knowledge vs. action

I said I wouldn’t blog about this…but I am. Not in the way that many others are though, I don’t understand enough to fill a blog with words about it. KONY 2012. If this doesn’t ring a bell. You aren’t on Face book (hint, hint mom and dad!). Simple as that. KONY 2012 is an effort being made by the Invisible Children organization to bring about knowledge of the injustice that Kony has brought to East Africa. He is a dreadful man that has lead in the killing, raping, and taking advantage of many people, mostly children. Invisible Children has done a wonderful job of using social networks to inform and encourage young people to demand social justice.

But I just wonder, how many of us jump on these “band wagons” because we feel like we are accomplishing something by being involved. We talk about it at church. On facebook. In our work place. We even sometimes go as far as judging others for not seeming to care. I know I have. But at the end of the day, is it enough? No, it isn’t. While knowledge is power, it surely doesn’t equal action.

I use a biodegradable toothbrush. Made of old yogurt cups. Bought for way too much at an organic grocery store. I would even make special trips to the grocery store to stock up on them when I would visit New Orleans last fall. Of course, I packed one in my suit case to come to Uganda with me. In my mind, it’s my offer of an apology to the earth for not being a better recycler. I mean come on, even the paper inside of the package is recycled paper. I laugh when I think about the silliness of it, but if I were in the states when it came time to buy a new toothbrush, you better bet it would be biodegradable. Why? Because it makes me feel good. Does it make a hill of beans difference to the earth? Probably not. Because, it’s my only attempt to preserve our earth. I don’t make a real effort to cherish the earth I live on.

So I wonder. How often do we do the same thing with other causes in our lives? Causes that really mean something. Causes like children who need a way out, adults who need healing from their past mistakes, our neighbors who need a little extra this month, or our family who we don’t think deserve just one more chance. How often are we called to care about an effort and we placate that call by learning the facts so we can think about what can be done, and then never look back? I think we are all guilty of that. I’m convinced that we need to take action, and really put an effort into change. I’m not talking about packing up and moving to a third world country. I’m talking about genuinely caring enough to invest time in interceding for these causes through prayer. Maybe even coming off a few dollars we really don’t want to give. Heaven forbid, we have awkward conversations about these causes to really figure out a way to make a difference. Because it comes down to this, if we don’t do something, who will?