We are just five months into this year, and I have already been hearing one word from God loud and clear: FREEDOM. This year, I have seen chains breaking all around me. I am coming out of a season of life that was full of difficulties and pain as well as lessons and evidence of His sovereignty. God has led me back to a passion He instilled in me at a young age: fighting for the freedom of those still wrapped in the bonds of slavery. Let me provide some backstory on this passion of mine.
Is there a moment in your life that was so disturbing that you tried to forget only to have it stubbornly stick to your memory? On April 29, 2006 Shauna Newell, a 17-year-old girl, was invited by a new school friend to come hang out at her dad’s house. Once she got there, she was offered a water bottle and after drinking it, she blacked out. When she woke up, she was in a pool of her own vomit with random men on top of her. For days, she was in and out of consciousness being repeatedly raped. Thankfully, she was rescued four days later after being left in a parking lot. She had to be Life Flighted to a hospital due to all the drugs in her system.
This was an article my mom gave me when I was in middle school because she wanted me to be aware of my surroundings and understand the danger out there. I actually threw away this article because it scared me so badly. I wanted nothing to do with it. Flash forward a couple of years to my sophomore year in high school, I was required to create a service project. The issue of human trafficking kept coming into my mind and I ended up co-founding a project called A Sister’s Embrace. Our mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking in our communities. Through this project, I became aware of the horrifying statistics surrounding this topic. The information shocked me and spurred me to inform others of this horrible blight on our society.
The sad truth is that there are more people enslaved today than ever before. Human trafficking is a billion-dollar industry infecting every corner of the globe. One reason this industry is becoming more attractive than drug trafficking is that drugs can only be sold once, whereas humans can be resold, increasing the potential for higher profits (I am Jane Doe Film). Sex trafficking is defined as the “the recruiting, transporting, or soliciting of an individual through the means of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of commercial sex” (National Human Trafficking Hotline). The average age of a child entering sex trafficking is 12 years old. That is the age where most of us are beginning to figure out who we are and who we want to become, yet many children lose the opportunity to explore the freedom to do so.
Isaiah 61:1 says “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
In light of this verse, how do we bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release prisoners from the darkness?
I have felt a strong calling to step up and say no to the face of pure evil. We are called as followers of Jesus to love each other. I have been reading a book by Bob Goff called Love Does and the idea behind this book is that love is more than a feeling and more than just talking. Love takes action and love does. Love does crazy things that may seem impossible, love crosses boundaries, and love reaches out to those who seem unlovable.
1 John 3:16-18 says “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth.”
We can bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release prisoners from the darkness by taking action. We do this by showing that love does:
1. Everyone has a place in being the answer to the crisis that is human trafficking.
2. We all have talents and we can bring the conversation of human trafficking into our own areas of expertise.
3. Be mindful how we talk about human trafficking. Stop referring to victims as prostitutes.
4. Do not be afraid of talking about the problem. Fear gives evil power over the good we bring to the table.
5. 10.10.10. Take Action Campaign: What can I do in 10 minutes, 10 days, 10 months to fight trafficking?
10 minutes: Enter the National Human Trafficking Hotline number in your phone (888-3737-888). This way, if you were to see something suspicious, you will have a direct way to ask for help.
10 days: Read articles or journals, talk to people about this topic, share online videos and articles.
10 months: Attend a conference or seminar, volunteer with existing anti-trafficking organizations, hold an event to raise awareness, watch a documentary (suggestions listed below).
6. Do NOT underestimate the power of prayer. Pray for the victims, the survivors, and even the traffickers. Perpetrators too need God’s grace and power.
During mid-October 2016, I participated in an event called Walk for Freedom in Pensacola. This is an international event that takes place every year where abolitionists rally to stand up against slavery. After the walk had taken place, we heard a survivor share her story.Something she said that stood out to me was, “I will be heard today, tomorrow, and every day for the rest of my life.” Do you know who this survivor was? It was Shauna Newell from the article my mother had given me so many years back. By sharing this information, I am determined to help Shauna and the millions of other victims be heard.
I want to leave you with a thought:
We do not get to choose the lives we live but we get to choose the paths we take. What path will you take?
Documentary Suggestions:
I am Jane Doe - Netflix
Nefarious: Merchant of Lost Souls http://nefariousdocumentary.com/the-films/nefarious-i/