I’ve heard many sex trafficking statistics before.
It has been estimated 127 million people are enslaved in the industry. Girls as young as 3 years old are bought and sold like merchandise. In some places women “service” up to 30 clients in a single day. It’s not just girls either. Young men and boys are the fastest growing “market.” Those are just some of the mind-blowing statistics that are out there. Although when you don’t see it happening, it’s easy to just pray for it and move on. It doesn’t affect day to day life, so it’s hard to hear the statistics and think about the people behind them.
However, as I sat in a children’s home holding a four year old girl, I began to think about where she would be if she were not sitting there with me. My mind wandered to the unfortunate reality that some of her little friends and family are dealing with. Were she not in my lap, she could easily have been on the lap of a sexual predator who had sought out a toddler for sex.
It’s crazy how quickly a “statistic” becomes a person as you brush her hair out of her tiny little face.
I’m not easily angered, but as I was holding her and watching the other children play, I grew furious. All these atrocities happen every single day, and yet people claim that the world is inherently good.
One night as I was with my team doing bar ministry, I witnessed a sex worker approached by a client. I watched the whole thing go down. It was sickening. This guy introduced himself, sat down at the bar, and had his hand up her skirt before I could blink. I turned away and started praying. When I turned back around a couple minutes later he was proudly escorting her out of the bar.
It’s crazy how quickly a “statistic” becomes a person as you watch a man violate her in plain sight.
I played out scenarios in my head where I would walk up to him and kick him in the balls, letting him know how terrible he was.
The thing is he doesn’t need to be kicked. He doesn’t need to be lectured. He needs to meet Jesus.
Jesus wants to redeem the life of the prostitute, pimp, bar mom, client, ladyboy, and the like just as much as he wants to redeem you and me.
They aren’t statistics. They aren’t dirty. They are people.
Please be praying for the people who are victims of sex trafficking, and consider ways that you can help be a part of the solution.
