Good evening, distinguished guests, friends, and fellow changemakers,

There’s a statement that demands our attention today: “No one has ever changed the world by doing what the world asked them to do.”

At first, it sounds provocative, maybe even rebellious. But it carries a deep truth: real change is rarely born from compliance; it’s born from courage. The world is often comfortable with what is familiar, safe, and predictable. But progress—true transformation—requires someone to step out of line, to imagine something better, and to act even when it’s unpopular.

Think of Martin Luther King Jr. The world of his day told him: accept segregation, stay quiet, don’t stir the waters. But he didn’t do what the world asked. He dreamed of a future where children of every race could play together and where justice would roll down like waters. His civil disobedience and peaceful marches shook a nation awake.

Or consider Rosa Parks. The world—more specifically, the law—asked her to stand and give up her seat because of the color of her skin. She refused. That single act of quiet defiance sparked a movement that shifted the direction of civil rights in America.

History is filled with these examples. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison because he wouldn’t do what the apartheid system demanded: to stay silent, to surrender his convictions. When he was finally free, he didn’t seek revenge but reconciliation, and he changed the world’s vision of justice and forgiveness.

Even in science, we see it. Galileo Galilei was told to keep quiet, to deny what his eyes and telescope revealed—that the earth revolved around the sun. He chose truth over fear, and centuries later, we honor him for advancing human understanding.

In the world of faith, the same holds true. Jesus Christ Himself didn’t do what the religious and political world asked Him to do. They asked Him to conform, to stop challenging traditions, to remain silent about the Kingdom of God. But He came with a mission that upset power structures, gave hope to the marginalized, and opened a new way of life for all humanity.

The lesson is clear: every world-changing idea, every breakthrough, every revolution for justice, freedom, or truth happens because someone dared to say, “I will not just do what is expected. I will do what is right.”

Friends, if we want to change the world—our communities, our nations, even our own families—we must be prepared to step beyond what is safe or socially acceptable. Not recklessly, not arrogantly, but with deep conviction, wisdom, and love.

The world may not ask for boldness, but boldness is what it needs. The world may not ask for integrity, but integrity is what heals it. The world may not ask for hope, but hope is what keeps it alive.

So I leave you with this challenge: Ask not, “What does the world want from me?” but “What does the world need from me, even if it doesn’t know to ask?”

Because the world changes—not when we follow its instructions—but when we follow the call of justice, truth, and love, even against the tide.

Thank you.
#KingsleyS.Ayinde@KansasCity-30/08/2025