Not For Sale

I'm going to mix it up a bit today and post about a book I just finished titled Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It, by David Batstone.

Not for Sale was both heart-breaking and riveting. It tells stories of both modern slaves and those fighting to free the slaves, with each chapter focusing on a different region or country. It was a hard book to read; most of the slaves underwent unimaginably horrible conditions, and those fighting against slavery were incredibly dedicated. Both sets of stories were challenging in different ways.

I know that merely reading a book about an issue does absolutely nothing. I also know, however, that knowing about an issue and the real-life people who are affected by it can completely change your perspective on it. I knew before reading Not for Sale that slavery was still an issue in the world today, but now I know how very pervasive it is, and now I have faces and stories to go with the huge idea of "slavery."

It also includes a section at the end about how you can get involved in the fight to end human slavery. This section was perhaps the only one that it may not be worthwhile to read, as it was almost 10 years out of date in my edition, but there is a newer edition available. For up-to-date information, you can also check out their website, http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/.

I would encourage you to read Not for Sale if you have any interest in modern-day slavery--or, if there's another issue you're passionate about (or just curious about), read up on it. Perhaps you can't read a whole book, but you can search around the internet a bit. Be informed--find out about a new issue today, and how you can make a difference.

Toys

A set of photos of how toys are made in China: Click here.

(Please excuse the language on the page. The photos are good enough that I'm posting this link anyway.)

Prayer for Syria

Today I went to a service dedicated to prayer for Syria. Specifically we prayed for the civil war to come to an end, and for the welfare and safety of the people affected by the war. It was truly incredible to pray in a group, to together acknowledge the awful pain in this world but also take time to express our faith in God's power to overcome that pain.

Lifestyle

I have been thinking a lot about my lifestyle lately. This is partly due to the fact that I moved recently to a new city, so have been starting in many ways afresh. This is also partly due to the fact that I have been reading and thinking about the rest of the world pretty consistently. What right do I have to live in utter luxury, at least compared to so many? What better things could I be doing with my money than buying earrings? What better things could I be doing with my time than playing stupid internet games?

And what about the source of those luxuries? Were those earrings made by underpaid, overworked women and children somewhere? Am I playing games using energy created by burning coal, thus furthering climate change? What about my food--is it farmed and harvested by other underpaid workers, or slaves? Is it grown with chemicals that are destroying the earth?

How can I create an impact that is less harmful? How can I create a lifestyle that doesn't wreak destruction of both lives and the planet?

And how can I create a lifestyle that brings me closer to God? I don't want to just drift through my days and years--I want to be a potent source of God's redeeming love, to those around me and to those I will never meet. I want to live a life that glorifies God, through both my prayer life and the impact that I have on others.

That is my new goal.