There are currently over 27 million people enslaved around the world.
This might seem like an outrageous statistic, but it is shockingly true. Earlier this afternoon I had conversation with a coworker who’s coordinating a mission trip to work with female victims of sex trafficking. It was at this moment I extemporaneously spurted out a statement which I believe stands true to injustice. With all the pain and suffering slavery throws into our world, there’s a triumphant opening for ministry and reconciliation. That’s where heroic bodies like International Justice Mission (IJM), World Vision, and The Polaris Project come in for a landing. As former President of Lipscomb University’s IJM Campus Chapter, I’m the most familiar with International Justice Mission’s work against the darkness of slavery and human trafficking, which brings me to an noble, innovative project known as “5 Weeks For Freedom.” This summer, IJM is sponsoring a cycling team of dedicated justice seekers as they peddle their way along the trail of the Underground Railroad. The team departed a historic slave port in Mobile, AL several weeks ago and they’ve been riding through triple digit temperatures and high humidity ever since, recruiting people to cause of combatting slavery at every stop. This weekend the justice cyclers made their stop in Music City to continue the campaign.
The riders arrived on Friday, July 9th to find a welcoming group of excited supporters. The following night, IJM hosted Freedom Night at Belmont Church so the riders could share testimonies and experiences from the road. Along with a great Q & A session, the folks at IJM scored musical artists Christa Wells and Derek Webb to perform. Trust me, they were amazing. Afterward, there as a presentation of IJM’s most recent film At The End of Slavery (narrated by Danny Glover). A large crowd came out to support the event, which was very encouraging. The riders are aiming to raise more awareness at every stop, along with raising funds to combat the injustice of slavery. Their goal is to raise over $1,000,000 this summer which will go to fuel IJM’s efforts across the globe.
As rider Margie Gordner paraphrased it -Yeah, it’s hard. But when it gets tough, I just think about young girls being forced into brothels. I would much rather be peddling up this hill than working in a brothel.
And so they peddle on. The journey will continue until the cyclers reach their final destination in Buffalo, NY which is just over 700 miles away. Don’t believe me? Check the mapquest. To learn more about 5 Weeks For Freedom and the riders, check out their website. Please keep the riders, along with victims of injustice around the world, in your prayers. This is just one example of how people are standing up against injustice in the name of Christ.
As IJM CEO & Founder Gay Haugen put it, there’s good news about injustice – God is against it.
Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
To see the crash course video of Freedom Night, click here!