Jaycee Lee Dugard and her neighbors

At the time of the end (happening now in my opinion) the bible says that evil will rise and men will become accustomed to it, failing to defend honor, promote good, and protect children. We see this now with just a few of the latest news stories.

When you think of human trafficking, and child slavery, most Americans think of that song about One Night in Bangkok, sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek denunciation of the city's moral corruption. Let me assure you that child slavery is not only in some far-off exotic country, it is in America. Here is one intro in a recent news story:

Human trafficking
Why is that human trafficking is so pervasive and yet so misunderstood? Why do we assume that it's really an "overseas" issue? Why do most people think of Cambodia or Thailand when the words "human trafficking" are uttered? It's not because it does not exist here in the United States--we know it does. As a matter of fact, the numbers are astounding: the sex trade is a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide. UNICEF estimates that approximately 1 million children around the world unwillingly become sex slaves every year. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there are 200,000 U.S. citizens yearly, mainly children and young women, who are at high risk of being trafficked throughout the U.S for sexual purposes.

Shocked? I was. But in America?? Surely at the fringes, far away. It surely cannot be in my own Georgian backyard? Yes. It can.

Domestic Human Trafficking
Human trafficking has become a major concern specifically in Georgia for a number of reasons. First, Atlanta, Georgia is home to Hartsfield International Airport which is a central connection for most domestic and international flights. As such, traffickers are able to traffic a large volume of their victims both internally and internationally to and from Atlanta, Georgia. Second, Georgia has a large immigrant population that is undocumented. As such, traffickers are able to prey on these victims by extracting forced labor, domestic servitude and sexual services without any fear that the victims will contact the police department or immigration. Finally, Atlanta, Georgia is infamous for its large sex industry. Strip clubs, prostitution, and escort services are abundant. Consequently, all these reasons work together to create the perfect climate for human trafficking in Atlanta, Georgia.

The "perfect climate." If satan was giving the weather forecast, he would indeed declare this time and these places as having a perfect climate ... for evil. I wrote before how we as a nation and a world fail to cherish our children. And worst of all, when we suspect they are in trouble, in our own backyards, we do nothing. Read in this news article regarding the child kidnapped by a child molester and whose re-discovery and reunion with her parents took place this week 18 years later:

Neighbor Diane Doty said she could see the tents and often heard children playing in the backyard, the corner of which abuts her own backyard. She said she even suspected the children lived in the tents, but her husband said she should leave the family alone.

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." Mt 24:12. How can anyone live next to a child molester for 18 years, hear children playing in the yard, and do nothing? How can this event not exemplify the times of love gone cold that Jesus said would come?

We must stand in the gap. We must be advocates for the innocent, the downtrodden, the vulnerable. James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Just because the times are upon us does not mean we come to a standstill, waiting for the forces of darkness to overwhelm and eventually praying for rescue through death or rapture. No! We must do more, not less. We must do all we can, tirelessly, right up until the end. Pray for Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to you in greater quantity and to give you deep discernment. A child is waiting for one adult, one advocate ... to hear their cry.