A story published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution(AJC), Tuesday, December 27, 2011 was about adolescent prostitution. Why the AJC wrote about this subject is that Atlanta is considered one of the world's largest exploitation center for human trafficking. Why? "Some of the adolescents are brought from South America, Mexico, Bosnia, and Southeast Asia to either work the streets or in massage parlors and strip clubs. But human trafficking is also a world-wide problem. As reported by Gracie Bonds Staples of the AJC, "600,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year, 80 percent women and girls. Up to 50 percent are minors. In the US, an estimated 18,000 human beings are trafficked annually."
Gracie Bonds Staples also goes on to say that, "the US spends more in a day on drug trafficking than spent in a year on human trafficking."
"The victims are generally poor, have been sexually abused and feel trapped and alone. And have little recourse."
As Christians, we should be scarred of this problem because the numbers are continuing to grow. With the Internet at every one's disposal, it's like putting Miracle-Gro on a plant. But the fear is not in the growth so much as if our churches were more like sanctuaries "for those that are weary" than salt-shakers trying to get larger. These kids would feel like they have somewhere to go. But helping those that are already affected is not acting like "more than conquerors." We need to understand why this is happening and turn this problem around.
The world's answer to this problem is to raise awareness of this issue so they can raise funds in order to make policies. But we as Christians know that no amount of money or amount of policies will stop this or any other problem in this world. Christians know that to stop this problem, we must allow Jesus to change the heart. But are our congregations today prepared for helping in a such a problem as this? The average member is not. Would you be ready to open your home to one such as this?
To feed, clothe, and give shelter to an adolescent such as this is just the start. We need to give them a balanced family life with school and chores; giving them at least a part of their childhood back. If they are older, we must try to find them jobs and work and teaching them the family values that they never had the privilege to learn. And doing all this in Jesus' name.
The fear, you see, in Christians is not the problems of the world, but that we have never truly constructed our churches and their members to be "fixers." Can we talk about how we can change our churches' people from being members to disciples so that when the world creates a problem, the Church will be the one the world looks upon to put out that fire, instead of seeing the Church as just an on-looker?
Matt Gwinn
Gracie Bonds Staples also goes on to say that, "the US spends more in a day on drug trafficking than spent in a year on human trafficking."
"The victims are generally poor, have been sexually abused and feel trapped and alone. And have little recourse."
As Christians, we should be scarred of this problem because the numbers are continuing to grow. With the Internet at every one's disposal, it's like putting Miracle-Gro on a plant. But the fear is not in the growth so much as if our churches were more like sanctuaries "for those that are weary" than salt-shakers trying to get larger. These kids would feel like they have somewhere to go. But helping those that are already affected is not acting like "more than conquerors." We need to understand why this is happening and turn this problem around.
The world's answer to this problem is to raise awareness of this issue so they can raise funds in order to make policies. But we as Christians know that no amount of money or amount of policies will stop this or any other problem in this world. Christians know that to stop this problem, we must allow Jesus to change the heart. But are our congregations today prepared for helping in a such a problem as this? The average member is not. Would you be ready to open your home to one such as this?
To feed, clothe, and give shelter to an adolescent such as this is just the start. We need to give them a balanced family life with school and chores; giving them at least a part of their childhood back. If they are older, we must try to find them jobs and work and teaching them the family values that they never had the privilege to learn. And doing all this in Jesus' name.
The fear, you see, in Christians is not the problems of the world, but that we have never truly constructed our churches and their members to be "fixers." Can we talk about how we can change our churches' people from being members to disciples so that when the world creates a problem, the Church will be the one the world looks upon to put out that fire, instead of seeing the Church as just an on-looker?
Matt Gwinn
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