Use Your Voice

I go to a private college. It's a statement, a fact, about me. It's part of who I am and what makes me, me. Now, this post has to do with a chapel that I recently attended. Before you zone out and think I am going to go off on a theology tangent, decide, and make up your mind, to pay attention to the post. I have something to say, and unlike most of the people in my generation, I am going to use my voice to speak up.

The pastor who came and talked at Chapel was a preacher from the Philippines. I cannot recall his name at this current point in time, but what he talked about was awesome. This pastor talked about my generation and how we have pretty much been silenced by the older generations. For example, the Jesus Movement.

 The Jesus movement was really big in North America and Europe in the 60's and 70's. The movement was awesome and a lot of people came to Christ through it. But there was something that the pastor mentioned, with this movement, there really wasn't a come as you are mentality. The bible says in  James 2:1-4, "My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in after him, and you say to the man in the suit, 'Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!' and either ignore the street person or say, 'Better sit here in the back row,' haven't you segregated God's children and proved that you are judges who cant be trusted?" In the NIV version of the bible it says that you have become, "judges with evil thoughts."

Have you ever looked at the church? They want you to cut your hair, guys, so that it isn't long and shaggy. They look at you weird when you have "too many" piercings or tattoos. The church wants to catch a fish that is already gutted and cleaned, but that is not how fishing works. Please note that I am not saying this is true about every church, because it isn't.

I recently went to a church with a friend, it was right after I returned from India. I had ankle bracelets on both ankles, just gotten my nose pierced (one of many piercings I have), I had henna all over my wrists, hands and arms. And on top of that my outfit was not necessarily what you would call a "church outfit." I was wearing bright purple jeggings, a shorter then I ever should have worn baby doll dress that didn't even cover my full bottom, and was a little low on the cleavage section and a little black jacket over it, that I left open.  My exact words as I walked in with my friend was, "they are going to think I am a heathen." I even got mean mugged as I coughed at one point.

Here is what I am saying, the church is supposed to show love, what ever happened to loving the person and hating the sin? What happened to the church accepting the person, not the sin. The church is supposed to be a hospital for the broken, not a museum for the perfect. With the mentality of having to be perfect for church the church has single handedly taken the voice away for the younger generations.

Being original may, in fact, be what causes a movement to start. I stand out and I know it. I have a voice and I know it. But, what about all the others who have been told to fit in for so long and told to be quiet for so long that they forgot they had a voice? I am sure that this has been going on for more then just my generation, but shouldn't it be time that we started telling people that they had a voice and that they should use it?

Look at it this way. If I were to stand on a street corner for a whole day and talk to anyone who walked by about sex trafficking, what do you think would happen? I am sure at least a few people may get a little intrigued and maybe even looked into the matter further. My point? I would have used my voice. One, that I have had my whole life.

I have a voice that I can use to raise awareness of the injustices in this world. You have one too. Are you using your voice? If you aren't, you should. We have been silenced by a mentality for way too long. It is time to speak up! Use your voice! Don't every think someone can take away your voice, because as long as you have your vocal cords and sound coming out of your mouth, you can use your voice to make a change. So, why not do it?

We will be using our voices to disrupt the sex trade.

Never forget you have a voice,

Nicole and Janice

P.S. Comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, share your story? Email us at askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com

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