Wilberforce Society

      Tears of the Oppressed:    

Giving a Voice to the Victims of Modern-Day Slavery

“Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of the oppressors there was power” Eccl. 4:1

· Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery

· There are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world today

· Presently there are 200,000 slaves in America

· 17,500 men women and children are trafficked across our borders each year

· After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with illegal arms dealing as the second largest criminal activity in the world, and it is the fastest growing

Human Trafficking:  Modern-Day Slavery

According to the US Department of Justice:

- Trafficking in persons, also known as “human trafficking,” is a form of modern-day slavery. Traffickers often prey on individuals who are poor, frequently unemployed or underemployed, and who may lack access to social safety nets, predominantly women and children in certain countries [including the US]. Victims are often lured with false promises of good jobs and better lives, and then forced to work under brutal and inhuman conditions.

Modern-day slaves are forced into two types of servitude: sex and labor. Sex slavery can include prostitution, pornography, lap dancing, live sex shows, and phone sex. Labor slavery can take many forms, including agriculture, food service, factory, hotel,  domestic servitude, casinos, and begging. 

A victim of human trafficking is not always easy to recognize. In fact, they may look like someone you run into everyday, even in your own community. A slave may be someone who cleans your hotel room, prepares your food, or someone you drive by on the street at night. With 200,000 slaves living among us, here in the United States, the only appropriate description, which would identify all of these individuals, is Neighbor.

How Should We Respond?

When we look to the scriptures, our responsibility to the victims of human trafficking is very clear. We must bring justice and show mercy.

- He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.   Micah 6:8

Indifference to justice is ignoring Christ. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, as a savior to redeem us from our bondage to sin. While we receive his salvation by faith alone, our response to injustice and oppression, such as human trafficking, is an indication of the genuineness of our faith in him.

And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of thee my brothers, you did it to me.; As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Matthew 25:40,45b-46   

If we neglect our neighbor’s bondage, even our worship is unacceptable to God.

- ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.; Is this not the fast which I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undue the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Isaiah 58:3,6

What Should Our Response Look Like?

In the account of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus gives an illustration of love to one’s neighbor.

1. It begins with an acknowledgement of the neighbor’s need;

2. Acknowledgement is followed by specific steps to address their need.

3. Loving our neighbor requires bearing our neighbor’s burdens, drawing from our own resources, and expecting nothing in return.  

How to Get Started:

We must follow the example that Christ gave in the account of the Good Samaritan:

1. We must acknowledge the injustice of modern-day slavery.

· This begins with educating ourselves, and others, on the issue of human trafficking.

· We must also, like the Samaritan, recognize individual victims in need. This means learning to recognize the signs of slavery. This is fundamental to combating trafficking, as the industry thrives on our ignorance.

2. We must take specific steps to address the needs of victims. This includes:

· Pray for an end to human trafficking

· Support anti-slavery legislation

· Participate in awareness campaigns

· Encourage your church to get involved

· Report suspected incidents of slavery

· Bring the love of Christ and his gospel to those who are suffering

3. We must give of ourselves as the need requires. The first step, after a victim has been identified is to properly report. However, it is often the extraordinary efforts of faithful individuals that makes the greatest difference.

If you think you have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1.888.373.7888.

To get involved or for further information on this issue contact Grace Fellowship Church.

Grace Fellowship Church Wilberforce Society, Lincoln, Delaware

James Dundas, Pastor, Jeremy McEntire, Wilberforce Society

 Phone: 302-424-2166

E-mail: info@gracefellowshipchurchofde.com

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