Day Eleven
4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel.
Psalm 99 NLT
Even with the beauty of your art, there is a fierce truth of who is in control.
Today the winds roar and the waves strike the shore. This is still your control.
As creatives, our own path may engage in the world of blooming flowers or freezing waters and harsh waves. It is not our choice as to the surroundings when we wake up. God is in control of Nature. We say “Yes”, grab our camera or our journal and participate in what is happening. We want to join God in what He is doing.
If we are sensitive, if we are willing to listen, God may ask us to join Him in other activities with our creativity.
That is exactly what happened to me when I opened the book The Slave Across the Street, by Therese Flores. The pain I felt for this woman (she was 15 years old at the time she experienced her trauma) made me want to take steps on behalf of the real human girls and boys, young women and young men, held in the clutches of human trafficking.
God is a Mighty King. He fights for Justice. We have the opportunity to ask Him how the art and creativity He gave us, can be used to join Him against this injustice.
This path is not easy. It is pain filled and harsh so a good first step, as suggested in Emily P. Freeman’s book, THE NEXT RIGHT THING,1 would be check out if God wants you to join Him in this battle. The battle is out there and turning a blind eye will not make it go away. It does not mean everyone is cut out for this particular journey, so prayer and direction is important.
Getting educated on the definition of human trafficking and the different types can be a next step. As writers and creative people, reading the stories of survivors will bring you into their soul. Biographies are not pretty, but it is one of the best ways to make it tangible and real.
What are the organizations in your city, in the nation or internationally that speak to you? Do you look into the sad face of a little girl in Cambodia and weep? I typed in the words “art fighting human trafficking”. The amount of information was huge. There is an opportunity for artists and creatives to speak out.
RECEIVE, REFLECT, RESPOND.
RECEIVING is taking in, collecting information. Ask God how you are to participate in this battle for freedom.
As you collect information, give yourself quality time with God to engage and hear His Heart. REFLECT. What is He saying on this war? Share how you feel. Do you hear Him calling your name to join in this battle? Ask God for His directions for you?
How does God want you to RESPOND? Causing other people to become aware of this injustice through your poems or art may be the beginning for this journey. Could there be a deeper, more intense response being asked of you? Donating funds to one of the organizations you researched might be an option. Are you being drawn to physically participate in an organization by using your creative skills? Sound scary? Too big for your capabilities? If God is calling you, the directions will be His leading. Remember Moses started out as a “stutterer with a stick”.
A national organization you can start out with for art is https://www.unodc.org/newyork/en/artists-united-against-human-trafficking.html I am not totally informed about this organization. It was one of the links I found concerning “art against trafficking”
Another organization to look at is https://twitter.com/IJM for basic other information. I do receive information concerning this organization.
I would love to hear how God might ask you to creatively respond.
Our ART is a Gift God has shared with us. How are we to share it with the world.?
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
goodread quotes
― Benjamin Franklin
The words of survivors reveals the reality of the cruelty and the beauty in freedom in a way nothing else can. If you go to this site about Therese book, you will find other recommendations https://www.amazon.com/Slave-Across-Street-Theresa-Flores-ebook/dp/B0034KYZQ8
1 Emily P. Freeman, The Next Right Thing (Grand Rapid, MI:Revell,2019)