Only 2.5 weeks before the big game and we still have divisional playoffs and the pro-bowl to watch. The Texans crashed and burned earlier in the season and my home team, the Atlanta Falcons, laid an egg in their playoff game against Green Bay. That leaves me trying to decide who I am going to root for. Out of the four teams left its tough to decide. I love Steelers' football and it would be great to see that franchise add one more title to their legacy. However, I like it that Rex Ryan talked trash all last week and then backed up what he said. The Jets want it bad and it looks like they will do what it takes to win. Put that with the fact that I would like to see Tomlinson get a ring before he retires and goes into the hall of fame and pulling for the Jets seems like fun. Then there's the NFC side. Da Bears defense is beastly and I remember the "Super Bowl Shuffle" from the 1985 Bears. As for Green Bay, they beat the Falcons which gives me reason to not cheer them on, but Rogers is fun to watch and it would be great to see him put more distance between him and the "Farve shadow" by winning in Dallas. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and I just hope it will be a good game. Ultimately, the outcome doesn't matter, but there are some things related to the big game that do. Here's one matter to consider.
Thousands of lost souls will flock to the Dallas area and they will embrace the things that lost people do. Among those will be predators who are looking for women and children to exploit for their sexual pleasure or profit. I am ashamed to say this, but the thought probably would have never crossed my mind without a friend sending me a document today that revealed statics of human trafficking in Texas and Houston in particular. Hundreds of women and children will be brought into the Dallas area so that others can pay money to do with them as they please. That takes some of the excitement out of watching the big game doesn't it?
Of course this happens every year at the Super Bowl but the awareness of this problem is being raised to a new level this year because of the game's location. In 2006, 25% of reported trafficking victims were in Texas. Our state is prime territory for the trafficking industry's 9-32 BILLION dollar annual business. Several things contribute to this. The I-10 corridor, our unsecured border, the vast size of our state, and the ability for traffickers to blend their victims into the Hispanic culture. Unfortunately, it gets even closer to home for NEHBC. The majority of the 25% of victims reported were in Houston. Our city's proximity to I-10, the Mexican border, and our port make us a prime spot for this industry. This is happening in our Jerusalem and our Judea. We cannot ignore it. So what do we do?
First of all, I'm not asking you to boycott the game like some groups are advocating. If you feel called to do that by all means do so. I will be watching the game. However, I bring this to our attention because it should matter to us. It should shake our souls and wrench our hearts with pain. Certainly this happens worldwide. Just ask our missionaries in Estonia, Tom and Jennifer. This is a major problem in Tallinn where they live. Yet it is happening at an alarming rate right outside our front doors here in Houston, TX. This is where God has placed us to live our lives and to reach the lost for Jesus. We must be aware of what is happening around us and that includes the spiritual needs of those we are called to reach. The chances of you and I encountering someone sold into slavery through human trafficking are great. I raise this issue only to open our eyes once again to the pain, suffering, and sin that is destroying lives around us. This practice violates the image of God and devalues human life which is precious to our Lord.
Second, I am simply asking you to pray for these victims and for those who exploit them for profit or pleasure. Pray for the families whose children have been kidnapped and sold or forced into this industry. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to what is happening around us and to reveal to you ways that you can help these victims or change the hearts of their abusers. Pray for the ministries at Farrington Mission as they are in a high risk area for human trafficking. This is just one of many social justice issues that we face as believers in a lost world. May God give us the wisdom and resources to face these challenges with the gospel and change lives for His glory.
