Awareness around human trafficking has grown significantly over the past decade. Perhaps you’ve just heard about human trafficking for the first time. Or perhaps you have attended numerous trainings about the issue. Perhaps you or someone dear to you has experienced human trafficking. Whatever your current situation, the issue can feel insurmountable. And while we believe helping one person exit a trafficking situation is enough to warrant our response, we can feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the issue and lost for where to start.
Let us be motivated by righteous indignation to make a difference.
On the final Sunday of September, The Salvation Army locations around the world pray for people who have experienced human trafficking. This year’s theme is Beyond the Dark, inspired by 1 Peter 2:9-10msg: “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
Whether you are reading this before September 26th or long after, let’s use this opportunity to take a step in the direction to action. Let us be motivated by righteous indignation to make a difference. Whether you have a lived experience of human trafficking, you are a practitioner working in the field, or you are an ally seeking to provide support, join us in our prayers for healing and restoration. May this be the first, or next, step in our commitment to end exploitation in all its forms.
If you’re interested in learning more about human trafficking and The Salvation Army’s efforts to combat it, please do not hesitate to reach out to us: uscsocialjustice.urbanmission@usc.salvationarmy.org.