Revd. Sven-Gunnar Lidén, picture by Erica Stenlund

Our columnists: Human Trafficking makes women into a Thing

The woman who was a sinner: Deut 21: 10-14

She was lowest of the low, a captured slave woman. And the Bible says: You are not to treat her as a Commodity. In the original Hebrew the meaning is Merchandise. The message from the Old Testament is to not see any human being as an object, as a Thing. As something you can use for your own pleasure and then throw away. It is all about dignity and good relationship.

Human Trafficking makes human beings, women and children into a Thing, a Commodity to be moved around without any care for their own will, hopes and dreams. Those are of no importance to the trafficker, or to the person using them for their own pleasure. The method used is to take away all the identity and self-esteem so the person in themselves will accept they are a not worth anything better than this. That’s why sex buyers want to say that the women do it voluntarily sometimes.

What does Jesus say about this? Another woman, a whore and a perceived sinner, washed his feet (as told in Luke 7:36 – 49). His Pharisee host hadn’t shown him that respect, as he should have done for his guest. But this woman did. And Jesus raised her up. He saw her as a person, not a slave, an object or merchandise, and he gave her back her dignity and identity as a human being.

Then an amazing thing happens. Jesus does the same thing, not long after. In John 13:1-17 Jesus follows her example and washes the feet of the disciples. This recalls the action of the prostitute, as Jesus acts on the same level with the same purpose. That was strange for the disciples and they complained about it. Maybe they were afraid of being forced to do the same. But he made the point clear. If you are a true believer, make yourself a servant and be equal to those in need. Luk 22:25-26 Jesus tells the disciples to follow his example, be a servant and grant every human being the right to be treated with respect.

To be a “sinner” is not something bad and degrading really. God really cares for us and his Grace is available to make anyone free! To confess our sin is to open the door to become a person, and not an object in the world of perpetrators. And that door is open for everyone, the trafficked person, the pimp, the client, even the priest.

Revd. Sven-Gunnar Lidén,

Senior Pastor of the Soedermalm Baptist Church of Stockholm Master of Social Science at the University of Stockholm Coordinator for Swedish Baptist Union and European Baptist Federation Network against Trafficking Advisor at National Council of Churches of Sweden in the Area of Trafficking Partner in "Cooperation against Trafficking" in Sweden

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TAGS: Sven-Gunnar Revd. Sven-Gunnar Lidén Human Trafficking trafficker Cooperation against Trafficking

[03/06/2010]

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