Category: Uncategorized

In the days of Abraham, God spoke.

In the days of Moses, God spoke.

To Samuel, He spoke.

To David, He spoke.

To Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel… He spoke.

He warned kings.

He instructed prophets.

He gave dreams.

He sent visions.

He even spoke through a burning bush.

But today…

If God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever…

Why don’t we hear Him the way they did?

What changed?

Did God stop speaking?

Or did we stop listening?

Are we no longer the people He spoke to?

Or have we become so dependent on people who claim, “God told me…” that we’ve forgotten what God’s voice is supposed to sound like?

Today, countless people claim to speak for God.

Some say they see visions.

Some say they hear audible voices.

Some say they receive daily revelations.

Yet the world seems more confused than ever.

So here’s the question:

If God spoke so clearly throughout the Scriptures, why does His voice seem so rare today?

Has God changed…

Or have we?

What’s your understanding?

#BibleStudy #Faith #Christianity #Questions #Scripture #God #Theology #Discussion #Truth #jollyonyeka

Moses is traditionally credited with writing the book of Genesis.

But here’s something worth thinking about…

Moses wasn’t there when God created the heavens and the earth.

He never met Adam.

He never spoke with Eve.

He wasn’t on Noah’s ark.

He never walked with Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob.

Yet Genesis describes the creation of the world, the Garden of Eden, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and the lives of the patriarchs in remarkable detail.

So here’s the question:

Who told Moses?

Did God reveal it to him directly?

Did he inherit ancient traditions?

Did he rely on earlier records?

Or is there another explanation?

Interestingly, the Bible never pauses to explain how Moses obtained this information. It simply begins:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…”

Sometimes the most fascinating questions are the ones the text doesn’t answer.

If Moses wasn’t there, how did he know?

What’s your understanding?

#Genesis #Moses #BibleStudy #Scripture #OldTestament #Faith #Theology #Discussion #Questions #jollyonyeka

Did Jesus really compare a desperate woman to a dog?

If so… why?

“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

— Matthew 15:26

Imagine approaching Jesus in desperation, pleading for your daughter’s healing.

Instead of an immediate miracle, He says:

“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Why would Jesus say that?

Why would the One who preached love, mercy, and compassion use such words to a woman who was begging for help?

Was He testing her?

Was He reflecting the attitude of His time?

Was He revealing something deeper?

Or is this one of those passages we read without ever asking the difficult questions?

The woman didn’t argue. She replied:

“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Jesus then praised her faith and granted her request.

But one question still remains:

Why did Jesus choose those words in the first place?

Read Matthew 15:21–28 carefully.

What’s your understanding of this conversation?

#BibleStudy #Matthew15 #Christianity #Faith #Scripture #Theology #Discussion #Jesus #Questions #jollyonyeka

Long ago, Lion was not only the strongest animal in the forest—he was also the most handsome. His eyes were large, bright, and admired by every creature.

But Lion became proud.

Whenever he met another animal, he laughed at their appearance.

He mocked Hare’s ears, Hyena’s laugh, Elephant’s trunk, and most of all, Mbe the tortoise.

“Look at your cracked shell and tiny legs,” Lion roared. “No creature in this forest is as magnificent as I am.”

Mbe smiled.

“Great Lion,” he said one day, “I have heard of a rare tree deep in the forest. Its sweet sap makes beautiful eyes even bigger and brighter. Surely a king like you deserves such glory.”

Lion’s pride blinded his wisdom.

“Take me there!” he commanded.

Mbe led him to an ancient tree where wild bees had built a massive hive. Thick golden honey dripped from its branches.

“There,” whispered Mbe. “The magical sap is hidden inside. Strike the tree with all your strength.”

Without thinking, Lion leapt forward and slammed both paws against the trunk.

The forest exploded with buzzing.

Thousands of angry bees poured from the hive, stinging Lion’s face again and again. He ran through the forest roaring in pain, but the bees chased him until he plunged into a river.

Days later, the swelling disappeared.

When Lion looked into the still water, his once large, proud eyes had become small and narrow.

The animals did not laugh.

Instead, they remembered that pride had robbed the king of the very beauty he boasted about.

From that day, Lion ruled with more caution than arrogance, while Mbe quietly returned home, reminding his children that wisdom is stronger than pride, and humility protects what pride can destroy.

#IgboFolklore #AfricanFolktales #Lion #Mbe #AfricanWisdom #Storytelling #Culture #Tradition #MoralStories #jollyonyeka

Long ago, Mbe and his wife, Aliyah, had a small misunderstanding. Though neither raised their voice, Aliyah decided to teach her husband a lesson in a gentle way.

The next market day, she bought Akịdị (brown guinea beans), Mbe’s favorite meal. She cooked it until its delicious aroma filled the compound.

When Mbe saw the steaming bowl, his mouth watered.

“My wife,” he pleaded, “please give me some.”

Aliyah smiled and replied, “I will gladly serve you—but first, tell me the name of this food.”

Mbe was speechless.

He loved eating it, yet he had never cared to learn its name.

Rather than quarrel or snatch the food, he quietly set off for the market, determined to find out.

Not wanting the traders to know he didn’t know the name, Mbe pretended to stumble and stepped on a heap of the beans.

The market woman cried out, “Mbe! Why did you step on my Akịdị?”

Without answering, Mbe walked away, singing softly so he wouldn’t forget:

“Akịdị… kịrịdìm… kịrịdìm…

Akịdị… kịrịdìm… kịrịdìm…”

He sang all the way home. But before he reached the village, he stepped on a sharp thorn.

“Chineke m!” he shouted, hopping in pain.

At once, the song disappeared from his mind.

Embarrassed to return to the trader, Mbe continued walking until he met a little child carrying the same beans.

“My child,” Mbe asked kindly, pointing at them, “what are these called?”

The child answered innocently, “Akịdị.”

Mbe beamed with joy and began singing again:

“Akịdị… kịrịdìm… kịrịdìm…

Akịdị… kịrịdìm… kịrịdìm…”

This time, he reached home without forgetting.

Standing before Aliyah, he proudly declared, “It is Akịdị!”

Aliyah laughed warmly, filled his bowl, and they shared the meal in peace.

The elders say: Patience achieves what anger cannot. A calm mind finds solutions where force only creates more problems.

#IgboFolklore #AkụkọIfo #Mbe #Aliyah #Akịdị #AfricanWisdom #Patience #Culture #Storytelling #jollyonyeka

One question has refused to leave my mind.

If the traditional poison ordeals and other trials by ordeal were nothing but superstition and deception…

Why did so many people fear them more than they feared human judges?

Imagine living in a society where no CCTV existed.

No fingerprints.

No DNA.

No forensic laboratories.

A person is accused of theft, murder, adultery, or breaking a sacred oath.

There are no eyewitnesses.

Then the elders make a simple declaration:

“Drink the poison if you are innocent.”

Suddenly, confidence disappears.

Why?

If everyone knew the ordeal was fake, why didn’t the guilty volunteer to drink it and walk away free?

If the priests were merely con artists, why would entire communities trust a method that could expose them the moment an innocent person died?

Was it fear of the poison itself?

Fear of the unknown?

Fear of public shame?

Or did people genuinely believe that the spiritual world would reveal the truth?

History records that similar trials by ordeal existed not only in parts of Africa but also in medieval Europe and other civilizations. Human societies separated by continents somehow reached the same conclusion: when human evidence failed, they appealed to a higher power.

That raises uncomfortable questions.

Were these ordeals ever reliable?

Did innocent people sometimes die while the guilty survived?

If so, why did communities continue to trust them for generations?

And when colonial governments and modern courts abolished these practices, what replaced the fear that once discouraged secret crimes and false accusations?

I am not defending trial by ordeal.

I am asking why millions of intelligent people, across different cultures and centuries, placed such confidence in it.

Perhaps the greatest mystery is not the ordeal itself.

The greatest mystery is why human beings, in so many civilizations, believed justice required more than human judgment.

What do you think?

#History #Justice #AfricanHistory #Tradition #Culture #Anthropology #Debate #jollyonyeka

One thing history rarely tells us is that many traditional societies did not believe war had no limits.

In many parts of Igbo land, warfare was not always a license to destroy everything in sight.

There were customs.

Boundaries.

Consequences.

Some conflicts were preceded by warnings or declarations.

Certain people—such as women, children, and those not taking part in the fighting—could be spared depending on the community and the circumstances.

War was often expected to end when its objective had been achieved, not become endless destruction.

Justice between communities also followed recognized customs.

Disputes over land, murder, theft, broken agreements, or compensation could be taken before respected elders, titled men, or community assemblies.

The goal was often not only to identify who was wrong…

…but to restore peace so that both communities could continue living side by side.

Then colonial rule introduced new courts, police, prisons, and legal systems.

Many indigenous institutions disappeared or lost their authority.

But here is the question that has stayed with me:

When we abandoned our traditional systems of justice, did we replace them with something better… or simply something different?

Were the old systems unfair?

Certainly, some were.

Are modern courts always fair?

Many people would say no.

So which system brought communities closer to lasting peace?

The one that sought reconciliation…

Or the one that often ends with a judgment and leaves both sides bitter?

Perhaps history is not asking us to return to the past.

Perhaps it is asking whether every tradition deserved to disappear simply because it was old.

Sometimes a civilization doesn’t lose everything at once. It loses one institution at a time—until one day, it no longer remembers how it once solved its own problems.

#History #IgboHistory #AfricanHistory #Justice #Culture #Tradition #Anthropology #Debate #jollyonyeka

The people who brought Christianity to many parts of Igbo land often encouraged converts to abandon certain traditional titles, festivals, and customs because they were considered pagan.

Many people obeyed.

Some rejected titles their ancestors had held for generations.

Some stopped attending community festivals.

Some even distanced themselves from their own cultural identity.

But something has always puzzled me.

The same societies that sent missionaries here never abandoned their own cultural institutions.

They still have kings.

They have princes and princesses.

They have lords, dukes, and earls.

They have mayors.

They preserve centuries-old ceremonies, royal processions, traditional dress, and cultural festivals with pride.

No one tells them these things make them less Christian.

So why was it different here?

Why were African traditional institutions often treated as obstacles to Christianity, while European traditional institutions were allowed to coexist with it?

Was the problem really the culture…

Or was it the religious practices attached to some of those customs?

If culture and religion can be separated today, could they have been separated then?

Perhaps the greatest irony is this:

Many Africans were taught to question their own heritage by people who never abandoned theirs.

History becomes even more interesting when we ask not only what changed—but why different standards were applied to different cultures.

#History #IgboHistory #AfricanHistory #Culture #Tradition #Heritage #Debate #jollyonyeka

Just a thought…

Maybe this is one of the reasons Jesus turned water into wine.

After all, God already told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 14:26 to buy wine and strong drink for a celebration before Him.

So perhaps God already knew the Jews enjoyed drinking, and Jesus certainly knew the culture He was born into.

It’s interesting that His first recorded miracle wasn’t turning wine into water.

It was turning water into wine.

Yet today, some people speak as though alcohol itself has always been forbidden by God.

I’m not telling anyone to drink.

I’m simply asking whether some of our modern teachings reflect what the biblical text actually says—or what we’ve come to believe over time.

And then there’s the part many people seem to skip.

The same verse doesn’t stop at wine and strong drink.

It goes on to say:

”…whatever your soul desires.”

Those words are in the text.

Perhaps it’s time to separate what the text actually says from what we’ve been taught to believe.

So where did the idea come from that God forbids what this passage appears to permit?

#BibleStudy #Deuteronomy #Jesus #Christianity #Faith #jollyonyeka

Some of the darkest chapters of human history were not written by war.

They were written in the delivery room.

Across different parts of the world, including parts of Africa, some children were born under circumstances considered taboo.

Twins in certain communities.

Babies born with unusual physical features.

Children associated with signs interpreted as bad omens.

Some were abandoned. Some were isolated. Some were even killed.

Not because they had committed any crime.

But because people believed their birth threatened the family or the community.

The part that disturbs me most is this:

Why was the innocent child sentenced while the adults who conceived the child often remained alive?

The mother carried the pregnancy.

The father impregnated her.

They made the decisions.

Yet the child…

Who had no voice.

No choice.

No understanding of customs or taboos.

Became the one condemned.

How can justice begin by punishing the only person who had absolutely no responsibility for what happened?

If a taboo had truly been broken, why wasn’t the punishment directed at those believed to have broken it instead of the child who merely existed?

Were these practices driven by cruelty?

Or were they born from a genuine fear that ignoring ancient taboos would bring famine, disease, death, or spiritual disaster upon the entire community?

Many of these customs have disappeared through changing beliefs, medicine, education, and legal protections.

But they leave behind a question that still refuses to die:

How many innocent children paid with their lives simply because adults feared the unknown?

History is not only about what our ancestors believed.

It is also about whether fear can become more powerful than compassion.

What do you think?

#History #AfricanHistory #Culture #Tradition #Anthropology #HumanRights #Debate #jollyonyeka