The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that every year more than 200,000 children in the United States are sexually trafficked, with an additional 244,000 to 360,000 children at risk. Children are often sold for brothels, sex trafficking, mail order brides, sex tourism, pornography, prostitution, stripping, lap dancing and phone sex companies.
Traffickers target vulnerable young people, looking for those without good support systems—kids who are homeless, in foster care or who are runaways.
All it takes to get involved is for one person in the congregation to spearhead the cause and get a few members interested.
Start with education and prayer, then connect with a local group that provides services to trafficking victims.
Every kindness makes a difference.
This message is adapted from “Advocacy, prayer and kindness: How can we help fight human trafficking” by Wendy Healy in the January/February 2017 issue of Gather. Today is the fifth Sunday after Epiphany. The readings are Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]; Psalm 112:1-9 [10]; 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]; Matthew 5:13-20. We also remember the Martyrs of Japan, who died in 1597.
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