Soul Searching Sunday: Poison in Power

There is poison in power. Some long to be idolized and the praise from others feeds their soul, bringing sustenance to their very being. This poison plaques Joseph Kony, a Ugandan guerrilla group leader and head of the Lord's Resistance Army, also known as the LRA. For about 30 years, Kony has made it his mission to kidnap young boys and girls for the purpose of turning the boys into killing machines and the girls into sex slaves all in the name of power. The children are forced to kill their parents, forcing them to remain with the LRA or become orphans. More than 60,000 children have been abducted and about 2 million people have been displaced since the rebellion started in 1986.

So what purpose does the LRA serve? Kony started the group in 1986, but the group was formerly called the Holy Spirit Movement under the control of Kony's cousin, Alice Lakwena. Lakwena claims to be ordered by the Holy Spirit to overthrow the Ugandan government which was accused of treating the Acholi people ( the people of Kony and Lakwena) unfairly. Resentment against the Ugandan government thickened, and supporters flocked to Lakwena allowing the Holy Spirit Movement to gain momentum. However, a battle won by the government led to Lakwena's exile.

As the Holy Spirit Movement lost a leader and direction, Kony took over as leader and rebranded the movement in 1986, calling it the Lord's Resistance Army. Kony initially stated that the mission of the LRA was to overthrow the government and rule Uganda based on the Ten Commandments. However, he rapidly lost support. Therefore, out of frustration he began to abduct thousands of children to increase its ranks, turning the children into killers and unleashing them on villages. Kony's main mission now is to retain power.

As thousands continue to suffer in Uganda and surrounding African countries, people opposed to such genocide have begin to stand up in the name of justice. Watch the video below for more information on the movement against Kony called Kony 2012. I am a supporter of Kony 2012 because I am a supporter of justice. So you might ask, what does this have to do with soul searching, spirituality, and/or religion... the answer is in the video... Enjoy.