LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to
the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoner.
Isaiah 61:1
In January 1863,
President Abraham Lincoln
promised in the
Emancipation Proclamation
freedom and liberty
for all people.
One hundred and fifty
years later
slavery still exists
in our country
and throughout the
world.
We encounter modern day
slaves daily
and may even contribute to
the slavery of others,
at times without realizing it.
Let us take a few minutes
to look
BENEATH THE SURFACE
Look Beneath the Surface
the next time you eat
at your favorite restaurant.
Cases of human trafficking
in restaurants
have been investigated
in multiple states,
including
FL, NM, TX, MA, NY, WI, WA, CA,
NJ, OH, CO and MN.
“You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and
with all your strength and
with all your mind,
and your neighbor as
yourself.”
But he,
desiring to justify
himself,
said to Jesus,
“And who is my
neighbor?”
Luke 10: 25
Let us take a moment of silence
in solidarity
with those victims of trafficking
in our own local community
and for those we may have met
in the restaurant industry
who are held in slavery-like
conditions.
Look Beneath the Surface
the next time you
purchase or consume
vegetables and fruit
In 2010,
the Department of Justice
issued indictments
in at least 13 states
for human trafficking in
the agriculture industry.
Many corporations subcontract
the production of
fruits and vegetables to
operators so that they can reap
the benefits of the system
without having to worry about
public relations.
Why, O Lord, do you stand far
away?
Why do you hide yourself in times
of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly
pursue the poor.
Psalm 10:1-2
Do trafficked children
and adults
work
in the agricultural fields
in your state?
Let us take a moment of silence
in solidarity
with those who are in situations
of fraud, force, and coercion
especially those who are
recruited to labor under
abusive conditions in the
agricultural industry.
Look Beneath the Surface
the next time you
purchase or consume
chocolate or cocoa
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his
thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor.
He seizes the poor when he draws him
into his net.
Psalm 10: 8-9
Jesus said,
"Let the little children
come to me.”
Matt. 9:14
Let us take a moment of silence
in solidarity
with those who never see
their children
and loved ones again
because of trafficking.
And with those children whose
childhood is lost.
How can you introduce
Fair Trade products
into your daily life?
Look Beneath the Surface
the next time you hold
your cell phone or
another electronic device
in your hand.
They may have been
made by the hands of
slave men, women and
children.
Conflict minerals
are minerals
mined in conditions of
armed conflict
and human rights abuses.
As consumers,
we are fueling conflict
and the use of human trafficking
in mines in the form of
debt bondage,
child slavery,
sexual slavery,
and forced marriage
when we purchase electronic
devices sourced from conflict
minerals.
These minerals
are often mined
at gunpoint.
“Then God said
‘Let us make woman
and man
in our image,
after our likeness.’”
Genesis 1: 26
Let us take a moment of silence
in solidarity
with those who have been trafficked
to work in dangerous mines
who have been reduced
to commodities
rather than human beings
made in the image and likeness of God.
Look Beneath The Surface
When You Buy Clothing
…and Shoes
…and Sugar
…and Coffee
Life is the Gift of our
Creator…
and it should never
be for sale.
LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE
LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE
“…He has sent me
to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners…
to release the oppressed…”
Luke 4:18,19
Let us take a moment of
silence in solidarity
with those who have been
trafficked
providing the goods
we use daily.
To learn more about Human Trafficking
please see the resources at the end of the
Resolution.
If you suspect someone you meet may be
involved in human trafficking please call the
national hotline
1-888-373-7888
or text BeFree (233733)