This winter I attended the very famous *Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, with 70,000 others. It has been going since '97, and *Louie Giglio is a leading founder. Because of the prayers of thousands leading up to the annual event and the supernatural intercession of the Holy Spirit, year after year thousands of high school seniors, college students, and adults of all ages experience greatness and clarity in the short amount of time. What occurred this year at Passion is simply indescribable, and God spoke to me about several things in my life. One key issue that has been emphasized over the past couple of years is the knowledge of the existence of the continuation of slavery even today. Thousands of students have dedicated their lives to ending slavery because of the truth shared about slavery via the Passion Conference and its partnering organizations and because of the tugging of their hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is said that there are up to 27 million slaves worldwide who are caught in wide-ranging forms of slavery. Slavery remains in this world, and millions of men, women, and children are forced into this terrible pattern which many of us turn our eyes from. I had no clue that slavery was still taking place as of approximately a year ago, and many are in the same boat that I was in. I didn't doubt for a second the testimonies of those who spoke at the Passion Conference, but after talking with several friends who carried on conversations with a freed woman and after later hearing another horrifying and powerful story of rescue from sex slavery, I realized that there is no excuse for those who have heard and remain in doubt. Sadly, some refuse to recognize that this is a reality that not only the church must stop but the world and its leaders must, as well. Christians must pray to God, asking what they can and should do. The rest of the world must wake up as well and get serious about caring about the lives of people. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We must rapidly begin the shift from a 'thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented' society."
Awareness alone is a key factor in putting a stop to slavery. Studies have shown that awareness truly does make a difference for important causes. The *End It Movement, founded and funded by a few groups involved with the Passion Conference, is a campaign that will be taking place over the next few months and is simply a movement with the purpose of spreading awareness about modern-day slavery. Our world must unite to end this disgusting element of society once and for all, and many organizations involved with the Passion Conference and the End It Movement believe that this generation of young adults has the ability and the ambition it takes. I have an obligation to do what I can where I am at this point in my life, and I want to make it known to as many as I can what's going on. If you feel led to donate to the End It Movement and its **partnering organizations, you can go to the following link to do so: https://secure.enditmovement.com/give/. No matter what your position is geographically, spiritually, or financially, it is important that we put an end to slavery. Donating is a way to help to do this. The key is to help spread awareness. That's what the End It Movement is here to do. A fabulous and easy way to spread awareness right where you are is by going to http://enditmovement.com/ and downloading the free digital tool kit at the bottom of the page, which includes things such as social skins and helpful educational tools. Also if you have the extra money and want to spread awareness further on your school campus, across your city, in your church, or anywhere you think of you may also purchase the action kit online as well, which includes stuff like buttons, stickers, and posters. April 9 is coming around the corner and is the official Shine a Light on Slavery Day. Slavery will not end on its own and telling those around is the first step in putting an end to it.
*The Passion Conference was started in Austin, Texas, by Louie Giglio and Jeff Lewis in 1997 and continues to take place in the home of the Georgia Falcons in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Passion is also known as the 268 Generation, which roots from Isaiah 26:8 from the Bible, which reads, "Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." Books, CDs, and other 268 merchandise is available at http://268store.com/store/, and more information about the 268 Generation can be found at http://www.268generation.com/3.0/.
*Louie Giglio is a well-known author, speaker, and pastor at the Passion City Church (http://www.passioncitychurch.com/2.0/#/) in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his wife, Shelley Giglio, also head up sixstepsrecords (http://www.sixstepsrecords.com/), which is the small record label of famous artists such as Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and Christy Knockels.
*The End It Movement is a campaign with the sole purpose of shining a light on slavery. More information about the End It Movement (and its partnering organizations [**see below]) can be found at its website http://enditmovement.com/ or also by searching the web and social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (#enditmovement).
**The End It Movement has several partnering organizations which are involved in spreading awareness of modern day slavery, getting producers and consumers involved in helping to put an end to slavery today, rescuing thousands of men, women, and children from slavery by partnering with police stings worldwide, recovery and therapy for women and children around the world who have been victims of sex-trafficking, and much more.
--Polaris Project "One of the leading organizations in the fight against modern-day slavery, they transform the way the world responds to human trafficking."
--Made in a Free World "Provides businesses and consumers solutions to remove slavery from supply chains. Using the free market to free people."
--Free the Slaves "Helping slaves break free and stay free in global trafficking hotspots, while changing systems that allow slavery to exist."
--The 21 Campaign "Prevents trafficking through awareness and education, protects those who have been trafficked, and prosecutes traffickers."
--International Justice Mission (IJM) "Lawyers, investigators, and aftercare professionals work with local officials to rescue victims, prosecute perpetrators, and protect the poor."
--Love 146 "Works to abolish child trafficking and exploitation through prevention and aftercare while contributing to a growing abolition movement."
--Not for Sale "Using work on the ground and in mainstream supply chains, they target the root causes of slavery while equipping the movement for freedom."
No comments:
Post a Comment