Every day, folks of diverse persuasions toss about bizarre concepts on life ad nauseam. I posed a question to ChatGPT, (the AI simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to learn and respond like humans). What is “The Good Life” and how is it attained? Amid varieties of notions, another trendy maxim popped up, “The American Dream!” Unsurprisingly, […]
When a man of Paul’s standing says he walked among a community of people with fear and trembling, you might want to crouch to the edge of your seat in wonderment. How could that be? What kinds of people would put this renowned zealot in a state of fear, let alone trembling? But the apostle uses that exact phrase, not […]
Nothing says more about a person than the individual’s perception of self. Diverse attitudes playout in the marketplace every day. Folks would have you view them a certain way, and if you don’t, they are insulted. Façade matters more to them than reality. In a day when social influencers teach people to advertise their significance, it’s the horse of a […]
Childhood stories have uncanny ways of yanking us back to the time when essential truths were first drilled into our innocent brains. As we kiss year 2022 goodbye forever, let’s revisit an old tale of ‘the man, the boy, and the donkey.’ In this story, tragedy was the result of trying to accommodate everyone’s views into a private business. Whichever […]
Every generation, in its specific time and domain, very often rides on fads that dictate what to believe. There were times when folks wouldn’t venture too far beyond their homes for fear of falling into the abyss at the jumping off place located along the skyline. Fear of the unknown elicited great caution. People didn’t want to fall casualty to […]
Can you bear with other people’s shortcomings? What is the measure of your tolerance? Do you condemn others for faults you are guilty of? Human nature is blind to its own errors. Humans have infinite forbearance for personal flaws. Self-biased, we crucify others for what we excuse in ourselves. Tenderly self-appraising, we justify in us the ugly things for which […]
Ethical lessons are often taught by contrasting humans against other creatures. Hyenas, wolves, pigs, etc. are symbols of ferocity, filth, and greed while doves and sheep denote virtue, meekness, purity, peace, etc. How about houseflies? Flies are small insects with an amazing capacity to transmit pathogens. Their hairy bodies and legs pick and drop grime from surface to surface, facilitating […]
I had the privilege of growing up in a rural setting where, as Chinua Achebe describes the manner of precolonial African linguistics, “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.” It was a pleasant if complex task, having to decode secret information from dark idioms of community gurus. Their white-haired acumen guided our people for millennia. Tragically, in […]
There’s great misconception about the place of Old Testament Law in modern times. Fierce debates rage on how the coming of Jesus affects laws given through Moses. Should Christians observe the Law? By no stretch of the imagination is this a new challenge. Among most revered fathers of the Christian faith, none confronted this question more than the apostle to […]
If you’ve been around Church folks for any length of time, you may have heard about Balaam, the prophet whose donkey protested being hit with a rod three times. In furious response, Balaam swore he’d have killed the animal if he had a sword in his hand. It’s amazing what anger can do to someone’s intellect. If your dog stared […]
Paul’s epistle to the Romans has been called the apostle’s greatest work. Chosen by God to reach the Gentile world with the gospel of salvation, Paul’s task is anything but easy. To begin with, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is a new concept, not only to Gentiles, but to Jews themselves. Secondly, Gentiles have persecuted Jews for millennia. To […]
Have you ever wondered if someone you held in high regard even cared about you? Existence of doubt is very telling about a relationship. Love belongs in a special class of values. Its elevated position makes it as unmistakable as daylight. Under what circumstances would you wonder if it’s day or night? The moment love becomes doubtful, a relationship hangs […]
