“Not For Sale” written by Dave Batstone is a book that launched “The Campaign to End Slavery in Our Lifetime.”

“[It] exposes the alarming rise of one of the great moral crises of the day, human slavery. His well-written accounts of victims and survivors will inspire you to join the growing twenty-first century abolitionist movement.” – Ambassador John Miller, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

This You Tube interview is important to watch. When you’ve seen the video come back and make your comment to raise awareness of this terrible wrong.

Take the time to watch it and begin to engage your church. (At bottom of link page)

People love stories, whether in movies, on television, or at the theatre. Everyone loves a story. Little children endlessly say, “Tell me a story.”

One finds the scriptures endlessly laced with stories. Embedded in them are profound theological truths and lessons and very often directly the evangelistic content of the gospel.

The story has appeal because it is like real life. Most people do not experience life as a set of ideas or abstractions, but live out the lives they have to, having experiences, and then thinking about them. Our listeners will identify with such stories and say, “Yes, that’s just like me.” Cliff’s story helped me!

Cliff helped me understand my deep relationship with Jesus. Being able to tell stories is important because our communication theories demand new ways of breaking through to the minds of young people who are over-stuffed and glutted with information.

People in our times have become accustomed through the media to a world of story rather than educational or moralistic teaching. Whether a soap opera is on video, television, film, movie, or radio drama, they all come to us through story and their messages are brought through story.

All this reminds us that we have to look at our communication methodologies to ensure that we are not dull, predictable, or plain irrelevant. Even more important, it calls upon us to be stoytellers so that the impact of the gospel will be experienced by those who don’t know Jesus.

Thanks to Leighton Ford…

She deeply loved her father and her family, particularly her father who encouraged her so much in her life. On the hand, she deeply loved her Indonesian sisters who were subjugated by the social and religious laws of the time. Two diametrically opposed duties by the same name… Love!

For Kartini, the suffering of Javanese women reached a pinnacle when the world was reduced to the walls of their houses; and they were prepared for a polygamous marriage.

Kartini expressed criticisms about religion. She questioned why religious teachings must be memorised and recited without an obligation to actually understand it.

Kartini became an inspiration to many through her letters. Although she died at the age of 25, she is a national heroine of Indonesia.

An excerpt of a letter written on September 4, 1901…

“There are hours when the tortured human heart, torn with doubt, cries,”My God, what is my duty?” – seeing two duties which directly oppose and antagonize each other. Yet how can two things that are diametrically opposed be called by the same name?

“Stay,” says a voice behind me, “Surrender your own wishes and longings to the will of him (her father) who is dear to you, and to whom you are dear; the struggle has been good, for it has served to strengthen and ennoble your own spirit. Stay!” And, then again, I hear another voice ever loud and clear which says: “Go, work for the realization of your ideals; work for the future; work for the good of thousands who are bent beneath the yoke of unjust laws, who have a false conception of good and evil. Go suffer and fight. Your work will be for all time!”

Which is the higher duty, the first or the last?

My heart almost broke once, when, as we stood opposed to each other, Father clasped me in his arms, and in a voice trembling with emotion said, “Must it be so, child? Is there no other way? Must it be?” And we stayed there, heart pressed to heart, looking into each other’s eyes. That was a heavy time, as heavy as a time can well be on this earth.”

Kartini must have been a beautiful person. Like so many Indonesians of today.

If we take Jesus at his word, if we are doing God’s work we are gifted with power God, . Now! In this world! Imagine if every person who holds themselves out as a Christian, followed Scott’s example. We would see transformation in this country like we’ve never seen it before.

Politics will never solve the problems of the world because politics is essentially about self-interest, power and division. Jesus’ power lies in the force of love and grace. 

When will people in the world see our Christ-like behaviour; in the fashion Jesus wants us to show it?

In fact, there must be millions of acts of Christ-like kindness done every day in this country.

Will you help us to spread these inspiring stories? Help us to build community transformation, which is inspired by love and grace.

Join me in the blog.