of the Brain and Brain Disorders, ithi ikhono lengqondo yomuntu lokugcina izinto isikhathi eside “alinamkhawulo.” Kungani sinaleli khono uma kwakungafanele silisebenzise? Yebo, ngezindlela ezibalulekile, abantu babonisa injongo kaNkulunkulu yokuqala ngesintu. Pho kungani siguga, sihlupheka futhi sifa?

Indoda nowesifazane bokuqala babenemizimba ephelele futhi benenkululeko yokuzikhethela. Ngokudabukisayo, bayisebenzisa kabi leyo nkululeko ngokuvukela uMenzi wabo. * (Genesise 2:16, 17; 3:6-11) Ukungalaleli kwabo noma isono, kwabenza bazizwa benecala kakhulu futhi baba namahloni. Kwaholela nasekutheni imizimba yabo yonakale, kwaqala inqubo ehamba kancane kodwa engagwemeki eholela ekufeni. “Udosi oluveza ukufa yisono,” kusho eyoku-1 Korinte 15:56.

Ngokuvumelana nomthetho wofuzo, sonke isizukulwane sika-Adamu no-Eva sazuza ukungapheleli kanye nokuthambekela esonweni noma ekwenzeni okungalungile. AmaRoma 5:12 athi: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”

Yini esingaphetha ngayo uma sicabangela lokhu esesixoxe ngakho? Yilokhu: Imfihlo yokuphila okungenasiphelo ayisoze yatholakala ngocwaningo lodokotela. UNkulunkulu kuphela ongalungisa umonakalo owabangelwa yisono. Kodwa ingabe uzokwenza lokho? IBhayibheli liphendula ngomunye uyebo ongathandabuzi!

Kakade uNkulunkulu usethathe isinyathelo esinqala endabeni yokususa isono nokufa. Wathumela uJesu Kristu ukuba azonikela ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yethu. Ukufa kukaJesu kungasisiza kanjani? UJesu wazalwa ephelele futhi “akenzanga sono.” (1 Petru 2:22) Ngakho, wayekufanelekela ukuphila okungapheli njengomuntu ophelele. Wenzani ngokuphila kwakhe okuphelele? Wakunikela ngokuzithandela ukuze ahlawulele izono zethu. Yebo, uJesu wanikela ngokuphila kwakhe ‘kwaba yisihlengo sabaningi.’ (Mathewu 20:28) Maduzane, leso sihlengo sizosetshenziswa ngokugcwele ngenxa yethu. Lokho kungasho ukuthini ngawe? Cabangela le miBhalo:

• “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

• “Empeleni uyokugwinya ukufa kuze kube phakade, iNkosi EnguMbusi uJehova ngokuqinisekile iyosula izinyembezi ebusweni bonke.”—Isaya 25:8.

• “Njengesitha sokugcina, ukufa kuzokwenziwa ize.”—1 Korinte 15:26.

• “Itende likaNkulunkulu likanye nabantu . . . Uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni abo, ukufa ngeke kusaba khona.”—IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

Ungaphila isikhathi eside kangakanani? IBhayibheli liphendula ngokucacile: Abantu bangaba nethemba lokuphila phakade—ithemba elizogcwaliseka lapho uNkulunkulu esesuse bonke ububi emhlabeni. (IHubo 37:28, 29) UJesu wayecabanga ngalelo themba eliyigugu ngesikhathi ethi endodeni eyayibethelwe eduze kwakhe: “Uyokuba nami ePharadesi.”—Luka 23:43.

Yebo, isifiso sabantu sokuphila phakade sinengqondo futhi singokwemvelo. UNkulunkulu wasenza kanjalo! Ngaphezu kwalokho, uzosanelisa leso sifiso. (IHubo 145:16) Kodwa nathi kumelwe sifeze indima yethu. Ngokwesibonelo, kudingeka sakhe ukholo kuNkulunkulu. AmaHebheru 11:6, athi: “Ngaphandle kokholo akwenzeki ukumjabulisa [uNkulunkulu] ngoba lowo oza kuNkulunkulu kumelwe akholelwe ukuthi ukhona nokuthi uba umvuzi walabo abamfuna ngobuqotho.” Ukholo olunjalo alukhona ukuthatheka, kodwa luwukuqiniseka okusekelwe olwazini olunembile lweBhayibheli. (Hebheru 11:1) Uma ungathanda ukuba nokholo olunjalo, sicela ukhulume noFakazi BakaJehova bangakini noma uvakashele ingosi yethu ethi www.ps8318.com/zu.