I recently saw Eden a based on true events of forced prostitution in the United States, and along with the recent news of 105 children that were rescued from child prostitution I felt compelled to blog about an issue weighing on my heart. After watching the movie my initial emotions have made me realize of a major struggle that I will sure to have on the race.
Anger. Hatred. Judgment.
- Evil acts are being committed all throughout the countries I am going to.
- Forced Prostitution
- Child slavery
- Extreme poverty
- Witchdoctors kidnapping children and mutilating them for good luck
- Kony
- People deemed untouchables.
A major part of deciding to go on the World Race is I want to help the victims. I want to tell them about how much Jesus loves them and how they can find redemption and healing and purpose through him. They are broken, yes, but Jesus came to make the broken new. It’s a message they need to hear.
But what about the guilty? The rapists, the murders, the greedy, the monsters.
Spoiler Alert: The movie definitely has a Hollywood influence, and the main character, Eden, is able to escape by killing two of the kidnappers. This is not how it went in the real events, but I for one was cheering for her. I hated the men and even women, who were operating this organization. Honestly, I have no love for these people, and my only desire is for them to be locked away and to never be heard from again. They can go to Hell. They don’t deserve to hear the Gospel.
Or do they?
First off, who am I to declare who does and who doesn’t deserve the Gospel? Second, am I so different?
To paraphrase the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5 Jesus said:
- Anyone angry at someone has committed murder
- Anyone that looks at a women lustfully has committed adultery
- Turn the other cheek
- Love your enemies
Among other things, but these were the things I have definitely been guilty of. If this is indeed the standard than you might as well consider me a mass murderer with multiple accounts of adultery. So that makes me a murderer, and adulterer, a sinner. According to Jesus I am no better than the list of people I mentioned earlier. So using simple logic I am a monster by my own definition.
Everything has come full circle now.
During Training Camp one of Dr. Walborn’s talks was over Spiritual Instinct. Mine was student which means I am a disciple of Scripture, when picking a church the pastor is the most important variable as we students are very suspicious of false teachers, and one of the ways we fall short is that we can sometimes fall into legalism. How fitting….
I struggle with legalism every day. All the time I judge who I think should hear or not hear the Good News. The guy dressed in Ohio State gear chilling outside that looks like he could be my cousin, for sure he needs to hear the Gospel. The foul mouth, pot smoking, cheating on his girlfriend roommate of mine, heck no! There are more deserving people out there.
As many of you know Jesus was crucified with two other men. In Luke the two men actually talk to Jesus and here is how one of the conversations goes: Luke 23:40-43
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Wow. How often I forget about grace. What a judgmental person I am. I’ve basically rejected the Gospel and established that it is about what you’ve done. My own sinfulness is just as bad as those I would reject the Good News to. Jesus, forgive my unbelief! There is a need to reach out to the victims and let them hear of your victory over sin. There is just as much of a need to go to the prisons or to those committing the terrible acts; to show love to people that don’t receive it from many and are called monsters. I must remember that Jesus would have shown love and compassion to them as he did with the adulterous women in John 8:11
“Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
I believe that God has put this issue on my heart because I will at least once during the race be in a situation where I will be able to spread the message of the Gospel to those whom I identify as “monsters” be it prison ministry or just on an individual level. I pray, and ask for your prayers, that when that time that I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to love them just as much as the victims.
