Abolish Modern-Day Slavery
I just heard from International Justice Mission, that there's a new movie coming out, Amazing Grace, that tells the story of William Wilberforce, who led the abolitionist movement in the UK (200 years ago) to abolish slavery.

Slavery is not something I think much about these days, but it does indeed happen, in very real ways and to very real people, ranging from bonded slave labor to forced prostitution and children abducted to fight in wars (read stories of freed slaves here).

When I first read about this last night, I came away with a movie I'd like to see when it comes out at the end of February. I didn't think much more about it. Then I had a dream about a little 10-year-old boy named Braden, who had been kidnapped. I tried to rescue him, but I couldn't trust any authorities. I got him out of the place, only to have him return later because of Stockholm syndrome. I work up remembering what I'd read in IJM's book Terrify No More about the importance of aftercare facilities for girls rescued from forced prostitution.

Because this doesn't happen near us, it's easy to pretend it doesn't happen. But everyone out there enslaved deserves to be free, like we are. The Amazing Change has a petition they're circulating to "call upon global leaders to commit themselves to abolition." Please take a moment to go have a look here.

Also, for anyone who attends church, there is an Amazing Grace Sunday planned on Feb. 18, to sing Amazing Grace and pray for the end of slavery.