Taken, Human Trafficking, and Christ

Last night Claire and I got together with some friends to see the movie Taken. It was a fairly intense movie with plenty of action, which I am a sucker for. But the movie also had a couple of themes that have been turning over in my mind for a while. For starters, the plot has a lot to do with illegal human trafficking. I am becoming more and more aware of this horrendous practice and every time I am exposed to it I can't stop thinking about it. In college I watched a documentary that dealt with illegal sex trafficking of young mothers and their daughters in Middle Eastern Countries. Stories from the rescued are very similar. The mothers and daughters are kidnapped during the day when the husband/father is working. He arrives home to see his family gone - usually never knowing what has happened. Some children, on the other hand, are purposely granted to "employers" who convince the parents that their children will be working honest jobs for decent wages. This, however, turns out to be a lie and the children then enter the underground sex market. It's heartbreaking to mentally trade places with victims like these. The movie deals slightly with these types of issues which is great because it continues to raise awareness about an issue that is growing on a global scale. The other, more positive, theme that I latched on to is the idea of a father pursuing his child at all cost. Liam Neeson portrays the father of the kidnapped victim and, without using too much detail for fear of spoiling a good film, demonstrates certain Christ-like qualities. The concept of a father going to such lengths doing whatever he deems necessary to free his child mirrors rather vividly the model of our Heavenly Father. It was a great reminder for me and I hope that you will see the same Love given the opportunity. The movie struck a nerve in me and I am now interested in learning more about the ruthless act that has become known as human trafficking. Without doubt this a problem that needs to be taken more seriously and more proactively. Dilemmas like these must not be swept under the rug. Instead, the people who truly possess hope should rally together in hopes of putting an ending to such an evil trade. You can learn more here: http://www.humantrafficking.org/ .