There was once a wise professor who kept a dozen bottles on a shelf in his classroom .
Each bottle was a different colour — white, black, green, red, orange, blue, and various shades in between. Each one had a label. Some were written in beautiful handwriting, others scribbled. Some were labelled in different languages. Some described where the bottle had supposedly originated.
His students would often debate which bottle they preferred. Which one would you choose? Why that one? Why not this one?
Interestingly, none of the bottles were transparent. No one could see inside.
And rarely – very rarely – did anyone ask the most important question:
What does it contain?
Every bottle held water.
Now imagine pouring all that water into a single bath. Once mixed together, you would not be able to tell which water came from which bottle. The labels, the colours, the origins — they would become irrelevant.
The essence would be the same.
The Analogy of Humanity
We are those bottles.
On the surface, we are different. Different appearances. Different backgrounds. Different beliefs. Different religions. Different languages. Different identities.
Yet beneath the surface – at our core – the essence is the same.
When I speak about what is “inside us”, I am not referring to our physical organs or biological systems. I am speaking of our essence. Our spirit. The being that we truly are.
And when you look at the world from that perspective, the level of division becomes deeply saddening. So much separation. So many arguments over race, colour, creed, identity and opinion.
If only we would focus more on what unites us rather than what separates us.
Are We a Body or a Soul?
People sometimes ask, “Do we have a soul?”
I prefer to say: no. You have a body. You are a soul.
Why identify primarily with something that does not endure? The body is temporary. It does not stand the test of time.
Your spirit, however – your eternal flame – continues. It is not extinguished. That essence is what truly defines you.
Yet we become obsessed with the physical. How we look. What we wear. What we own. We defend our opinions as if they are extensions of ourselves. When someone disagrees, it can feel like a personal attack.
But our opinions are not our essence.
There is enormous freedom in remembering who we truly are.
If We Could Not See or Hear…
Imagine twelve people in a room who were all blind. They would not know what colour coats the others were wearing.
It would not matter.
Imagine another room where twelve people were deaf. They would not know what language anyone spoke.
Again, it would not matter.
So much of what divides us relies on surface perception.
Strip that away, and what remains?
Spirit.
The Trolley in the Supermarket
Consider this.
You walk through a supermarket and accidentally knock a trolley. You go to the checkout. Thirty seconds later, something hits the back of your leg. You turn around, ready to confront whoever has just rammed you.
And then you realise: it is the same unattended trolley you nudged earlier.
Immediately, the anger dissolves.
The physical event is the same — you were hit on the leg. But the judgement disappears once you realise there was no malicious intent behind it.
How often do we react in anger because we assume intention? How often do we judge before we understand?
Judgement fuels division. Forgiveness dissolves it.
Cause and Effect
Some call it karma. Others call it cause and effect.
If you go out into the rain without a coat or umbrella, you get wet. That is not punishment. It is consequence.
Likewise, thoughts create outcomes.
If we cultivate fearful thoughts, we create fearful environments. Fear and love do not coexist comfortably. Fear contracts. Love expands.
A world driven by judgement becomes a condemned world.
A world rooted in forgiveness becomes gentler.
Everything begins with thought.
Personal Responsibility
It is easy to think: “Who am I? I am just one person. What difference can I make?”
But every person influences others.
Each of us is responsible for the energy we bring into the world. Each of us is, in a sense, the saviour of ourselves — and therefore a contributor to the salvation of mankind.
The Persian poet Rumi said:
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.
That is where it begins.
Not with changing everyone else.
With changing ourselves.
Philosophy and Mediumship
Many people come for the mediumship. And rightly so – the comfort of connection is powerful.
But philosophy matters too. Words can touch a heart in ways we may never see. Sometimes someone quietly leaves carrying a thought that changes the direction of their life.
If even one person is helped, that is enough.
This blog was transcribed from Martin Smith’s spiritual address at our Online Service 1st March 2026 and edited using AI.
