Men
I am a man who has chosen to stand against sex trafficking with everything that I am. I burn with a passion to see women and men, boys and girls, daughters and sons, and husbands and wives set free. I face these injustices head on and make the decision everyday that it is worth it, that they are worth it. As a man this ministry can be very lonely. I do not have many men around who are willing to stand in the face of these issues, to be a presence on the streets, to speak value to the exploited, to talk to a woman as a daughter of the king, to be a presence of safety to those who have been exploited by our brothers. To declare that porn is unacceptable, that 89% of women in the sex industry do not want to be there but don’t feel like they can leave, that statistics show that women in the commercial sex industry suffer from rates of PTSD that are equivalent to those who have fought in combat. These women, men, and children are abused in ways that most cannot even begin to fathom. Our society views them as criminals, drug addicts, and harlots. The realities are so much different. These women are daughters (of which I have three), they are moms, they are loving, they are beautiful and they are children of the most high God who loves them deeply and yearns for them to know him and the healing that he brings.
I hear all of the time that men are the problem. They are the sick minded, sexually crazed, abusive, violent garbage that fuels these issues. I talk to people all the time that are disgusted with the men (especially the married one’s) that flood the porn sites, strip clubs and red light districts around the world. The hate that is evident in their assessment of men breaks my heart. It breaks my heart that the blame and victory rests on sin and Satan. It breaks my heart that many of these men have stories that are also full of pain, loneliness and the worlds distorted ideals of what it means to be a man. Men were not created this way. We were created in the image of God and He is not this way. Sin and pain have twisted sex in unimaginable ways and these things are the result of such brokenness. This does not have to be our story as men. I believe that men are actually a major part of the solution.
The healing that I see when I look into the eyes of the women we reach out to is amazing. It is incredible when they can see my love and passion for them without speaking, when they know I am there to take nothing and only to offer everything. When I have the opportunity to approach a man who is about to purchase a girl while his wife and children are at home around the globe and I get to hear their stories. Stories of broken marriages destroyed by pornography addiction, stories of never feeling like a man and so much more. The most common issue is the men do not know the facts. They assume that the women in porn, strip clubs and brothels love their jobs or are at least making good money. They aren’t aware that they are contributing to sexual slavery. When I am able to provide some education on the issue or draw their attention back to their wives they often decide to leave and to quit participating in these things. They do this because MEN ARE GOOD and sin and pain are not. They do this because they are created in the image of God and these are not things of him. Getting men involved in being the solution is the next part.
It is very difficult to get men involved with my ministry. My wife and I run a Justice Discipleship Training School which provides excellent training to people who want work in this area of ministry and I often have 20 girls and 3 guys who are in the school. For various reasons it is very difficult to get men in the school. I am here to tell you that this has to change. Men can do it. They are good enough. We can do more than perpetuate this issue. We can be the solution. We must stand. Together we can really begin to see breakthrough in this issue. By being men who see women as God does. We do this by seeing them the way God has designed us to, and by making a decision to never be silent again.