Grace Notes, October 12, 2012

Friday, October 12th, is my birthday. 58 years of life. Have you ever
wondered why you were born in one particular country to one particular set
of parents? Or maybe you were adopted and your destiny changed from what
it might have been.

Over the years I've daydreamed about the possibilities. I could have been
born in Africa, Italy, Uruguay, Mexico, or Japan. My looks, language,
lifestyle, and customs might be completely different. Certainly I may not
enjoy the freedoms I have as an American, nor the vast resources, but I
might have had just as caring of a family.

With global communication so available today we gain insight into the
lives of brothers and sisters around the world. We see pictures in
magazines and videos on the internet and news stories on TV. We're not so
ignorant about each other's circumstances anymore.

I have heard it said that with knowledge comes responsibility. Life
Magazine covers are heralded for exposing both delightful and shameful
human conditions without saying a word.

Recently I was overwhelmed by a Channel 11 program on sex trafficking the
world over….children as young as eight duped or sold into prostitution.
And why? Two reasons: a) there is a market b) people make money from it.
As long as men or women seek sexual gratification by abusing children,
youth, and adults someone else is willing to make a living by it. This is
absolutely sickening to me.

I watched as a woman from India worked a health and rehab center for
prostitutes and their children. She was divorced because her husband felt
threatened by her work in the slums, but she could not turn her back on
these people. The host said though India is the most religious nation in
the world, it has the highest use of prostitutes. So sad – what good is
religion doing that abuses fellow human beings? Of course the issue goes
much deeper into the Caste system…those who are born to a prostitute will
learn the trade and repeat it because they are doomed to that track in
their life. Unless, as this woman teaches, the children are educated and
trained for other work and given the resources they need. There is hope,
though it may be much harder in India and other countries than in a place
like America.

Why do I speak of this in a devotional? Because I believe as people of
faith we have responsibilities. The hosts of this program were bringing
celebrities to visit various countries as well as America to learn of the
problem in hopes their popularity and power could help bring it to light
and stir up people to do something about it. We need to do something
about it.

What can we do about it? First, pray. Ask God to have mercy on those
being used by others senselessly and work in their cultures and habits to
bring healing and change. Ask God to change human hearts from darkness to
light. Look for programs that reach out and help and support them with
your interest and your dollars. Look for those you know who could be
caught in this cycle of abuse and help protect them. Learn about the
issues and tell others. Make it unacceptable. While you might feel your
small contribution may have little impact, remember a sink filling with
water will eventually overflow and gain attention.

And thank God for your life, for every birthday. Try to have made a
difference between one birthday and the next. Start anew to be a catalyst
for change in the world and a refuge for those around you. Be a blessing.
A true blessing. A lasting blessing. Then your life will be a concert
of praise for the One who created you and celebrated you the day you were
born.
Thanks be to God.

Carla Vanatta, Associate in Ministry
Salem Lutheran Church, Sycamore, IL