Life: in the Abnormal

Is caring about the needy abnormal?

No, seriously.  Is caring for the people who need us abnormal, in this modern, fast-paced world that we've all been pushed into—though, admittedly, at our own will.  Has being concerned for other people been put so low on our list that we prefer not to be bothered by them?  When I bring up this subject, I get the "usual"—homeless people are simply looking for free handouts, for money to buy their drugs, or that slaves aren't the norm for our society, that there simply can't be enough of them to make any real difference.  But let me assure you, there are enough needy people—homeless, widows, orphans, impoverished, that it makes a difference, to do even one act of kindness.  When you really open your eyes to the world's needs, you don't merely see people walking their dog down the street, or a group of teenagers hanging out in the mall.  You see needy people, destitute people, mourning people, hurting people... people who need the message of hope and love and true life that you own.  So caring for the needy in our society seems to be pretty strange, but caring for the un-needy?  Even stranger! 

So what do we do about our lack of caring, our lack of true, untainted love?  We drive carelessly past a homeless man on the street, and within minutes forget about him altogether—if we really saw him at all.  We get magazines about "giving a gift that can change a life," and instead of checking out the website and spending a few of our preciously wasted minutes looking at how to buy a cow for a family in Africa, the magazine ends up in the trash can.  Yes, we changed a life.  We added to the huge feeling of hopelessness that some kid who's dying of hunger is facing.  It's not exactly the type of change we want to make, is it?

And yet, this is the "season of giving."  If not now, why not never?  Look around you right now.  More than likely, you are surrounded by many material things, good things, comfortable things.  Things that may have cost you a lot of money, but you really don't need them to survive.  And yet, with all this... this stuff, we can't save the life of an impoverished child.  We can't support a ministry that's trying to bring kids out of slavery.  We can't even give a couple dollars and five minutes to get a burger for the guy standing on the corner, holding a cardboard sign.  So I ask again:

Is caring about the needy abnormal?

Slavery: An Overview

Today I want to talk a bit about slavery—a topic of conversation I've been well-known for!  Some of you may not know this, but slavery exists in nearly every continent and in all countries.  There are twenty-seven million slaves throughout the world, half of which are children.  To warm you up to the subject a bit, I wanted to share this quote from Zach Hunter, a teenage abolitionist, in his book, Be the Change.

"You may be wondering how people become slaves.  Many think it all starts with a dramatic kidnapping, but that is rarely the case.  Usually, it has to do with money, or lack of it.  Sometimes a family allows a child to go with a trusted family friend who promises a good job to help meet the family’s needs.  The child soon discovers this “friend” has sold them into slavery.  Or, in some instances, a desperate parent will sell their child into slavery.  Often the parents are misled to believe their child will have better living conditions and maybe an opportunity for a better education.  Instead, the child becomes a slave."

Here are some facts that I've uncovered about modern day slavery:

1. The term “slave” means a person under the threat of violence and unable to walk away.
2. Slaves live on every continent, and in most countries.
3. There are 27 million slaves in the world today- that’s more than all 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade, put together.
4. It is an estimated 2 million children are trapped in forced prostitution.
5. The trafficking of humans the third most profitable underground trade, Illegal drugs and weapons.
6. There are at least fourteen thousand, five hundred slaves trafficked into the United States every year.
7. Six hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand people are trafficked each year.
8. Approximately two children are sold every minute.
9. Up to seven thousand Nepalese girls are sold each year, mostly to brothels.
10. In Haiti, one in every ten children are slaves.
     

Slavery erases confidence and any thought of freedom.  It also erases the dreams and hopes of many people, both young and old.  It destroys whole families, and even whole cities.  Can something this terrible be ended?  If enough people think that it can be stopped and make it their goal to stop it, I really think it can.  Ending slavery is a large task but with God, all things are possible.  We need to act though; we can’t just sit and wait for God to change things. We need to be willing to get out and be His hands and feet in the world.  One of the most important things we can do is pray.  We should be praying for the people all over the world who are enslaved in so many ways.  Children in carpet industries, girls in brothels, families in brick yards– pray for them all.  This is the most important things that can be done.  Just by praying, we could be changing 27 million people’s way of life– that’s how powerful prayer can be!  Please take a few minutes today to sit down and pray for slaves all over the world!