Why We Should Stop Talking About Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking seems to be a hot topic lately, especially in my younger generation. Everyone’s talking about it. Posting about it. “How could this happen? Does it really happen in my city? Austin, Texas? How could it?” we may think to ourselves. End It Movement is spreading over social media. Women all over the world wore dresses for a month straight in December for International Justice Missions Campaign “Dressember”, spreading awareness and raising funds. People worldwide are walking for freedom with A21 Campaign. These things are absolutely beneficial and are to be praised, however, we need to stop talking about it. Talking about it doesn’t solve the problem.

We need to tangibly do something to fight human trafficking, if we truly are in it to #EndIt. There is so much work to be done. We need to educate our children about abuse, trafficking and the dangers of the internet. We need to open safe houses all over the United States for all ages. We need to pray, not just once but everyday. We need to minister to the johns who may even be our friends. We need to use our skills as professionals and offer our services to the survivors. We need to build relationships in jails with those at risk or already involved. We need to prosecute and bring justice to this issue causing devastation to so many. What we need to do is actually put up a fight.

It’s more than just a hot topic; it’s human lives of innocent children, women and even young men involved. It’s the Sparrow in our care who has been through hardship her entire life, in and out of foster families. Abused over and over, abandoned, deeply broken and is crying out for help. She reached out to law enforcement and hospital workers in Houston after her escape. She says, “no one would help me on the street or in the hospital.” How sad is that. People probably just identified her as a prostitute when yes, she was prostituting but not by choice but because a pimp was forcing her to.

Unfortunately, the ugly truth though is that fighting human trafficking isn’t at all glamorous or thrilling. It’s quite the opposite. Most days I want to just quit and give up entirely. There are too many weeks I leave the safe house feeling a deep sense of hopelessness. The kind of hopelessness that cuts deep within your soul and feels like you are carrying a thousand pounds on your shoulders. My boss, Dennis Mark, referred to what we do as spiritual warfare. Satan has attacked each Sparrow to their core, and now we are fighting to give them restored hope in Jesus. The enemy is not pleased and is firmly fighting back.

The wounds within a survivor’s heart are gaping. It seems as if each Sparrow is deeply wounded by some form of childhood abuse on top of the trafficking. The injustice began before they knew what was happening to them as an innocent little child. They had no choice from the beginning, even if they did choose a wrong path in their later years. Now when they come to our safe house, we present them with a choice and maybe I’m biased but it’s the best choice of all: the Gospel. They can choose life or they can choose death. They can run on their own or run back to their pimps, or they can run with Christ seeking healing and restoration. Fighting human trafficking isn’t what it seems. It’s not a hot topic. It’s a hard topic. We have to stop talking, and start fighting. What are you going to do?