Umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kuhlelekile. Isihloko esikumagazini i-Astronomy sithi: “Imithala ihleleke yamisa okolwembu, ayivelanga yasakazeka nje esibhakabhakeni.” Lokhu kwenzeka kanjani? Ososayensi bathi lokhu kungenzeka ngenxa yento ethile engabonakali ebizwa ngokuthi i-dark matter. Le-dark matter “iwuhlaka olungabonakali oluqondisa futhi lusekele . . . imithala, amaqoqo amancane namaqoqo amakhulu emithala.”

Kwenzeke kanjani ukuba umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kuhleleke ngale ndlela? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi lokhu kuhleleka kwamane kwazenzakalela nje? Phawula lokho okwashiwo u-Allan Sandage osewashona. Ubhekwa njengomunye “wezazi zezinkanyezi esasihamba phambili eminyakeni eyikhulu eyedlule,” futhi wayekholelwa kuNkulunkulu.

 Uthi: “Ngikubona kungenakwenzeka ukuthi ukuhleleka okunjalo kungavele kuzenzakalele nje. Kukhona okumele ngabe kukuhlelile.”

Umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kusesimweni esikahle sokusekela ukuphila. Cabanga ngeqiniso lokuthi ilanga lishisa ngesilinganiso esifanele. Uma amandla ashisisa ilanga ebebuthaka kakhulu, ilanga belingeke lishise. Uma ebenamandla kakhulu, ilanga ngabe selasha langqongqa.

Kunezinye izinhlobonhlobo zamandla emhlabeni nasemkhathini asesilinganisweni esifanele ukuze kube nezinto eziphilayo. Umbhali ongusosayensi, u-Anil Ananthaswamy uthi uma bekungashintshwa esisodwa salezo zilinganiso zamandla, “izinkanyezi, amaplanethi nemithala bekungeke kube khona. Ukuphila bekungeke kube khona.”

Umhlaba nazo zonke izinto ezisemkhathini kuyikhaya elikahle labantu. Umhlaba unomkhathi okahle, unesilinganiso samanzi esifanele nenyanga enkulu ngendlela efanele ukuze ikwazi ukugcina umhlaba usendaweni yawo. I-National Geographic ithi: “Umhlaba, izinto eziphilayo ezikuwo nendlela ezisebenzelana ngayo kwenza leli dwala elingajwaywelekile [umhlaba] libe ukuphela kwendawo abantu abangaphila kahle kuyo.” a

Ngokomunye umbhali, isimiso sethu sikanozungeza ilanga sikude kakhulu kunezinye izinkanyezi emthaleni esikuwo. Kodwa lokho kuqhelelana yikhona okwenza ukuphila kube khona. Besiyothola imisebe engasibulala ukube besiseduze kakhulu nezinkanyezi noma siphakathi nendawo nomthala wethu noma sisonqenqemeni lwawo. Kunalokho, umhlaba “usengxenyeni yomthala ekufanelekela kahle ukuba nezinto eziphilayo.”

Ngokusekelwe olwazini lwakhe lwesayensi mayelana nomhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini nemithetho yakho, usosayensi uPaul Davies waphetha: “Angikholwa ukuthi ukuba khona kwethu kulo mhlaba kumane kuyinto eyenzeka ngenhlanhla nje, isimanga esathuka senzeka kulo mhlaba nasemkhathini omkhulu kangaka. . . . Kunesizathu esenza sibe lapha.” UDavies akafundisi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wadala umhlaba nezinto ezisemkhathini kanye nabantu, kodwa wena ucabangani? Indawo esizungezile nomhlaba kubonakala kwenziwe ngendlela yokuthi kube nezinto eziphilayo. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi kubonakala kanjalo ngenxa yokuthi kwadalwa?