Abolition Through Adoption: A Revolution to End Slavery!
As author Shane Claiborne writes in his book Irresistible Revolution, there is a disconnect in our world between people who need help and those who can give it. The is due partly to the ‘charity world’ we live in, where we can write a cheque or even have an automatic monthly withdrawal from our bank account to feed a kid in Asia or build a well in Africa. Though charities do amazing work and I promote them at HFTS quite often, making a donation so we can pat ourselves on the back for being a good person robs us of the opportunity to see for ourselves the lives those around the world have. Helping those in need becomes a business transaction like any other, instead of letting us experience the humanity of it.
So, how does this relate to sex trafficking? One solution I am very passionate about is prevention. There are 163 million orphans in the world today. Often traffickers target orphanages, posing as boyfriends to the kids who ‘graduate’ at 16 or 17 and luring them into a life of sex slavery. These kids are so vulnerable, as they often live in countries where there are barely any job opportunities – let alone for an orphan who lacks life skills and stability.
So what preventative solution am I suggesting today? Adoption. Yes, it can be scary and expensive, but it is a way to break the disconnect we have with those who suffer by allowing them to enter our lives.
Have you ever considered adoption? If not, I urge you to consider it today. Let your heart for justice push you to do something something of value – adopting a child who would otherwise be vulnerable and offering them a home, hope, and a future. Become an abolitionist through adoption.
It is crucial, however, that the adoption is done in the right way – adoptive father Rob Morris writes about how traffickers manipulate the adoption system to make a buck. So be sure to do your research.
Check out one family’s adoption blog here, and be inspired!
Michelle Brock
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