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……………………………………………