If you were on Facebook or Twitter yesterday, you most likely saw a viral phenomenon. The KONY 2012 video was released on Monday and as of this morning has over 32 million views. When I first started watching the video yesterday morning, it only had over 1 million views. This is the definition of viral!
As I watched this video explode on my Twitter and Facebook timelines though, I started to ask myself why this video spread the way that it did. I came up with the following conclusions:
1. Millennials (18-29 year olds) are the predominant users of social media
2. Millennials are very concerned about social justice (see Thom & Jess Rainer’s book or Thom’s blog for more)
When you consider those two facts, you can begin to understand how a well-planned and executed video on a social justice issue can spread virally.
Beyond the research, I’ve observed Christian movements like Passion, and even here locally like CharlotteONE, that are filled with millennials and are very passionate about social justice and mercy-type ministries. I follow these movements from afar and can see how excited young Christians can get about these causes.
In light of this though, I wonder, do Millennials care about evangelism?
I’m sure if I stood before a group of Christian millennials and asked that question, they would all say ‘Yes!’, right? Perhaps the better question then is this: Do Millennials care about evangelism as much as social justice?
Before I go any farther, let me be clear by saying that all of this interest in social justice is generally a good thing. I’m thankful for people like Tim Keller, Gabe Lyons, and others who present a gospel that includes Jesus coming and embarking on a rescue mission on all the effects of the fall–not just broken people but broken systems too. I believe being involved in social justice is an implication of the gospel just as evangelism is an implication.
Why don’t I hear more about evangelism though from young Christians? Is it there and I’m missing it? I don’t ask that smugly but rather honestly and seriously.
If social justice issues are truly the pride and joy of the Millennial generation and evangelism is more of a disregarded step-child, I can understand why this is:
1. Evangelism is hard
2. It takes time
3. It’s difficult to measure
4. It doesn’t always bring about a “warm-fuzzy” feeling
5. It’s not politically correct
And almost all of the opposites are true for social justice. [I don’t mean to say that social justice is easy but rather being involved in a cause is easy.]
…
I’ll probably share more thoughts on this in a later blog post but for now, I would love to hear your thoughts. Do Millennials care about evangelism? Do they care about it as much as social justice?
