Human Trafficking

A handful of 24-7-ers gathered in our basement prayer room in the City of London this afternoon to talk and pray with Peter Stanley about human trafficking... and to explore ways that 24-7's global community could bring it's gift and vision to join with others who are working for a change in this modern slavery. Especially in the UK.

Firstly, I just want to say that I'm really grateful those of you who prayed for us today. I think we needed it. And I think your prayers helped. It wasn't an easy afternoon. But it may prove to have been an important one.

Peter Stanley has been serving and encouraging and advising 24-7prayer for a few months now, whilst maintaining his involvement with Stop The Traffik, the UK Human Trafficking Centre and various others organisations. (He's also just returned from meetings with the UN about all this stuff.) You can read a little bit from him, plus some links to other organisations, on 24-7's International website.

It was amazing, and awful, to listen as he talked about his experiences and knowledge of human trafficking. And now I know, beyond any doubt, that human trafficking is huge. It is mostly hidden. And it is horrific.

Peter told us that the early slave trade, which lasted for around 400 years, ended with the Abolition Acts in the 1700s. It is estimated that 10 million human beings were trafficked as slaves during that period. However, it is estimated that there are about 20 million human beings in one form of slavery or another around the world, right now. And around 1.5 million people are trafficked every year... mostly women, and mostly children. It's huge.

And it's mostly hidden. There are almost definitely trafficked women, and maybe children, in your town and mine - yep, here in Romford... probably kept as sex slaves, as prostitutes. Or as unpaid domestic helpers. Or as cannabis growers. They might even be down your street, and you don't even know it.

We talked about the scale of the trade in human beings, and the various organisations that are involved in working against it... through raising awareness, through campaigning for changes in the laws, through local involvement (such as the Croydon Community Against Trafficking), and through risky frontline action - raiding brothels, rescuing those in slavery, setting up safe-houses, etc.

And then we began to talk about 24-7prayer...

...we feel/think that God may be speaking to us about all this. At the very least, God may be calling us to pray and to mobilise prayer. Peter explained that very few of the organisations working against human trafficking pray as part of their strategy. And yet, perhaps prayer is an essential part in bringing this hidden evil 'into the light'... exposing it, revealling it, making it known.

A few of 24-7's communities and Boiler Rooms around the UK are already involved with people who have been trafficked. And it seems that God has been speaking to people in a few prayer rooms up and down the UK too... calling them, maybe even sending them amongst these people, who are brutally "harrassed and helpless" (Matthew 9).

We talked about raising awareness around human trafficking - in churches and schools and universities. We talked about encouraging prayer rooms all over the UK to focus their prayers towards human trafficking. We discussed what we feel we should be praying for, and what we are praying against. We talked about 'spiritual warfare'... even the possibility of mobilising teams of tactical pray-ers while brothel-raids were taking place.

We talked about safe-houses and hospitable communities, ready to welcome rescued people into 'new family' (isn't this exactly what Jesus has done for every single one of us?). We talked about how we could make the best use of our 'new media' - of websites and blogs and mobile-technology - to catalyse effective prayer. We talked and talked... and then we prayed, asking for God's guidance and wisdom. It felt close... like this wasn't theory.

And right now, as I type this, I find myself thinking about Jesus and his mission... "God's Spirit is on me," he said, "he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor. Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, To set the burdened and the battered free, to announce, 'This is God's year to act!'"

I've no doub that there is plenty more talking and praying to be done... and a lot we need to learn. Please join with us... maybe we can make a difference. Maybe "God's year to act" is this one... and maybe God's way to act is through you and I.

Comments

[Linda-Joy]

this sounds great phil - it will be interesting to see what emerges...