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...
There is a dangerous gospel being preached across Kenya — not always from pulpits, but from the streets, the offices, and the minds of many who consider themselves devout Christians. It is a gospel that says: if you are wealthy, God must be pleased with you. If you are poor, you must be doing something wrong. If you’re struggling, you must lack faith. And if you’re rich, it’s because God is smiling down on your choices. This is the unholy reward — the lie that material wealth is a measure of spiritual approval. It is a pandemic of belief. You hear it in testimonies that focus less on transformation of character and more on bank balances. You see it in social media posts that equate Range Rovers with righteousness. You encounter it in churches where the wealthy sit in the front and the poor are advised to “sow seeds” they cannot afford — just to get God’s attention. “Blessed” — but What Does That Mean? In Kenya today, the word “blessed” is often synonymous with “rich.” A new car? “I...