HOW COMPASSION TRANSFORMED LIVES: A LESSON FROM MY PARENTS’ LEGACY

 

Forty years ago at my university graduation, a beloved family friend, Mama Lizzy, hosted a celebration in my honor. Decades later, she remains a cherished big Aunty. Yesterday, while working together, she shared two profound stories about my parents that left me humbled and inspired.

The Betting Forms and the Broken Rule

In the 1960s, Mama Lizzy’s husband lost his job at Agbonmagbe Bank. Desperate, he turned to starting a pools betting business. He needed to print £7 worth of betting forms (a small fortune then) and approached my father, a printer. My dad refused on principle: “As a Christian, I don’t support gambling.”

Devastated, Mama Lizzy took matters into her own hands. She pleaded with my father: “My husband lost his job. Feeding our family is a struggle. Please help us.” Moved by compassion, my dad did something extraordinary, he not only printed the forms on credit but broke his own policy.

The business failed. Only 4 shillings were recovered. Yet when Mama Lizzy came to confess the loss, my father asked just one question:

“Which church do you and your husband attend?”

They didn’t. So he invited them to his. That’s how Mama Lizzy and her husband joined Christ Apostolic Church, where her husband became a devoted usher and youth leader. Their faith journey began with a loss and an act of grace.

The Second Miracle: Wisdom Wrapped in Kindness

Years later, Mama Lizzy borrowed money from my mother for her business. As repayment day drew close, disaster struck; she’d lost her goods at the border. Heartbroken but determined, she gathered every penny she had and arrived at our home, wiping tears from her eyes before stepping inside.

In my mother’s bedroom, they spoke heart-to-heart. After their conversation, my mum did something unforgettable: she brought out her money box, handed it to Mama Lizzy, and said, “Pick £15 to add to what you have. Keep your business going.”

That moment, Mama Lizzy told me, felt like a miracle.

The Lessons: Legacy Isn’t Built on Rigidity

These stories, decades old, still speak volumes:

1. Principles anchored in mercy change destinies. My father held firm to his faith yet allowed compassion to guide him. When we temper conviction with humanity, we open doors only grace can unlock.

2. Discernment is love in action. My mother saw Mama Lizzy’s integrity, her tearful determination to repay, and responded not just with leniency, but with investment. True support meets people at their lowest and lifts them higher.

3. Small acts write eternal legacies. A failed business, a box of coins, these became the hinges on which a family’s future swung.

May we live lives that inspire stories long after we’re gone. What’s the one act of kindness you’ve never forgotten? Share below.

#LegacyOfLove #Generosity #FaithInAction #FamilyStories #LifeLessons #SolaWrites #UnleashYourStory

THE DANGER OF “LETTING ONESELF GO” – A MISGUIDED PATH TO HEALING

 

 

 

In recent times, especially on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, we witness growing expressions of what some call inner child healing where individuals, often in dramatic fashion, pour liquids on themselves, break social norms intentionally, or behave childishly as an act of symbolic freedom. These acts are often framed as therapeutic, as ways of “letting oneself go” in order to reclaim authenticity, reject self-imposed rules, societal repression, or process past trauma.

 

But as with all things human, discernment is crucial.

 

Some branches of psychoanalysis, particularly those leaning heavily on emotional catharsis, promote the idea that “letting oneself go” leads to liberation and maturity. The reasoning is that by shedding inhibitions, one connects with buried emotions, suppressed desires, or a neglected self. However, as the Grail Message insightfully warns, this principle when misunderstood or taken too far does not heal, but harms.

 

The Message states:

“To achieve this destruction not a little is contributed by the principle of ‘letting oneself go’, which follows as a natural consequence of the principle of temptation.”

Let us pause to consider the weight of this. What is being described here is not authentic spiritual healing, but rather a dangerous counterfeit. When a soul “lets go” without anchoring itself in truth, conscience, or higher striving, it opens the door to a slide, not into healing, but into darkness. The message continues by explaining how this principle, widely accepted in the regions of Darkness, now infiltrates earthly life through certain psychological practices.

And what is the result?

“… numerous victims of similar therapies wandering about today without any hold on life… Their little bit of self-reliance and, on the whole, all their individual thinking have been completely picked to pieces and destroyed…”

This is not an abstract warning. Look around: many today are left emotionally naked, spiritually disoriented, and morally unanchored not because they never sought help, but because the help they found tore them down without building them back up.

 

The Message continues:

“Through the systematic intrusion into their most intimate affairs and rights they have gradually lost the sense of shame which is an integral part of personal self-respect… On such uprooted soil no new, solid building can then be erected.”

 

And this is the great tragedy: healing is not found in dismantling every boundary, defying every social code, or casting off restraint. True healing strengthens what is noble in us. It awakens the dormant good, stirs us to responsibility, and orients us toward what is higher.

 

Yes, some rules in life are artificial and should be questioned. But many more are protective, moral, and purposeful. Rebellion for its own sake is not freedom. And self-expression without self-mastery leads not to growth, but to chaos.

 

Even Lucifer, the Message tells us, is contemptuous of how humans debase his own principle of temptation. In human hands, the principle of “letting oneself go” becomes a pathway to shame, self-destruction, and spiritual confusion. As the Message warns, this is the direct spreading of the Lucifer principle.

 

A Better Path

The true physician of the soul, the Message affirms, does not need to tear down. He recognises the slumbering good within, awakens it gently, and builds upon it. He doesn’t encourage recklessness in the name of healing, but transformation through spiritual recognition.

 

And so, let us exercise great care. Let us honour the inner child not by descending into childishness, but by rising into childlike purity, wonder, and clarity anchored in self-respect, humility, and the living Laws of Creation. Let us reject trendy therapy that flatters pride and ego, and instead seek truth, conviction, and the noble striving that alone can bring true freedom.

 

In these chaotic times, the world needs not more “letting go” but more standing upright spiritually alert, morally clear, and inwardly alive.

 

Let those who seek, find.

THE BIBLE: SPIRITUAL WORK OR DIVINE WORD?

 

To those who regard the Bible as a sacred work, worthy of reverence and lifelong study, there is much that is admirable in such devotion. Its endurance across centuries, its moral influence, and its capacity to uplift the earnest reader cannot be denied. Indeed, external confirmations through archaeology and historical research such as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Tel Dan Stele, and the Cyrus Cylinder have lent credibility to many of its narratives. These validations, while not theological in themselves, do affirm the Bible’s remarkable preservation and historical grounding.

But even more important than confirming the events described in the Bible is to engage seriously with the claims often made about the Bible. Chief among these is the widely held assertion that the Bible is the Word of God.

This, however, is a deeper question, one that cannot be resolved by appealing to archaeology, ancient manuscripts, or consistency of tradition. The real issue is not whether the Bible has been preserved, but how its contents have been understood, transmitted, and interpreted through the ages.

A perfectly preserved text is not automatically a perfectly understood one. Human limitations, of memory, bias, translation, dogma, and time inevitably color how messages are passed along. Many of the words attributed to Christ, for example, were written decades after His physical departure from the earth, by those who had heard them secondhand or committed them to memory. In such cases, the human filter cannot be discounted. Even those with the best intentions may fail to convey the spirit of a message, despite repeating its words. Thus, while the Bible contains invaluable spiritual truths, we must resist the temptation to declare every passage as it stands today as the direct expression of the Divine Will.

To do so is not humility, it is presumption.

There is also an important distinction that must be acknowledged: the spiritual is not the same as the Divine. Man, as spirit, is part of Creation. He is subject to the unchanging Laws that govern the spiritual and material realms. The Creator, however, stands above and beyond Creation. That which comes from the Divine is pure, living, and untouched by the filters of human intellect. While man may receive illumination, he remains a vessel, not the source.

To describe any human-written text, however inspired, as of equal essence with the Divine Word is a leap no creature is qualified to make. This is not conviction born of understanding. It is assumption, however sincere.

Yet none of this diminishes the Bible’s worth. On the contrary, when we free ourselves from rigid dogma and begin to read with awakened spirits, examining, reflecting, and earnestly seeking, we begin to perceive the deeper truths it points toward. We are no longer content with surface words or inherited explanations. We begin to live the truths we grasp, rather than merely reciting them.

The highest spiritual realities cannot be locked in books, no matter how sacred. They are not formulae or footnotes. They are life itself. They are clarity, movement, conviction, and light. And above all, they are accessible only to those who seek inwardly and freely, rather than relying on external validation or inherited faith.

Let the Bible remain a guide, a lantern on the path, but not the destination. Let it inspire, but never confine. Let us honour it not with blind allegiance, but with open hearts and living actions.

For those who truly seek Truth, it is not the book alone that leads them there, but the awakening of the spirit within.

And in that seeking, honest, humble, and free, may each one find what they were created to discover.

CAN WE CALL THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD?- An Objective Reflection on a Sacred Book and the Limits of Human Interpretation

Across centuries, the Bible has been revered, feared, studied, quoted, abused, and misused. It has been held up as the ultimate moral compass, the final arbiter in debates, the bedrock of laws, and the voice of the Almighty! Yet, a question quietly persists, often buried beneath sentiment and centuries of dogma: Can we truly call the Bible the Word of God?

This is not a question asked in irreverence but one born of honesty. If there is indeed such a thing as the Word of God, eternal, perfect, unchangeable, can a book written, rewritten, translated, argued over, edited, and interpreted by humans over thousands of years fully embody that Word?

The Bible undoubtedly contains timeless truths, profound teachings, and spiritual guidance. But we must pause and consider the fact that what we read today has passed through many hands, each with its own limitations, beliefs, and intentions. From oral traditions to manuscripts copied by hand, from ancient languages to modern translations, from councils that decided which books were "inspired" to the endless streams of interpretations, every step introduces the fallibility of man into what should be divine clarity.

When people say, “Christ said…” they often use it to silence discussion or establish irrefutable truth. But do we realise the weight of such a claim? Do we pause to ask: Did He truly say this as it is written today? Or are we merely repeating words passed down through faulty memory and flawed transcription? For many of the words attributed to Christ were not recorded by stenographers standing beside Him, but recollected years later by followers with different motives and differing memories.

That fact does not make the Bible useless. On the contrary, it makes it useful—but not infallible. Its pages reflect humanity’s yearning for God, its attempts to grasp the Eternal, and its many successes and failures in the process. It is a spiritual document, yes, but one that must be approached with humility, discernment, and deep inner clarity.

The Bible is a spiritual book, and herein lies a major source of misunderstanding. Its language is often symbolic, speaking of spiritual and ethereal realities that are not to be interpreted literally. The story of the Garden of Eden, for example, has been reduced to a crude tale of fruit and snakes when in reality it illustrates spiritual truths about temptation, disobedience, and the law of sowing and reaping! The Paradise of the Bible from where man originates and which is his final destination is not this Earth, but a far higher realm, yet how many believers still picture it as a garden in Mesopotamia?

To read the Bible rightly requires more than intellect. It demands spiritual maturity, purity of heart, and a living connection to truth. Without that, it becomes as described in the haunting imagery of souls behind spiritual bars, just another book wielded for argument or comfort, incapable of unlocking real understanding or transformation.

The Bible must not be mistaken as God Himself, or even as His full, undiluted Word. It contains parts of the Word, reflections of the Word, echoes of the Word. But the Living Word, the eternal, unchanging Will of God cannot be confined to parchment or bound in leather. It pulsates through Creation itself, through the laws that govern life and motion, cause and effect, light and darkness. To claim the Bible as the totality of the Word is to limit God to what humans have managed to write down.

Furthermore, interpretation matters. Two people can read the same passage and come to opposite conclusions. Whole denominations have risen and fallen on the basis of differing understandings of a single verse. And tragically, wars have been waged, people enslaved, women subjugated, and the poor abandoned, all with someone quoting Scripture as justification.

Thus, if the Bible is to be read at all, let it be read with illumination from within, not just from intellectual analysis or inherited tradition. Let each seeker ask: What truth is this pointing to? What is the spirit behind these words? For as long as people merely cling to the letter of Scripture, the spirit will elude them.

The Bible remains a guide, a signpost, not the destination. It has played a sacred role in awakening consciences and pointing millions to higher realities. But we must not worship the signpost.

Can we then still call the Bible the Word of God?

Perhaps we can say this: the Bible contains words about God. It points to the Word. It reflects moments when the Word touched human history. But the true Word of God is living, active, radiant, and unbound! It is the Will of God in Creation, the voice that speaks through the order of nature, the justice that never fails, and the love that never ends.

Those who seek it earnestly will find it not only in Scripture, but in the beauty of the stars, the rhythm of the seasons, the cry of the oppressed, and the peace of an awakened heart.

Let us honour the Bible. Yes. But let us also go further. Let us find the Living Word that calls to us even now, waiting not on pages but in the silence of a soul ready to listen.

WHERE THE INTELLECT HOLDS SWAY

Wherever the intellect holds sway, the outcome is always the same.

History, with all its pages of glory and ruin, teaches us one resounding truth: much-celebrated knowledge and intellectual brilliance have never been able to save a civilisation from eventual collapse. The Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans, nations once revered for their enlightenment, arts, sciences, and philosophies, all met the same tragic end. The pattern did not end there. The Spaniards, the French, and the Germans followed suit, each reaching great heights only to descend into moral decay and eventual decline.

And now, the most powerful nation of our present age: the United States, stands at the same precipice. Though commanding influence, technology, and wealth, it too will not be spared. Not because of politics or economics, but because of a higher and more enduring reality: this is the Law.

The Law that governs all creation is unchanging and just. And wherever the intellect is allowed to rule unchecked, disconnected from spirit, from intuition, from higher values, it will ultimately sow the seeds of destruction. The intellect, while an invaluable servant, was never meant to be the master.

Civilisations driven purely by intellectual power always reach a moment when their blossoms begin to rot. The fruits of their success, when not balanced by spiritual and moral depth, inevitably become the same: immorality, shamelessness, vulgarity, arrogance, and every kind of debauchery. What begins as progress ends in collapse. What starts as advancement ends in emptiness.

The remarkable similarity of this cycle across the ages is too glaring to ignore. Any truly thoughtful person must come to a sobering recognition: that behind this repeated pattern lies the operation of the highest Laws, divine, perfect, and immovable. These are not religious laws crafted by men, but cosmic Laws woven into the fabric of life itself.

They require no belief to function. They operate with or without our permission. And when we violate them, especially by allowing the intellect to usurp the place of the spirit, the consequences are always the same, no matter the age, the race, or the greatness of the nation.

This is not a call to reject the intellect. Far from it. The intellect has been a marvelous tool for progress. But it must remain a tool, not the master. For only when spirit leads, and intellect serves, can a society produce fruits that are lasting, fruits of truth, beauty, justice, and peace.

Let this be a reminder to our generation. Let it be a warning to those who boast in mental prowess but lack reverence for higher purpose. And let it be a call to return to the simple yet profound truth: that man is truly great only when he lives in harmony with the Laws of his Creator.

Where the intellect rules alone, ruin is inevitable. But where spirit leads and the intellect follows, life blossoms.

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN AND THE ETERNAL PRESCRIPTION

 

 

Blinded by the symptoms of the deadly sin virus, man strayed long ago into the shadows of error and spiritual bondage. Like a contagion spreading unchecked, this affliction numbed the conscience, distorted perceptions, and broke the vital connection between man and his Maker. Even the brightest minds, the most pious lips, and the seemingly upright hearts could not escape its silent grip. Humanity was lost, infected and unaware.

But in His infinite mercy, the Almighty sent the Promised One, the Great Physician, not to condemn but to save. He came not only to teach, but to heal; not merely to preach, but to redeem. And before the commencement of His redemptive mission, He entered into a period of spiritual isolation forty days in the wilderness, as Scripture reveals.

There, in solitude and silence, the dark one came with his arsenal of temptation, trying to spray the sin virus upon the spotless One. Each attempt failed. Each seduction found no root. For the Saviour remained pure, untouched, and uninfected, utterly negative to the spiritual contagion. His strength was not of flesh, but of His Father! And so, He emerged, prepared to deliver the world.

With compassion and unwavering clarity, He offered mankind the antidote: His Word. Every teaching, every parable, every rebuke, and every act of love was part of the sacred prescription. The Word of salvation became the divine remedy, capable of cleansing the infected and restoring the soul to health.

But not all welcomed the cure.

The religious leaders of the time, blinded by pride and corrupted by control, sought instead to quarantine the Saviour. They schemed, questioned, accused, hoping to silence the very source of light and life. Yet, despite their resistance, many a seeker still came. Broken hearts, desperate souls, and earnest searchers pressed through crowds to touch even the hem of His garment. And they were healed, freed from the sin virus, restored in spirit.

To this very day, the Master’s antidote remains potent. It is still offered freely to all who will come. Those willing to be sanitised in the Truth will find that His Word still washes clean. The sin virus, though widespread and deadly, is not incurable. But only those who eat and drink of the Word, who digest its truth, can be made whole.

Are you infected? Then take in the antidote. Let your mind and heart be cleansed. If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you need not remain famished. The Word is Bread. The Word is Water. The Word is Breath. Those suffocating in guilt and confusion can inhale new life through the ventilator of the Living Word, reviving what once lay dormant.

In an age overflowing with empty doctrines and hollow promises, many self-proclaimed prophets now play the part of quack doctors, prescribing dogmas instead of truth, offering stones in place of bread. But the discerning soul will not be deceived. Only one cure exists. Only one medicine redeems.

The Holy Word remains The Only Vaccine, pure, powerful, and eternal. It saves. It sanctifies. It sets free.

Let him who has ears to hear, receive the Word. Let him who longs for healing, draw near.

WALKING DAILY IN THE WILL OF THE ALMIGHTY

How can we consciously follow the Will of the Almighty in our everyday lives?

This question lies at the heart of every sincere seeker. And the answer is not as complex as it may first appear. To walk daily in the Will of the Almighty, we must begin with a clear recognition of what that Will truly is.

The Will of God is not hidden. It has been revealed to humanity through the ages from the Ten Commandments to the teachings of Christ, who distilled them into two enduring principles: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and Love your neighbour as yourself. The Grail Message, a luminous guide for earnest seekers today, affirms that all Divine Laws are fulfilled in the Law of Love. Simply put: Love is the Will. Love is the essence. Love is the standard.

Even nature itself proclaims this truth. From a single orange seed comes only an orange tree never mango or guava. This immutable law in nature reflects a spiritual reality: whatever we sow in thought, word, or deed, we must also reap. If we radiate genuine love, goodwill, kindness, and helpfulness, we attract these same forces back into our lives, multiplied.

Having recognised the Will, our next step is to choose it consciously and deliberately. Let love become the anchor of your thoughts, the filter of your words, and the foundation of your actions. This requires daily effort, a quiet purification of our inner life. But it is not difficult. The belief that the Lord's Will is too hard to obey is false. Divine laws are clear and straightforward  they simply demand inner honesty, sincerity, and consistency.

As we move through the decisions and demands of daily life, we can anchor ourselves with two timeless questions:

1. Will this action support my spiritual growth?
   Will it uplift my inner being and draw me closer to truth and light?

2. Will it genuinely benefit others and avoid causing harm?
   Does it reflect concern for the well-being of others?

If your answer to either question is no or unclear, then it is time to pause and reflect. That moment of pause can be a sacred turning point.

To walk in the Will of the Almighty is not to live a life of restriction, but one of inner peace, purpose, and power. It is a conscious, sincere journey, one where every step, however small, becomes meaningful when it is rooted in love.

May we all have the courage to walk this path each day.

With love always,
Olusola Adeyegbe 💟

THE LION, THE ELEPHANT, AND WHY WE NEED TO QUESTION THINGS

 

I watched a comedy skit recently that had me laughing out loud and thinking deeply.

The comedian asked: “Who crowned the lion king of the jungle?” The teacher who taught it? The author who wrote it? Did any of them consult the jungle… or the lion? 😂

Truth is, many things we believe are just hand-me-down assumptions. We chant them like hymns without asking basic questions: Who said this? Why? Is it even true?

Take the lion. Yes, it roars loud and walks with swagger. But king? Hmm. As a child, I was team Elephant all the way! I simpy admired the elephant,  massive, intelligent, peaceful, and not out there picking fights for fun. The lion felt to me like a glorified gangster. 😅

Interestingly, my brother felt the same way growing up. We never talked about it at the time, but while watching the comedy skit together, we both realized how we had shared the same feelings back then. Something about the whole lion business just never sat right with us. 🐘 > 🦁

It’s funny but revealing: Our world is full of “lion narratives” of things we’ve accepted because someone, somewhere said so. "That's just the way it is." But is it?

From job titles to social norms, power structures to gender roles, it's healthy and necessary to question the stories we inherit.

Curiosity isn’t rebellion. It’s how progress starts.

So next time someone says “the lion is king,” just smile and ask, “Says who?”

Because sometimes, the real king has been quietly minding his business all along. 😄👑

Sola Adeyegbe 

#QUESTIONEVERYTHING #ELEPHANTFORKING #THINKFORYOURSELF #CROWNWITHPROOF #TRADITIONSWITHATEASPOONOFSALT #JUNGLEJUSTICE

PERFECTION IS A COMMAND, NOT A DREAM!

I have pondered these questions many times: What is perfection? Can we truly be perfect on earth? Even now, I return to them with renewed urgency and a deep longing for clarity.

Let me begin with a hard truth: the phrase “I’m not perfect” though often disguised as humility, is, in many cases, a quiet surrender. It has become a badge of honour for many, a hiding place for spiritual laziness, and a justification for moral inconsistency. But this mindset is dangerous. It is not humility, it is a subtle form of pride that resists growth and refuses the daily striving required of those who genuinely seek the Light.

Scripture commands, “Be ye perfect.” This is no casual suggestion. Perfection, rightly understood, is not about flawlessness in the human sense. It is about living in harmony with the Laws of Creation, which express the Will of the Most High. And yes, it is possible to walk toward this perfection while still on earth.

This is not idealism. It is truth.

A human being can live in joyful activity, experience strength and peace, and radiate the sublime light of inner harmony, even here, even now. The help for this is available. The Laws are clear. The Commands have been given. The examples have been set. What remains is our volition, our earnest will to strive for that which is good. 

Indeed, there is help from above. Always. One need only reflect on the powerful reassurance from the Grail Message: “The Father has already endowed you with the strength for everything! You have only to use it!”

So let us stop excusing our failings. Let us take up our Cross and follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That Way is not tied to religious rituals or dogmas. It is rooted in love. Jesus simplified the Ten Commandments into two: Love the Almighty, and love your neighbour as yourself. And today, we are helped even further by the radiant truth that all the Laws of Creation meet in one great Law: the Law of Love.

Love is not weakness. Love is not sentimentality. Love is justice, and love is purity. These three are not separate—they are one. In them, perfection rests.

According to scriptural accounts, when the disciples, astonished at the strict conditions of entering the Kingdom, asked: “Then who in the world can be saved?” Jesus answered:

“With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

In other words, stop justifying your inconsistencies. Stop hiding behind weakness. There is strength available to you. There is power from on high. The path is not cruel. It is illuminated for those who earnestly seek.

Not for nothing did the great Master say, “Become like children!”

He who sincerely desires the good, who seeks inner purity, is already walking the path. This doesn’t require special books, ascetic rituals, or retreats into solitude. It requires no spiritual strain. It is simply a life of joyful, pure activity, grounded in inner clarity and obedience to truth.

This is not a call to religiosity.

This is a call to reality.

A call to awaken. A call to transformation.

So let no one hide behind the tired excuse, “I am not perfect.” That phrase kills your striving before you even begin. Instead—arise! Walk the path of joyful obedience, childlike trust, and loving clarity. Everything you need has already been given.

The time for excuses is past.

The time to strive is now.

4 SIGNS YOU ARE A RELIGIOUS FANATIC!

Living under the weight of creeds and fanaticism is a quiet kind of bondage. One that often masks itself in the guise of devotion, tradition, and piety. Yet, when examined more closely, this form of living can rob the soul of its freedom, its depth, and ultimately, its spiritual vitality. While religion at its purest seeks to lift, enlighten, and transform, the rigid systems we often build around it, creeds, rituals, and dogmas can become formidable traps, especially when followed blindly.

Creeds, for instance, are often designed not merely as expressions of faith, but as instruments of control. They cater to our inner craving for ease and certainty. It is far easier to convince ourselves that by merely showing up at a religious gathering once a week, we have fulfilled a spiritual requirement. It is far more comfortable to believe that purity can be achieved by abstaining from specific foods than by confronting our inner failings or mastering our selfish impulses. But these outward acts are not, in themselves, the essence of purity.

Jesus pointed this out long ago in a moment of profound teaching. A Pharisee once came to report that Jesus’ disciples had broken the rules: they had not kept the Sabbath properly, nor did they fast or wash in the prescribed ways. Jesus, with love responded:

“The man who communes with himself in a quiet hour, who frees himself from all base, everyday thoughts, who does not indulge his lusts, and humbly approaches his God in prayer, keeps the Sabbath. He hallows it! He has cleansed himself of all impurities, and has fasted by eating only what his body needed.”

What a call to inner authenticity and integrity!

Still, none of us is entirely above creeds. We may believe ourselves to be free, yet find ourselves caught in the invisible nets of religious fanaticism without even realizing it. So how can we tell if we are?

Here are 4 signs you may be a religious fanatic:

1. You are fixated on your children or spouse becoming followers of your own faith.

It’s natural to want to share your beliefs with those you love. But when that desire hardens into insistence, we risk robbing our children, spouse, or loved ones of  their own spiritual journey. Faith and conviction should not be inherited like earthly property. They must be discovered through independent examination, embraced with sincerity, and lived from within.

2. You expect those of your own faith to act like angels.

If you hold fellow believers to an impossibly high standard and judge them harshly when they stumble, please pause. This expectation is not love; it is pride and illusion. Spiritual maturity means recognizing that all human beings, regardless of belief are on a path of growth and inner development.

3. You look down on people of other faiths.

This is perhaps the most dangerous and subtle sign of fanaticism. Believing that your path is the only valid one and dismissing others with quiet superiority suffocates the possibility of learning, humility, and true love. It also blocks your spiritual progress.

4. You venerate your sacred texts to the point of idolatry.

When a sacred book becomes a museum piece, venerated as though in a glass shrine, it ceases to be a living guide and becomes a lifeless object of worship. If you treat it as too sacred to be placed beside other books, consider whether you have replaced the spirit of its message with the shell of tradition and the vanity of self-righteousness.

These are the signs of a life shackled by creed and dogma, a life drifting dangerously close to fanaticism. It is time to free yourself.

But how?

The answer is disarmingly simple:

“Love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Yes, love, not creed, not ritual, not dogma is the key to freedom. When we love, truly love, we cannot harm our neighbour. We uplift them, wish them well, and strive for their good. In doing so, we lighten our karmic load, build treasures above, and set our feet firmly on the path of spiritual ascent.

Let us then rise above the outer shells of religion and reach for its living core. Let our lives be shaped not by rigid adherence to tradition, but by the fire of conviction expressed in love, humility, and service. Only then can we break the grip of fanaticism and walk freely in the light.

Olusola Adeyegbe