Yes, yes– many opinions are announced everyday around the internet-sphere about Joseph Kony and Invisible Children's viral video. Judgements have been diversified, no doubt about it. Some tear down, some defend, and some compromise (bless the souls who desire reconciliation, for they may never see it).
I have been deciphering my heart alongside others from the discord brought about by the viral event and surrounding commentaries. My post called A Lament of Western Man has highlighted that decryption of Heart and Head.
I am not here to set the record straight on the argument, many souls have already done a great job at it. I am here to investigate a greater theme to the argument:
A very specific ministry(Invisible Children) was brought to the forefront of the nation’s attention and the twitter-sphere, and the unmapped social world.
One culture, One problem, One man.
We were asked to care, to give at least some energy into this specific cause;
even if all we can give is awareness.
So we are all asking...
Why?
I am here to ask another question that Invisible's viral video induced.
Okay maybe a few.
Questions----------------------
Why are we eager American’s either bitter or drained by the conversation?
And why has such dissension befallen us?
However, why should we care about this cause? or Uganda?
Especially when _______ is happening? The ______ people are suffering under the _____ regime in _____ country?
Weren't we just asked to change our FaceBook profile pictures to Anti-SOPA stuff?
No wait, or were we Pro-SOPA?
I cant remember, can you?
Can I carry these social burdens?
Do I have any real burdens on my heart or just things that make me feel engaged in the world, socially intelligent?
Does any action really amount to any significance?
Aren't there a thousand more Kony's?
Besides, am I not rendered useless from entertainment, to the state of soul lethargic-ism?
Why are there so many barriers to helping?
Why does helping and connecting with other cultures cost so much?
Why are there organizations making profit from awareness?
What are we trying to ultimately accomplish anyway?
Who are these suffering people anyway?
Can I meet them genuinely through a video or photo?
Aren’t there people here who need help?
-------------
The diversity, the disunion causes, organizations and the unending pains the World wants to see righted, is an immense amount of information to try to sort. As often as wind in the Texan Panhandle, the problems become victors as our souls lay trounced by depression.
Perhaps we are missing the narrative, a meta-narrative, that defines all this weighty information that we acquire. The narrative that defines and binds the causes together. The story that gathers the divisions of organizations, ministries, and solutions and makes fast One organization, One Ministry, One Solution. An umbrella of sorts (no, not the Resident Evil kind).
What is life without hope? Without the narrative that all this knowledge, doctrine, philosophy, actions and ‘like’ buttons fit into?
Illustration---Knowledge is like sheet music. To the musical laymen, it is a disaster of lines. Lay out all the notes of a song, play them without measure, timing or even play the notes out of order, rhythmically spaced evenly.
It will sound awful. Kind of recognizable, but mostly awful.
Play the notes with timing, feeling and nuance, you’ll have a song– a melody. People dance to melodies, bob their heads and move their feet, even move their booties. Having knowledge, doctrine, philosophy, actions and ‘like’ buttons without the timing of the narrative is deafening. The banging gong of a noise it makes deafens the soul and makes it lethargic. Pitiful. Like we are most of the time.
So the question for us to ask: what is the narrative?
[another day’s topic, perhaps]
So what then of the narrative, we still have causes and problems– yes the narrative is not enough. Nevertheless, it is enough to move us with hope, enough to get us moving.
Movement. It’s like dancing.
Q: Because all that awareness–even narrative–does is what? What good is it if nothing happens?
[my friend Kendal asked me that once–wise question]
Q: What is awareness worth?
[Kendal was right]
A: Awareness without change creates bitterness.
This summer I am going to Kenya and I am in the process of raising funds– something I naturally do not take pleasure in. Yet, all I want to do is GO, and TELL stories, and BRING awareness, and then have you GO with me next time. Yet, I feel bubbling up in me more questions:
Why should others support me?
And for what cause?
Why my cause?
Why not Invisible Children’s?
or the Navigators’?
or Worldvision’s?
or Christian Relief Fund’s?
or Compassion International’s?
or Focus on the Family’s?
or Charity Water’s?
or Casas Por Christos’?
or Ron Paul’s?
or Etc. Etc.*
[*all of which are great organizations. No comment on Ron Paul, however]
Listen O soul, let me tell you of what Heart and Mind has decided; All my feeble hands can do are little things.
No, I probably wont defeat hunger or poverty or genocide, or solve the terrible conflict in Israel/Palestine alone.
No, I will not. But I can do something. Anything.
One child rescued.
One slave freed.
One overlooked heart loved.
One community developed.
One city unified.
One family restored.
One marriage reconciled.
One thing.
If life was only one positive thing, wouldn't it be worth it? If you had nothing else to live for yet the one battle that you will fight, would not it be a hill to choose to die on?
SO, is any cause worth fighting for? Yes.
WILL it solve everything? No.
IS that okay? Yes.
May we be invigorated by this discord. May we be unified by it. May we move today in little ways.
