Jacky's Corner

  Over the weekend, I caught a program on TV while doing my chores. The gentleman speaking was passionate about one thing: stop asking religious leaders for medical advice. Go to doctors instead. He was specifically talking about ulcers. Every time someone feels stomach discomfort, they assume it's ulcers. And instead of visiting a clinic, they run to a pastor, a priest, an imam, or a reverend for prayer. Now, don't get me wrong. Faith is powerful. But faith without action is not complete. There's a saying I believe it's in the book of James: "Faith without works is dead." And Yogi Sadguru puts it beautifully in Inner Engineering : just because you claim to be a good person doesn't mean good things will magically happen to you. You must do the right things. You can sit in your house all day declaring you're a good person, but the crops outside won't grow unless you go out, dig, cultivate, irrigate, and harvest. Same with health. You c...

This season of fasting has felt different for me. Not louder, not more dramatic, but deeper. It has become less about what I am giving up, and more about what I am learning to let go of. We all have those small habits. The ones that sneak in quietly and settle like permanent tenants. The extra scroll when you should be resting. The delayed task you keep postponing. The small indulgences that slowly become patterns. You notice them, you question them, but somehow… they stay. This time, I decided to meet them differently. Fasting gave me a kind of shared discipline. A collective rhythm. You look around and realize you are not the only one trying to hold back, to be intentional, to sacrifice something. And in that awareness, it becomes a little easier to say no. A little easier to pause. I found myself thinking, if I can do this for forty days, then maybe I am not as powerless as I thought. There’s a small scene that stayed with me. One evening in Kampala traffic, the kind where boda b...

There was a story in a homily at work recently, and I haven't stopped smiling and squirming since. A man was ready to propose to a lady he had been courting for a while. But before he placed that ring, he wanted to be absolutely sure. So he hired a private investigator to dig into her background. Her character. Her past. Her fitness as a future partner. He kept his hands clean, used a third party, the whole operation was discreet. The report came back glowing. She was wonderful. No concerns. A gem. However, the investigator added, in the past six months, she has been spending time with a truly terrible individual. Rude. Reckless. Involved in all sorts of unsavoury activities. Honestly, she deserves much better than him . They attached the photos. The terrible individual was our man himself. I laughed out loud when I heard it. Then I sat there, caught. How often am I that man? Standing at the window, scrutinizing everyone else's garden, demanding blossoms and shade and swe...

  The deep appreciation I feel for having the support of my family, and why those of us who are fortunate enough to have that support should truly value it. Recently, I spoke with a friend who has been going through a tough time. She doesn’t have anyone in her life to lean on, not even family. It made me realize how much of a privilege it is to have loved ones by your side. While family can sometimes judge us or offer advice we don’t always agree with, they are the people who have been there since we were children, through all the stages of growing up childhood, puberty, adolescence, and adulthood. Their presence is intentional, shaped by genuine care and involvement. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to experience this kind of intentional parenthood or unconditional support. Family members are uniquely positioned to help us because they know us so well. They’re often more willing to witness our growth, in ways acquaintances or newer relationships rarely can. Sometimes, it’s h...