Black Thursdays in Busan

To whom much is given, so much more is expected. Today, let us be mindful of these words as we clothe our bodies in black, in solidarity with women who have been raped and stripped of much; their basic human rights and dignity. 

As we commemorate this first Thursday in Black at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, South Korea let us reflect deeply on this injustice in the world.

Let us be compelled to action, to speak up on behalf of the voiceless and those unable to speak for themselves. (Proverbs 31:8-9) Let us be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. 

Around the world women and children are falling victim and prey to the most overt form of slavery in modern history - human trafficking in the sex trade. It is happening right under our noses and next door to us and sadly, their cries go unheard and their pain goes unseen as their lives are destroyed and snuffed out. 

So for today, the following days in Busan and when we depart for our home countries, let us invest in mission trips to encourage and build up women who have been raped and abused. Let us volunteer, contribute and partner in prayer with global organizations like the A21 campaign who are rescuing women from the sex slave trade. 

Let us pause in silence to hear the cries of our sisters and children in Albania, Amsterdam, Hamburg, India, Macedonia, Moldova, London, Paris, Russia and Velesta who are living in modern slavery.