As the senior editor at http://www.bluechowder.com/, I spend many hours each month looking for social causes that are making a REAL difference in the world. As we grow our site, we look for organizations, artists, athletes, or celebrities who aren't wasting their talents on themselves. Often, content is scarce and I am given the opportunity to make my own. This week we are teaming up with a great cause and artist to raise support for children who are daily being sold in to sex slavery.
After spending some time on http://www.love146.org/, I got emotionally attached to this assignment in a way that I haven't yet experienced at my job. I remember in college, the second semester of my senior year taking a class that looked in to the less known types of ministries in our communities. Different nonprofits would come in and tell how many hundreds of homeless teens their are within a 20 mile radius, how many aborted babies' mothers are seeking counseling for the emotional trauma of their now regretted decision, how many grown men in prison break down in tears and express a more authentic repentance than I could ever hope to mature to, and the list goes on. I would often leave class in tears to go sit and silently absorb how real the pain must be in those people's lives. After watching the videos and reading the stats, I find myself in a similar position with this topic. What must it be like to be an 8 year old girl getting raped multiple times a day? I mean, how do we even begin to empathize or become a vehicle of change?
While living in Bend, Oregon, I read a book called "Sold". It is an explicit account of one girl's story as she journeys from innocent farm-girl to scared and confused sex slave. That book was heart shaking and continues to be one of my favorite "mess you up" books. As I was then, I am again at a loss for words (and action) as to how to respond to such evil in the world. I guess I can start by committing one silly little blog post to the subject. Someday, I'd like to ransack a brothel, crack the faces of the pimps with my fists, bust through each door and throw the perverts out the windows. But for now, I'll post a video, an article, and bring some awareness to those who are taking a more civilized and fruitful approach to combating this evil in the world.To watch the video, read an article, and (dare you) engage in dialogue, click HERE.
3 comments:
We watched a movie recently called "Taken" which is actually about this very subject. Although the movie is an action and a ton of violence in it, it has a very strong message and shows us what this industry around the world is like. I realize it is Hollywood, but this movie really struck Heather and I at how real and absolutely awful people can be. It is unreal! I just can't imagine what possesses people to treat other humans like a pile of bones and skin. Actually, they have to be possessed as I think about it. It makes me wander what happens right here in the ultra-suburbia of KC which is Johnson County? Anyways, you might consider seeing "Taken" if you want some real visuals. The movie really is quite clean, if a movie on this subject could be clean I guess.
Seth Stimson
I want to throw up. I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to hit something. My little emotions from watching something so evil...I am sure these are the every minute emotions of these precious babies. Jonathan - WHAT CAN I DO?? I can't sit here after watching that and do nothing. WHERE CAN I GO TO HELP? I can't not use the abilities God has given me with this on my mind. I AM READY...SEND ME!!!
This is really horrible evil. Some things are grey, but this one is as black and white as it gets. Here is some more info that may give you a glimmer of hope about how the Church is reacting to this:
- www.freedom-summit.org (this is at our church; if you need a place to stay, you know who to ask!)
- www.ijm.org/ourwork/injusticetoday (IJM does great work and I've heard founder Gary Haugen speak a few times)
- www.callandresponse.com (our youth pastor's cousin was instrumental in creating this film)
Thanks for your passion and reminder to love the 'least'.
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