Amazulu ahlelekile. Elinye ibhuku lesayensi lithi: “Imithala kayihlalanga nje ngendlela engaqedakaliyo, kodwa ihleleke ngendlela emangalisayo.” Kuyini okwenza ihleleke kangaka? Abesayensi bathi kulezinto ezingabonakaliyo ezisemkhathini ezenza imithala ihleleke futhi ihlale isendaweni yayo.

Kambe ukuthi indlela amazulu ahleleke ngayo yaphonguzenzakalela nje kungelaMdali? U-Allan Sandage owayeyingcitshi yokuhlola izinkanyezi lokunye okusemkhathini futhi owayekholwa kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngeke kwenze ukuthi ukuhleleka okungaka kube kwazenzakalela nje kuphela. Kumele ukuthi kulolutho olwenza kwahleleka kangaka.”

 Amazulu ahlelwe ngendlela eyenza siqhubeke siphila. Ilanga liqhubeka litshisa ngendlela efaneleyo. Aluba amandla alenza litshise abemancane, ilanga belingasoze libekhona. Aluba abemakhulu kulalokho ayikho khona, ngabe ilanga lancibilika kudala.

Kulezinye izinto ezisemkhathini ezenza siqhubeke siphila. Ngabe izinto lezi bezizincane kumbe zizinkulu kulalokho eziyikho, bekungasoze kube lokuphila. Omunye wezesayensi okuthiwa ngu-Anil Ananthaswamy uyakusekela lokhu, uthi aluba izinto lezi bezingatshintshwa, “izinkanyezi, amaplanethi lemithala bekungasoze kube khona. Bekungasoze kube lokuphila.”

Umhlaba ulikhaya elihle labantu. Umhlaba ulomkhathi owenza siqhubeke siphila futhi ulenani elifaneleyo lamanzi kanye lenyanga ewugcina usendaweni yawo. I-National Geographic ithi: “Indlela umhlaba lezinto eziphilayo ezikuwo okuhleleke ngayo, yenza kube yiyo yodwa iplanethi abezesayensi abakholwa ukuthi abantu bangaphila kuyo.” a

Omunye umlobi wathi ilanga lomhlaba kukhatshana lezinkanyezi ezisemthaleni wethu. Ukuqhelelana kwawo lezinkanyezi yikho okwenza kube lokuphila emhlabeni. Aluba umhlaba ubuseduze kakhulu kwezinkanyezi, kumbe phakathi laphakathi komthala wethu loba ekucineni kwawo, bekuzatshisa okungenziyo emhlabeni. Kodwa okumangalisayo yikuthi lapho umhlaba okhona emthaleni wethu kwenza kube lokuphila.

Omunye owezesayensi okuthiwa nguPaul Davies uchasisa indlela azwisisa ngayo amazulu lomhlaba esithi: ‘Kangikholwa ukuthi ukuphila kwaphonguvuka kukhona kumbe ukuthi saba lapha ngengozi. Kodwa engikukholwayo yikuthi ukuphila kulenhloso sibili.’ Amazwi la kawatsho ukuthi uDavies ufundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu nguye owadala amazulu lomhlaba kanye lokuphila. Kodwa wena ucabangani? Kukhanya indlela amazulu lomhlaba okudalwe ngayo yenzelwe ukuthi kusekele ukuphila. Kungenzakala yini ukuthi okwenza kube njalo yikuthi kulomuntu owakudalayo?