Psalm 72:1-2, 4, 12-14

 ¹ Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
      and righteousness to the king’s son.
 ² Help him judge your people in the right way;
      let the poor always be treated fairly.
 ⁴ Help him to defend the poor,
      to rescue the children of the needy,
      and to crush their oppressors. 
 ¹² He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
      he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
 ¹³ He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
      and he will rescue them.
 ¹⁴ He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
      for their lives are precious to him.

Tomorrow (January 11) is Global Human Trafficking Awareness Day. A few years ago, I didn't realize that going on all around me--in America and around the world--there are millions of men, women, and children in slavery. Now, several books and movies and articles and conferences later, I'm all too aware of this injustice. Do you know about it?  


I'm probably going to flood my twitter and facebook with updates tomorrow because I'm very passionate about raising awareness on this issue.  I also want to be involved in the fight to end slavery as much as possible; however, along the way I'm going to be very outspoken about it so that others will learn about this tragedy and be moved into action like I was.  

In all honesty, I'm not surprised how many people don't know that men in their state are forced into slave labor, women in every country are seduced into the sex industry, and children of all ages and genders are daily abused by pimps, family members, and brothel owners.  It's easy to not open up your eyes or ears to this information because of the heartache that ultimately follows.  But, somewhat unfortunately, I don't know the verse in the bible that says life should be sheltered and wrong should be ignored.  I only know the verses like those I included above that say God loves justice and wants us to defend and rescue the poor and needy.  The bible says God restores and redeems, and I know He wants me to help with this fight.  

I don't know that I will see an end to slavery and human trafficking in my lifetime, although that is my prayer.  But I don't want the vastness of the issue to defeat me.  I'm supremely confident that my God is bigger and stronger than the evil that feeds injustices, and His side is the side that will win in the end. 


For more information from other organizations, check out the page above.  Or follow my "Anti Human Trafficking" list on Twitter.