1.21.2013

How I'm Fighting Slavery

Writing has been sparse lately.

Our church's women's retreat is next month. I help coordinate this event and it is a part of my job that I love so dearly, but the closer the event gets the less downtime I have. 

Today I find my heart very full. January is human trafficking awareness month. This subject has been weighing on me for some time, and even more so in the past few weeks. 

It's one of those issues, you know, that can feel so... overwhelming. The statistics and the facts and the hopelessness piles up until you could almost drown in it. 

And at the same time, it's so easy to forget in our culture. This, I think, is more unsettling for me. That I could so easily forget that there are millions of people - 27 million, roughly - in this world who don't have any say in how their bodies are used. 

There are people though, men and women, who are astoundingly brave and fighting on the front lines, so to speak, for these millions of people. I've spoke to God a lot about them. Prayed for them. 

I know that I'm not called to approach this evil in the same manner, during this time & this season, at least. (Who knows what the future brings?) 

I also know that oppression - any kind of oppression: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual - does not sit well with me. It fills me with, maybe, the same kind of anger that I see in Jesus when He clears the temple. Or the same frustration He expresses when the Pharisees place the Sabbath rules over the restoration & healing of a human being. 

And my heart wonders, What can a stay-at-home-mom and part-time college ministry staff do to help? 

First, I'm taking steps to figure out what material goods I'm using that are some of the biggest problem areas. If I understand correctly (and I'm so very far from being well-educated in this area) things like coffee & chocolate can be suspect. Make up, electronics, & clothes too.  

Second, I'm seeing if there's an alternate source for products that, to the best of my knowledge, come from businesses that practice fair & ethical employment. 

Third, and this is a tough one for me, if there's no alternative that I can currently afford, I ask myself if I really need {insert material good here}. 

Example, you ask? I'll take make up. When I realized make up might be a bigger area, I thought, "You know... make up is probably something I could quit spending money on until I take the time to do a little research." 

I was thinking about this when all of a sudden this cosmetic company was brought to my attention by both of my sisters. I especially like that they donate a minimum of 20% of their profits to aid in the fight against human trafficking. Brilliant! So right now, I've started the process of replacing my make up. 

I'm just at the beginning of all this. Spend ten minutes doing Google searches and you can become a basket-case of guilt if you're not careful. But ten minutes on Google can also lead you to some amazing companies that place people before profits.

To be honest, I am nervous about where digging into this might take me, but my heart really hasn't been able to rest since learning more about this. This is not one of those issues where ignorance will equal bliss. Ignorance, I believe, will only lead to suffering.

I cannot save the world or all the people in it, but I can love as Christ did.

And right now, at this present time, I believe what that looks like is being a responsible consumer of material goods. 

I will try to keep things updated on the blog about resources and research and whatnot. Below I listed some websites that I've found to be useful so far:

Made in a Free World :: I'd go hear first. They have a survey you can take that will detail your slavery footprint. 

International Justice Mission :: So much information! 

The A21 Campaign  :: If you want to know more about the sex-slave trade, specifically. 

End It Movement :: Heard about this through the Passion Conference website. 


5 comments:

  1. Many of my friends went to the Passion Conference this year and got involved with the End It Movement! I enjoyed your post :)

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    1. Thanks, Blair! Can't wait to see you this weekend. (Even if it is only over a video chat.) :)

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  2. Thanks for these words! I have been really fueled in the fight for ending slavery lately. Hope you don't mind, but I shared your post on my blog! Please feel free to check out some of the resources I have as well- www.smileebailee.tumblr.com. Hope that doesn't seem like a marketing jab or anything. Its definitely been easy to get overwhelmed with how much hurt there is in the world, especially in this area. But also so encouraging to know there are (at the very least) dozens of organizations in the fight.

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    1. Thanks! No marketing jab at all.:)

      It IS so encouraging to see how many people are fighting to end it! Sometimes I have to remind myself of that. :)

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  3. Love 146 is another great organization! We have tried to support them in their efforts to help trafficking victims and raise awareness.

    http://love146.org/

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