Listening
to someone’s emotionally-charged description of the injustice of human trafficking
and prostitution, my heartbeat increases as my capacity to feel the pain of
another is stretched. My anger at such human atrocity and the dignity it is
stealing collides headfirst with burning compassion for the unprotected young
girls and their lives that are being lacerated. Blank faces spotted with dried
tears flash slowly in the theater of my soul. My muscles contract in anticipation
of some action to appease this torment that I only feel from 4th hand
experience… but there’s nothing I can do in this moment, nothing I can really
do in any moment without the help of organizations, governments, and police
that are dedicated to fighting for the dignity of these oppressed women.
We
decide to pray as the heart-wrenching conversation comes to an end. When I
close my eyes, my flow of emotion builds from a drizzle to a downpour. As others
are praying, my mind and soul collaborate at light-speed, intertwining an
assessment of this catastrophic reality and an earnest solidarity with its
victims with the thread of faith. Over and over again I see God stitching
His/Her outrage into the ensuing fabric of my soul, “How could My greatest
creation devolve into such degradation? How can they disfigure the precious
gift of life into this deplorable monster of slavery? I will not stand for this!” My heart is a volcano moments
away from erupting its magma of indignation, sorrow, embattlement, and
determination My body literally shakes as the Spirit musters every soldier of
passion within me, preparing to sound the battle cry of prayer. I can hardly
keep myself on the chair as this army rumbles inside of me. The power of our Almighty
God has never been vested within me like this before.
Finally,
the room becomes silent; the debilitating calm before the storm. The shaking
ceases and my voice, or rather that of Spirit within me, creeps out with a
heavy, low groan. The power of the Spirit dashing through my veins quickly emboldens
my prayer as I pronounce the quintessential parameters of human creation, perfect
equality in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:18 NRSV). Passion for
God’s justice to come to the lives of these oppressed women builds momentum in
my/the Spirit’s voice, and before I know it, I am on my feet; I must stand and
fight in this battle with the sword of prayer. The words bellowing forth are
first formulated in an indistinguishable mixture of my own thoughts and the
expressions of the Spirit. The volume amplifies. Every part of my body is actively
crying out to the living God, beseeching Him/Her to put an end to this
phenomenon of dehumanization. My faith speaks in its fullness, believing Jesus’
teaching that it can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). God will topple this mountain
of injustice, because such a topographical deformity will have no place in
God’s kingdom.
As
the prayer reaches a crescendo, it is as if every woman tangled in the knot
work of prostitution and sex trafficking is shouting for justice and redemption
alongside me. My voice is drowned out as their voices and the voice of the
Spirit echo in resounding harmony. Nothing can stop the coming of God’s
emancipation for these women. I feel as if I am enveloped in the flame of God’s
love for these suffering women, and I see that their salvation is near.
Slowly,
the voices fade out, and the peace of this future truth begins to flood into my
body. The Spirit settles into every crevice of my soul. I know the battle is
far from over, but the victory is already won. The new life wrought through the
death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ will not fail to be given in
full on earth to these beloved daughters
so ruthlessly enslaved. The room is silent once again, as I wait eagerly for
the day the faith of God’s people will climactically unite with God’s will in making
this kingdom truth a reality once and for all.
