Should you help make Kony famous?
How should a Christian respond to the Kony 2012 movement?
What do you think of Kony 2012?
In less than a week, more than 70 million people have viewed the Kony 2012 video on YouTube. Even if you haven't yet watched it, you couldn't have missed people discussing it all over Facebook.
Pretty much everyone has been horrified about the terrible stories of Joseph Kony's army and how he has committed unimaginable crimes against humanity. We've been shocked to hear how this man caused 30,000 children to be kidnapped and how he forced them to kill even their own family members.
Some people have been quick to jump on board the Kony 2012 train - tweeting, clicking 'Like' and even committing to buy the box of posters and bracelets.
Others have stopped to check out the claims more carefully, and some have agreed with the people who have questioned whether this whole Kony 2012 campaign is really such a good idea after all.
If you need help making up your mind then hit Google and start reading. You'll read lots of good and bad blogs and news stories that will give you lots to think about.
But, whether or not you're in favour of this whole social media circus, you've got to agree that it is just pure injustice to think that Joseph Kony has done these horrific acts and has never been punished for his crimes.
It's good to want justice
We are right to feel the injustice. In fact, I think it's right to say we are all created by God with a natural sense of justice. We hate it when evil people get away with doing evil, and when the innocent suffer for doing right.
That's why it's right to feel angry at Kony. We should long for him to get caught by the law enforcers and tried before a judge. We want justice, and we want Kony to get everything that he deserves.
But should we be totally focused on getting justice?
Well, some Christians spend their whole life trying to bring justice to people like the families in North Uganda, or any of the other places affected by the actions of evil men and women. They lie awake thinking about ways in which they can do things to free people from oppression and injustice on earth.
Sometimes they feel this way because they love the people who are oppressed, and hate the sin of the oppressors. This is good.
But sometimes they try to bring justice to our world because they think that Earth needs to be just like Heaven. They think that they are growing the Kingdom of God by removing oppression in the world.
For the theology nerds out there, this is called Liberation Theology. It's a way of thinking about God and his creation that focuses too much on renovating our damaged world and not enough on helping people know how they can have their sins forgiven and enjoy a bomb-proof hope in Heaven. Maybe that's a little simplistic, but it gives you the idea.
Make Kony famous, and pray
So, should you help make Kony famous? Sure. Let's get this mongrel caught and brought to justice.
But more importantly, let's keep thinking about injustice from God's viewpoint.
When Jesus died, the greatest act of injustice was committed. A man who was innocent was executed for a crime he never committed.
But that injustice means that anyone who believes and trusts in Jesus will be forgiven by God for the greatest crime of all... rejecting the God who made you, loves you, and deserves our undying loyalty.
So, feel free to help this Kony 2012 internet virus spread. Let's make Kony famous so that it makes it easier to get him brought to justice. But let's also get praying more that both the victims and the perpetrators of those crimes get to experience the forgiveness of their sins that comes from the greatest injustice of all.
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