“Hypocrites, You Gonna Pay The Price Someday” (OPINION)
By Isaac Asabor
The legendary Jimmy Cliff once sang, “Hypocrites, you gonna pay the price someday,” a powerful line from his timeless track “Hypocrites.” The song is a pointed critique of those who outwardly profess righteousness but live a life of contradictions. It is a timeless message that rings truer today, especially as the world finds itself deeply engulfed in hypocrisy, particularly within the realm of religion. Many people claim to follow the paths of righteousness, spirituality, and divine love, yet evil continues to flourish at alarming levels in every corner of the world.
Religious institutions, for all the good they can offer, have sometimes become platforms where love, the core tenet of every major faith, is overshadowed by greed, hatred, and selfishness. While churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues are filled with people raising hands in worship and professing devotion to God, outside those sacred walls, we see acts of corruption, violence, discrimination, and moral decay.
In a world where religion plays such a dominant role in shaping our societies, it is troubling to witness how far we have drifted from the essence of these spiritual teachings. Across different religions, there is a common thread of love, peace, and compassion. Christianity preaches love for one’s neighbor, Islam speaks of peace and mercy, Buddhism teaches compassion for all living beings, and many other faiths echo similar sentiments. But where is this love when societies are filled with division, and individuals pursue selfish gains at the expense of others?
People who loudly proclaim their religious faith often become the worst offenders when it comes to ethical behavior. Politicians, business leaders, and even religious leaders themselves profess to be followers of God, yet they exploit the poor, cheat the system, and engage in deceitful practices that widen the gap between rich and poor. In many cases, the very people who are supposed to lead others in love and righteousness end up being the perpetrators of injustice and corruption.
This is not just limited to the political or elite class. On a more personal level, we see people who regularly attend religious services or make a show of their spirituality but harbor hatred in their hearts for others based on ethnicity, nationality, or status. Families are torn apart by envy and betrayal; neighbors slander one another; communities suffer from violent crime. What happened to “love thy neighbor as thyself?” What happened to the brotherhood and sisterhood that humanity is supposed to share?
It is deeply concerning that, instead of promoting love, the world today seems more attuned to promoting evil. Acts of terrorism, domestic violence, racial prejudice, and even the subtle forms of wickedness like gossip and dishonesty are widespread. When religious institutions, which are meant to serve as the moral compass of society, fail to embody love and compassion, the entire social fabric weakens.
One might ask: “Why do these religious pretenses persist?” The answer is not so simple, but part of the reason lies in the fact that many people use religion as a mask. Rather than embodying the virtues they claim to believe in, they put on a show to gain social standing, respect, or power. The outward show of piety allows them to hide the darkness that exists within. Hypocrisy, in this sense, becomes a tool for personal gain, not spiritual growth.
But Jimmy Cliff’s warning in his song remains true: “Hypocrites, you gonna pay the price someday.” Eventually, the consequences of living a double life catch up to individuals and societies. Whether it comes in the form of broken relationships, a divided society, or spiritual emptiness, the price for hypocrisy is steep.
It is imperative that we, as individuals and as societies, return to the core message of love. The world will only become a more habitable and brotherly place when people stop hiding behind religious facades and start living with genuine compassion for one another. Love is not just a doctrine to be preached on holy days; it is an everyday practice that should manifest in how we treat others, both in private and in public.
We must hold ourselves accountable to the principles we claim to believe in. If we profess to follow a religion of love, we must actively combat the evil in our own lives, whether that evil comes in the form of hatred, greed, prejudice, or any other negative force. This is the only way to restore balance to a world that desperately needs healing.
Rather than dividing ourselves into religious camps and declaring one group superior to another, we should focus on the shared values that all faiths promote: kindness, generosity, peace, and empathy. If these values become the foundation of our daily interactions, the world will indeed become a more harmonious place.
If we continue on the current path of religious hypocrisy, we will face severe consequences. The erosion of trust between individuals and communities will deepen, leading to further conflict and chaos. Economic and social inequalities will worsen, and the spiritual void that many people feel will grow. In the end, the hypocrites will “pay the price” not just in some distant afterlife, but in the world we inhabit today.
As Jimmy Cliff’s song suggests, the time to make amends is now. Each of us must examine our own hearts and actions, committing to living a life of love, not just in word but in deed. The cost of ignoring this call is too high, not only for us individually but for the future of our global community.
So, let us choose love over hypocrisy. Let us build a world where evil no longer abounds and where every person, regardless of race, religion, or background, can live in peace and brotherhood. Only then will we avoid paying the heavy price of our current path.
