Just a few hours ago I completely my last conference call with my team before we leave for Haiti this Friday. I have to admit, it was a little bitter sweet. :) I get to meet them in person on Friday for the first time (which I VERY excited about) and we'll have a call or two like this when we get back (so it's not over), but I realize that this is it. Whatever wisdom I've hoped to impart better have been "imparted" by now, whatever stories, whatever trip details, whatever period. And as I look back on all of the calls I am reminded that none of the wisdom that was shared was my wisdom (or even came out of my mouth many times), none of the details are my details, none of the stories were mine. What has happened with our team has all been God. God brought these 14 precious people together to form an amazing team from Evanston, IL. God put the desire in each of our hearts to serve the orphan. God taught us along the way what His will, even His command, and His heart is in relation to the orphan. And God is the one who is responsible for the details. Each of us has worked and planned for this trip, but ultimately God is the one that holds the timetable and the details.
As I look ahead to this week, I think of all of the details I need to take care of, money I need to plan for, and things I need to pack. But my prayer not only for myself, but for our team is that we will remember why we are going above all the last minute details. We are going to Learn, to Seek and to Defend. Lord, help us remember!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Kony.....What should our response be?
So, I'm having a little trouble sleeping tonight (again) so I did what I do every night that I have trouble sleeping. Check out Facebook. And in the midst of checking Facebook, I once again see everything that is popping up about Kony and the video done by Invisible Children. I'm reading opinions on both sides of the argument. This is a good thing, this is a bad thing. (And yes, I will be up front and say, I did repost the video.)
Here's my reaction to both sides. Do I think Invisible Children has the best answer to the situation and we should look past everything and just accept what they present us as truth? No. Do I think the fact that Invisible Children has funded other governments or that they are calling out for the arrest (note arrest, people, not death) of a very evil man means they are showing an "un-Christian attitude" towards Kony? Do I think we should just pray that God convicts his soul and leave it at that? Definitely no! Friends, until you have been to the country and seen children who had potential to be affected by Kony (I didn't even see the ones who were), it's hard to understand. But where is our cry for justice? Do I pray that God will get ahold of Kony's heart and change him? Yes. Do I think just praying for this and then forgetting about it tomorrow is right? No. We are called, actually commanded, to cry out for justice for these children. We are commanded to stand up for them, to seek justice, to defend the orphan and the widow. We are called to be active in this war against injustice. Not just sit back and pray that God will change these people. Please don't hear me say that prayer is not important. It is VITAL to changing our world and I pray that as people see this video go viral about Kony that they will pray for him. But PLEASE do not leave it there. Does Invisible Children have all the answers and have this entire thing correct? No. But at least they're taking a stand and making an attempt to cry out for justice and that's something I deeply respect about what they are doing with this video.
What would you do if the cries of your children were not being heard? If YOUR children were kidnapped and forced to kill you and their siblings? If they were boys, they would be forced to kill over and over again. And if they were girls they would be demeaned to a life as a sex slave. We would be outraged if that happened here in the US. We would be screaming at the top of our lungs for justice for our children. For someone who is responsible for these crimes against our children to be called into account for his actions. Why is it so different for the children who don't live with our borders? Why are we not screaming at the top of our lungs for justice for these children who are affected DEEPLY by war, sex-trafficking, AIDS, child soldiering, slavery, and the list could go on and on. These things don't just happen in Uganda, they happen around the world. Kony isn't the only person who should be called into account for their actions, but he's a good place to start.
Church, don't let our cry be "Jesus change their hearts!" and then we turn away. Let our cry be a battle cry against the injustices done against our children, our orphans, our own spread around the world. Yes, pray for a supernatural change in their hearts, but don't stand idly by and see it as "their problem". Speak out! Scream if you have to! I've seen some of these children in person and I now dream about them. And I will scream at the top of my lungs in support of anyone who will help these little ones.
Does Invisible Children have all the answers? No, but at least they have found their voice and are taking their stand. Where is your voice? How are you going to take your stand and speak for justice in our world? Is. 1:17, James 1:27, Psalms 68:5, Deut. 24:17, Psalm 10:17-18. Just scratching the surface. Read them and tell me if saying a prayer and moving on with our lives is the answer to the crises of our children in this world.
Here's my reaction to both sides. Do I think Invisible Children has the best answer to the situation and we should look past everything and just accept what they present us as truth? No. Do I think the fact that Invisible Children has funded other governments or that they are calling out for the arrest (note arrest, people, not death) of a very evil man means they are showing an "un-Christian attitude" towards Kony? Do I think we should just pray that God convicts his soul and leave it at that? Definitely no! Friends, until you have been to the country and seen children who had potential to be affected by Kony (I didn't even see the ones who were), it's hard to understand. But where is our cry for justice? Do I pray that God will get ahold of Kony's heart and change him? Yes. Do I think just praying for this and then forgetting about it tomorrow is right? No. We are called, actually commanded, to cry out for justice for these children. We are commanded to stand up for them, to seek justice, to defend the orphan and the widow. We are called to be active in this war against injustice. Not just sit back and pray that God will change these people. Please don't hear me say that prayer is not important. It is VITAL to changing our world and I pray that as people see this video go viral about Kony that they will pray for him. But PLEASE do not leave it there. Does Invisible Children have all the answers and have this entire thing correct? No. But at least they're taking a stand and making an attempt to cry out for justice and that's something I deeply respect about what they are doing with this video.
What would you do if the cries of your children were not being heard? If YOUR children were kidnapped and forced to kill you and their siblings? If they were boys, they would be forced to kill over and over again. And if they were girls they would be demeaned to a life as a sex slave. We would be outraged if that happened here in the US. We would be screaming at the top of our lungs for justice for our children. For someone who is responsible for these crimes against our children to be called into account for his actions. Why is it so different for the children who don't live with our borders? Why are we not screaming at the top of our lungs for justice for these children who are affected DEEPLY by war, sex-trafficking, AIDS, child soldiering, slavery, and the list could go on and on. These things don't just happen in Uganda, they happen around the world. Kony isn't the only person who should be called into account for their actions, but he's a good place to start.
Church, don't let our cry be "Jesus change their hearts!" and then we turn away. Let our cry be a battle cry against the injustices done against our children, our orphans, our own spread around the world. Yes, pray for a supernatural change in their hearts, but don't stand idly by and see it as "their problem". Speak out! Scream if you have to! I've seen some of these children in person and I now dream about them. And I will scream at the top of my lungs in support of anyone who will help these little ones.
Does Invisible Children have all the answers? No, but at least they have found their voice and are taking their stand. Where is your voice? How are you going to take your stand and speak for justice in our world? Is. 1:17, James 1:27, Psalms 68:5, Deut. 24:17, Psalm 10:17-18. Just scratching the surface. Read them and tell me if saying a prayer and moving on with our lives is the answer to the crises of our children in this world.
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