Go Beyond

For the past several years, the people of Kingsland have been actively engaged on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking. We have invested substantial financial resources as well as untold numbers of volunteer hours in a variety of justice partnerships and initiatives. This morning, our justice ministry hosted our Fifth Annual Just Run for a Just Cause — designed to raise awareness about human trafficking and the plight of the oppressed. More than 1000 people from our church and community showed up to participate in our 5k and 10k run and 1 mile family walk.

I was especially glad to see all of the families with children of all ages that participated in this morning’s Just Run. One of my favorite songs is entitled “By Our Love” by singer Christy Nockels. One of the verses of the song says, “Children, you are hope for justice, stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above. You will be reaching, long after we’re gone, and they will know you by your love!” If we teach our children about justice today, then it’s possible that they will become champions who will come to the aid of those who will suffer oppression in the next generation. If we fail to teach our children about justice, then future generations will suffer.

As part of our efforts to educate our community about human trafficking, we set up our justice wall —a display that stretched sixty-feet across our parking lot. Each panel in the wall sequentially illustrates the story of how young girls are trafficked and how those who champion justice come to their aid. Over the past months we have loaned our wall to other groups who have used this massive display to educate others about human trafficking. For many today, the story on the wall was their first exposure to the truth about a reality they may never see — the dark world of human trafficking.

I am grateful for Paul Crandall, our Recreation Pastor, and to Kingsland member and race coordinator Rebecca Kratz. They did an amazing job of mobilizing an army of volunteers and coordinating a thousand details to make this year’s race a huge success. I am also grateful to be a part of a church that refuses to be silent about human trafficking, that invests financial and human resources to speak and work on behalf of those who have no voice, and that is determined to stay on the front lines of this battle.

The most convicting thing on our justice wall is a quote by abolitionist William Wilberforce: “You may choose to look the other way but you can never again say that you did not know.” We refuse to look the other way. And we are determined to do all that we can to make a difference. We understand that if we are absent from the front lines of this battle, many will continue to suffer unimaginable horrors. We also understand that we cannot fight this battle alone and are committed to supporting and undergirding the work of our local and international justice partners. Thanks to all who participated and who worked behind scenes to make our Fifth Annual Just Run for a Just Cause a success.