Perhaps one of the most overlooked privileges is not wealth itself, but having enough margin in your life to respond to reality. Over the last few years, we have become fluent in the language of privilege, speaking easily about financial privilege, pretty privilege, racial privilege, passport privilege, educational privilege and social privilege, and in doing so we have become increasingly aware that people do not all start from the same place and that some doors open more easily for some than for others. Yet there is one form of privilege that seems to receive far less attention, and that is the privilege of being able to do something with the information you have, not simply knowing, but acting, because the truth is that information alone changes very little. We like to imagine that if people only knew better, they would do better, and entire industries are built around this assumption, from self-help books and documentaries to podcasts, awareness campaigns, public health initiative...
In Kenya today, there is a deep and growing tendency to interpret every experience, setback, or societal issue through a spiritual lens. From personal misfortunes to national problems, we are often quick to declare, “It is spiritual.” But what happens when this worldview becomes the dominant, default lens through which life is understood? When does spirituality stop offering comfort and start becoming a barrier to change, reason, or healing? What Is Spiritualization? Spiritualization is the process of interpreting ordinary life events or challenges as being caused or governed by spiritual forces. In Kenya, this could mean attributing financial struggles to curses, job losses to spiritual attacks, or national corruption to demonic strongholds. While faith and spirituality can offer hope, purpose, and community, over-spiritualization denies the need for personal responsibility, rational thinking, or practical action. Over-spiritualization is not about having faith—it’s about outsourcing ...