"I'm Good" is Garbage: "The Takeaway"

[IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANY BACKGROUND ON THIS YOU CAN FIND  PART 1: "THE LEAD UP" AND PARE 2: "THE STREETS".]

I have 5 main takeaways from this experience.

1.  Many people ask, “How could a good and loving God let bad things happen to good people?”  I’ve heard this cry from people before as to why they refuse to follow the Christian God.  Well, God has called us to act, to be His hands and feet.  It makes no sense for us to cross our arms in disgust at a “good” God, as we sit upon what we falsely assume to be a moral “high ground” doing NOTHING!  (Don’t get me wrong, we can’t earn our way into relationship with God, but the fruit of His children certainly isn’t idly letting evil occur).

2.  Some people might not be cold, but might have the misconception that they can’t help, or just may not know how.  The majority of us can’t claim ignorance of the problem, but some of us are lazy enough that we don’t find out how to help, so we chose to remain ignorant of how to be a part of the solution.  I've certainly been guilty of this.  If we don’t chose to learn.  We chose ignorance.  There is no excuse, particularly in this country, to not be able to find information.  Too often we don’t seem to care enough to overcome our laziness to learn how we can help.  Ultimately, there are many pretty simple ways to help, but it takes a little effort.

3.  We can no longer assume that evil lives in the shady alleys of inner cities and in the dark corners of the far reaches of the world.  We can no longer think that evil makes its home in meth labs and strip clubs.  Certainly it dwells there, but evil has set up camp along “the fence” of inaction that has found its way deep into our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and even our churches.  The war has been longstanding, and the battle is at our doorstep.  It’s not confined to slavery, but it certainly includes it.  While we can’t do it on our own, we are called not to omission, but rather with a sense of intentionality and ownership.

4.  This is for those that do help and do care.  We cannot hold bitterness in our heart against the people who don’t care.  We must believe that even our will to do good and love others isn’t inherently something in us.  We didn’t create it.  We didn’t will ourselves to have a heart.  All good things in our lives, including the times when we get it right in our intentions, have been given to us by Him.  So rather than having anger at those people we must pray for them to have their hearts prodded and softened by Him, and furthermore for our hearts to be softened as we look for what more we can do to help.  And it should turn us to praise Him for moving us from the prison of seeking ourselves, and seek to not lock ourselves back up in that prison cell.  We have no room to stand on a “Holier than thou high ground,” lest we become the ones filled with callousness and pride.

5.  In the face of evil, “I’m Good” is garbage.

"I'm Good" is Garbage: "The Streets"

[YOU CAN FIND PART 1 HERE.]

The Streets:   We stood on the street corners for those that are forced to work the corners, dark alleys, and backrooms.  We spoke out for those confined to cages and locked rooms, many of which have been there since younger than 10 years old, and some of which STILL are younger than 10 years old.  We were a face for those forced to be soldiers, and for those forced to work fields, brick factories, or even to service, what usually amounts to, man after man after man sexually.  We didn’t free any of them directly, but we were trying to enlist “civilians” in the battle.

“Men, women, and, worst of all, children are literally forced into labor and sex slavery, and you can help just by knowing what to look out for,” was more or less our refrain of the weekend.

“I’m good.”

“I’m Okay.”

“No thanks.”

Those words served as the all-too-frequent echo we’d hear back, as if we were offering information on some new cell service plan.

Photo Courtesy: http://atldailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/07/downtown-at-night.html

I certainly know that the people in town those nights are not ALL Americans (or for that matter people), but I fear that the sample of different races and socio-economic statuses from all over the country, including Georgia, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Kansas among  others is all-too-telling of where we stand as a people.

We have the misconception that the major atrocities in life are entirely the fault of greatly evil men and women, but, as it has been said, all that it takes for evil to prosper is the inaction of “good” men and women.

The fact is, a great deal of us are selfish people, concerned with what’s in our little bubble, and not much beyond it.  This couldn’t have been more clearly echoed than in this interaction with a man walking by after he’d turned down my request  to take some information on how he could help fight modern day slavery, in which I’d stated that it happens to children as well.

Me: (In a non-demonstrative tone) “This could happen to anybody sir.  If it was your daughter or something you’d certainly want others to help.”

Guy: “I’ve got two boys.  I’m good.”

Those words echo deeply within me and put an awful taste in my mouth about humanity.  How heartless can someone be?  What kind of “men” would these boys grow to be with such faulty, self-centered leadership in their lives?  And what of their children?  I had to fight the urge to lash into this man with a tirade that would make a drill instructor think I’d gone overboard with my litany of “colorful words.”  Rather I took the “high ground” and settled for a “nice” passive-aggressive comment, which I heard un-lovingly come from my mouth all-too-much on this weekend.

But the truth is, are his words, as horrible as they are, any more detrimental than simple inaction?   They are certainly no less helpful.

Then there’s the woman and her husband, who when I asked, “Do you really not care about these people who are slaves?” turned.  She looked me dead in the eye and said, “No.”

Before you jump to conclusions about these people, you wouldn’t be able to pick them out in a line up if you tried.  You might think respectable middleclass white-folks would care, being shocked and outrage at atrocities happening in their back yard.  Nope.

You might think that African-Americans, only a few generations removed from slavery themselves, would almost all certainly have a soft spot for something so closely tied to their ancestry.  Nope!

You might think young people were more progressive in wanting to “fight injustice.”  Nope!

You might think older people with children and grandchildren would be more moved driven by understanding of the love of a parent.  Nope!

Unfortunately, the only thing most of them shared other than being American basketball fans was that they, in large part, simply did not care about the plight of others.

Some were belligerent.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” or “Nice sign douchebag,” in response to my sign that simply said “Slavery Is Not Dead”

Others were more concerned with developing a “witty” comment, which I can only imagine made them feel creative in some way.  However, let me assure you… not a single one had an ounce of anything near what you could accurately call “clever.”

Then there were the responses that were so ignorant that they can incite laughter for a moment until you realize the depravity of heart that it represents.

One man sporting a Wichita State shirt walked by my “Slavery Is Not Dead” sign and said something that amounted to, “They can get jobs.  That’s what they can do.”

Really?!!!  “They can get jobs?”  That’s the contribution?  Well, no one ever thought of that!  Praise God! Those lazy, lazy slaves!  Problem solved… Get to work bums!  Let’s move on!

A middle aged man sporting some Syracuse gear, saw my sign provided some good insight, “Yes it(slavery) is (dead). Read a book!”

What?  You mean I’ve been living a in a lie?  It’s not real?  I’m going to go pick up some R.L. Stein and put this matter to bed!

The best way to categorize what the reactions of most said about their hearts those nights is, “It’s not my problem. So I don’t care.”  And I fear this to be all-too-often the refrain of what our actions, or more commonly inactions, cry out.  We must analyze ourselves to find where we share this trait in our lives and prayerfully eradicate it back to the Hell from which it came.  Too many of us live on the fence on this issue.  Thinking it’s a problem while sitting on the fence is not acceptable.  There is no ROOM for a fence here.

There were some people who were grateful for what we did, and they certainly served as a glimmer of hope in a mass of people who just coldly went about their business.  Some of the most open people were taxi drivers, miles ahead of business men, college students, and men with their families.  Let that roost in your brain they next time you think about the creepy taxi driver stereotype.

I’m thankful for all of these people who cared and I hope their light is not quenched in the mass of people who would have certainly been more up in arms if I’d made a statement on either side of the debate about gun control or homosexual marriage, than the bondage and rape of countless boys and girls (not to mention the adults).

[TAKE ANOTHER BREAK AND THEN WHEN YOUR ATTENTION SPAN FEELS HEALTHY CHECK OUT PART 3: "THE TAKEAWAY" ]

"I'm Good" is Garbage: "The Lead Up"

Preface: A few weeks back I posted, “Calling All Men (and Women).”  This is a call back to that event, a reflection on parts of the experience of proclaiming the uncomfortable truth of modern day slavery in Atlanta during the Men’s Final Four.  I don’t pretend to think that human trafficking is the sole problem in the world, but it certainly is atrocious.

Face:   The Lead Up: The idea came to me fairly late in the game, but I must admit some disappointment that there were never more than 2 of us out there (and one person joined me twice).  I’m not saying that I have any more “holy” place than you if you didn’t go.

Now I realize a few things.   I know others were involved in fighting this in other ways this particular weekend.  It was also only a call to be there to men, so women are a little more “off-the-hook.”  Some had other plans already laid out and other responsibilities to attend to.  Some of you aren’t even in Georgia.  Admittedly, I’ve certainly not shared the convictions of others before, and haven’t participated in every little thing, nor should anyone.

I’m just being vulnerable in that it was a bit discouraging to think that I certainly would have had an easier time, even amongst believers, of getting men’s attention and participation if I’d proposed a cookout for the same time period or suggested a trip to the Braves game.

Now, none of those things are wrong.  In fact, I’d love to be able to do any of those things with many of you sometime very soon.  And, although I am expressing my discouraged heart at those facts, I want to iterate that the time in Atlanta was obviously, ultimately, 0% about me.

It also wasn’t encouraging to hear from a, what I’ve at least suspected to be, Christian organization that the first paragraph of my last blog was basically “all JESUS” and not what they thought they should be pushing right now.  (No.  I will not tell you the name, so don’t bother asking).  Perhaps there is more at play than I understand, and I don’t want to discount the work they do in fighting great injustice.  However, it was discouraging, because I know that for many of us Jesus is what has moved our hearts to this, why are we suddenly ashamed of His name, when we claim that He is THE Answer?  Instead of taking time trying to figure out what the name of this organization is, we’d be better served finding the areas that we’ve taken Jesus out of.

I was, however encouraged at the, at least positive response by others expressing their support.  And I was incredibly proud to stand and walk the streets beside Sean Waggoner and Arden De Cuir, and am thankful that they were actually able to join me.  I was also encouraged in that were able to minister and pray with some homeless folks.  I know that this encouraged section is far shorter than the discouraged section.  However, do not let this sell short my appreciation for what support this received.

[TAKE A BREAK…STRETCH YOUR LEGS AND SUCH AND COME BACK AND READ PART 2
"THE STREETS"  IT’S BETTER THAN THIS FIRST PART.]

Calling All Men... (And Women)

This is an Event… Not just a blog to read.  There is a call to action.

The Problem: Sin, but let’s narrow that down for a moment… Labor and sex slavery.  It’s real.  It’s here.  Yes, even the great “Christian Nation” America is not immune from this black spot on our species.  Men, women, and children are slaves.  They are forced into labor.  They are forced into sex.  Beyond that, even their captors and those that purchase their “services” are slaves, not in a physical sense, but at the VERY LEAST in a spiritual sense, living their lives chasing a lie and in the process enslaving others as a result of their chasing of “self.”  We have the tendency to hate them, but we must remember we have been forgiven of much, and if THAT is not enough let us look to the use and transformation of Saul/Paul (a murderer and persecutor of the church), David (murderer and adulterer), and Moses (murderer), amongst many others.  What if we were able to not only mobilize those ignorant or indifferent to this, but also turn the people creating demand and the captors into rescued, rescuers?

The Problem Localized: The Men’s NCAA “Final Four” Basketball Tournament is this weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.  At first glance you may wonder what this has to do with anything.  Major sporting events, specifically the World Cup, Super Bowl, and “Final Four” are just as lucrative or more anticipated from a trafficker’s perspective.  These events often bring large amounts of men, many of which are “out with the guys.”  Many of these men are slaves to sexual sin and they drive the demand for women and children to “work.”  This is so major that excess supply must be brought in to meet this excess demand.  Chances are… if you are in or near Atlanta, women and children have already been or will be brought past you to Atlanta for this upcoming weekend.  Only to be shipped back out again next week to face horrors in yet another place for the almighty dollar that has been given a greater value than their lives.

The Solution: Well, there are many things we can do, but we’ll narrow that down for a moment as well.  PRAY!  And that’s just what we plan to do.  We need you ALL to pray.  But we’re calling for more.  We are calling for Men!  Men we want you to come to Atlanta this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights... YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO EVERY NIGHT... You can do one, four, or anything in between).  We want you to join us in the streets of Atlanta praying and praising the Lord, for He dwells in the presence of His praises.  We want you to join us on the streets thru the nights praying and sharing Christ’s love.  Surround the Dome, the hotels, filling the streets, in big groups and in small (Never leave the sight of at least 2 other men with you!)

Why “just” Men?”: First off, it’s not JUST men.  Yes, this time we are asking for just men to come to the city.  But we, and those involved, certainly will need the prayers of men and women too.  We implore you all men not coming and all women to pray before, during, and beyond this event wherever you are.  Secondly, the aim at this event is more toward the men.  The men are the biggest part of the problem.  Men are the majority of the demand, and men are the majority of the captors, especially at the Final Four.  So we are praying and seeking conversations with men in town for the event.  We are seeking to share the problem with them, and to share the Gospel.  This is best done man to man, just as women minister better to women.  Be praying that we can jam up the demand for trafficking this weekend.  Thirdly, this is potentially dangerous, because something can happen to men, as well as women, and we’ve never done this before.  We want this to be a template for future “Trafficking Jams,” in which we hope to have even more people out, including women.  But this is kind of a trial run for us, and we want to be wise in what we do, because this is new to us.

What this is:  It is an opportunity to share the love of Christ and to be intercessors.  It’s an opportunity for a message to be sent that we will not stand for what has been wiped under the rug for far too often and far too long.  This is an opportunity to call people out of darkness, bondage, and death, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual, into life and life to the full.  It is an opportunity to spread the word and resources to free those in bondage.  Be creative, talk to people who are there to watch the games.  Talk to hotel, taxi, and service workers.

What this is not: This is not an opportunity to be annoying!  This is not an opportunity to shout at people!  This is not an opportunity to condemn!  This is not a protest, we are taking a stand!  This is NOT a rescue mission!  If you suspect trafficking contact the National Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888).   Do NOT try to be a hero!  Victims and concerned citizens can now send text messages to “BeFree” (233733) and instantly connect with the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline (1-888-3737-888), operated by Polaris Project. (see more at http://www.polarisproject.org/media-center/press-releases/757-texting-increases-human-trafficking-victims-access-to-help ).

Do NOT go off by yourself (Try to stay in eyeshot of AT LEAST two other men)!  Do not stay somewhere if you have an altercation. Leave, call the authorities if necessary, but get out (obviously follow your discernment, but we don’t encourage anyone to do anything that will endanger yourselves or others).  If you are trying to rescue a victim you will likely endanger them and yourselves.  The best thing to do is to call the hotline mentioned above.

Why the hotline? :  There are several reasons.  One is that many trafficking victims will likely be identified (at least initially) as prostitutes by choice and treated as criminals rather than victims.  Many local authorities aren’t properly trained to deal with trafficking.  Additionally, calling the hotline will turn the situation into a more full scale investigation.  This leads to more rings and “big fish” being taken down, as well as more victims being rescued and given the care they need, which comes with being identified as victims.  

Remember… this is a call to action, not just a blog.  If you are interested please email traffickingjam@gmail.com   for meeting spots or more detailed ideas of what we are looking for.  If you don’t wanna meet in the same spot where the men I’m with are meeting feel free to take the same spirit and a group of men wherever you meet.  Just remember… parking will be a nightmare.  Park smart, remember Marta shuts down at midnight or so to the best of my knowledge.

If you want more information on trafficking you can check out the following resources (there are many more).

If you plan to come it would be advisable to check these out.
Carry the Light!
www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking
http://enditmovement.com
www.ijm.org
www.notforsalecampaign.org (helps you tell if the products you buy fund labor or other slavery)
www.polarisproject.org
http://purehope.net/resources/
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/8081A4079639D55A802573E000530965?Opendocument
http://www.nightlightinternational.com/atlanta/
http://www.nightlightinternation.com
http://www.notbuyingit.org
http://www.livingwaterforgirls.org/
http://www.innocenceatlanta.org/about/our-story/
http://humantraffickingatlanta.wikidot.com/

Here is a video that is very telling as well.  Not made by me, but so much the same heart.

http://vimeo.com/32011780