A Week of Prayer Sermon on Human Trafficking

Just then a regular church goer stood up to confront Jesus at the townhall meeting. The church goer, asked a tricky question – or so it was report by the press; “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “what is written in your Bible? What do you read there?” The church goer, who really only wanted to be told what to do, drew on the oft repeated, “Love God with all our heart and love your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus replied, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

Not satisfied the church goer, with an animated titter from the crowd, pointed a finger at Jesus, and in a raised voice asked, “And who is my neighbour?” The reporters were on the edge of their seats begging for something worth writing.  Jesus replied:

A woman was in a Caribbean market acquiring food to prepare a meal, and fell into the hands of traffickers, who stripped her, beat her, raped her. She was put on a boat and sent to America to be a sex worker, where they profited from her exploitation.

The next day close to this market, a young woman was bundled up by her father and brought to an agency, where she was exchanged for much needed cash. Her identity and travel papers were held by the agency and she was forced into the life of a domestic worker to clients in a foreign country.

Now by chance, in the foreign country far from home, a priest was invited for a social gathering at a parishioner’s house; the very house where the domestic worker slaved a way. The priest ignored the worker – with no-eye contact, no please or thank you; socialized with the invited guests, and left whistling with promises of future money for the church.  That evening by luck, a policy maker was going down the sidewalk, past the corner of working women; when he accidently made eye contact with the Caribbean woman, he quickly avoided her by crossing over and passing by on the other side of the street. So likewise, the residents of an upper-middle class subdivision, continually turned their heads and looked away; only whispering among themselves behind closed doors of the always accompanied women, sad faced women, seen coming and going from the house at the end of the cul-de-sac.

But a newly arrived Arab Canadian, while travelling through the city noticed and approached the woman sex worker; and when looking into the woman’s eyes was moved with pity.  The traveller greeted her, found a place she could wash, took her for food, while coffee was poured. Then the woman was taken in the traveller’s car to a safe house.  The traveller took money and gave it to the owner of the house and said, “Take care of her and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.”  The traveller set out to get her documents back and advocate for a way out.

Jesus then asked the holier-than-thou church goer, “Which of these, do you think was a neighbour to the women who fell into the hands of traffickers?”  The church goer in a rather humbled voice responded, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus said to those gathered at the townhall, “Go and do likewise.”

The United Nations estimates that 22. 5 million people are currently in forced labour situations; including sex trade workers and domestic servitude.  In these forms of modern day slavery - 71% are women and girls; 10% are from Caribbean and Latin America countries.  Human trafficking is a 33.9 billion dollar a year industry.

The theme of this week of prayer for Christian Unity was taken from a hymn, entitled, The Right Hand of God. It is a song of triumph over oppression, written in a workshop of the Caribbean Conference of Churches in 1981. The hymn has become an “anthem” of the ecumenical movement in the region. The hymn’s words empower the singers to continually work on relationships. The hymn reminds the singers that relationship and unity of all people is characterized by justice, compassion, and mercy.  Their hearts are warmed by the melody and the words direct relationship to include reconciliation demanding repentance, reparation, and healing of memories.

On this week of prayer for Christian Unity, Caribbean Christians are speaking words, as if from the mouth of the Samaritan; or inspired from the townhall meeting with Jesus. They implore Christians, regular church goers ---- us --- to be empowered, so that we raise a united voice in boldly calling trafficked persons our beloved sisters and brothers; with the hope that we will work together to end modern-day slavery. In their advocacy, they acknowledge this is a challenge for all countries, rich and poor. Our prayers are to lead to action.  They are specific in their request, asking us to take action by targeting the criminals who exploit desperate people and to protect and assist victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life.

Today Caribbean Christians of many different traditions see the hand of God active in the ending of enslavement. It is a uniting experience of the saving action of God which brings freedom. Freedom abounds when human dignity for all abounds.  Freedom is resurrected, God’s kingdom comes, when poverty is eradicated, and human slavery abolished.  Freedom and human dignity means the fullness of unity in the body of Christ.

Within Lutheranism, preachers often turn to Dietrich Bonhoeffer for Gospel words to address the crisis of our times.  Bonhoeffer said: We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer. If we apply this to our jobs or vocations, to our daily living, to our family members, in our neighbourhoods, all the people within our reach; within our eye sight, behind closed doors… If we had God’s heart to see every person as a bearer of the suffering Christ, would our response be immediate? Consistent? Unequivocal mercy? Would we advocate for the sex worker, the domestically enslaved?

Together Christians and interfaith partnerships have a large voice. Do you remember the public voice in Halifax by faith leaders on the issue of Video Lotto Terminals; or the stance of citizens who during last year’s Interfaith Harmony Week, and the bombing of a mosque, where neighbours joined hands around the Mosque off Chebucto Rd. We unite when we have a common mission to drive our energies. In these instances, because of the grace we have experienced from God, we are able to love our neighbours. We stop talking about theology, arguing about the interpretation of holy writing, concentrating on our rituals to the exclusion of the outside world or other Christians. United in purpose, with a focused mission, we offer freedom from a place far bigger than ourselves. A place of hope, justice, compassion, mercy.

Justin Trudeau convened townhalls across the country, last week being in Sackville.  I wonder if there were regular church goers, who even considered pointing a finger and seriously questioning policy and action targeting human traffickers? Trafficking, both domestic and foreign.

As much as we don’t want to confront the challenge of the Caribbean church, we are being called to unite for our sisters and brothers who are entrapped in sex work and domestic servitude; for these sisters and brothers who suffer, are part of the whole body. We are being called to be the “good Samaritan,” in the context of our world today.

The holier-than-thou church goer asked, “and who is my neighbour?”

But a newly arrived Arab Canadian, while travelling through the city noticed and approached the woman sex worker; and when looking into the woman’s eyes was moved with pity.  The traveller greeted her, found a place she could wash, took her for food, while coffee was poured. Then the woman was taken in the traveller’s car to a safe house.  The traveller took money and gave it to the owner of the house and said, “Take care of her and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.”  The traveller set out to get her documents back and advocate for a way out.

Jesus then asked, “Which of these, do you think was a neighbour to the women who fell into the hands of traffickers?”  The church goer in a rather humbled voice responded, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus said to those at the townhall, “Go and do likewise.”