Hottest Link on the Internet

I just spent the last half hour watching the latest video from the folks at Invisible Children entitled Kony 2012.  It is the hottest viral link on the Internet and is one that people in Free Churches all across the country are watching.  You can check it out at the following links:

Yahoo News Story:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/kony2012-invisible-children-viral-video-uganda-conflict-sparks-183106657.html

Invisible Children Website:

http://www.invisiblechildren.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/

As I watched it my heart was deeply moved.  I have many friends from both the EFC of Sudan and the EFC of Uganda who have lived through this nightmare over the past three decades.  I first was exposed to the horrors of the LRA and Joseph Kony in 2002 when I began a three year ministry project of training young Sudanese pastors from the EFC of Sudan most of whom were living in refugee camps in northern Uganda.  They told horror stories of what Kony and the LRA did to their families and friends.  Many shared of having to flee into the bush in the middle of the night, the husbands and older children going one direction and the wives and younger children another.  This scenario happened sometimes two or three times a month during the years that they lived in the refugee camps. 

The original Invisible Children video released several years ago was a powerful description of what my friends experienced in Uganda.  The Lord used in among youth and young adults in Free Churches to generate some encouraging ministry outreach.

This newest video has suddenly become the rage of the Internet with the number of search hits yesterday exceeding those for the new iPad.  In reflecting on the video and the online phenomenon it has initiated, I’ve found myself convinced of the fact that the Kony 2012 video shows how something with a compelling cause, clear outcomes, concise action steps and a defined timeline can make a major difference in the world today as we make use of the technology and social networking available to us.

My prayer is that we can capture some of the same passion for the ministry initiatives that the Lord has put on our hearts for Africa.  If you have some ideas of how that could happen or if you are willing to help make it happen I'd love to hear from you.