THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS

                                              

The size of bugs makes them very insidious in their nature.  A microscopic organism finds its way into the human system and causes untold damage. If its virulent progress is not countered, it ends up causing overwhelming sepsis and ultimate systems failure resulting in the death of the host.

I have been wondering how human beings survived infections before Sir Alexander Fleming made his accidental discovery of penicillin. It’s a huge relief that antibiotics now exist that can halt the ravaging march of germs.

The best movie I have seen this year is “Limitless” followed by the “Green Lantern”. There was something about the “Green Lantern” that brought Nigeria to my mind. I guess it must have been all that fluorescent green (like T.Y Bello sang, “the land is green”). But Nigeria is the host of various kinds of evil, wickedness, selfishness, greed, corruption, terrorism, tribal and religious bigotry, ritual killing, armed robbery, amongst a few. Evil is what has paralyzed this country and the truth is the government cannot do anything about it. So the buck stops here, here in YOUR laps, irrespective of who you are, where you are so long you are a Nigerian.

The story line of the movie shows that the ring chose Hal Jordan not by random but deliberately, even though he did not seem to have what it took. If you are a Nigerian, it’s not as a result of happenstance. You are not a random act of nature or a product of the big bang, God INTENTIONALLY made you a product of this nation and chose you for a time like this. Like he told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew and approved of you as my chosen instrument”. YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!!!

Thing about evil is that it flourishes so easily when nothing stands in its way even when it starts out in a presumably innocuous way, for example, when Boko Haram started, instead of ruthlessly extirpating it, our government was shilly-shallying and now, here we are! You don’t tolerate evil, no sane person kisses a live cobra, maybe except a snake charmer but some have even lived to regret it (some don’t even have the opportunity to regret it). A country like Mexico is overrun with drugs and safety in that place has become a thing of the past. It did not make sense to me since God categorically said evil cannot prevail over good and the wicked man will bow at the gate of the righteous but in my musings the answer came to me that the diabolic only has an upper hand over the virtuous when there is complacency amongst good men. The darkness surrounding the throne of Hades himself cannot stand the weakest flicker of light but eclipse that light and see what happens.

To salvage this nation is to dare to be different, to resist being carried away by the flood of bad things prevalent around here, let your light shine wherever you are and believe me your light is not little. Thing is, someone might feel it none of his/her business especially if you are abroad and everything is going swimmingly but life is not only about us but  about posterity, our children and their children. Just as no one can totally dissociate himself from his family, we also can never absolutely cut ourselves off from our country even if we live in Pluto. Life is about responsibility. Funnily enough, everyday people who are not Africans wake up to the call to come do something about this continent, about Nigeria. What about you and me? NIGERIA IS OUR COUNTRY!!!

I completely agree with you that the problems here are enormous that is easier to pull  an Ostrich and hide our heads in the sand like but it all boils down to your will.

The most poignant scene of the movie for me was when Parallax was on rampage and bore down on the Green Lantern with his yellow monstrous power, trying to induce fear in the Super hero by inundating his mind with all the horrific things he was going to unleash on the ring bearer. But Hal Jordan held his ground, refused to listen and instead repeated the Lantern corps vow to himself…

Brightest day,

Blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight,

And those who worship evil’s might,

Beware my power, the GREEN LANTERN’S LIGHT!

He went on to win a major victory for mankind. His will won the battle.

On your watch and mine is evil going to triumph while we groove and feel it is none of our business? Or are you going to take up the ring of responsibility and make a pledge to this country. Are you going to become an Emerald Knight, one of the green lantern corps of this nation?

If yes, then let’s recite our oath together:

I pledge to Nigeria my country,

To be faithful, loyal and honest,

To serve Nigeria with all my might and uphold her honour and glory,

So help me God.

Edmund Burke said, “Evil only runs riot when good men do nothing”! LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!!!

FOR YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD……………………………………………

DRAGON SLAYER!

                                                            
One of the delights of childhood aside from popping a Popsicle into your mouth is reading or hearing a fairy tale. From Rapunzel, Sleeping beauty to Snow white, there is something about the damsel in distress that eventually gets rescued by a prince or a knight in shining armour that sweetened my childish palate.

I find it almost inexplicable that the most genteel knight gets reckless in winning the hand of a beautiful dame even to the point losing his life. To me it is the height of gallantry, the zenith of chivalry, the peak of sacrificial love.

As I said in my post “Animated Truth”, there is a thin line between fantasy and reality a good deal of the time. As incredible as it sounds, we all have a Lover who gave everything including his life to win our hands and our hearts. We are His bride, His fixation, His love (irrespective of your deep baritone, and beefcakes, you better believe it bro!).  This is why he declares that He loves us with an everlasting love. He is extremely jealous about us and says that anyone that touches us touches the apple of his eyes. He is drunk on our love.

But his threats usually fall on deaf eyes when it comes to the wily, ole dragon. The bugger would time and time again slink in and hold us captive. We become damsels in distress looking for salvation. We are kept hostage in our enemy’s dank, dark smelly dungeon. Deliverance usually seems so distant in this hot underground pit. Hope becomes as far away as the distant stars you cannot even see. Dragons cause so much pain!

But in comes our Knight in all his splendor, silver armour shining, his sword glittering in the dark like Anduril, never can it be broken, never can it bow before an evil foe. His shield is big enough to cover us from the roaring, searing breath of the ugly beast.  Our eternal Cavalier arrives, hacking, slashing thrusting, savage in his fury, furious in his rage, berserk in his wrath. His lady has been put in harm’s way. He makes the dragon feel the sting of his sword. Good thing is that that steely body that bends the daggers of our human effort is like butter before the steel wielded by the “Lord of Heavensville”. You touch this one to your Peril, He tells the pain inducing monster and before our eyes, his sword pierces the heart of the hideous animal, it falls dead like a felled tree. He cuts of the ropes binding us and sets us free.

Are you currently feeling like a damsel in distress, held and bound by the ropes of limitation in the cave of hopelessness as you look into the bloodshot, hate filled eyes of the dragon? Has its hot breath charred your soul and broken your heart with life’s troubles? Has its slimy scaly skin pierced your health, your marriage, and your finances? Has its tail repeatedly struck fear into your spirit until your faith has almost become as extinct as a dodo? Has its claws torn your dreams and shattered your vision? Has its malevolent presence filled you with desperation and thoughts of self extirpation?

Before you give up, Cry out to your Saviour and listen well! Do you hear the sounds of hooves echoing, charging and thundering through the dark night? In the midst of your challenges, look up with greater hope! Your Knight is coming, your King is on his way and he is bringing victory and healing with him. The fight will be over in the twinkle of an eye and He would bear you on a horse more graceful than Pegasus to a future where you will live, happily ever after.  He will yet make a fairy tale out of your circumstances.

FEAR THEE NOT, BANISH THE DOUBT INSTEAD REJOICE IN HOPE, REVEL IN EXPECTATION BECAUSE OUR INAMORATO IS A WARRIOR KING; THE LOVER OF OUR SOULS IS A DRAGON SLAYER!!!

THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RISEN AND THERE IS HEALING ON HIS WINGS…………………………