When Jesus Shuts the Door// Shine A Light on Slavery Day

“I don’t understand. Why won’t they let them in?”

I was speaking to my editor with furrowed brows and a Cheerwine.

“It goes against their religious affiliation,” she reported.

I swallowed.

“Well now I’m even more confused.”

The conversation I had with my editor today saddened me. Transgender youth were being kicked out of their homes, only to also be rejected by a homeless shelter who professes that “Jesus loves you” as they shut the door. I tried to put Jesus in that position. I tried to watch Jesus tell someone they could not have a roof over their head. And the image was utterly terrifying.

So now that even “Jesus” has kicked out transgender youth and sent them back on the streets, they have to survive. They have to give the city what it wants.

And the city wants sex.

Many of the US based organizations working with those who are trapped in human trafficking say that the disproportionate number of LGBT youth who are slaves to this crime is due to the high levels of homelessness among this community.

Today is Shine A Light on Slavery Day, and it will be kind of hard to shine that light if we don’t act as though people matter.

Last year I wrote a lead to a newspaper article about human trafficking that said: “At the 2014 Super Bowl, 50 million cases of beer were sold, more than 3,000 security guards surrounded the MetLife Stadium, 49 degrees chilled the approximate 75,000 fans, and a woman was expected to sleep with 25 to 50 men.”

And as I wrote that, I didn’t think about anyone. I didn’t think about the woman trapped in slavery. I didn’t think about the 75,000 fans who spent their time, money and pride when they decided that “football matters.” I didn’t think about the 3,000 security guards who were probably freezing and wanting to get back to a fireplace and read because their softees like that. I didn’t think about the thousands of people it took to make all that beer. All I thought about was my deadline.

In my Media and Crime class I learned that we often have this artistic way about us that separates ourselves from criminals, victims and crimes. We say “Wow, that’s awful,” and desynthesize. It makes sense, because if we were to take everything in boldly we would be miserable.

But today I challenge you to take it all in boldly, because there are people who feel boldly that Jesus’ love looks like a shut door. There are people who feel boldly that human trafficking is a Super Bowl problem and not a world problem. There are people who feel boldly that the situation they are in is forever.

One of my dad’s favorite verses is Matthew 25:35-40. Let’s live by these verses because They Matter. Let’s be active in our lives, because whatever we “do not do” to others, we also do not do to God (v. 45).

I was disheartened when I heard that followers of Christ would not open doors for people in need. But how many doors have I not opened by staying silent?