How Human Trafficking Burst My Bubble {A21}

I generally live under, what I call an ignorance-is-bliss policy. For this reason I avoid watching or reading the news and I only want to know enough about politics to make a decision about who I should vote for in the coming election. The reason for this "policy" is that the world is a pretty evil place and, in general, the news is just downright depressing. It would be one thing if I felt like I had the ability to actually do something about all the evil in the world, but in most cases I don't feel like there is much I can do to make bad people stop doing bad things. I feel like my contribution to making the world a better place is through the things I can do, like showing love and kindness towards those around me, and raising my children with strong morals and values, such that just by the existence of our family, the world will be a better place. I know there are flaws in this philosophy {no need to point them out to me...} but, until this past weekend, nothing has come along that has been worth busting the comfortable bubble I have been living in.

This past weekend Christine Caine spoke at Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC and burst my bubble. Christine is the founder of The A21 Campaign which seeks to abolish injustice in the 21st century by fighting against human trafficking. One of the most powerful things she said that spoke to me was "Humans are the only creatures created in the image of God, and yet, whales and trees have more rights than many humans" {paraphrased}. She challenged me by asking if we want to be part of the generation that allows more slavery to exist than at any other time in the record of human history!

Her message centered around the tale of Israel's history after their exodus from Egypt as recoded in Deuteronomy. Aside from how it applies to this specific cause, it is a powerful message that I highly suggest you watch or listen to {free via this link}. If you are not familiar with the story, after leaving bondage in Egypt, the Israelites turned what should have been an 11 day journey into 40 years of wandering the desert getting to the land God had promised them. She related their reluctance to possess the promised land to the reluctance of many Christians today to pay the price {living outside our comfortable little bubbles} and possess the life God has called us to. She challenged us all to ask ourselves, "What is holding me back?" and suggested that it could be sin or a weight {something not necessarily bad, but that is serving as a distraction}.

I feel like possibly my ignorance-is-bliss policy is holding me back from some way God may want to use me. The topic of human trafficking previously would have certainly fallen into the ignorance-is-bliss category.  After all, what can I really do about it? How can I stop people from oppressing other people? Particularly when so many slaves today are "invisible." But I can do something, and my conscience demands that I must!  For example...

When slaves are rescued they need rehabilitation including housing, food, and typically medical and psychological care. These things cost money and are not currently readily available in many places.

When slavery is discovered, slave owners and traffickers should be prosecuted for their crimes and so they cannot continue enslaving others. Prosecution costs a lot of money which is one of the {many} reasons why this crime so often goes unpunished. The victims of these crimes can't afford that.

And one thing that is completely free that could greatly impact the plight of those who are enslaved is simply awareness and education on the topic. Law enforcement and the general public are largely unaware of the magnitude of this problem and don't have the proper training to recognize and deal with the issue.

Currently I am working on educating myself on the topic by reading the book "The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today" and searching for information on websites like The A21 Campaign and Slavery Footprint. What I am learning is shocking and appalling. I am also praying about how God may want our family to get further involved with this cause that has literally consumed my thoughts and kept me up at night since my bubble was burst this weekend.

......................

Did you know...

There are 27 million slaves in the world today.

Human trafficking is the 2nd largest global organized crime in the world, 

generating $31.6 billion each year.

Only 1-2% of slaves are rescued. 

Only 1 in 100,000 traffickers are convicted.

I cannot live with this. What will I do about it? What will you?

......................

*For the record, when I do feel like my actions can change things for the better, I do feel the responsibility to do something, which is how our family ended up mostly vegan the last time I abandoned my ignorance-is-bliss policy. Our health and the impact of the money our family spends on groceries on the food industry is something I can influence {and so is this issue of human trafficking}.