Something happened today that made me write this post. I went jogging this morning and when I arrived at my neighbourhood, where wealthy people live. I noticed an elderly man, well-dressed in suits and ties. It was obvious that he was heading to the church because he had a Bible in his hand. Every vehicle that drove past him, he waved with a smile. Those vehicle it was obvious were also heading to church. None of them bothered to pick the man up.
I was concerned so I walked up to him and gave him the little money I had on me. He prayed for me and he boarded a vehicle.
Many people today appear deeply religious on worship days, yet struggle to show kindness, compassion, and love to fellow human beings in everyday life. Here’s a thoughtful blog post on that theme.
Religion Without Love Is Empty
Every worship day, churches and mosques are filled with people dressed in their best clothes, singing, praying, and preaching about righteousness. For a few hours, many people appear holy, humble, and devoted to God. But once the service ends, some return to lives filled with hatred, bitterness, dishonesty, pride, and a lack of compassion for others. I have come to realise that true religion is not only about how often we worship, but about how we treat people when nobody is watching.
I find it disturbing when someone can spend hours praying and quoting scriptures, yet refuse to help a hungry neighbour or speak kindly to someone in pain. It makes me wonder if many people truly understand the essence of religion. To me, the foundation of every true faith is love. Without love, religious activities become mere routines that carry little meaning.
I have seen people who never miss a worship service, yet they insult workers, cheat customers, ignore the poor, and spread hatred online. Some people loudly preach morality in public but treat their family members terribly behind closed doors. Others judge people harshly simply because they belong to a different tribe, religion, or social class. These actions contradict the very teachings they claim to believe in.
One thing I strongly believe is that God is more pleased with a kind heart than outward religious appearances. Helping someone in need, forgiving others, encouraging the weak, feeding the hungry, and speaking with compassion are acts of worship too. Love is not only what we say during prayers; it is what we show through our actions every single day.
Sadly, many people have reduced religion to a weekly performance. Worship days have become moments to impress others instead of opportunities for genuine spiritual growth. We cannot claim to love God while hating the people around us. We cannot preach peace while creating pain for others. True spirituality should reflect in our character, not just our attendance in religious gatherings.
I believe the world would become a better place if people practised love as passionately as they practice religion. Imagine a society where people genuinely care for one another, where kindness replaces wickedness, and where compassion matters more than religious titles. Many of the problems we face today would be reduced if people simply treated others with humanity.
At the end of the day, people may forget how often we attended worship services, but they will always remember how we treated them. Religion should not only change our schedules on worship days; it should change our hearts every day of our lives.
