When Alexa, Saraw, and I were walking up and down Bangla Road, prayer walking, we stopped into a little shop called “Bookazine” to grab some postcards. As we were browsing their selection, Alexa spotted a book on human trafficking in Asia. We were shocked to say the least. On a street where prostitution is an epidemic, yet no one seems convicted, here was a bookstore that makes its money off of that industry, selling a book raising awareness for that very tragedy. But what was even more frightening was that as we continued to look, we found at least 10-15 more books chronicling the sexual exploitation in Asian countries and worldwide.
How could people be so apathetic…so blind to the truththat is right in front of their faces?
In a postmodern culture where everything is relative to what I want and what I feel in the moment, where does justice fit in? The concept doesn’t exist. If there is no God, then consequently there is no overarching standard for morality. And if that is the case, then what is happening on Bangla Road is no big deal because there is no need for justice. What’s the problem with girls being sold like cattle…because everyone gets to make up their own framework right?
Doesn’t that sound absurd?
Postmodernism shoots itself in the foot, because to say that there is no absolute truth, you are claiming to hold that as an absolute truth.
And any sane human being will tell you that slavery is absolutely wrong.
I think we choose to be blind because we don’t want to face what Truth would mean for our lives. But being in this Hell-hole has shown me the weight of EACH person’s sin, including my own. I’m reading a good book right now. It says, “The problem of evil begins with me. One of the shortest letters written to an editor was by G.K. Chesterton. It read,
‘Dear Sir: In response to your article, ‘What’s wrong with the world’
—I am.
Yours truly,
G.K. Chesterton.”
To this we must resist the temptation to immediately defend ourselves by saying, “I’ve have never purchased a prostitute! I play no part in the problem of evil.” But to this we must ask ourselves some hard questions: Have we ever looked at someone with lust? Have we ever viewed pornography? Have we ever manipulated someone to our advantage for our own selfish desires? These are the seeds that sprout this sort of injustice.
So I think it is safe to say then, that no one is without blame…without sin.
But what are we to do about it? Get our acts together, shape up, and be good people?
We will surely fail.
But there is good news—for the women caught in prostitution and for us all.
God, with a broken heart, humbled himself and gladly came to us unworthy creations of his, and took the punishment we deserved. In his mercy, he forgave every screw up, every moment of rebellion, every act of desperation we sought to soothe the sting of emptiness. His love has made a way for us to live in relationship with him. We are not alone.
Will we accept the trustworthy hand of Jesus extended to save us from ourselves?
I pray we do.
Oh P.S.
In the end, he will wipe away every tear your ever cried from your eyes, and Jesus will trample evil under his foot and everything will be made right again.
Pray as we bring this hope to women crying out for it.
