Roman 12:1-2

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-2

Monday, July 8, 2013

Freedom

We just spent a weekend remembering and celebrating our freedom as Americans. We ate BBQ and too much cake. We put our hands on our hearts as the flag passed during the parade. We oohed and aahed at the colorful fireworks.

We are free to express our gratitude.

We are free to express our displeasure.

And we are all aware that some people do not have this freedom. Many do not. But I do not want to talk about people under oppressive governments. 

I want to make you aware of the many -- far too many -- millions of children and young adults who are caught in the web of human trafficking. 

I was surprised to see, on http://www.justiceforyouth.org, that the countries of destination -- the place where these children are sent -- includes the United States. The country that celebrates freedom perpetuates this evil. (Yes, that's some strong language, but I'm not backing down.) Statistics show that 21 million people are enslaved worldwide. That is more people than at any other time in history. In the U.S. girls as young as 12 are forced or coerced into prostitution. Many of these girls -- and boys, too -- are runaways. They have run from a bad situation and get caught up in a worse one.

But there are a growing number of groups that are fighting human trafficking, around the world and here at home. One of these is Abolition International. http://abolitioninternational.org I appreciate this ministry's work because they not only fight for freedom but provide aftercare for the survivors. 

There is HOPE and HEALING available through the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Psalm 27:10 says, Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

God promises restoration; in Jeremiah 31:13 He is talking about the sinful Israelites and how He will bring them back. But I believe it is a promise for these children as well:

Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
    I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.


Please take some time to read about the work of Abolition International, and other organizations like it:

International Justice Mission: http://www.ijm.org/
Women's Resource Center: http://www.wrcnepa.org/ (This one is in Northeast PA, but they have many offices.)
Truth For Women: http://truthforwomencenter.org

Let's work as hard to abolish this slavery as our ancestors worked to abolish African slavery a century and a half ago.

2 comments:

  1. The freedom we need to be most concerned about is freedom from sin (as Jesus said in Jn. 8:31-36). Political freedom easily includes freedom to sin. Jesus' freedom includes the power of his Spirit, so that we reach out with his kind of love to those who are enslaved.

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    1. Thank you for your comment. I think what you are saying is that freedom will come when the people who perpetuate this slavery come to know the Lord. I agree. I believe there can be forgiveness and a change of heart and behavior. Those people desperately need to hear the Gospel. However, the focus of this particular post was for the freedom that Christ gives to those who are sinned against. With this kind of abuse, the after effects can go on for years, and only through the love and restoration of Jesus Christ can these children and women find peace and freedom. Please forgive me if I was unclear. Again, thank you for your comment! God bless!

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