My heart is full. Full of grief and anger, among other things. And full of HOPE. It's difficult to put into words this understanding that is beginning to emerge in my heart regarding justice. Seven years ago, my husband and I had our hearts broken for the orphaned girls of China. The more we researched, the more overwhelmed we got. It wasn't just a few thousand girls and it wasn't just China. There were orphans everywhere. A common statistic that is thrown around is 147 million orphans on our earth right now. No one knows the real number. And often, numbers don't mean anything to us if we can't relate to them. If you stop for a whole minute and meditate on that number - 147 million - can you get a grip on that as it applies to children living on our planet alone? I can't. Until I see them, touch them, hold them and look into their eyes, it is really just a number. We began praying fervently at that time for the Church in America - and later, as more understanding came to us - for the Church all over the globe to WAKE UP. Why in the world were there this many children without parents, growing up alone and vulnerable in the world while the Church slept?
Over the past 7 years, we have seen an answer to our prayers. Many organizations have sprung up during this time, many individuals have answered God's call, and many pastors have become passionate and instrumental in leading their congregations to respond to the cause of the orphan. We have a long way to go as a Church in understanding the James 1:27 mandate to care for orphans, but we have come a LONG way. As our involvement through prayer, awareness, and advocacy has continued, we came to understand the adoption/orphan tie as it relates to abortion. Randy Bohlender, founder of the Zoe Foundation, was instrumental to our understanding of the fact that most likely God has not answered our cries to end abortion because, as a Church, we are not prepared to be the alternative. Until Christians are fully aware and ready to parent not only the children who are on the earth without parents already, but also the additional 1.2 million children per year that would be in need of parents in the U.S. alone if abortion ended, we will not see the ending of abortion. Clearly, the orphan issue as it relates to the global Church and abortion are inextricably tied together. They cannot be separated.
More recently, we are starting to put another piece of this puzzle in place. Human trafficking is an issue that has been on our hearts for a long time. In fact, this is a deeply personal issue for me, which I hope to elaborate on someday. Until recently though, my mind held the two issues apart: orphans and trafficking. But just like adoption and abortion are inextricably intertwined, so are orphans and the trafficking issue.
As Christ continues to reveal His heart towards His precious children, I truly believe He has chosen this season for His Church to see a new facet of the same issue - the issue of human trafficking - as it relates to His children. Daily, Christians, who once camped in a place of safety, not wanting to acknowledge the depth of evil for what it is, are waking up to this reality. Many are having their eyes, ears, and hearts opened to the reality that most orphans who age out of orphanages will face. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world today, after drugs and arms. There are statistics all over the internet, but you can take a look here to get a start. A child who is not adopted will eventually be trafficked, with rare exception. When I say "trafficked" I am referring to what Exodus Cry defines as an "exploitation of vulnerability" where children are forced into labor, war or prostitution against their will.
I truly believe that in order to combat any one of these three justice issues burning on the heart of God - abortion, orphans, and human trafficking - we will have to take a holistic approach and begin to treat these issues not separately, but together, as one massive issue. If I dwell here long enough, other issues start swirling in my mind also. Poverty. Disease. An overall spiritual depravity that has set the stage for it all. It's overwhelming to try to pick it apart. But to the Lord it is all simple. We must remain child-like in our approach to justice, doing the one thing in front of us at any given time. Ultimately, Christ will return to the earth to bring justice to the oppressed. With each passing day, I can hear the distant thunder growing just a bit louder. He is coming and "In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not falter or be discouraged til He establishes justice on earth." (Isa. 42: 3-4) One day indeed "He will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all nations, and all the ends of the earth will see His salvation." (Isa. 52:10). Until then, it is our job to say to those with fearful hearts: "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." (Isa 35:4).
