By Julia Rossini
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” is one of the many verses in the Bible in which God calls us to seek justice for anybody who is oppressed.[1] This part of God’s Word (like many other parts of the Bible) was written to remind God’s nation to be faithful. It warned of God’s judgment and offered messages of hope and restoration. This highlights that we have a duty as Christians to care for those who are in need. The verse does not say “seek justice only for those in the church” but is a general statement that applies to everybody.
The U.S. Department of Justice defines human trafficking as “a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sexual acts.”[2] It can be subtle or extreme, and psychological or physical. These victims can be anybody you know, of any age or gender. However, perpetrators most often prey on victims whose vulnerabilities like poverty or lack of English proficiency are visible. Perpetrators can then falsely promise love, a stable home, and a consistent income to support them.[3] So as a church, we have a duty to inform, pray, and help those who are poor to prevent further manipulation and trafficking.
While government can investigate and prosecute perpetrators, we, as Christians, can help in services for victims and outreach initiatives concerning human trafficking. We should do so in a way that exemplifies the heart of Jesus on earth. When victims of human trafficking feel helpless, let us share with them a God who understands their situation and loves them greatly. Indeed, as Jesus became a slave himself, bearing one of the worst products of evil in our world, and died on the cross for our sins, he turned it into the most powerful image of salvation for the world.[4] As Christians we can help victims by helping them to know they have a Savior who is running after them with compassion, hope, and love. According to the Bible, God made each of us in his image.[5] So, when others sexually traffic, abuse, and oppress a human being, it is ultimately an attack against God himself.
Each year perpetrators traffic twenty-five million human beings, producing an estimated $150 billion in illicit profits.[6] With this information, the question is not what should we do in the church to combat human trafficking, but will you specifically do something about it?
Julia Rossini is a student at Spring Arbor University and is a 2024 Wilberforce Fellow.
[1] Isaiah 1:17
[2] The United States Department of Justice. “What Is Human Trafficking?” Justice.gov, The United States Department of Justice, 2020, www.justice.gov/humantrafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.
[3] Id.
[4] Philippians 2:7
[5] Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them”
[6] U.S. Department of State. “2023 Trafficking in Persons Report – United States Department of State.” United States Department of State, United States Department of State, 15 June 2023, www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/.
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