But, sadly to say, tragedy not only brings out the best in us; it also unearths the worst in us as well. I was reminded by a reader that heroes are only one part of the story. There are villains too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_ovaska/4310705180/sizes/m/in/set-72157623117387161/

As the compassion of the world converged on thepeople whose desperate plight had dominated the news for days, there were others who also showed up. The traffickers. Those who specialize in making money from the exploitation of human suffering and desperation. With promises of a new life of hope where hope is in short supply, they scarf up unsuspecting children, teens, and women who are without family and means . Taking  what seems to be the only option offered, many are sold into the modern day slave trade–most of whom will be sexually sold over and over again until there is nothing left but the hollow shell of a human being.

Human trafficking is a satanic virus that is engulfing the world of humanity faster that anyone ever imagined. The U.S. State Department estimates that 800,000 people are illegally trafficked against their will every year around the world. 50% are children. 70% of the women are sold into sexual slavery where they are chained to beds of torture 24/7. The FBI reports that the new slavery–human trafficking–is the fastest growing segment of organized crime. They conservatively estimate that 100,000 are trafficked inside America each year.

Unthinkable? I wish it were. But it’s not. It’s this kind of evil that keeps me up at night.

Yes, there are still heroes who exemplify self-sacrifice. But we must not hide our heads in the sand and pretend that there are not those who have so given themselves over to a way of life that is so antithetical to God’s image that it often looks like the darkness of their sole has completely eclipsed any ray of hope that any honest observer would question if the image of God is even present in them at all. That’s a severe loss of heart.

The New Testament writer, Paul, described a severe loss of heart as hard-heartedness in Romans 1:21-31. He used phrases like: “For although they new God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened . . . they exchanged the truth of God for a lie . . . they have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity . . . they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless . . .” (vs. 21,25, 29, 31).

So, is it hopeless? How can we stem the tide of such overwhelming evil odds?

Haitian refugee girl

Redemption. The hope of the world is that the God who is good entered our dark and lonely world in a man suit to bring a transformation of soul that breaks the heart’s enslavement to darkness by washing it with the light of God’s enduring love. Without Jesus, we perish. With Jesus, we have life. And that’s not only life for us, but we have life and hope to share with others.

Are you moved by the tragedy of human trafficking? Are you wondering what you can do? Check out Women At Risk International. This is an organization of Jesus followers who are passionate about the plight of those ensnared in the clutches of human trafficking. They are working tirelessly in over 50 countries worldwide to expose this blight on humanity and to rescue many from the hands of those who treat fellow image-bearers as mere commodities to be bought and soul. Check them out and pray about what part God may have you play in stemming the tide of human trafficking.

Then it hit me:  God has rolled away the shame of my slavery, too.

Do you have things in your life that creep back into your mind and haunt you?  Things you did when you knew better? Times when you were “hell-bent” on doing whatever it was that made you feel good at the moment?  Actions that if others knew you did it, they’d disown you?

I’m not talking just about immorality and drug addiction, although, those things of course fit into the “shame” category. But even things like missing an opportunity to serve someone. Saying something unkind to another. Harboring hate in your heart. Gossip. Self-righteousness.

I ask you this because today, as I read the Bible, I felt the Holy Spirit comfort me and give me hope with this thought:  God has put away all that ugliness, the shame, in my life. It’s gone because I trust Him at His Word. I don’t deserve His compassion for the things I’ve done in my life, but He wants me to know the joy, love and riches that He has given me (Ephesians 1:7.)

God loves us so much. It was while we were sinners that He sent His son to die for us (Romans 5:8.)   What an amazing love.