Someone recently asked me, “Why is unity important in the battle against the darkness of human trafficking?” I thought the answer was obvious, but while taking time to think about it, I discovered there is a deeper question – a question about the importance of unity, especially in the fight against the evil of sex slavery that destroys those created in the image of God.
Someone recently asked me, “Why is unity important in the battle against the darkness of human trafficking?” I thought the answer was obvious, but while taking time to think about it, I discovered there is a deeper question – a question about the importance of unity, especially in the fight against the evil of sex slavery that destroys those created in the image of God.
Immediately obvious answers surface as to why unity is important. We are stronger together. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” The degradation of human dignity and value is where the battlefield lies. In a war, isolation and individualism are easily overpowered. While it’s great when organizations, whose mission is to battle human trafficking, are willing to see the value of other organizations fighting the same battle, this recognition doesn’t go far enough. When organizations practically live out the reality that they need each other in order to powerfully fight the battle, then we are getting somewhere. In order to see a need, we must be humble and when we are humble, we are able to see how this war can only be fought in and through the power of God. Jesus declared, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall” (Matthew 12:25).
God desires that we be “one.” Jesus’ prayer in John 17 reveals a deep desire of God. When His followers act and live out the oneness we were designed and redeemed for, the world will see the good news of God’s love. This way of living in unity, by its very nature, shines light into the darkness. Over the past six or seven years, I’ve watched many individual churches become passionate about the issue of human trafficking. Often, they get passionate about it, share a video and some statistics, and then start up a new program. Eventually, we have a whole bunch of small non-profits struggling for the same resources and trying to do similar activities while failing to communicate with one another or combining their efforts. It is possible to do the good work of fighting injustice in a broken way.
The deeper question about the importance of unity in working to end human trafficking is this: What if a lack of unity, a disinterest in collaboration and a continued competition amongst programs are actually contributing factors to the systemic evil of human trafficking?
What is at the root of this horrendous evil? In boiling it down to the basics, what do we find? It is a personal separation from the other human being. It is a refusal to recognize the sameness we share – that we are a brother or a sister to each other. This “sameness,” in the broadest sense, is that we are all created in the image of God. When I refuse to see myself in the “other,” the door swings wide to welcome all sorts of atrocities.
Corporately and organizationally, we do this when we run full steam ahead to fight human trafficking with “my” mission, agenda or strategy. We are saying “I’ve got it figured out and I don’t need you.” When these thoughts motivate and guide our actions, we separate ourselves from the “other.” In this case, it could be the church down the street that cares about the exploitation of kids just as much as the non-profit that has a similar mission in the same city.
When we do this, we are opening ourselves up to failure. The greatest failure of all is to compete and ignore the “other” to the point that we are contributing to the culture of cold distinctiveness which is what we are battling against in human trafficking. It is this same distinctiveness that allows a man to buy a woman without seeing her human dignity and value. This creates space for adults to abuse children as inanimate objects – used for their own pleasure rather than appreciated as precious bundles of human potential and love.
That explains how I must answer the question: “Why is it important to work together and unite to fight human trafficking?” Because if we don’t, we are inadvertently contributing to the systemic evil that spits in the face of God; our God who gave up everything in order to tear down the dividing wall so we might all experience true grace and radical righteousness. The same God created us in His image; therefore, if we fight injustice in a way that ignores the image of God in our brothers and sisters, we undercut the very foundation that motivates our righteous anger against injustice.
As a means of shining a light on those accomplishing a significant change, I want to highlight an example of an organization that is pursuing unity in their work against human trafficking. Clear Creek Church in Gresham is a small church that has launched a handful of leaders into this cause in our region. The church never once thought about putting its name on the movement, nor did the leadership think about how to make sure people passionate about the cause attended their church. They selflessly sent out some of their most qualified and competent leaders to partner with other churches and organizations instead of holding on to them and growing their own programs. By doing so, Clear Creek Church has prioritized unity amongst those engaged in the efforts to end human trafficking.
So why is unity important in the fight against human trafficking? Because when we are unified, we recognize and respect those whom God has created in his image. When we are unified, we are stronger. And when we are unified, we demonstrate God’s desire for His church: to be one. As Ephesians 4:16 states, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Let us labor together and move forward with Christ as our head; let us participate as essential members in demonstrating his love to a lost world.
