Right now some people are waiting, and have been waiting for hours, for the new Twilight movie to start. I’m not one of them. Instead, I wrote this blog. 🙂
We all know the power of words. Whether they’re lavished on us to pour forth encouragement and love, or slung at us out of anger or bitterness, the verbal language we encounter every day can shape how we think of ourselves and affect our self-esteem or lack-there-of. Sometimes words become a label. We become categorized as the ‘smart one,’ the ‘funny one,’ the ‘bossy one’ etc. We soon find our identity wrapped up in what other people call us, regardless of the line between truth and falsehood surrounding the brands we are constantly given.
When you hear the word ‘prostitute’ what floods your mind? Quite often we tend to envision skin-tight clothing, high heels and makeup used to the extreme. The flashy lights of Las Vegas might make an appearance. And if we’re being completely honest, what do you think of those who are in this “profession?” More often than not people seem to devalue and dehumanize anyone caught in this lifestyle, whether we admit it or not. The subject of sex seems to let our judgments of others run rampant.
As I’ve been on this journey to educate myself on human trafficking, be exposed to it around the world and discover how the Lord wants to use me to make a difference in this horrific enterprise, I have learned that there really are no such things as prostitutes. I believe calling someone a prostitute makes the assumption that they have chosen to live like this. While there are instances of this being true, most people are either enslaved physically or enslaved economically, giving them literally no other choice but to sell themselves over and over, night after night. Beyond the physical degradation and humiliation they feel, people labeled with the term ‘prostitute’ or anything similar start to believe it’s who they are. They are treated like property, so their humanity is compromised with every “transaction.” They lose the value of themselves that the Lord has given all of us; beloved children of the Almighty.
I now say people are ‘prostituted’ instead of using the word ‘prostitute.’ Just as I don’t want to be labeled, I don’t want to impose that on anyone else either. We all know how powerful words can be; they can build up or destroy. They can encourage or discourage. They can cause transformation or cause withdrawal. Whether good or bad, they make an impact. Meaning we make an impact on each other. Every day.
