People as Property

The Bible teaches the concept that we are to regard people as those who are made in the image of God. We are called to walk in the love of Christ and to have compassion on those who are being oppressed. 2nd Corinthians 5 tells us:
14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16a Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.

Treating another person as property is a violation of the love of God.  Yet, there are millions today who are being bought and sold through the practice of human trafficking.  This practice does not uphold the worth of the individual and is incredibly damaging to people mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We have come to bring the light - to shine light on abhorrent practices and to allow the love and light of the Lord to flow through us by the Holy Spirit into the dark places.

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The Bible addresses the concept of the dignity and worth of the individual - and all people should be 
loved just as Christ has loved us. The display of His love can win people to come to Him. The book of James has some good words for us about respecting others, including this passage in James 3:
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

The concept of people as property certainly violates the Biblical principle of accepting a person for who he or she is, not because of what that person does, recognizing that person is a creation of Almighty God. Unfortunately, there are scores of people today who are being transported from place to place. 

The Christian Post published a story recently focused in on human trafficking in the state of Georgia, in light of the deaths of eight people at the hands of a shooter who had apparently frequented massage parlors in the Atlanta area. The article says:

Illicit businesses masquerading as massage parlors or spas are the second-largest reported form of human trafficking in the United States. With 9,000 establishments across the country, it's a booming $2.8 billion industry for those who prey on vulnerable women, the advocacy group Street Grace has warned.

The article included comments from Street Grace President and CEO Bob Rodgers. It says, "Rodgers explained how traffickers often lure young Asian women to the U.S. with the promise of a better life and the ability to support their families back home."  The report continues:

“They get here, and they immediately find out they are here on false pretenses. They were misled,” he said.

Traffickers then use a series of physical threats and deception to trap them, he said. The women are often in debt bondage after accumulating high debts during their passage to the U.S., which forces them to engage in illicit activity to earn money.

The Christian Post points out:

Though massage parlors are often legitimate, these businesses are sometimes a front for brothels, sex trafficking and illegal sexual activity. Rodgers warned that they fly under the radar.

And, the reportedly chaotic situation at the border of the U.S. and Mexico is a reminder of human trafficking that occurs there.  CBN.com states:

Human smugglers are increasingly turning to the social media giant Facebook to fuel false hopes in migrants about immigrating to the U.S.

NBC News reports they openly promise a "100 percent" safe journey and encourage people that the Biden administration will welcome them.

The New York Post reports: "Criminal cartels that are trafficking families, women, children and single adults over the southern border earned as much as $14 million a day in February..."  A retired Border Patrol chief told Fox News, according to the article:

“A lot of these vulnerable populations use their life savings. Some are essentially indentured servants and they’re working off this debt for a long period of time. In other cases, some of these migrants are asked to transport narcotics or some form of crime to work off a different part of their debt..."

There is certainly an impressive lineup that is involved in fighting what is being called "modern-day slavery."  The aforementioned Street Grace is involved, but so is Samaritan's Purse, the Tim Tebow Foundation, A21, and others.  The Tebow Foundation website says that there are over 40 million people who are enslaved today.

This has become quite a major emphasis among Christians and Christian organizations and there are a number of different ways to address the problem.  There is involvement with actually rescuing those who are being trafficked; then there is the strategy to cut off the demand and to isolate the "buyers," if you will.  Imagine that - people being bought and sold...as property. 

There is no "one size fits all" solution.  And, that is so true with so many issues.  We have to find our own place and execute the mission God gives to us.  Together, as the body of Christ, walking in the wisdom of God, we can be used to inject that wisdom into troubling situations.