Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Happy Catholic Bookshelf

Home
Catholic
Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery

Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery

Last updated on: February 26, 2013 at 1:00 pm by Sarah Reinhard

Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery 2013-02-25T12:54:16-06:00 Sarah Reinhard

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Hey, wanna watch a movie?”

I’ll be honest: I almost didn’t agree to it. In some ways, I wished for at least a week afterward that I hadn’t.

But when my husband and I talk in the evenings, and when I’m actually awake enough to watch something and want to watch something (I default to preferring reading, in case you had any suspicion otherwise)…well, everything clicked that night.

So, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, our DVR had Taken (2008) on and playing in short order.

And I was haunted by nightmares and waking dreams for at least a week.

The premise of the movie is normal enough: two young girls go to Europe and are kidnapped. Dad’s a retired CIA officer and goes to rescue her. In the midst of that, you find out a lot–A LOT–about modern day human trafficking.

And it didn’t feel like Hollywood at all. It didn’t seem like glamorous or sexy or exaggeration.

It seemed real, accurate, and terrifying. I resolved that no young girl in my life would travel that way without a contingency of bodyguards and strong young men.

That movie made a difference in my life, though I didn’t fully realize how much until I picked up Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery for the Patheos Book Club.

Yeah, I agreed to read the book, but…well, I wasn’t feeling passionate or anything. I was just agreeing to read. It’s fairly short–under 200 pages with the endnotes figured in–and I thought it would be easy.

I. was. wrong.

Despite the fact that I regularly whip through books, I could not whip through this one. I found myself choked up after chapters, and the image of those young girls from Taken, the ones who were part of the prostitution ring and were drugged into submission.

I pictured the children who didn’t know a better life, who couldn’t imagine hope.

And, more than anything, I pictured these two ordinary moms changing the world, one small step at a time.

This isn’t an easy topic. I actually haven’t talked much to the people around me about its content because…well, not only is it uncomfortable, but I just about need to reread the book to feel confident about it.

And the problem is so stinkin huge, what difference can I make from my home here in central Ohio?

I love how Moore and Yim begin the book by writing at length about the abolition of slavery in the United States. That initiative was carried by women, believe it or not, and specifically Christian women. Without the women–who controlled what was purchased, who kept the prayers going, who never ever gave up–we may still have legal slaves here in the U.S.

This book is a must-read for you, no matter who you are. You need to know what you know (and what you don’t know).

Within its pages, Refuse to Do Nothing inspires both hope and action in readers. At the end of each chapter there are discussion questions, and see if you can read them without thinking (maybe for hours afterward, maybe with some actual discussion with the poor spouse who looks over at you while tears are streaming down your face). There are also action items at the end of each chapter–add the hotlines to your phone, sign up for email updates, tell a friend, watch a movie–that are neither overwhelming nor impossible.

I told more than one friend that this book has probably changed my life. And you know what? I’m not really happy about that. I was pretty happy with the way things were.

But conversion is ongoing, and social justice is something we are called to, especially as Christians. There are very real, very tangible, very actionable things we can do–starting with our prayers and with how we spend our money.

Back when I was in corporate America there was a saying about money talking and something else walking. We can make our money say a lot of things, and this book gives us real ways to make that happen.

Don’t sit still. Don’t click away without resolving to read this book.

It won’t be easy. I promise that.

Like me, you may even be sorta sorry you read it.

Until, that is, the image of those girls in Europe comes to mind…and then, the thought of abolishing the modern-day slavery that is here all around us, even in the United States, even in central Ohio, will light a fire under you and leave you unable to sit still any longer.

* * *

More information and resources:

Previous Post

February 21, 2013

Scott struggles to get systems back online while Julie rolls poisoned eggs to the Velociraptors.

Next Post

February 27, 2013 The Christus Experiment by Rod Bennett

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Bible Study Bulletin Board Catholic Church Excerpt Faith-y Stuff Funny Stuff Good Deals Listening Now Patheos Book Club Personal Reading Challenge Podcast Alert Random Bookishness Resources Review Uncategorized Well Said What I'm Reading

Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz