How old do you think you need to be to join the fight against human sex trafficking? Should there be specific age to get involved?
Sex trafficking is often called modern day slavery. Girls in the trade are called prisoners or captives. Isaiah 61:1-2 says,
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn”
Nowhere in Isaiah 61 does the Lord set an age limit for those who preach Good News, bind the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom or release prisoners. It is a call to all believers, even the very young. As one friend of mine likes to put it,
There is no junior Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in all believers.
Now for obvious reasons, many organizations that combat trafficking have age requirements for specific volunteer positions and staff positions, but there are many other ways people of all ages can join the fight. How, you ask?
- Just this week, I sent a private Facebook message to a dozen of my daughter’s friends asking
for their help. One of the safe houses I volunteer at is in need of clothing for the girls who are rescued from the trade. They don’t just need clothes, they need cute, stylish clothes. They have loads and loads of grandma clothes, but very few things the young ladies would want to wear. Within hours I had commitments from almost all of the girls to help out. In less than 24 hours I had bags of clothes outside my garage door and that was just from one young lady. Their generation is ready, able and willing to join the fight. - Yesterday afternoon I met with a senior from a local high school who is required to do a
senior project. She wants to use this opportunity to raise awareness of trafficking in her area. She will have to do a paper, a presentation, and develop a product to complete her project. This will not only be presented to a panel of judges, made up of community leaders, but her classmates will hear about her project. At 17, she has become a modern day abolitionist. - I read of an elementary school student who learned about modern day slavery. She wanted to get involved but wasn’t sure how she could. She eventually decided to do what she knew how to do for
the cause. She set up a lemonade stand and sold lemonade on Saturdays, telling her patrons the reason she was doing so, raising awareness. She also raised funds and gave them to a local organization fighting trafficking.
We can all do something to advance the fight against trafficking in our community. It may require a little creativity and ingenuity on our part, but it’s possible. This is a big issue. No one of us will eradicate on our own, but united, we can make a difference.
What are you going to do about it? How will you help fulfill the command of our Lord to set the captives free?
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