Unbound Issue 2 | Page 5

began to dig around where the thorn bush had been . “ If we leave it here , then we will never have a healthy garden . The work we do would have been for nothing . We would only be allowing our bounty to be snuffed out by the thorns .”
They tore the roots from the ground . Cut them off . Soaked them in water . The next day , they did it again . Every day moving around to the different damaged areas . Killing off the roots of what would cause the destruction .
The work was hard . Exhausting . Painful . It seemed to be never ending .
But it was important work . It was good work . Better work than just planting the garden and hoping for the best . No , this work would save the garden before it was even sewed . “ Is it time to plant yet ?” a child asked . “ Almost ,” the mother answered . “ We just need to be sure the roots are destroyed completely . We must be more persistent than the thorn bush . We will win . It simply takes much work .”
The father checked the roots . They were destroyed . They would not return . The thorn bush had been defeated . He tilled the soil . Checked to make sure it was healthy . The family carefully planted the seeds .
New roots grew under the surface . Roots that would produce great fruit . Life sustaining fruit . The family knew that they had done a good thing . The right thing . They anticipated a beautiful harvest .
Yet they were still mindful . Watchful . Aware that the land was fragile and needed to be protected . And they were willing and prepared to do just that .

The Power of a nonfiction

Thought

By Adam Ferguson
I was hanging out with friends a few weeks ago . Like many talks , the conversation bounced around for a bit but , eventually , we centered on the topic of emotionally draining jobs , family problems , and issues in the world . At one point , one of my friends commented that thinking too much about all of the bad things in our jobs , our lives , and in the world can easily become overwhelming .
I have to admit it is difficult to shut off my brain from thinking about the suffering of others . I just read an article that another 16 year old was sold for sex in a town close to where I live . Trafficking is a problem across the globe and across the street . And , now more than ever , we are exposed to the facts . It is easy to become trudged down in contemplating the violence people can afflict on others . With so much information at our disposal , how do we learn to guard our hearts from the evils of this world ? However , we cannot turn a blind eye . We cannot refuse to pay attention .
Human trafficking grabs my heart in a different way than other issues . I know that others have been affected like I am . We ’ ve all heard or read any number of
stories that expose the evils of trafficking . Farm labor without pay in America , child soldiers in Africa , brothels in India . The faces of human trafficking are everywhere . They all differ and yet they are all similar . All of the victims are human beings .
Because of celebrities like Liam Neeson , Demi Moore , and Julia Ormond , the issue of human trafficking has gained recognition and received air time . The cause is certainly stimulating discussion . With all the attention and celebrities backing the cause of Abolition , the focus needs to include prevention . In order to do this , we need to adjust our mindset . We need to consider how prevention looks different in India as compared to West Michigan . We need to think about where our efforts are most needed , the place where our talents can best be utilized .
If that means that we host fund raisers for a safe house in Cambodia , then we should do that . Or that we collect clothing for a home which shelters survivors of trafficking in our hometown , then we should do that . Or , we could support those who go into the schools and teach kids how to avoid
traffickers and what to do should one of their friends fall victim to this crime .
In addition to being thoughtful about our involvement in preventing human trafficking , we need to have a unified front . We all saw the backlash of opposing viewpoints upon the release of the KONY 2012 film released by the organization , Invisible Children . The discord distracted from the effort to assist children who are abused , raped and forced to kill by the Lord ’ s Resistance Army . Instead , the focus was on controversy . This must be avoided if we are to make a significant difference in the cause for prevention .
We have many organizations at our fingertips . Great people who have blazed trails , leading the way in the fight for freedom and prevention of human trafficking . If we sincerely think through what we purchase , the causes we support , and the actions we take - we can make a difference . It is very possible to thoughtfully and intentionally chip away at the atrocity that is human trafficking .
The important thing is not that we talk about what we can do . But that we actually do something .
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