I recently attended a conference in Atlanta for college students called Passion 2012.  42,000 university students from all over the US and the world came together for three days to worship, pray, listen, and leave changed people for the glory of GOD.   (They let a few old people in as volunteers, which is how I was able to get in the room – um, stadium that is.)  The speakers were brilliant and the worship unforgettable, but my heart was transformed by the students.  The leaders of Passion put before this group of poor college students at goal of $1,000,000.00.  Not to go home and pledge, not to call mom, dad, grandpa, aunts, uncles and friends….but to GIVE it, out of their pockets and bank accounts, however meager they may be, and to give it over the course of the three day conference.  These amazing students gave not just one million, but over TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.  TWO AND A HALF MILLION dollars!  Why?  Every dollar that was given went to fight slavery.    

There are over 27 MILLION people trapped in modern day slavery all over the world right now.  Mostly, these are marginalized people who aren’t strong enough to stop the tyranny of those who are exploiting them, and  there aren’t enough people standing up in their place and saying  NO WAY.  Sadly, we as American consumers can be a part of perpetuating these crimes without even knowing it.  See, many of the items we buy every day are made using slave labor:  cell phones, jeans, Christmas ornaments, even some of the food we eat.   

What can we possibly do to stop the cycle of human trafficking?  Well, honestly there are many things we can do, some great and some small.  One small thing that could turn into a great thing is to become a conscientious consumer.  If we all considered what we buy and where we buy it, refusing to participate in the perpetual cycle of using people as slaves to create products we enjoy, then that small life change becomes a HUGE change in the way products are made, marketed and sold.  

We can pray.  We can get involved locally as well as internationally.  We can give.  We can tell others about what we have heard. 

There is a lot to do to fight injustice.  But God’s Word says “And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.”  Psalm 50:6

 I believe when we fight injustice, when we care for the poor, the marginalized, the broken and forgotten, we care for Jesus.