One of my god fathers in politics, Chief Shuaib Afolabi Oyedokun used to say that there is a world of difference between being religious and being spiritual.
Indeed, the high walls between the two are similar to the high walls separating a man of reputation from a man of character.
Most times,it is what you are when people are around that makes you a man of reputation while it is who you really are when people are not around that says a lot more of you and about your character.
No wonder why Plutarch, the great thinker wrote that :" man's most conspicuous achievements do not always reveal his best strength or his weakness. Often, a trifling incident, a word or a jest shows more of his character than the battles where he slays thousands, his grandest ministering of armies and his siege of cities.
In the name of religion, many people often believe that nothing good may be expected from those who are not in the same worship centre with them.
It is only the man with the third eye of spirituality that understands rightly that God in the affairs of men , sits down in Heaven doing whatever pleases Him ,and He is never, never seeing with the hollow spectacles of any man.
It is however an irony of fate that most of us as critics often play God in the way we are always too hasty to serve others ultimatum while passing judgement over others , writing off people and situations irredeemably as if they can never turn round to humble us out of our cocoon.
The proverb of the wisest King Solomon had warned:" Do not go hastily to argue your case before magistrates, lest you know not what to do in the end when your neighbour humiliates you ."( Proverb 25:8)
Probably, this is why the adage of our elders in Yoruba land has also counselled those who care to listen never to dig the hole of your enemy too deep ,lest you end up being the casualty in the pit, as deep as the well of Democritus.
Here , let me digress a little to attend some people who appear to have read the first part of this write-up in a hurry, and had been asking what moral lesson was I trying to draw ?
This kind of attitude reminds me of some time in the late 90s when youthful exuberance mixed with impetuousity of a child took better part of me on a divine story which opening chapter God was communicating to me on His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
Ostensibly taking my usually privileged access to the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye at Oyo for granted, and without even confirming or clearing it from Almighty God whether the vision was a sealed one or one that was due for declaration, the next one hour after I had disembarked from the trance found me at the gate of the palace which strangely refused to open to me on the fateful day.
I had with all religiosity, ( I say this with all modesty ) served God's message to the Alaafin who had always confirmed their potency and fulfillment , but it was the spirituality of the closed gate of the palace which taught me a spiritual lesson never again to be hasty or jump the gun on spiritual matters.
The Lord then told me that He was going to show me a ten chapter book on the Iku Baba Yeye, but that my exuberance had found me hurried away from His presence, tail between my legs , when He had only showed me just its opening chapter.
What moral lesson ?
We would resume our discussion shortly on how God used Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for my spiritual upliftment.
OLALERE FAGBOLA
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