DARK SUNS (Segun Peters)

“If the Sun ever goes dark, whatever would happen to us?”
I experienced the eclipse of the sun just once in my life and I vividly recall the questions that assailed my young mind then. “What if the sun stops giving its light? We would have to go everywhere with lamps”, I thought just as every child would. I did not have any idea that if the sun ceases, life on earth cease also.

The moon would offer no comfort because the light from it comes also from the sun. It will be an apocalypse if the sun dies. Exactly what it means if men whose radiance has brought light to earth never were, never lived or never shone.
“Darkness has no place with light.”
We could count several men whose achievements have created freedom, enlightenment, discovery and change for our world. These I shall call “Suns”. I believe that if these men never were, our world would be in total darkness. Darkness is the birthplace of chaos, and soon  enough, our world as we know it would not be but annihilated. I do not here infer some genocide till we completely wipe out the existence on men on earth. Here I only imply a different form of genocide where we completely wipe out freedom, enlightenment, discovery and any chance for change. Picture a world like this and your imagination will not be far from a sight where the earth was consumed by disorder and ignorance.
“Let your light shine.”
Whoever has succeeded in being a Sun on this earth struggled and feared like you. Yet, they overcame all of these things to influence their potential to shine. Why then do you and I keep failing to become like one of these men? There is no one who doesn’t dream to make impact in this world. Why then do we give up that dream after a few struggle? No one is doomed to fail because we are made of the same substance as the Suns that we know. No one lacks what it takes to become a Sun because ordinary men only need to do that extra to make them into men of glory. That extra may take different forms but it is borne out of a determination to never call it quit.
“Do not stop trying until you achieve.”
I soon realised that although we all have the potential of Suns, some of us have exchanged that potential for darkness. Lightbearers act according to light but our actions have rather become a fitting blend to darkness. In light there is insight, there is righteousness, there is peace, freedom, love, tolerance, hope and mostly faith. Is this the pattern or laws that guides your life? Or its markings bears darkness such as ignorance, wickedness, turmoil, hate, intolerance, and mostly fear. You do not coat a lantern with tar and expect it to light a path. Get rid of darkness so that the true potential of your heart, of Suns will be made manifest.
“The fire withstanding the wind burns more fiercely.”
The literal sun is millions of miles away from the earth and yet, we can testify to its ferociousness. Sometimes to create a good enough impact you need to turn up the heat. If there is a desire burning inside you, turn it up till it becomes a raging fire. If the fire does not consume your passion, turn it up till it becomes an obsession. If your obsession is not enough to bring you glory, become bloodthirsty. If this does still not work then go mad. Mad men have stood on the threshold of glory. It is nothing to be scared of but a necessary state to be desired to become a full potential of Suns. I have no idea how much fire you need to break through darkness but I know this much, never stop turning up the heat until you finally succeeed.
“A tiny fire can set the mighty forest on ablaze.”
The fire inside you is never enough to achieve greatness, but it soon becomes an inferno if you do not stop fuelling it. Identify your hunger, and then begin to feed it till it becomes a mighty giant with the potential to climb on to the throne of glory. What is your light? Fuel it till it breaks through the beclouding mass of darkness on the. What is your love? Build it till it crashes through hatred and violence. What is your understanding? Consume more till it shatters all shackles of ignorance. What is the truth? Defend it till the lie goes into extinction. What is your desire? Feed it till it becomes your obsession. We have a war against darkness, and true sons of light never back down.
“We are Dark Suns, until we are able to break free.”
A potential for greatness is not enough to bring a man glory. It is his actions that begets glory and make him a  true Sun. If every man has the potential for greatness, then the majority of mankind lost and misdirected have not acted according to their potential. We must identify first the struggle-Nothing great comes from no labor. Then we must identify the pain-It is a lonely walk to greatness. We must act according to the struggle and pain but endure the labor and loneliness to get this far in life. It is not easy, yet men have achieved this. Let your heart not fail you through this ordeal but keep seasoning it with hope and faith. This truth is the testimony of all Suns. It can be your story too.

WRITTEN BY SEGUN PETERS