NEFARIOUS - Watch this Film

This week in justice stream, we began focusing on the topic of sex trafficking. This is a topic which is out of sight, out of mind for most people who are not involved in it, but it is one of the biggest and most brutal problems that exists around the world today. So that you know what exactly what I’m talking about when I say “sex trafficking,” here is the definition given by the United States Government:

Sex trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years.

There are all kinds of statistics that I could spout – for example, that there are 27 million slaves in the world today – but that does little more than alert you of the scope of the problem, and that is a thought which is easily overwhelming. I don’t want to overwhelm you, but rather make you aware of the issue and direct you to a resource that can tell the story much better than I can: a documentary called Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. It is an incredibly eye opening and life changing film which does a very thorough job of looking at the issue of sex trafficking around the world in its many forms, while also examining its causes and effects. What makes it really amazing, though, is that it does not simply present a massive problem; it also presents the hope and restoration Jesus is already bringing and will continue to bring.

Take a look at the trailer for Nefarious:

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Now, just to give you a few ideas to chew on before you watch the film for yourself, here are a few of the things that really stood out to me:

• To stop sex trafficking, you have to end prostitution.
• All prostitutes are slaves of some sort, even those in developed countries that choose the lifestyle for the glamour, money, etc. Almost always, women who reach the point of voluntarily choosing to sell their bodies in prostitution have been sexually abused or exploited earlier in life. And no one enjoys prostituting herself after a little while, yet they become trapped by pimps or by their own psychological state (“This is who I am; I’m not good for anything else now. I’m worthless and could never have a different or better life…” and much more complex things).
• A solution in Sweden which has worked very well  was to prohibit the buying of sexual services. When that is the case, it becomes the fault of the man seeking to buy a prostitute, not the fault of the prostitute herself. It is a system which acknowledges that the girls are rarely or never in control of their situation, and are kept there by the pimps and johns (clients).
• Even where poverty is a cause of prostitution (everywhere, but especially Southeast Asia), development and release from physical and economic poverty will not by itself end trafficking. Consider: has development and education solved evil in the developed world? This is a moral and spiritual issue – it can only be truly solved by the restoration that Jesus brings. I’ve included it because it is especially important for me as someone who will probably be working in development, not specifically anti-trafficking ministry. We must realize that without spreading the gospel and love of Jesus, development is useless in heaps of ways.

After the movie ended, no one wanted to say much, so our justice leader Brittany prayed. But then something, some heaviness of spirit, kept everyone right where we were. No one said anything, but no one moved either. I particularly felt like it can’t be right to just get up and put on a smile after that film without having done something first. Finally, someone suggested we intercede on this issue and someone else pointed out that we needed to praise God. So Matt got his guitar and for almost an hour we sang to God, or cried out to Him with whatever was on our hearts. In my case it was for men to stand against trafficking, pornography, prostitution, and the wrong view of sex and women that pervades our society today. I also felt to pray for a renewing of sight in men – to see women in the way that God does, as worthy daughters of the King, never as objects to be used, no matter what they have done or how they look. There were also some of our fellow students who began weeping, having particularly identified with the broken state of the prostitutes and trafficking victims – they truly had felt their hearts break for what breaks the heart of God. We came around these people and spoke truth, healing, and restoration into their lives. It was a really good time of heartfelt response to an issue that would be overwhelming but for the power and love of Jesus.

As far as my response in the future goes, I know that there is a reason why God has me on this justice school, why I saw this movie, and why I was so affected by it. I don’t think that reason is for me to throw out all that I have already heard from God and go into anti-trafficking ministry, but I do think God has something for me to do in this fight. Whether it is continual prayer, or financial support, or simply treating every woman I see with care and respect, God is going to use me to go against this. My role may also be to raise up other men who will stand against these things, have strong families, and show respect to the daughters of God. And it certainly will include showing and telling others about Jesus. Regardless of my career path, this issue will always be with me.

So find a way to watch this film, and do something!

Our God is Good,

Dan