My Kony Dance

I’ve kind of been dancing around all the debate that I have been seeing on Facebook about Invisible Children’s Kony Campaign, not really wanting to put my ‘political’ views or position out there. I actually really never tell people where I stand politically (if I stand anywhere) or what my position is. I’ve been quiet about the Kony campaign, because the issue is a little closer to home for me than some people. Of course, I am going to be passionate about capturing a man when I have walked in his path of destruction. 

I have walked where Kony walked. 

I have met men who are still injured from fighting off the LRA and protecting their families. 

I have seen the hospital where thousands of children crowded in every night so that they would be safe from an army that wanted them to murder their families. 

I have met children who walked that path to safety every night. 

I have heard the hush that quickly comes into a conversation when you mention Kony’s name in that town. 

I have seen the fear. 

I have friends who have lost brothers, mothers, fathers, and sisters to the LRA. 

I have friends whose parents have gone crazy after watching the LRA murder their families. 

I have friends who ran away from the LRA after being captured. 

But in downtown Richmond..

I also have friends who struggle to get food everyday.

I have friends who stand on street corners and beg for money. 

I have friends that have been taken from the streets of Richmond and sex trafficked. 

Injustice is everywhere. So friends, as I see argument after argument about America having enough problems of it’s own to help Uganda - I get frustrated. I’m not saying that every person that hears Joseph Kony’s name should put down everything they have, fight for Uganda’s children, move to Uganda and totally forget about every other injustice they have seen. Do I believe that God calls people to where they need to be to fight injustice for the kingdom of light that is overtaking the darkness on this earth? yes. 

If you are wanting me to say YES support Kony, NO don’t support Kony, or get any sort of clear political view out of me, you are probably going to be sorely disappointed. 

Back in the old days when I used to play basketball, I didn’t want to JUST beat the point guard. I didn’t want to JUST beat the shooting guard, or just beat the power forward, or just beat the center. I wanted to beat the whole team. It wasn’t a WIN unless my team had beaten the other team, not just one of them. 

I’m on the winning team. I know that Christ wins. I know that He overcomes every injustice. I know that nothing is too big or too little for Him to redeem. 

Injustice is one enemy. 

So what is my view? 

My view is that as brothers and sisters all fighting against the same team - whether that is in Richmond or Gulu - we should not be turning against each other. Not trying to prove that the injustice I am fighting against is better than the one that you are fighting against, for two main reasons...

1. You are putting yourself on a pedestal if you think you’re work for the kingdom is more important than someone else’s
2. You are insulting the compassion that the Lord has for EVERY one of His children, no matter what the injustice they are suffering from is. 

My view is that we shouldn’t limit the Lord. We shouldn’t think that He can only heal one injustice at a time. We shouldn’t think that He can’t be redeeming America’s homeless population at the same time as Uganda’s invisible children. If you are complaining that America has enough problems of it’s own, yeah it does. The cool thing about my God is that HE IS BIG. Too big to limit to working in one place at one time. 

My view is that I have seen Invisible Children do amazing things in this country. I commend the work that they are doing. If you choose to support them, support them. If you don’t choose to support them, don’t. If you choose to support another organization that works in the same manner, do it. But don’t try to take out your own team member by saying that the work that they are doing is for themselves. And do NOT insult the Lord by the work that He is doing through that organization or try to hinder it - because even if you do, that’s sin for your heart to carry, and He wins no matter what you try to do. 

One selfish team member can ruin a whole game of basketball. They want to score all the points and hear their name the most across the loud speaker. Their teammates get frustrated and annoyed and the team can fall apart.

 I have seen many teams that were better than their opponents, lose. They lose because the battle within their own team becomes greater than the battle against their opponents. 

God doesn’t create many armies to fight evil. One army. One enemy.