The price of a life

Read these questions slowly, then read the rest of the article and come back to these questions.

Think of the person you love most in this world, how much would you pay to save their life? What if you had to pay double that, would it be worth it? Why? Is it because you love? Do you believe we are all truly equal, or are some worth more than others? How much would you give to save the life of someone you'll never meet? What is the difference between a price on someone's life and the value of their life? Does a person only have value if you know them? Does a person only have value because of their past (which makes them who they are) or is there a value on their future as well? Would you give someone an opportunity to have a future, to have a tomorrow? Can a person with a future change the world? What if that person was Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, or Martin Luther King Jr? Can a value be put on the lives that were impacted by these people? What's the price of a human life?

Somewhere in the middle of Central Africa is a girl named Hope. Hope is under attack because she was born without skin pigment, an albino. African witch doctors believe that albino people contain supernatural properties, this leads to the killing of albino's for their skin, hair, organs and bones. Hope's sister (Sarah), also an albino, was killed last month because of this witchcraft. It's in a small house, protected only by men with machetes, that Hope hides in right now. There are organizations trying to get her out of Central Africa and into a nearby country where she can live in better (but not safer) conditions in a refugee camp. The ultimate goal is to get her somewhere where she can apply for a permanent visa because of her persecution at home.

So, who's helping Hope right now? Justice [ACTS] is one organization trying to get Hope into a safe environment. This is an act of human trafficking, the main reason for Justice [ACTS] existence. Their focus is to change the world in practical ways by empowering those who are the most at risk for human traffickers. They are a ministry right here in Muizenberg and work closely with other staff at the YWAM base. They are currently trying to raise money to escort Hope to the border into a refugee camp.

What can you do about this situation? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot. Maybe you'll wake up and drink your coffee while reading this update. Maybe you'll think about Hope as you drive to work, or go to school, or relax in front of the television... or maybe you'll do something practical like Justice [ACTS] is doing.

Not everyone is called to go out and do something about these tragedies, but I believe everyone is called to do something. Can you give $5, $50, $500? What is the price of a life? Is $500 too much to spend on someone's life who you'll never meet in the middle of Africa, or is it not enough? What are you going to do about it?

Practical ways to get involved:

1. Donate something! Time, money, resources, whatever you're gifted in, do something with it. Can you do accounting work, pack boxes, mail letters, design websites? Use your talents!

2. Check out the Justice [ACTS] website and find ways that you can volunteer and help raise awareness about human trafficking.

3. Take a look at a new local ministry in California. The Audacity Project is working to bring awareness to the people of Northern California about the realities of human trafficking in Sacramento.

4. A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN) is turning thoughts into action in Ghana. They saw two problems and were able to combine efforts to fight both of them with one common goal, helping people in practical ways.

What are you going to do about this? Do you want to get involved? Do it now, don't wait until tomorrow.

If you have a desire to donate to one of these great causes, please do it! If you want to donate money directly to the effort to get Hope to a safe area you can use the donate button on the left side of this screen. Please mark in the memo line what it's for.

Go back, re-read those questions and ask yourself, what's the price of a life?