Rethinking Proverbs 31: Beyond the Homemaker Myth

Last updated on: August 11, 2025 at 10:26 am By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

How Confirmation Bias Affects Our Interpretation of the Bible The “Proverbs 31 Woman” Comes in Many Forms The final chapter of the book of Proverbs describes the “virtuous” woman, often cited as the ultimate role model for Christian women. The passage describes a woman who is an entrepreneur and community leader, in addition to being committed to her home and family. Despite this, the “homemaker” persona appears to be the predominant view when discussing the “Proverbs 31” woman. For reference,... Read more

How Faith and Science United to Stop a Deadly Epidemic

Last updated on: June 13, 2025 at 5:57 pm By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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Health and Faith – The Twain Did Meet at the Broad St. Pump The story of John Snow and the Broad Street pump is foundational in any basic epidemiology course. An anesthesiologist who became known as the father of epidemiology, John Snow, is credited with discovering the source of the London cholera epidemic of 1854. He solved the mystery by collecting and analyzing the data. A simple intervention helped to stop the spread of cholera, and the people of the... Read more

Mental illness is real and your pastor isn’t immune

Last updated on: May 5, 2025 at 12:57 pm By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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From preacher’s daughter to mental health advocate Dorothea Dix (1802 – 1887) was an American educator, author and reformer. She was also a mental health advocate whose efforts led to significant improvements in treatment for the mentally ill. According to historians, both of her parents suffered from depression. Her father was described as a volatile man who also suffered from alcoholism. He also happened to be an itinerant preacher. Pastors are not immune to mental illness Spiritual leaders, like... Read more

Schrödinger’s cat – A meeting point for science and faith?

Last updated on: March 11, 2025 at 5:22 pm By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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A video performance by German physicist-turned-YouTuber Sabine Hossenfelder compares us (humans) to Schrödinger’s cat, stating that in the future, we will be dead and alive at the same time. At the end of the music video, Dr. Hossenfelder explains how the concept of Schrödinger’s cat being dead and alive simultaneously was nothing more than a thought experiment. In fact, Schrödinger is said to have come up with the idea to show how ludicrous it was to apply the principles of... Read more

“Purity Culture” Is Not So Pure – A Book Review

Last updated on: February 7, 2025 at 10:09 am By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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Recovering from Purity Culture In “Recovering from Purity Culture,” Camden Morgante, a licensed clinical psychologist addresses the teachings and unintended consequences of the so-called “purity culture,” an evangelical movement that focuses on convincing Christian youth to avoid premarital sex. Morgante explains that the messaging went far beyond the belief in abstaining from premarital sex, and that despite having good intentions, many of the teachings had negative consequences, including shame, disillusionment and judgmentalism. Women were set up as the gatekeepers for... Read more

Why the Baby in the Manger Isn’t the Whole Christmas Story

Last updated on: December 15, 2025 at 10:46 am By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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Chains Shall He Break – The Subversive Message of Christmas “The little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.” These sweet, albeit unrealistic words from the traditional Christmas carol, “Away in a Manger,” demonstrate an aspect of the narratives around the Christmas story that is worth exploring. The idea of Baby Jesus lying in the manger without crying isn’t realistic. Babies cry. Perhaps the bigger question, is why do we see a need to “put him back in the manger”... Read more

Can sad music be uplifting? “Smile” and “Rejoice”

Last updated on: December 15, 2025 at 10:10 am By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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Joyful music can lift our spirits, but can sad music have the same impact? In an interview with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Josh Groban shared a story about how he was asked to sing the song “Smile” at a wedding and he responded by asking the person making the request to consider the lyrics of the song. Despite the title, “Smile” is a sad song, encouraging us to push through sad times in anticipation of a better future. Here is... Read more

Inspiring Stories Behind Our Beloved Christmas Carols

Last updated on: December 19, 2025 at 10:17 pm By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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Creators of the Carols Have you ever wondered about the stories behind your favorite Christmas carols? The people who composed and wrote the lyrics for these songs were regular people, and some of them experienced major setbacks in life, yet they gave us the gift of Christmas music. I hope you will be inspired by the stories highlighted in this essay! William Chatterton Dix – What Child is This? William Chatterton Dix developed a life-threatening illness and was bedridden... Read more

“Two hundred years from now” – Writing for posterity

Last updated on: October 29, 2024 at 8:28 am By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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“Two hundred years from now, someone will find it useful.” That was my father’s response to me when I wanted to throw an old calendar away. This incident occurred while I was tidying up his room shortly after my mother passed away. My father lived for eleven more years after this incident and passed away on October 29, 2019. As the anniversary of his passing approached, I reflected on his legacy as a writer. I couldn’t see the value in... Read more

The Healing Power of Music – David’s harp & Joseph’s guitar

Last updated on: December 21, 2025 at 11:23 pm By Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH

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In recent years, there has been a growing amount of interest in the role of music in the healing process, but the concept of music as therapy is nothing new. Ancient civilizations knew a lot more than we give them credit for. In addition to recognizing the importance of the connections between the mind and body, they understood the important role that music can play in the healing process. David, the Healing Harpist When the name “David” (in the... Read more

Which book of the Bible ends with "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord"?