31 Days to Becoming an Abolitionist {Day Four} Understanding More

Welcome to day four!  One of the wonderful side affects about committing to this 31 day series is that it has really made me think about what it means to be an abolitionist and the journey I am taking.  I think about it off and on all day in preparation for what I'm going to write about.  It's also made me reflect on how blessed I am to have been given the life that I have.

I was going to wait for a future post to list all the non-fiction books I've read that have something to learn about human trafficking and slavery.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find a single title as I looked through my journals.  So, I thought I would go ahead and post about the only two books I could remember and why they had an impact on me.  These are both written by Christian authors.

The first is Blood Ransom by Lisa Davis.

This book is set in the African Republic of Dhambizao.  The main characters are two Americans working in the health field in Africa and Joseph Komboli, a 15 year old that witnesses his village being raided and his family being taken to work as slaves.  I loved this book because I was completely ignorant of the mineral industry in Africa and the slaves that are abducted and forced to work in the mines.  The author discusses this industry in detail - it was really eye-opening for me.  This book gave me an understanding of the hopelessness felt by people that are largely invisible to the rest of the world, and the urgency and necessity of the world to see them.  I needed to remember that even if we can't see them, that doesn't mean they don't exist.  Although there was a little romance (sorry - I'm anti-romance novel) there was a lot of suspense and intrigue and it all came together to be an action packed read with a great opportunity to gain perspective and insight into a world I know very little about.  

The second novel is The Lights of Tenth Street by Shaunti Feldhahn

Let me say upfront, that no one is actually trafficked in this book.

The Lights of Tenth Street creates a realistic world where strippers slowly become prostitutes, christians deal with sex addiction, and traffickers pose as respected businessmen.  I loved this book because it allows us to remember that as we work to abolish slavery in the US and in the world, we are all human and we are all one choice away from being on a very different path.  The church must step up and be a welcoming community for the sexually exploited and a place of healing for the sexual brokenness that is  feeding the demand for the exploited. We cannot abolish slavery in the commercial sex industry if we don't deal with the demand.  I really gained valuable insight into this side of the problem through the storytelling.   

This story is set in Atlanta, GA.  And although the strippers in this case are not being forced,  change.org states that approximately 500 girls are trafficked in Georgia each month servicing 7,200 men.  The average age is 14 with some as young as 9.  This story could very easily be about any one of those children.  

Trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today.  Drug dealing is currently the first, but trafficking is the fastest growing.  This book illustrates the criminal element organized to deal in these industries.  Statistics have shown traffickers are normally involved in all three industries and are extremely organized.  The organized criminals in this book could be seen as well respected business men - it helped to reframe the way I see the perpetrator and reminded me that the perpetrators are somebody's father, mother, neighbor, brother, and best friend. They don't walk around in face masks with heavy russian accents.

From a spiritual perspective, Ms. Feldhahn allows us to sit front row as the Lord's angels take direction and fight the demons; there are also numerous suspenseful moments where we are reminded  that prayer is our most valuable weapon.  She also uses the story to make the judgmental-self righteousness some christians practice very transparent.  I've not lived a sheltered religious life, and this book made me question how I would behave if I had been present in some of the church scenes.  Would I accept without condition?  If a stripper came to my church would I welcome her with respect and love?  If a person that unknowingly (or knowingly) purchased images of a forced minor came to my church looking for healing and Jesus' love, would I welcome him or her with open arms?

I believe an abolitionist must work to free all slaves with total compassion and love; this is not a one-step one-size fits all process.  These books help me  frame important questions about what it means to be an abolitionist in the real world - questions I didn't even know I should ask.  They help me understand judgements I didn't even know i had made and lies I might believe surrounding this topic - If I don't understand these things and work to correct them, I could end up adding to the pain a person forced into slavery is already experiencing.  Thank God he's walking with me through this!

Day Five: mtvU's Against Our Will Campaign

Day Six: Sharing the Truth
Day Seven: Reporting Trafficking