Acclimation

“…I have gotten used to it.”

Such a statement proves why context means everything. If one were to say that in the context of preparing to run a marathon, I wouldn’t really give it much emotional reaction. But, if one were to say it in context of being a child prostitute…

To say that ‘forced’ prostitution is despicable is an understatement. But, in the case of this article, the issue is compounded all the more by the fact that these young girls are knowingly and willingly selling their bodies in order to provide for their families.

The worst part isn’t really the fact that child prostitution is on the rise in Kenya, for it existed long before the election mess. The worst part isn’t even the circumstances that lead to a 14 year-old girl being put into the situation where she must decide if she wants to provide for her family by selling her body, or watch as her family dies slowly of starvation. No, the worst part is seeing (or reading) the reactions that people have to the problem.

According to the article, the mayor of the city in the article started to crack down when he heard that there were girls as young as 12 in this business. WHAT?!? Is there some kind of magical age line after which you become obligated to crack down on child prostitution? This has always been a problem in Kenya…why the crackdown now? Why wasn’t there already an effort underway before this whole election thing happened?

Even more telling is what the mayor actually said: “This is a business we cannot allow. They have to find alternative means of survival. This prostitution will definitely lead to an increase in the spread of AIDS, and many parents will lose their children.”

Now, maybe it’s due to an insufficient grasp of the language in general…or only an excerpt of a more complete statement. But in those three sentences, I see so many things that anger me.

1) “This is a business we cannot allow.” – That’s it? That’s the harshest language you could muster up in your justification to ‘crackdown’ on child prostitution? I could thing of so many more ways to not only condemn the practice, but to also say that I will do my best to end it.

2) “They have to find alternative means of survival.” – So much for compassion. There is absolutely nothing in that sentence that gives me the notion that this man even cares about the children. It’s more like he views the children as a nuisance…or that he blames them for starting the problem in the first place. He obviously can’t be referring to the pimps (or whatever) because those people don’t go into child prostitution out of desperation for survival. They go into it for greed. And, the tone of the whole thing sort of approaches the situation from an almost apathetic sense…he just wants the child prostitution to end, but he could care less about the reasons why it’s becoming a problem in the first place: there are no jobs for the adults and no schools for the kids.

3) “This prostitution will definitely lead to an increase in the spread of AIDS…” – Is that all? That’s the worst consequence you can think of?

4) “…and many parents will lose their children.” - Again...is that all he can think of to say?

All this makes me wonder…how did this man become the mayor? Although, if the aftermath of the recent elections in Kenya is any indicator, the political scene in Kenya leaves much to be desired.

But, the most devastating reaction comes not from the mayor but from a 14 year-old girl. For one so young, she has such a jaded outlook on life that it hurts to read what she says:

“At first, this job was torture to me. Sleeping with these men is terrible, and sometimes they are rough and hurt me. But with time, I have gotten used to it.” – Janet Kimani

“…I have gotten used to it.” There is absolutely no hope in those words. No hope for a better life…apart from prostitution. No hope…only a resigned acceptance of her occupation. There’s no embarrassment, no shame, nothing.

-Matt
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If you missed the link at the beginning, here's a link to the article to which I am referring.

Dateline NBC: Update

Update: Child victims of sex trade in Cambodia

SOLD: Thailand Documentary Screening

I went out to Fuller Seminary is Pasadena tonight to see SOLD Thailand, a screening/first cut of a documentary regarding child prostitution across Thailand. The film was made by an organization called The Sold Project, and more information can be found at thesoldproject.org

In the summer of 2007, seven young people (under 30) journeyed through Thailand with its sole purpose to film a documentary exposing the plight of children trapped by prostitution.

The documentary states that sex tourism is the country's number one form of income. That statement alone is mind-boggling. As with other similar documentaries, Sold Thailand shows the vulnerability of young children because of 1) how poor a large amount of the population is and 2) the demand of sex.

It's simple, if the demand wasn't there, there wouldn't be as much devastation as there currently is right now. This hour. This minute. This second. But because Thailand has become the capital for sex tourism, people flock from all over the globe. The documentary hinted at this statement in their intro by showing older Caucasian men with young Thai girls.

The documentary was definitely engaging due to the fact that the topic for me is always engaging. Other documentaries have gone more in-depth in reporting, but this was a creative expression of four lives that either were dramatically altered or potentially could have.

With thousands of young children on the street due to broken homes, rebellious attitudes, or a lack of fundamental support, these thousands of children are now potential victims to be sold. One interview described that the street children are either sleeping on the streets, have gone back home, or in a room with a foreigner. Brutal.

The documentary does give hope though with numerous aid workers volunteering their lives to protect lives. Whether its working to help fund scholarships to help students stay in school to keep them out of city brothels, or helping Burmese not fall into the snares of prostitution because of their lack of documentation, light still shines. In the midst of darkness there is till hope, and there still is Christ working in people.

-Geoff Kutnick

God of Justice (pt.2): Justice Unfailing

Almost three months ago, I started a multi-part examination into the Biblical reasoning behind my participation in R100F100. It’s taken longer than I originally planned to get to part 2, but later is better than never.

As with all arguments rooted in logic, as opposed to rooted in emotion, the conclusion is pointless if the supporting arguments are not valid, or if they’re not accepted. Also, it only makes sense to build upon previous arguments in order to reach the conclusion, unless offering useless points is the goal.

So, everything that follows is based upon the assumption that God is a God of justice, and that injustice is anything that takes away from the glory of God…

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We know that every human is a sinner (Romans 3:23). We know that sin is when we take glory that belongs to God and ATTEMPT to give it to ourselves (Romans 1:22-23). Injustice covers the earth.

But, as God is a God of justice, and justice being part of the character of God, injustice CANNOT prevail else God would not be God. For justice to be part of the character of God, and if God is the supreme authority in the universe, it stands that ALL of God’s character (His mercy, grace, love, justice, etc.) must be preeminent. In other words, injustice has no chance of winning, and all injustice, eventually, will be dealt with in accordance with God’s justice and wrath.

But this creates a problem for us, as sinners…as perpetrators of injustice. God’s wrath is pointed towards us (Romans 2:5, Ephesians 2:3, Colossians 3:5-6). In order to maintain justice, God must punish sin, all those offenses against His glory. There CANNOT be any leniency else God would be allowing injustice to prevail.

Imagine a hypothetical situation where I am standing before God in a court somewhere. The case is presented, and it is quite clear that I am as wicked as any human who has ever lived (which is true). And being found guilty, I must wait to hear my punishment…

“It is clearly written that the ‘wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23a). Matt is guilty of the every sin imaginable. He dedicated his life to trampling upon My glory. Consequently, he must be punished accordingly. An infinite offense can only be repaid through an infinite punishment. So, Matt is going to Hell for eternity.”

Clearly afraid, I beg and plead with God to forgive me and to spare me from my punishment…

There are two options: either the punishment gets paid and justice is maintained, or the punishment is voided and injustice prevails. God cannot, according to His character, allow me to go free, so the second option is out. The only option left, there must be payment for my sins.

But, we know, as Christians, that freedom (eternal life) has been given to us (Romans 6:23b). And as the saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a ‘free lunch.’” In offering completely free salvation, God would lose any ability to claim that justice prevails. This cannot happen, and so we know that the salvation that God holds out to us is ‘free’ only in the sense that WE don’t have to pay. Romans 6:23c lays out the means by which our ‘free’ gift was purchased…Jesus Christ. It’s amazing to see such a weighty truth packed into one short verse.

This is made even clearer in Romans 3:25-26. The reason for Christ’s sacrifice is so that God can maintain His justice in the seemingly simple task of justification. Without the sacrifice, justification would be impossible.

In the midst of such weighty truths, it is impossible not to feel overwhelmed. How great is God’s love for us? How infinite Christ’s obedience? How great the sacrifice? How precious the blood? How priceless the result? One can easily imagine, after understanding this, why Paul breaks out in to praise at the end of Romans 11. One can easily imagine why Paul and Silas would break out into song while in chains (Acts 16). One can easily imagine why Christians all throughout history, and even today, stand firm in their faith to the point of death. It is impossible to come away from this without praising and thanking God for who He is and for all He’s done. And even then, we’ve barely even scratched the surface.

In sending His Son to die for us, God made way not only for us to be saved, but for us to glimpse even a tiny sliver of His infinite glory. And where God’s glory is magnified and praised, justice is unfailing.

-Matt

Instead of a Show

I was getting my fill of Switchfoot and Jon Foreman today and I saw that Jon's new EP, Summer, is out. When I heard, "Instead of a Show," it reminded me of our earliest bible studies together. Let me know what you think.

http://www.myspace.com/jonforeman

The Many Faces of Injustice

The word 'humanitarian' usually evokes images of charity, generosity, and other things, mainly people helping people. Who would ever have thought that the very people sent to help those in need would be the very ones to perpetrate injustice.

CNN Article

Oppression Enemies

Oppression Enemies, by Sharon Cohn

http://www.urbana.org/_articles.cfm?recordid=1178

God of Justice (pt.1): What is Injustice?

Injustice is most often defined by whiners and complainers.

"That's not fair."

"All my friends do it. Why can't I?"

"I shouldn't be punished for that."

...blah blah blah. Hypothetical this. Hypthetical that.

It's no wonder that fighting for justice is an idea so skewed in our minds that either we fight for the wrong things, or we fight for the wrong reasons, or we just don't fight at all. All of this because we don't know or don't care about what injustice really is.

Preparing for my message for the UCBC lock-in got me thinking more and more as to the BIBLICAL foundation upon which R100F100 rests. In all honesty, this foundation isn't something that existed until the past couple of years, at least for me. Back in February 2004, justice was just a theme in CYF. Starting R100F100 was just another thing to do...another notch in the proverbial gunbelt. I could care less about figuring out what injustice really means.

But as Matthew 7:24-27 so clearly puts it, building is impossible unless there exists a solid foundation. So, if we are to continue fighting injustice, understanding the foundation is a necessary first step.

If we are to believe the Bible, that God is infintely glorious (Psalm 19:1-6, Isaiah 6:1-5), and that all glory belongs to God and God alone (Isaiah 42:8), then injustice is simply when anyone attempts to take glory for himself. In essence, ALL sin is injustice. All sin is an attempt by man to take glory away from God and to make himself like God (ala Genesis 3) or to make others like God (Romans 1:18-23). So, going back to the original issue, 'what is injustice?,' we see that injustice is NOT something as petty as my sister getting 10 jellybeans when I only got 7.

But, this definition of injustice (all sin) is far too broad for the capacity of R100F100 to fight against, not to mention impossible, unless we are God, which we're not. So, in context of R100F100, injustice takes a more specific definition. Injustice against each other.

Genesis 1, man was created in the image of God. So, when someone decides to mistreat others, it's as if they are slapping God in the face. An insult of sorts saying, 'God, I care neither for You nor for the creature that is a reflection of Your glory.' It is this form of injustice that we are struggling to fight against.

I mean 'struggle' in every sense that the word implies. Fighting injustice is hard, and when one person is stopped, a thousand more are ready to fill the void. Doesn't that sort of negate any logical reason to continue fighting? True, as long as there is sin in the world, there will always be injustice, but God loves justice (Psalm 33:5), and more often than not He uses us as the means to bring justice into the world.

We can rest firmly in the fact that, one day, injustice will be crushed, and all that remains will be God's glory. After all, God is a God of justice...

-Matt
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I had been intending, ever since the UCBC lock-in, to start writing about my thoughts as to why R100F100 should exist, from a biblical perspective. But, school happened, and I kept pushing it back. But after coming across this article on CNN.com, I figured that some things are more important than school and sleep.

Isaiah 58

I was listening to a sermon by John Piper that was really good about social justice. Here's the link, you can read it or listen to it.
Bethlehem, Break Forth Like the Dawn

The World Hunger Crisis

http://www.one.org/worldhungercrisis/

You can take action on a link at the bottom of the site and news about the hunger crisis is on the right.

Grateful Upon Returning From IJM's GPG

My time at IJM's Global Prayer Gathering in Washington DC from April 11-13 was an absolute blessing. I appreciated the fact that it wasn't a conference on how to pray or how to do justice. It was a time of reflection, family reunions (Gary Haugen calls all workers of IJM family members), much prayer and story sharing. It gave a face to the work done in IJM. The victims, the heroes, the bad guys, those behind the scenes, those that were young and old, black, yellow, green and white.

The time here showed me the value IJM has in prayer, in the ONE life rescued, and in the ONE life that God uses to help another. In sharing these stories with my wife, we both just broke down in tears - we could not help but imagine that these victims could be one of our own children.

I learned that we can indeed be gentle as a lamb and crafty as a serpent. I learned that there are places where power isn't just hoarded but can be shared and used for incredible good. I learned that you can be at the "top of your game" or profession and live it for the kingdom and for Jesus, and yet continue to be respected by your peers - even more so. I experienced how so many are doing such an incredible work in parallel to what IJM is doing. Amazing work! There's a fire to do what is right and it reminds me of the passion our own Justice League of young people have and that it will not go away.

I'm proud to be introduced to this ministry.

In reflection I am also so thankful in particular to Anne Chiu. After interning at IJM in the summer of 2003(?), she introduced us to IJM and provided the IJM bible study resource that rocked CYF and myself those many years ago. She was the one God used to open this door to us, and this will not be easily forgotten. Paradigms have been shifted, life ambitions altered and good but unsatisfying things replaced by purposeful, meaningful, "win-win" pursuits. Her heart for the right things has touched my heart to do the same.

Joy, Anne and Jason, thank you so much for paying (& and praying) the way for me to have this special experience.

Anne, me and Jason Yip in front of the

Lincoln Memorial during our Candlelight
Prayer Vigil

And I want to encourage all who get a chance to read this to consider joining the gathering next year. It really is worth your while to attend.

Small is Good

One doesn't often associate playing with a handful of kids for two hours as a means to fight for justice. I didn't either until last weekend. I had just talked an hour earlier about how God is pleased by our fighting for justice - not just in the big, flashy ways that we see celebrities doing on TV and in the news, but in the small ways like sticking up for a fellow student - when one of those small opportunities presented itself.

So, maybe it wasn't a direct act of fighting for justice. It's not as though the women and children were being oppressed by the government and that we busted in and freed them. It wasn't much. It wasn't elaborate. It wasn't even planned out. All we did was run around for the better part of two hours, but it was something.

Thinking back to God's heart for justice, He doesn't discriminate...He doesn't give priority to different types of injustice. The small is just as important to God as the big. That was a lesson that I needed to learn. One look into the eyes of a two year-old mesmerized by dozens of bubbles floating through the air and it all changed. Suddenly, it didn't matter that only four people thought it was important enough to join us. All that mattered was seeing a smile break across the face of a toddler who, the world says, has nothing to smile about.


Two hours with a handful of homeless children...just a tiny drop in the ocean. The world is still going on. And, maybe nothing has really changed, but for those two hours, something so small seemed like the biggest thing in the world, and that's all that really mattered. God is pleased with the small. Small is good.

- Matt

Global Prayer Gathering

IJM is hosting their annual Global Prayer Gathering this weekend April 11-13 in Washington DC, and we can all join!!! Daily updates will be provided if you reply to this email gpg@ijm.org and provide your name and church name you are attending.

I feel so blessed being able to attend this gathering as a GIFT! Joy Chiu, and Anne & Jason Yip have made provisions for me to go. This is something that I've always wanted to attend since I first heard about it, but being able to carve out an entire weekend was just too hard.

But God works in mysterious ways. I originally couldn't make it to this year's gathering because it coincided with our CYF Senior Retreat. But one thing led to another and the retreat was postponed. So I had a weekend carved out for ministry and no where to go! Anna gave me the green light and voila! I'll be able to meet my modern-day heroes.

I'll provide an update once I get back. And again, I'd like for all of us in the JL to consider going together next year. Check it out here: http://www.ijm.org/gpg

Eugene

Raise 100 to Free 100

Micah 6:8 - "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."