Simple Living

Pete Rollins brings to our attention the following image created by Nadia Pleasner as part of her Simple Living campaign, a campaign designed to raise awareness of the Genocide in Darfur. The image is currently under attack by the design house Louis Vuitton.
























Thanks to JR Rozko and Nicholas Fiedler for pointing it out to me.

Making a Difference

I saw this bumper sticker on a car the other day – and I didn’t really know what to think of it. I just didn’t know what my initial reaction should be. Part of me wanted to say “um…no. There is so much more you have to do in order to make a difference. You can’t just throw money at a problem or an issues and think that’s going to make it better.” But then as I walked a bit further down the street and thought about it some more I think I was a bit too quick to judge. Sometimes that’s where someone is – the place they are in life – where they can make a difference.
I remember when I was traveling overseas quite often – about every summer or every other – and I was raising support to do this. There were quite a few times when I struggled asking the same people for money over and over again, I felt like I was becoming a burden to them. I will never forget when one of my supporters gave me some of the most encouraging words that will always stick with me:
“Julia, you are at a place in your life when you can just up and go and do these amazing things. We are not in a place where that is as feasible for us. My job and family requirements keep me from doing that. But your asking me for support allows me to join in the work that God is doing even though I can’t go over there and do it myself. If you don’t ask me – you deprive me from being able to be apart of the work that God is doing.”
Wow. What a cool view. People can always say no – but they can always say yes. Sure…they might feel guilt and no one likes to feel that – but I tend to think that guilt is someone’s own issues and maybe guilt isn’t a bad place to start, but it should never end there.
But then as I thought MORE about it I wasn’t satisfied settling there. Sure, giving a donation does make a difference – it does play into the work that God is doing – but we need to be willing to go further then that. We need to be willing to take that next step and get involved, get our hands dirty and become an activist in Kingdom work. God won’t call us all to go to Nepal or walk the streets of LA at three o’clock in the morning, but he does call us all to do something – and quite often it requires a bit more then writing a check. It might start there, but I have a feeling it won’t stop there. So, if finances are a resource that you have of which you can freely give – DO! But keep your eyes and hearts open for the next step God calls you to take to make a difference.

Agressive Advertisement Campaign in UK

Tracy Clark-Flory of Salon.com came out with a recent article on a rather aggressive advertising campaign that has just started in the UK when it comes to the trafficking of women and children and the use of brothels. Read the article below and then some of my thoughts:
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In Britain's latest attempt at fighting sex trafficking, it's simply calling johns rapists. Men visiting the loo at their local pub may soon start to notice posters showing an open door -- along what seems a wall smeared with blood or other bodily fluids -- leading to an illegal sex den. (Note that prostitution isn't illegal in Britain, but brothels are.) The advertisement reads: "Walk in a punter. Walk out a rapist." Then, in smaller text, the ad throws out a dare to any man who comes across a sex worker he suspects was trafficked: "If you're man enough, call Crimestoppers."

Not all johns are rapists, of course; and, I'm uncomfortable calling anyone who sleeps with a trafficked girl a rapist, even though she is being forced to have sex against her will. Certainly, johns who know they are having sex with a trafficked girl are rapists, and it could be argued that there are many more cases of involuntary rape caused by willful blindness -- but I don't think all men who unwittingly sleep with trafficked girls are guilty of rape.

The ad is clearly aiming to draw a line between willful and forced prostitution, but it's a matter of perspective whether the ad is applying the rapist label to all clients of trafficked prostitutes. If it is, it raises a host of questions. For instance: If a man has sex with a drug-addicted sex worker, or a prostitute who has an abusive pimp, is he a rapist?

All that being said, I salute the advertisement for pushing any man considering sex-for-pay to consider that he very well could end up unwittingly having sex with a trafficked woman.
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I disagree wholeheartedly with Tracy in her statement: “Not all johns are rapists, of course; and, I'm uncomfortable calling anyone who sleeps with a trafficked girl a rapist, even though she is being forced to have sex against her will.” I am wondering what exactly a rapist would be then. What makes this scenario different? Is it because the johns are paying? Because the girls have been purchased? It seems to be we are grabbing at some pretty thin straws here. Why are we trying so hard to protect the rights of these johns that are abusing every imaginable right these women and children are supposed to have?

And why does she mean by willful blindness? Sure…some of them are CHOOSING to be there? Right? Yes, yes…let’s argue that. Although research will show that more johns then you could imagine do actually believe that the women and children they have sexual encounters with are actually “getting off” or having an enjoyable experience when with them. This is simply not true. This might be the willful blindness Tracy speaks of.

I applaud the UK for this aggressive ad campaign and hope it will scare a few people, make them think a little more before walking into a punter and perhaps save a few lives.

Here is the ad: