Labor Trafficking

When I worked in vocational ministry over a decade ago,

One of my areas of focus was human exploitation.

My job was to teach people about the subject and

To equip church members and organizational leaders from across the state to do the same.

During those years, I was very mindful of

How my actions affected the environment (land exploitation),

How media was using its power to influence society (media exploitation), and

How products were harvested, made, distributed, or sourced (labor trafficking).

I was involved in boycotts and petition campaigns and

I had my own compost bin in the backyard of the apartment that I was renting.

While years have passed and my mindfulness has faded a bit,

The lessons I learned during those years are still with me.

When I can, I still do my part,

And I when I can’t, I feel guilty…

 

Which leads me to the guilt I recently felt when I realized that a company I had purchased from most likely uses child labor and is involved in questionable ethical practices.

 

I didn’t know.

If I had known, then I would have steered clear of the deals that sucked me in.

And boy did they suck me in!

After I’d ordered so many things—

For myself, for friends, for school, for home—

And spent way more money than I should

On deals that seemed too good to be true,

A friend said,

“If it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.”

 

That statement both humbled me and brought me back to reality.

 

I should have known.

I should have known that such deals come at a price—

And the price is human lives.

It is forcing underage children to work in sweatshops.

It is not paying workers a fair wage for working in unsafe, inhumane conditions.

It is promising workers one thing but not living into that promise.

It is taking immigration documents and holding persons hostage.

It is labor trafficking.

 

God: Help us to be mindful of the things we purchase and the ways our actions affect people we will never meet. We are all part of a broken system much bigger than ourselves. Help us, however small and insignificant we may feel, to do our part to heal it. Amen.

Helpless Or Not

I intercepted some drawings today that are not fit for the Internet. They were drawn by two 4th grade boys who have evidently been exposed to sexual matters far beyond their age. It’s sad really—the nature of the drawings and the reality of just how young our children are sexualized in today’s culture. Even commercials are highly sexualized…but these drawings were beyond even what has come to be considered the norm :-\.

I remember the story of a youth minister who was exposed to his first sexual images at a sleepover in the 2nd grade…and from that point forward, he was addicted. His addiction eventually cost him tens of thousands of dollars, various jobs, and his marriage…and it all started in 2nd grade.

It makes me sad. Profoundly sad. And, if I’m honest, it leaves me feeling somewhat helpless…

Meanwhile, I was gifted another drawing by a 4th grade girl who used her time to create a message of empowerment. She drew herself singing the song that we were singing (“Waving Flag”), wearing a black lives matter shirt.

I was happy to see her drawing. I was happy to see that she had chosen to write out song lyrics. She could have chosen a lot of other things, but she chose the words that I was trying to instill in them.

I guess maybe I’m not helpless after all.

God…when the darkness of this world seems too dark to overcome, help us see your light in the many ways that it is shining. In the name of the One who overcomes darkness I pray…Amen.

Good Stewards Of The Earth

During my three years of vocational ministry, I spent many hours learning and teaching about human exploitation. While human trafficking immediately comes to most people’s minds when they hear the phrase “human exploitation,” I always think of another, less obvious form of human exploitation: exploitation of natural resources.

Exploitation of natural resources is both the misuse and abuse of God’s abundant creation which has been entrusted to us, and the disrespect of our neighbors—those present, those to come, and those around the world. As we disregard the earth and our role as stewards of God’s creation, we create an unequal burden on those who are most vulnerable in this lifetime and on all those who are to come.

If we believe that, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1 KJV); and

If we believe that we are to do everything “for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31); and

If we believe that our lives are to be living “sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,” for “this is our true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1); and

If we believe that we are truly to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:29); and

If we believe that God created man and woman and commissioned humankind to take care of the earth and to care for and respect each other (Genesis 1 and 2); and

If we believe that God created God’s creation and called it good (Genesis 1)…

Then we must live, breathe, and demonstrate the understanding that we are an interdependent people: human to God, human to human, and human to natural resources.

Yes. God is Sovereign. Yes. God has ultimate power over God’s creation. But I just can’t believe that God controls this world as a puppeteer controls his puppets. Instead, I believe, God asks us to play a part in taking care of God’s creation—in living our lives in such a way that our lives and actions are worthy of the goodness of the God who created us and called us good—and in such ways that we will leave the world a better place than we found it for future generations—in such ways that this earth will be redeemed through the redemption of Jesus Christ—the same Christ of whom so many Christians profess to be the hands and feet.

We can pretend that global warming isn’t real. We can pretend that our excess production of trash for our own convenience has no impact on earth. We can pretend that using up fossil fuels and cutting down trees and bringing animals to extinction is all part of God’s plan for humans to dominate earth. But what if global warming is real? What if our excess production of trash is negatively affecting persons and nations who are already poor and lack resources to respond? What if God weeps over the way we are consuming God’s beautiful creation out of a greed for more?

We have got to do better. I have got to do better. God, forgive us, and help us to do better. Please. Amen.

End It: Shed Light On Modern Day Slavery

One of my most vivid memories is of an experience that I had on a women’s retreat in Charleston, SC. Late one night, as I walked through the large yard separating the house from the beach, I looked to the sky and located the big dipper. Almost immediately, I started singing “Follow The Drinking Gourd,” imagining myself as a slave running for freedom, walking under the cover of night, having little more to guide me than a constellation in the sky. I quickly determined that I would have been caught.

I have been teaching “Follow The Drinking Gourd” for many years. It’s one of the units that my students enjoy the most, and this year has been no different. Between an excellent Reading Rainbow video about the song, the real gourds that one of my coworkers gave me, the textbooks, and a super interactive game by National Geographic, I have been able to present information that has truly fascinated and resonated with many of my students.

Since taking some time away from the classroom and working heavily on educating about and fighting against human exploitation, I have found myself fighting back tears more than once when students have breathed a sigh of relief that slavery is no longer legal—or when they’ve asked if slavery still exists and I’ve had to lie to them—or at least highly edit the truth…

…Because the truth is that slavery is still very much alive in this world—this country not excluded.
The truth is that hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children are held against their will, used, beaten, demeaned, destroyed, bought, and sold every day.
The truth is that slaves are brought to America not just from Africa but from destinations around the world.
The truth is that slaves are held in or sent out of America from households just around the corner.
The truth is that the clothes and shoes that we wear and the coffee and chocolate we eat and drink is likely produced by slaves.
The truth is that slaves are not just working in homes and fields but in restaurants, hotels, nail salons, and massage parlors in our own cities.
The truth is that some of my students are vulnerable to becoming slaves themselves—to being lured by the promise of money and a better life but landing instead in invisible chains nearly impossible to break.
The truth is that most of the sex workers that we often condemn and the persons seen in the pornography that many Christians secretly watch and that is creating addictions in children as young as 8-years-old are modern day slaves. Held against their will. Used. Beaten. Demeaned. Destroyed. Bought. Sold. Every day.

But I can’t tell my students that. My students are far too young to hear of these atrocities from their public school music teacher. So I tell them stories of the past and teach them songs of courage and hope and pray that they will grow to learn about and fight the slavery that indeed exists under the drinking gourd and beyond.

Living In The Real World Is Tough Business

For the better part of three years, I devoted my life to educating women and teenagers about issues of human exploitation. I studied facts concerning human trafficking, bullying, pornography, media exploitation, and land exploitation. I spoke. I wrote. I coordinated a statewide symposium, created an interactive prayer exhibit, and set up an informational booth at state and national meetings. I changed my habits, signed petitions, and attempted only to buy fair trade coffee and chocolate and to not use Styrofoam if at all possible. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand how people refused to become involved in fighting issues of human exploitation once they had been exposed to their realities…

Then I stopped working for WMU and everything changed.
The realities of human exploitation weren’t on my radar screen every day.
Only. They were. Just in different ways.
Most of them ways I cannot control.

Hospitals are bound by hygiene rules that require disposable products. My job at the hospital was to serve as a chaplain, not educate about human exploitation.

Mrs. Flora really likes paper towels and paper plates. My job is to spend time with her and help her shop, not try to change her ways.

Schools are underfunded and pushed for time. My job at the school is to teach music…although I suppose, in time, I could lobby for changes that encourage environmentally responsibility.

Additionally:

Coffee, creamer, sugar, non-sugar sweetener, hot chocolate, tea, chocolate, candy, and treats are expensive. Fair trade products are considerably more expensive. Teachers are underfunded, too.

Students watch a lot of TV and movies, play a lot of video games, and listen to a lot of music. As a result, many of them think that parents and teachers are buffoons, that being mean is funny, that they are entitled to whatever they want, and that using graphic language and having thoughts that include words such as “suck” and “balls” is perfectly normal. I teach elementary school. Detailed sex education, including the dangers of pornography, is not in our curriculum.

After work on Tuesday, I wrote both my former boss and assistant and said something like this: “Educating about human exploitation is a whole lot easier than living in it every day. Seeing it played out is really hard. And I feel so helpless in doing anything about it. Living in the real world is tough business.”

And it is.

I’m still doing what I can to fight exploitation. But providing mugs for coffee club and taking my own cup into McDonalds seems so small when I look outside and see kids throwing other kids on the ground and realize that they are watching unhealthy images that will forever stay in their minds. Yet I will continue to do what I can—not the least of which is pray—and I will ask you to do the same.

This is not theory anymore, friends. It’s not education. It is real life. And real life in the real world is tough business.

This Crazy Disease Called Hope

A couple of weeks ago, my parents and I stumbled upon a show on HGTV that actually interested all of us. We watched 7 episodes of “Rehab Addict” that day and saw an entire house renovation. We were fascinated.

Nicole Curtis, the host/designer/renovator of the show, rescues old houses from demolition. Her goal is to restore houses to their original glory, using original flooring, wood, and furniture whenever possible.

She is a dumpster diver. She is a trash-pile picker. She has no shame in the fact that every piece of furniture in her house was rescued from the side of the road or a dumpster. She refurbishes thrown-out tables, dressers, medicine cabinets, bookshelves, and workbenches. She saves old windows, doors, hardwood flooring, and lumber because she knows that most of them can be reused.

She tears down walls, busts up old concrete, pours new concrete, drives the back-hoe, works with landscaping, puts in piping. She does whatever needs to be done and asks a lot of questions along the way. She believes that every opportunity is a learning opportunity.

Nicole Curtis is a single mom. She is a hard-worker who turned her life around by doing odd jobs and taking risks. She is real and down to earth. She makes mistakes and laughs at them. She forgets to get her car oil changed and runs out of gas in her moped. She enjoys spending time with her parents and is proud of her mom for recently going on her first mission trip to Africa.

Tonight, after stumbling upon the show again, I watched as Nicole took old paint to a paint recycling place where they re-use every part of old paint buckets. This is par for the course for her. She likes to partner with organizations that share her values of hope and redemption.

Curious as to who Nicole Curtis is, I googled her. As part of my reading, I scrolled down her Facebook wall and realized that what she portrays on TV isn’t an act. It’s who she is. There is a picture of her weeping after an old house was destroyed by someone who just wanted something new. She did her best to save the house—to honor the past and the beauty that it carries—but demolition won in the end. During the process of trying to save the house, she wrote:

“I was told today that houses are just ‘sticks and mortar’ -and that I get too emotionally vested. My thought is that if we start to care about the ‘sticks and mortar’ and keeping our communities intact -isn't that teaching our children to respect the past and to open their eyes? We might have fancier electronics now, but trust me--we are still facing the same stresses that people did 100 years ago in these houses. Doubt me? Sit and chat with someone that is 90 years old :). Even if you believe me, sit and chat with someone who is 90-it's refreshing and enlightening. Happy Sunday.”

At another time, she also wrote:

“Today--I'm going back at it and it doesn't matter what I am doing: saving old homes,volunteering, playing mom or being an active neighbor. My goal is to spread this crazy disease called Hope that I have (the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best).

What I hope for today is the same as everyday: people to start caring again...

One step at a time...”

Did you read those words? Her hope is that people will start caring again—one step at a time. She hopes that we will sit down and talk with persons who are 90-years-old—persons who are often overlooked yet full of beauty and depth. Nicole Curtis believes in hope. She believes in redemption. And she lives those values in her work. I think it's obvious that I admire that.

I don’t know about you, but my faith is built on hope and redemption. It stands on transforming what’s broken into something that’s whole. It rests on God saving us from the trash-heap and making us into something new. It looks at life and sees possibility. It believes that we may be persecuted but that we are not abandoned.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:6-12

Life is at work within you, friend. Within us. Spreading this crazy disease called hope. One step at a time.

Fireflies

Summer 1997. Recreation field at camp. Full moon. Cloudy night. “If I wait long enough, then the clouds will eventually part and I’ll see the moon and it’ll be a wonderful life-parallel to how all murkiness in life will dissipate and God will be clearly seen.” Wait. Wait longer. Wait even longer. Clouds never break. Fireflies appear everywhere. Light pops up everywhere. Reminders of God surround me, in places I cannot predict.

May 20, 2013. Yard-scrap pile in my backyard. Sun setting. Cool evening. “If I keep pulling up this creeper then the plants and trees will be able to breathe again—just like we can breathe again when we work to get rid of the sin that separates us from the fullness of God.” Pull. Pull more. Pull even more. Get to a particularly stubborn root. Watch decaying debris and dirt ride into the air on said root that refuses to come out of the ground. Two fireflies glow. Hatching from larva buried in composting earth. Light shows up. A reminder of God surrounding me, in places I cannot predict.

“Fireflies, fireflies
Rays of hope, short feelings of peace
At the right time they come
To carry us through until the day we see the sun”

Wait and pray.
Wait and pray.
God is in our midst.
Wait and pray.
Show up.
Be present.
Hold to all that is.
Wait and pray.
Wait and pray.
God is in our midst.
Wait and pray.

God makes God’s presence known to us in big ways, yes. In moons and weed removal and miracles and more.

But God is with us in the ordinary, too—in all times and all places…in dirt and in fireflies.

May we each be willing to see that, sometimes, God reveals God’s presence in ways we least expect.

May we each see the literal and physical fireflies surrounding us today and in all the days to come.

Amen.

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Writer's Note: Also, due to light pollution and the rapid decline of naturally damp and wooded habitats, fireflies are disappearing. Please join me in making environmentally wise decisions and caring for God’s beautiful creation.

Beyond My Own Front Porch

This evening was cleaning night. Gigi was cluttered and dirty and crying to be cleaned. So I cleaned her.

But before I busted out the vacuum cleaner and Armor All, I washed the porch.

It was yellow.

A couple of weeks ago at Nana Camp, the boys and girl and I cracked open geodes. We put each unbroken geode in a sock to keep pieces from shattering into someone’s eyes or skin and then hammered the rocks until they cracked open. With deep excitement, we poured out the broken pieces of rock to see what was inside. Each geode opened differently. Some had thick outer walls. Some had thin. Some had white crystals. Some had black. Some were shiny. Some were dull. But they all were neat in their own ways. And the kids and I loved doing them.

As soon as we were finished, though, the kids and I abandoned the socks, hammers, and tiny left-over pieces of rock and came inside. I planned to clean the porch later.

Later was today. Socks, hammers, and tiny left-over pieces of rock all covered in pollen.

Chip, my across the street neighbor, was washing his porch when I walked outside to clean my car. That’s what inspired me to wash my porch.

I turned on the hose. Watched water cascade. Saw pollen flow off the hammers, left-over rock pieces, rocking chairs, and porch. And as I worked, I thought: “There are people around the world who don’t have clean water, yet I’m standing here using clean water to wash my porch.”

Then I prayed, “God forgive me when I take for granted the blessings that surround me. Forgive me when I waste and forgive me when I’m apathetic to issues of human exploitation. Help me use my blessings to help others and help me make a difference in cleaning up the world beyond my own front porch.”

Amen.

David And Goliath Have Spoken

I’m thankful that the words and stories of scripture are alive and active. I’m thankful that they speak to different persons in different times and different places depending on what thoughts, experiences, and emotions the reader is carrying within the context of the reader’s culture. I’m thankful that scripture can serve as testimonial points of reference on our faith journeys. I’m thankful that new points of reference can be placed and that stories that once didn’t resonate with my story do now.

Yesterday. A dear friend’s installation as the first female pastor in a congregation.

This season of life. Searching. Discerning. Learning to live authentically. Trying to honor past experience and unique giftedness instead of trying to act as other people think I should act or do what other people think I should do.

Just prior to this season of life. A three-year focus on issues of human exploitation, one of which was bullying.

In general. Understanding the power of words, especially words of blessing. Believing that each of us has worth and value. Knowing that wearing protective armor can weigh us down. Feeling the sting of not being believed in or given a chance because my ideas and beliefs are different than the norm.

Now insert the story of David and Goliath…

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of Goliath; I, your servant, will go and fight him.”

Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

But David said to Saul, “I, your servant, have been keeping my father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. I, your servant, have killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.
Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

What is this story saying to you in this time, in this America, in this societal and church climate today?

Those Dirty Words

Before “Project Help: Human Exploitation,” I wasn’t one to use the words sex, sexting, and pornography. Like the good Southern Baptist preacher’s kid that I am, I found those words taboo. They went with other dirty words like abuse, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, masturbation, and death—words that make most church-goers, and probably many of you, cringe. So I didn’t speak of them very often even though I knew full well what they were. But now I do speak of them. I say those dirty words in the same sentences as God, Jesus, love, creation, redemption, salvation, missions, and life...and I do not flinch.

Last night, for the first time, I closed “Project Help: Human Exploitation” overview with the clear declaration that we must talk about issues of sexuality and sexual ethic in our churches—that we must let our children and teens know that if they have questions about sex or if they have sex—especially if they are forced to have sex—then they can ask or tell us and not be disowned—that we must create a space for men and women who struggle with pornography to admit the struggle and begin to deal with it—that the longer we make issues of sexuality taboo, then the more powerful the “secrecy” of people’s lifestyles is going to become and the more we will exploit humanity through pornography, trafficking, prostitution, sexting, sexual abuse, media, and more. In many ways, sex and issues of sexuality are at the root of human exploitation, and until the church is able to talk openly about these issues rather than cringe at the dirtiness of the words, human exploitation will continue—albeit under the surface of many Christians fighting against it by attacking the symptoms rather than the disease.

After my presentation last night, an older woman came up to me to tell me that she had enjoyed the presentation. While I think it’s ironic to hear people say that have enjoyed a somewhat depressing and heavy presentation, I’m always grateful for the affirmation. This woman continued, though, with tears in her eyes, holding my hands in hers, “People from my generation grew up not talking about sex. It’s so hard. But I know now that we’ve got to talk about it with our children and grandchildren. Thank you.” I don’t remember what I said. I was so struck by her words and the sincere tears in her eyes that they are all I remember.

Oh people of God, we must stop running from dirty words and make them holy by bringing them into light! May each of us be so moved by a conviction of God’s spirit that we have the courage cry humble tears, face our fears, stretch beyond discomfort, and speak healthy truth. Amen.

Sometimes

Sometimes I want to cut on the lights in my office, but unless it’s stormy out or I’m here past dark then there’s really no need because of natural light. So I don’t. I haven’t since the Caring for Creation Conference a month ago. I figure that my sitting in natural light is one very simple way of reducing demand for electricity and standing in solidarity with those affected by mountain top removal.

Sometimes I want to go through the drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A and get food and a drink. I like Chick-Fil-A. I have for years. So I go. But I feel guilty receiving a Styrofoam cup and lots of packaging and not cutting of my car and walking inside to get my food.

Sometimes I want to use the dishwasher instead of hand-washing my dishes. So I do.

Sometimes I want to use the Styrofoam cups provided by a church or work place even though I know that I have a reusable cup in the car. But I don’t. I walk to my car and get my cup even if it’s not the cleanest in the world.

Sometimes I want to take a long, hot shower. So I do. But I try to justify by it by not taking a shower every night (don’t gasp—I really don’t get that dirty sitting at my desk every day). Ideally, I would not shower every night AND not take long showers when I do.

Sometimes I want to stop shaving my legs because of the amount of life-time trash produced by razors. But I don’t. Contrary to how it might seem, I actually enjoy the feeling of clean shaven legs and sometimes do care what people think when they see my unshaved legs.

Sometimes I want to adjust the heat or air in my apartment. But I don’t. I leave it at 68 in the winter and 72 in the summer…and I haven’t cut on the air yet.

Sometimes I want to call the National Trafficking Hotline when I drive by spas, gentlemen’s clubs, or truck stops where I have a hunch that trafficking victims are being held. But I don’t. I have no idea why. It’s a free, anonymous phone call.

Sometimes I want to roll down my window and talk with the homeless man or woman standing at a stop light or pick up a hitch-hiker from the side of the road. But I don’t. Stereotypes and horror stories have done their jobs of exploiting my fear and selfishing my kindness.

Sometimes I want to buy Hershey’s chocolate. But I don’t. Usually. Okay. So I do when/if it’s a gift and I haven’t planned ahead and located a Fair Trade alternative. Sorry Boss.

Sometimes I want to take a road trip to see friends and family members. So I do. Even though I know that I am using gas and contributing to carbon emissions. One day, I will get a hybrid.

Sometimes I want to speak up when persons or people groups are being bullied by religious or political organizations. But I don’t. Not often. I’m such a people pleaser that I don’t want to make anyone mad or risk a reprimand if my personal beliefs don’t align with organizational ones.

Sometimes I want to talk to my nephews about bullying and pornography. But I don’t. I don’t want to risk tempting them with the latter…although I know that they’ve most likely already been exposed because of the internet and the soft-porn in advertisements and on apps and that an addiction could have already began. It makes me sick to think about it.

Sometimes I want to sequester my niece (and nephews, too, actually) and make sure no one ever touches her inappropriately or manipulates or sweet-talks her into doing things she doesn’t want to do—cheating, drugs, sex, alcohol, illegal behavior, bullying. But I don’t. I know they can’t live in isolation.

Sometimes I want to watch movies or TV for hours and get lost in comedies and dramas beyond myself, even when they include violence, language, questionable morality and suck away time that could be used for something productive. So I do. I lay on my couch and escape.

Sometimes I want to write my political leaders and share with them my convictions. But I don’t. The political process intimidates me and makes me feel like my vote doesn’t matter…though I know that it does.

Sometimes I want Starbucks. So I go.

Sometimes I want to feel like I’m saving money in a fast, convenient way. So I do. Or least pretend that I do since I know that cheap food and clothing and other items are either subsidized, shipped, or produced with slave labor.

Sometimes I want to buy things for people even when they don’t need them because I love people and show my love through gifts. So I do. Even when I know that my item purchasing will raise demand for manmade products that will eventually fill a land fill.

Sometimes I want to forget everything I’ve learned about human exploitation and live my life as I lived it before. But I don’t. I can’t.

Sometimes I want to succeed. But I fail. But I keep trying. And sometimes I find myself at peace with the fact that sometimes trying is what matters.

"Deep Awareness Of The Suffering Of Another Coupled With The Wish To Relieve It"

I believe that when we begin to understand compassion, then we begin to fully understand Jesus’ command to love God and to love our neighbor as our selves. When we begin to understand compassion, we begin to understand that God has called us to have compassion on people, not just circumstances, and when we have compassion on people then we want people to live as healthy, whole, free, God-loving, Christ-serving individuals. I believe that when we begin to understand compassion, then we stop seeing the world as us-against-them but instead as us—we—common humanity—created in God’s image and called good. And when we believe that each of us was created in God’s image and loved by God, then we begin to see all persons as those worthy of dignity and respect…and human exploitation does not treat people with dignity and respect. Therefore, we must stop it—not because we feel sorry for people—but because it is our call as compassionate followers of Christ.

Now…while I believe we should be compassionate toward people because they are people, I don’t believe that we all have to become involved in every cause known to humankind. I believe that God gives us passions and desires and that those passions and desires, coupled with life experience, guide us to where we can most effectively serve. For instance, in our office, we realized that the subject of human exploitation was too much for one person to tackle, so we broke up the areas into manageable chunks. One person focuses on sex trafficking; another on labor; another on bullying; another on pornography; and another on media and natural resource exploitation. It’s actually kind neat. When we asked everyone what they’d be most interested in working with, everyone chose something different based off of where they were in life, what they had experienced, and what they knew they could handle.

So today, some of you may be feeling an extreme amount of compassion toward people who have been bullied because you have been bullied. Some of you may feel compassion toward those who have a pornography addiction because you have one, too. Some of you may have extreme compassion for persons being hurt by land or media exploitation because you have felt the effects. And some of you may have compassion for persons involved in trafficking…because you understand the root issues and don’t ever want anyone to be held by force, fraud, or coercion. It’s okay if you’re not drawn to all of these issues. It’s okay if you’re not drawn to any! You could have extreme compassion for persons affected by poverty, those in prison, widows, the homeless, those suffering from mental illness…the list could go on. The thing is…we must do something about the compassion we feel because compassion without action is just empathy. And empathy may be fine for some things…but for others, we must act. We must act where we feel most passionate. We must act with passion. We must live with compassion.

What are some ways you can show compassion to those affected by human exploitation? Not ways you can feel sorry for people…or ways that you can feel good about helping people…but real, honest to goodness things that you can DO because you see persons as persons created in God’s image—because you want to do everything you can to redeem God’s creation and give people the chance to live wholly and freely in and with Christ?

[Blogger's Note: Two weeks ago today, I posted, “From Hyper-Functioning to Compassion.” Last Thursday, I posted, “Me and Valentine’s Day.” Both were excerpts from a talk that I gave to collegiate students on February 4th. My assignment for that talk was to talk about compassion (definition and biblical examples) and to tie it to my work with human exploitation. This excerpt was my attempt to put it all together.]

We Don't Like To Talk About This, But...

According to www.xxxchurch.org, 40% of Christian women struggle with porn. Porn surrounds us. Soft porn has become a cultural norm. Yet pornography is something that we don’t discuss. And so it is eating at the very core of many Christians.

While most Christians will say that it is wrong, pornography must be recognized as a complicated issue. Many times, porn addiction begins with innocent sexual questions that progress into secret activities of shame. Viewing porn is something that can be done alone, in the privacy of the home or dorm room. It is something that is not immediately traceable and seems not to cause any harm. Viewing porn is a risky, rebellious activity for many Christians who otherwise seem to have everything together. Viewing porn is an escape from reality--a momentary release from the stress and pressures of life. Viewing porn, therefore, is a very real temptation in times that are stressful—in times when life seems out of control—in times full of papers and exams and the demands of holiday life…

So to simply acknowledge that porn is wrong is often not enough. The compulsion or addiction to view porn is often stronger than morality; therefore, we must acknowledge more than its “wrong.” We must shed God’s light on the truth that pornography is not innocent and that it distorts reality. It distorts healthy views of sex and sexuality and creates tension between couples. It sets unrealistic expectations on partners and bodies and portrays women as nothing more than sexual objects. It encourages sex as raw feeling and control rather than intimacy and emotional connection.

What’s more, the pornography industry is fueled by human trafficking, often using trafficking victims to produce its films. If we, as a church and/or society, cannot agree that pornography itself is bad—and we may never come to this agreement—then the fact that this multi-billion dollar industry is fueled by activity that blatantly disregards the dignity of human life and Christ's command to love one another holding persons in bondage through force, fraud, and coercion, should be enough to unite us and compel us towards a stop.

If you or someone you know is addicted to pornography, please know that there is help and that there is grace. God’s design for us is to live in freedom rather than darkness, in joy rather than shame. It’s never too late to take that first step out of darkness—to have that first conversation—to say no that first time—even when life is stressful and everything seems out of control. God is there. And God loves you—and the person beside you—and the addict next door…

Amen.

Beyond Chocolate

Human trafficking exists in two forms: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Both forms of trafficking are, in actuality, modern day slavery, and they force individuals—usually women and children—to do work or sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion. Many “gentlemen’s” club workers, prostitutes, and pornography stars do not willingly engage in their work but are forced there by human trafficking. Likewise, many nannies, hotel and restaurant workers, migrant workers, and workers in the chocolate industry (to name a few) are not provided with proper wages and living conditions but are forced to do their work by someone else who profits from their labor.

Human trafficking is a billion dollar industry. Its influence reaches deep and affects each of us in ways that we may not know. Read today’s article by Christy Amar and listen to how God may be leading you to change your buying habits…especially with chocolate.

http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/article.asp?id=2488

Simple Complexity Beside the Naked Yellow Tree

The yellow tree beside my window is almost completely naked now. I’ve watched her strip her leaves today, gently releasing them from her branches, freeing them to float to the ground. It’s been lovely to watch, a beautiful cascade of color in the background of my black and white, computerized work…

The thoughts and questions on my mind today are simply, complex:

My question of the week: I’ve not come up with a definite answer, but I’ve been thinking about it. How do I communicate my work and call in a non-apologetic way?

My conviction of the week: I need to make a better effort of purchasing gifts and items that allow me to be a good steward of my resources while also supporting the community/economy and not supporting slave-labor. This conviction was planted earlier in the week after reading the following post by my friend Sean: OK people, please bear with me for a quick update/rant...Stop buying stuff online and support your community!!! Don't click! It is less than 50 days until Christmas and we are solidly in the 4th quarter. In my area of retail, 30%+ of our yearly sales happen in the 6-7 weeks before Christmas. Here are the trends that I've seen... 1) The average ticket price is the same to slightly better than last year, and 2) The number of tickets per day (compared to this time last year) has dropped dramatically. Here is my analysis: The people shopping with us are doing fine (financially), but we are losing our customer base. If our tickets were down and price per ticket were down, then I'd say it was more of an economic downturn. In our area we have lost (local) competitors yet had a growth in population. These people have to be shopping somewhere. I am assuming that they are buying online. If this continues, I will be out of a job and you may see another empty store front. For every $100 spent at a large chain, $13 stays local; whereas, for every $100 spent at a local indie store, $45 stays in the community.

My literary quote of the week: I listened to a dramatization of “Lord of The Rings” this week and pretty much had no idea what was going on most of the time; however, I did hear some pretty awesome quotes. This is one of them. And I think it’s a profound statement of redemption and grace: "He deserves death." "Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, or good or Ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many - yours not least." (Frodo and Gandalf discussing the fate of the betrayer Gollum, Chapter 'The Shadow of the Past')

What are the thoughts and questions on your mind today?

Ignorance May Be Easier But Knowledge May Be Redemption

I don’t remember where, but I read somewhere that washing dishes by hand actually uses more water than washing dishes with a dishwasher—and, no, it wasn’t a dishwasher add. Being the dutiful natural resource exploitation fighter that I’m trying to become, I decided that I would start using my dishwasher instead of washing my dishes by hand. The only problem is that my dishwasher doesn’t actually clean many of the dishes most of the time; therefore, I end up washing a bunch of dishes again—by hand. I’m thinking that I’m not saving much water that way…so I’ve decided to go back to washing dishes by hand…and apologizing to God and the universe if I’m wasting water…especially since a whole bunch of water always ends up on my belly.

I decided, too, to scrape the bottom of my pots and pans with steel wool in hopes of helping them work better again. I don’t know what’s happened to them but they’re not cooking as well as they used to. Yet I feel bad getting new ones and producing the trash of the old ones. So I’m hoping I can restore the ones that I currently have. True. There are plenty of new pots and pans that have already been manufactured and will therefore one day be trash, but if I don’t buy them then I am not demanding them and if I don’t demand them—along with a bunch of other people—then maybe the need to over produce will stop. I have to do my part, right?

Sometimes I think that ignorance is easier than this!

Last week, I had the opportunity to rescue a bunch of “trash”—only, it really wasn’t trash at all. It was stuff that other people simply didn’t want and was therefore being thrown away. Here’s how some of it will be used by Barb the Art Teacher, Jacqui the Crafter, Mom the Musician, or a couple of others:

1) Scrap paper will be used for drawing/coloring designing.
2) Old give-a-away mirrors will be used to help the students with self portraits. I rescued an entire box of these.
3) A plastic cart will be used to roll paint supplies around the classroom.
4) An old display box will be made into a piece of art.
5) A perfectly good, wall-sized art picture frame will be used to house a piece 0f art from grandchildren to grandmother.
6) A wooden house frame will made into a piece of art.
7) Unused chopsticks will be made into art journals.
8) Animal bingo chips will be used for an art lesson on creativity. Barb gives her students two animals and has them combine them into one new animal.
9) A table easel will be used for teaching and holding big books.
10) Pocket folders will be used for art journals.
11) Hanging file folders will be used for organizational stuff.
12) A wall filing system will be used to sort mail.
13) Desk filing systems will be used to organize classroom folders and art.
14) Three ring binders will be used for a county-wide art teacher meeting, to hold choir music, and at an after school tutoring program.
15) Old banners will be used as drop cloths.
16) A portfolio carrier will be used to transport student art work to the county wide art show.
17) The Five Love Languages book and teaching pack be used as a church study.
18) Two teaching packs on financial freedom will be used as church studies.
19) A magnetic board and picture frames will be used to hang pictures.
20) An upright desk paper holder stands will either be used to hold papers at the computer or to hold books for the kids to see.
21) A CD holder will be used to store teaching CDs.
22) Rigid square tiles will be used as square templates.
23) Bendable square tiles will be used in a print project.
24) Wooden desk trays will be used as pet beds or some other crafty thing.
25) An entire box of “Making The Church Work” will be distributed to people who want them.
26) Magazine holders will be used to store, well, magazines.

And…there’s more…but I can’t think of what it is right now.

Yes, it took me quite a bit of time and effort to make sure stuff wasn’t wasted. As people threw things out, I picked them up. But it’s totally worth it to know that perfectly good resources are being put to good use…by friends and family members—by associations and churches—who actually needed the resources not to be thrown into the trash.

I spent a good portion of last week singing the chorus of, “Rescue The Perishing.” I might be wrong…but maybe rescuing reusable “trash” really is part of rescuing the perishing…and maybe my simple actions of being mindful of the water that I use in washing dishes and thinking twice before throwing away my pots and pans really is part of redeeming this world.

To Protect and Serve

Part of serving God is taking care of the earth that God has given us. While the task of taking care of the whole planet is huge, we can each do our part by being careful of where we put our garbage, how we use our water, and how we make and/or use energy. As an African Proverb says, “Many little people in many little places doing many little things can change the world.” In other words, a multitude of people changing the way they do just one or two things can have a major impact on this world.

One of the best ways to serve God and protect God’s creation is simply to clean up. Trash not only clogs rivers and makes wildlife sick but it also takes away from God’s beauty.

Here are a few suggestions for serving God through “cleaning up” the world around you:

■Have an organization and community clean up day. Pick up and properly dispose of all trash within your organization, organization yard, and the yards/areas around your organization. If your organization's building is in a residential community, ask residents if they need help properly disposing of their trash.
■Participate in a beach sweep or lake-side trash pick-up day.
■Volunteer to help pick up trash after a local sporting event or community festival.
■Adopt-a-Highway. For more information on this program, visit http://www.scdot.org/community/adopt_faq.shtml

For Those Who Cannot Speak For Themselves

Like Thursday’s note, today’s note is a bit different than the norm. This note is actually a newsletter article that I was asked to write for my church. It is a reflection on both the church and an event that I am planning for work. It was actually pretty difficult to write.

I’m not sure why it felt any different than writing a note, but it did. I guess because I know it’s going into print and will be mailed to people who have never heard my name, much less read or cared about my thoughts?

If you were asked to write a newsletter article for your church, then what would you write? What message would you want people to hear about themselves, God, and your community of believers?

---------------

As soon as I saw it, I knew that Eau Claire Baptist Church was the church I had been looking for. From its age to its size to its architectural design to its location in Columbia, ECBC called out to me before I ever entered her doors. And when I did go inside, I found a diverse people with a heart for all of God’s people and I was overcome by the feeling of home.

It just so happens that, at that time, I was not only searching for a church home but also a place to host an event that I am coordinating for my work with South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union (SC WMU). As part of a national project called Project Help, SC WMU has been educating about human exploitation for over a year. We have defined human exploitation as, “the unethical, selfish use of human beings for satisfaction of personal desires and/or profitable advantage,” and we have identified six focus areas: human trafficking (sex and labor), bullying, pornography, media exploitation of children and families, and natural resource exploitation for personal gain.

On Thursday, October 27, 2011, SC WMU plans to host an event called the Human Exploitation Symposium. This event will provide a practical education to any adult or college student who wants to learn more about human exploitation and what he/she can do to fight it. We are bringing in experts to discuss each focus area, and we are planning times of worship, prayer, and reflection as we seek to center on the reality that God has called us to “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)

This is where Eau Claire comes in. Eau Claire Baptist Church: in the middle of a struggling part of town. Eau Claire Baptist Church: who has been affected by land and population redistribution over past decades. Eau Claire Baptist Church: who has ample space. Eau Claire Baptist Church: a quiet, steady community presence. Eau Claire Baptist Church: the perfect location for the Human Exploitation Symposium.

Day in and day out, the people and ministries of Eau Claire Baptist Church, ourselves exploited in many ways, seek to live out the commands of Psalm 82:3-4. Against the odds, we seek to be a light in darkness, a place of safety in danger, a home for the wandering, and a voice for “those who cannot speak for themselves” (Proverbs 31:8-9). And now, on October 27th, ECBC will host visitors from across South Carolina who, themselves, desire to join in the work of restoring dignity to human life. We, in our willingness and humility, will open our doors to guests who, like us, believe that, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on [us], because the Lord has anointed [us] to preach freedom for the captives and release from darkness or the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)

Thank you, Eau Claire Baptist Church, for being the church of which I am proud to be a part.

May we join together to be hospitable hosts as we offer up the holy and sacred space that God has entrusted to us. Amen.

(For information on how you can help with the symposium, contact Kelly or Jimmy. For information about the symposium—including how to register—visit www.scwmu.org)

Mean Girls

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:28-29

Bullying steals a person's dignity and worth by demeaning her and putting her down. Bullying occurs not only through physical threats and actions but also through harsh words and taunts--both spoken and written.

Looked at in this light, Ephesians 4:28-29 is a clear command for us not to be mean girls (bullies) in any way but, instead, for us to use our words and actions for good--even when it means speaking against bullying at your school or work.

To learn more about bullying and other forms of human exploitation, visit http://www.wmu.com/index.php?q=blog%2Fmissions-leader%2Fproject-help%2Fproject-help-human-exploitation...or talk to me :-).