I have increasingly found myself straddling the tension between fundamental-evangelicalism and liberal protestantism.

This tension is so painful to be in quite often because both sides have so much beauty to offer one another! But, instead of recognizing and celebrating the diversity of God reflected from both, each side tries to demean the other and convince them that they are right, that the other is wrong.

Stalemate.

Liberals: You hurt less people, but you get less good done because you argue about the complexity.

Conservatives: You do a lot of good works, but you hurt people more because you fail to see the complexity.

You are both beautiful. You are both brutal.

Sweeping generalities aside, I don’t want to undermine the tension at stake here. At the heart of it is differences between how the Bible is read, interpreted and treated within their respective communities.

This is a big deal. Hugely formative in every aspect of a believer’s life.

But, I can’t help but see all the work awaiting the hands of Jesus’ followers and wonder if those healing hands are being busied with arguments of theology at the expense of the mercy, justice and compassion.

Is it possible to trust that God is leading each party to the conclusion they are calledto conclude? Is it possible to see that through Paul’s vision of parts of the body? Is it possible to work together, in spite of these deeply theological differences? Can we admit that neither party has a greater or better idea of God’s opinions than the other? Can we admit that faith is belief in what is unseen and that God is beyond our best guesses, even when we are reading the bible?

If we can’t agree to work together and to trust, in spite of deeply, deeply divisive theologies, than we are undermining the witness of the Holy Spirit to this world.

If we can, it will be the most powerful work of God this world can witness.

What will we choose?

When I first started graduate school at Loyola, I used the analogy of a feast I want to, but can’t possibly consume.

I’d like to continue that metaphor in relation to studying at the University of Chicago. The feast is still central in the analogy, but at UofC, I must consume it all, provide an insightful analysis of how each taste blends well with each dish within a course and then create another menu for a different feast that features shades of the first feast, but created with an entirely different ingredient, spice and particular plating. Within 24 hours. In Greek. Yesterday.

:)

The International Justice Mission.

I have been inspired by their mission but I increasingly am disturbed by individuals who post various links, host fund-raisers and altogether be gung-ho about what this organization is doing.

Don’t get me wrong, they are doing a lot of wonderful things! I just think that if you are in America and you are passionate about IJM and the issue of human trafficking, you need to supplement your efforts with ones regarding the issue of immigration.

The path that took me from Iowa to Chicago was guided by figuring out how to best work with individuals who are involved in human trafficking*. That plumb line eventually revealed this: if I want to effectively deal with eliminating human trafficking in the US (and abroad), I need to get involved in immigration issues and I need to realize that it is not. very. simple.

I acknowledge that it is my personal preference to be involved in activities within my own culture** and generally, tend to prefer a focus of my present context with a lens of globalization and understanding that work in my backyard has an increasingly worldwide impact.

With that being said, reason number one why those who are interested in human trafficking need to also be interested in the issue of US immigration:

+ Apart from the domestic trafficking that occurs (i.e. United States citizens being “trafficked” into slavery), the majority of individuals trafficked into and within the United States are individuals with citizenship elsewhere (i.e. immigrants) (TIP Report).

Redundant reason number two:

+ There is a lot of hype around sex trafficking. It is horrible, it needs to be stopped. However, the majority of human trafficking in the United States actually happens in the service/labor division. Think: domestic service, agriculture, manufacturing, janitorial services, hotel services, hospitality industries, construction, health and elder care. And most (not all) of the people in these industries are individuals with citizenship elsewhere (i.e. immigrants) (TIP Report).

Reason number three: Anecdote

For more information on some specific cases, check out this fantastic organization. Or, think of this example: Loyola University Chicago’s food service workers have recently unionized. For a long time, there was a contingent of Chinese workers who had recently moved to Chicago (i.e. immigrants) to work and who were refusing to unionize. After they did, it was discovered that they were being paid substantially less than other workers and were told that if they unionized, they would be fired. Trafficking, or something close to it, is right on our front doors.

Thus, if you are passionate about “alleviating human trafficking” (which, what exactly does “to alleviate” mean, here?) in the United States, it is important to also be involved in immigration issues because it the lack of immigration reform means that these individuals are more vulnerable to being trafficked in the US.

I think the crux of my frustration is that people host passionately-optimistic (and absolutely well-intended) IJM awareness campaigns and fund-raisers because it is common to think, “This is all we can do.” However, once you see that immigration and human trafficking are inextricably combined, you will see that there is a TON of work that you can do! For example:

+ Does your state have any legislation about human trafficking? Who is receiving the funding to implement these measures in your state and what are they doing? Is there even funding allocated? Do this research, see how it is connected with immigration law and visit the organizations that are supposed to be implementing the law - are they? What are you going to do to encourage them to do so?

+ Where are you purchasing your goods from? How do they rank on the Better World Shopper? Have you researched the treatment of their workers (from their manufacturers to customer service representatives)? Or even, what meat-packing plant in Iowa packed your meat? Go visit. Ask to talk to the newest hire on the ground. This is tough as it will take a drastic lifestyle change, but it is possible! It just means we give up a measure of convenience.

+ Who are the service workers in the businesses you frequent? How are they being treated? Do they know what rights they have and are they receiving them? What type of relationships have you built with the chef of the restaurant you frequent, the hotel staff at the place you stay, the construction workers that are putting a new roof on your neighbor’s home? Or, who is your neighbor? Another middle-class white person or an immigrant with a story? How can you use your privilege and power to redistribute it and protect those who are vulnerable to trafficking right next door?

I’m not saying stop supporting IJM, but what I am saying is that efforts done in the name of human trafficking need to be supplemented by immigration activism such as:

+ thoughtful consumerism

+ awareness of those who serve you and whether or not their rights are being upheld and their vulnerabilities protected

+ conscientiousness of where you choose to live and who you choose to spend time with

+ the expenditure of time and energy towards creating change within a massively broken system of government.

As you do this, working on behalf of immigrants/migrants, you will find that you are also working towards a less enslaved world.

…

*I intentionally don’t say victims and I also don’t only include the survivors when discussing the issue of “alleviating human trafficking.” The stories are varied, but there can be a cyclical effect as survivors become perpetrators. Also, I don’t like the unexpressed assumption that only survivors are in need of help and that perpetrators only need to pay fines and spend time in a correctional facility.

**As I think there is some neocolonialism that exists when ex-pats go to other countries and try to “get things done” the white, American way (yes, the practice of “justice” has cultural nuances and no, not all ex-patriots do this; there are some wonderfully thoughtful people and organizations out there - you rock!). I would not accuse IJM of being totally neocolonial, though, as they do a decent job recruiting, training and empowering individuals from the countries that they serve to work within those countries.