As you enjoy laughing at this photo from my first night in Banta Mokelle, Sierra Leone in 2007, let me tell you a little about what this means to me:
In January 2006, when I first learned about the atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) on the people of Uganda, my life was forever rocked. For some reason it was this unfathomable conflict that shook my heart and soul awake from apathy and selfishness. No other news report, lecture or sermon had made me so aware of the world outside of my own like this film, and I believe it was God's purpose in that deafness. I still clearly remember the first time I set up a public screening of the documentary Invisible Children in an open field at the University of Central Florida. It was clear to me that more could and needed to be done.
After that first screening there was no turning back for me; my own life seemed to carry little significance anymore when I knew that there were so many people in far worse conditions by no choice of their own. Before I knew it, in April 2006 I was working with a dear friend, Sultana Ali, on planning a huge outdoor gathering in Orlando to raise the level of awareness of night-commuting children and child soldiers in Africa's longest running war. It was called the Global Night Commute and took place in over 130 cities and 7 countries and drew out over 80,000 people, with at least 800 here in Orlando on April 29th.
Now that was one incredible night, but the story doesn't end there -- the next day I was scheduled to work at Barnie's Coffee, but ended up oversleeping from a nap and got to work 2 hours late. My manager fired me despite having the best excuse ever, but I called my friend Julie afterwards and she talked me into coming to a church with her called Status where a bunch of friends that I had made from the event were going to be. I decided I would go, and that night the Lord did some serious work in my heart and soul. He showed me His love so clearly and how He wanted me for His Kingdom. The pastor that night even said, "In Heaven, we won't have jobs in the sense that we have them on earth...So, Pastor Loveless, does that mean I won't have to work that Starbucks Barista job when I'm in heaven?"
Since that night, I've helped put together countless screenings, several benefit concerts, two other large scale events in '08 and '09, started a club at UCF, and lobbied in DC, but the glory for all this belongs to God because it was through His authorship of my life that all of this came to be. I also believe He deserves the glory for all that has happened in Uganda and America through Invisible Children's work and partnership with other organizations leading to education, employment, refugees returning home, and more. We are still celebrating the victory on Capitol Hill last month when Obama signed the "LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act." The LRA is still out there though, so we must press on.
-------------------
This was actually a very short summary, but clearly my story of understanding and following the life of Christ is intertwined with the story of Invisible Children. That is one big reason why I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to go work for them, even if I'm not getting paid. As I learned several years ago, there are so many things more important that the "American Dream," and relying on the Lord to provide in every ounce of your life is truly the most freeing thing in life. The more you release the clutch of controlling your life and giving that control to God, the more you will experience the love that your Creator has for you. Its like Jesus said, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone...If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
(Unorganized prayer circle of several hundred people during 21 minutes of silence at "Displace Me" in April 2007 in Orlando, FL. This, in part, makes what I do worth the effort.)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment