My youngest son is involved in the group “Invisible Children.” A lot of kids in his high school are incredibly passionate about this project.

One of the exciting things I see in this generation is passion for great causes. They raise thousands and thousands of dollars for projects like “Invisible Children” and Project Rescue, which gets kids out of sexual slavery.

One of the hottest viral videos on Facebook right now is “Kony2012”. I just don’t do viral videos, so I’ve held back wondering what this is all about. It involves the leader of this LRA group in Uganda that is pulling all these kids into armed conflict. This is the group targeted by “Invisible Children.”

A couple of great pieces I found this morning kind of cover the issue well for me. THIS ONE is an interview with the head of “Invisible Children.” THIS ONE is a more in-depth commentary in Foreign Policy.

BOTH make good points.

We need passion. We need to have our dulled, calloused lives crushed by the reality of this world and the issues that face millions of people we just don’t see. There needs to be something rising up in us that causes us to get from our couches and get into action in some way.

On that point, I see what the head of “Invisible Children” is doing. He keeps the message simple. He stirs the passion. Get upset! Get involved! Do something!

But we need knowledge as well.

I fear these viral videos are this generation’s email chain letters. They might spin things in a way that stir quick emotion and little else. And, worse, they can be just plain wrong and we react to something that isn’t even factual.

We need to find out more about the issues as well. But we need to ACT when action is called for.

The point in the Foreign Policy article is well-taken: the children in Uganda can still be invisible once we’ve given our money or wear a bracelet. We need more involvement. Africa’s issues are deeper than a video and a bracelet.

What would be insanely great is if a handful of people would take this incredible passion and turn it into a lifelong solution.

Give yourself to true, deep, systemic change. Give yourself to something that you are so deeply committed to you keep at it when the video isn’t viral and when no one else is looking.

What if a group out of this generation became the new David Livingstone’s and gave themselves in a new way to Africa?

What if another group out of this generation rose up and gave themselves to Asia, like a William Carey?

Something deep, long lasting, and life changing for an entire generation could occur.

It’s one thing to get a video set up and then send it from the comfort of your American home. I know of groups that do bike rides across America to raise money for causes all over the world.

But we need the group that will GO to these areas and stay there. The Mother Teresa’s and Mark Buntain’s of Calcutta. The David Livingstone’s of Africa.

I have one friend who has dreamed of going to the hardest place on the face of the earth I know. He has dreamed of it for about 15 years. He now has the opportunity to go there… with his young family. I can’t even imagine the incredible risk this man is willing to take, and his family is fully passionate and committed to this task.

THIS is a man (and family) I will support with all I can over his lifetime. He’s not going to make a video and then get out. He’s not riding his bike across America to raise money (about 1/3 of which might actually get to the place of designation). He is laying it on the line. He is passionate and he is fully aware. Knowledge on fire.

These are the David Livingstone’s we need.