Heartbreak Hurts.

I watched as she spread her items on the counter, ready to make her purchase.  With Halloween around the corner, everyone was buying items they could dress up in to be something different. The options are endless and for one night you can choose to represent whatever you want. 

"I'm going to be a pimp for Halloween," I heard roll off the lips of this woman with joy and excitement in her eyes. 

I took one look at the fake money piled in with all of the ofter items to complete her persona and my heart shattered. "Does she know what that is?" "How could a woman be so proud to dress up like such a vile profession?" "And how could she be so excited about it?" 

All these questions crowded my mind and I just couldn't make sense of any of it. So with my heart in pieces, my brain in a whirl, and my blood beginning to boil, I left. I did not know what to say or how to say it in that moment. I felt sick--afraid that if I tried to speak I wouldn't be able to only let words come out of my mouth. I was helpless. I wanted to strike up a conversation, to make sense of what I witnessed, and to understand her perspective. I wanted to do something. 

Now, I know some people may think I am overreacting. And you are free to think what you want. But before you jump to that conclusion, let me explain myself (as I wish I would have let that woman do for herself). 

No matter what we like to admit, sex trafficking is a real issue. Slavery is not abolished...it's just not as obvious. We can turn a blind eye to it if we want to. We can make jokes or dress up in slutty outfits or call ourselves a pimp all we want. But there is no making light of this issue. It is a real problem. People all around us are being coerced and manipulated into using their bodies as a product. 

Women are being degraded to being considered less valuable than a piece of printed paper by men who pretend they care about their well being. And pimps are being viewed as a fun Halloween costume. 

Let me correct myself for a second. When I refer to women being sold for sex, I don't want to exclude the growing number of young men this is now impacting. And the pimps, aren't always men either. These are generalized statements, but don't let that trip you up from seeing the issue for what it truly is. People are NOT products. I don't care what their gender is...people are NOT to be sold, manipulated, used, or devalued. 

There is no overreacting about this. It is simply not acceptable. 

In so many of my classes we talk about injustices that happen all over the world. We talk about the tragedies that so many people have to face each moment of their days. Then, we are expected to leave the classroom and continue on with our day as if everything is right in our world. 

This frustrates me for two reasons: 1. I can easily shove everything I just heard into the back of my mind as if everything is indeed okay in my own little world. 2. Everything is alright in my own little world. Somehow it isn't me being torn from my family, being beaten for my beliefs, being sold for sex, or having to live on the streets. Somehow I am okay. And because of that I think I have been granted a free pass to not get involved with those lives who aren't. 

"Break my heart for what breaks yours, Lord, lead me to your heart"

This a dangerous prayer. One we sing in our worship songs on an occasional Sunday morning. But what if we, as the Body of Christ, became bold enough to pray this prayer and mean it? Just imagine what could happen if we saw more clearly the heart of God! 

I'm warning you though, it hurts. If you want to feel a little bit of what the Father's heart feels, be prepared to feel an intense amount of pain. His heart is broken for the pain and brokenness of people He loves with all of His being. Just a small glimpse of that hurts so immensely. But, I can tell you this much, it is so beautiful. 

I challenge you to be bold and pray that prayer. Look into the Father's eyes and ask Him to reveal His brokenness for His people. Seek the heart of the God who desires to be reconciled with a fallen world. 

Then you will see that there is no way we can overreact about the injustices around us. Then we will find that it is time we start acting on it.