¿Quien es Joseph Kony? (Photo credit: Jennol)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two weeks, you’ve heard about the whole Kony 2012 thing. Invisible Children, a group started about 10 years ago, created a video about Joseph Kony and his horrible crimes against humanity – especially children – in Uganda. The video, which states that its purpose is to make Joseph Kony a name everyone knows and, thus, cause support to increase in capturing and stopping him, has blown up all over YouTube and Facebook.
After the video got popular, backlash started. Some criticized Invisible Children. People from Uganda even criticized the idea, claiming that Joseph Kony wasn’t an issue anymore.
Were you one of the people who re-posted the video right away, feeling pain and outrage in your heat at this issue of child soldiers that you may not have even known existed?
Or were you one of the ones who felt a little more cautious, reading the articles written in response to the video?
Maybe you decided not to chime in at all, not wanting to jump on an emotional bandwagon.
Regardless of how you acted, let me ask you this: How much did you pray about it?
It’s easy to re-post a video on Facebook and feel like you did a good deed, patting yourself on the back for caring and making a difference.
It’s easy to post articles, claiming their viewpoints as your own, feeling as though you are a part of something big.
But have you prayed about it?
When you saw pictures of the little boys with guns and the mutilated faces of other children, did you pray?
When you felt rage and anger at these atrocities, did you pray?
When you felt confused as to which side was right, did you pray?
Social justice is a good thing. We should care about people, no matter who they are and where they live. But to really make a difference, a lasting impact, a change for the better, we can’t forget the importance of prayer.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,” – 1 Timothy 2:1
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” – Proverbs 31:8-9
You should care about what’s going on. It should hurt your heart and rile up all kinds of feelings. But don’t let that be the end. Don’t join your voice with the masses in crying, “Outrage!” and then do nothing about it. And don’t settle for a one night poster hanging campaign. Don’t settle for conversations on Facebook that simply result in more emotions.
Pray. Now. Get on your knees before the Father and pray for those little kids. Read up on the issue for yourself. Find out about more kids in other places that you can pray for.
Do something that really makes a difference.
Question: What has your response been to Kony 2012? Is it hard for you to pray for people so far away? Do you have a friend that you could join together with to pray for oppressed children around the world?
Crystal Mazzuca
March 12th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
I love this blog. It seems to me that the easiest, least impacting way to make a difference is social network buzz. INSTEAD The call to pray and fast (Isaiah 58) is much harder than a Facebook repost. Let’s follow Crystal in this as she follows Christ…praying to Jesus
March 13th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Thanks, Nathan
March 12th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
I was a little confused about this whole Kony thing! Thank you for pointing me in the right direction!
March 13th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Hope it helps, Tess! The issue isn’t quite as black and white as it first appeared. But we can take heart that prayer is always the correct response.