Kony2012: Social Justice (Alone) is not the Gospel

By this point, I'm fairly certain that you are aware of the Kony 2012 campaign launched by the makers of Invisible Children.  The twenty-nine minute video profiling the atrocities commited against children by Joseph Kony in Uganda went viral a couple of days ago and has grabbed worldwide attention.  I know at our little Christian school the launch of this video has created a great deal of buzz and conversation amongst our students and staff.  I first saw the video linked on Facebook on Tuesday and by Wednesday evening it had been shared by 46 different friends.   The video has clearly grabbed the attention of millions of people and with good reason.  Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army have kidnapped over 30,000 children during the last 26 years, forcing boys to be soldiers and girls to be sex slaves.  These crimes should and do outrage us and the overwhelming response speaks to how this video has stirred the spirit of scores of human beings across the planet.  This video and the fight against Kony is likely to continue to generate greater momentum in the coming months.  We, as Christians, need to consider the message of this film and what we can or should do with it.  The film and its makers have not been without criticism and there certainly can be a tension between evangelism and social justice among evangelicals.  So, how do we respond?

I shared the Kony video immediately after watching it.  As a Christian, there is no way I can watch a film that describes children being kidnapped, raped, mutilated and killed and not be greatly moved in my heart.  These children were fearfully and wonderfully made by God.  He knows each of them by name, knows their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams.  These kids may have been invisible to the world, but they have always been seen by God.  This resonates with my spirit and any other person in whom the Holy Spirit lives.  These children of God must be protected, rescued and redeemed.  If we, the Church, can stand idly by with this information and do nothing then we are woefully misguided in our faith.  Jesus made it clear that people who do nothing for the least of these---the poor, the weak, the sick, the broken...those who cannot speak for themselves---have no part in Him.  We cannot rightfully call ourselves Christians if we allow injustice to reign.  Every Christian should share this video, regardless of your concerns over the politics, finances or mission of the leaders of Kony2012.  These children need to be seen and aided.

That said, I am uneasy with the fact that Christians have been very quick to share this story and very lax to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The majority of people that I know who are sharing the Kony video would consider themselves Christians.  Why haven't I ever seen anything that is boldy Christ-centered go viral the way this video has?  I fear that we have become a generation of Christians who wants to simply preach a social Gospel and consider that enough.  Quite honestly, that will never be enough.  If good works, even great works like rescuing these children, were enough then there would be no need for the sacrifice of Christ.  Jesus told us not to fear the one who can kill our earthly bodies but to instead fear God who judges the eternal soul.  This principle is quite applicable here.  If we rescue these kids, make them safe, educate them, reunite them with their families, etc, but do nothing to save their souls, what have we ultimately done?  We have done something of fleeting significance but have not impacted lives eternally.

So, how do we respond?  Well, I am certainly not suggesting that we not share Kony2012 or refuse to participate in Cover the Night or similar events.  In fact, I think Christians should be the first in line to participate in these events and sound the alarm for these children.  God DOES call us to social justice.  We MUST care for the orphan, the widow, the kidnapped, the oppressed.  Refusing to take care of the least of these assures our standing as people outside of the Kingdom of God.  Yet, we must be just as passionate (if not more so) about the spiritual reality of the situation.  Have you prayed for Joseph Kony?  Have you prayed for the children?  Sharing a video to create awareness is great.  Falling to your knees before the Lord Almighty and begging for his mercy and intervention in Uganda is far more powerful.  We must put these efforts before God and pray that He moves through this situation to reach the hearts of these very broken, downtrodden people.  Are you spending money on an "action kit" to get the word out about Kony 2012?  If so, wonderful.  But are you willing to also put your money towards getting these kids a Bible?  Are you willing to support a Ugandan missionary or orphanage that is sharing the Gospel with children?  You may be attending Cover the Night or organizing some other event to raise awareness of these situation.  I commend you if you are doing that and my hope is that you are able to touch hearts with your efforts.  But I ask you, are you going to set up a prayer meeting for Uganda?  Will you consider organizing a missions trip to Uganda?  Lord, I pray that we do not miss the mark here and care only for the body and miss the soul.

Christians, we must stand and fight for justice.  But, the spread of the Gospel---the salvific Gospel, not the social Gospel---must be the driving force behind every effort we take, every cause we support.