Did the title catch your attention? Good. That was the general idea. Keep reading.
According to the official NFL countdown clock, we have approximately two days, seventeen hours, and thirty-one minutes, and eleven seconds until Super Bowl XLVI. This year, America’s favorite sporting event kicks off in Indianapolis in what promises to be an epic battle between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. About 150,000 people will pour into the city for the weekend to take part in the excitement and gorge themselves on beer, mini corn-dogs, and smack talk. Millions of other Americans representing all races, economic statuses, and religions will set apart their differences and plop down in front of a television to root for their favorite team. But what most Americans do not realize is that behind the television cameras, over-confident announcers, and fans with painted faces, thousands of women will be forced to perform sexual acts only blocks away from the stadium.
The Super Bowl provides one of the largest (if not the largest) marketable moments for sex traffickers around the country. At Super Bowl XLV, an estimated 10,000 women were trafficked into Dallas and strategically placed in hotels, motels, strip clubs, etc. for the erroneous pleasure of way-too-excited football fans enjoying a weekend vacation. For all you visual learners, the baseball stadium pictured below holds about 10,000 people. Enough broken women and children (and even a handful of men) to fill this stadium were transported into the city to be sold Super Bowl weekend, and in the next twenty-four hours, the same thing will likely take place.
Once you’ve let that mental image sink in, let’s break it down even farther. If we guess that each woman or child serviced a conservative ten men on Friday night and ten men on Saturday night, that adds up to a staggering 200,000 counts of sexual abuse in a single city over a time period when the rest of America sits back and screams profanities at the television screen when the referee makes a bad call. Two. Hundred. Thousand. These women lay in silent screams, invisible to the world, even though the world is watching the event taking place a few miles away. Are you squirming yet? You should be.
It’s not all bad news. In the past several weeks, Indiana has fast-tracked a new piece of legislation implementing harsher punishments for both traffickers and johns (you can read more about the new Indiana law
here). A victory has already been won. But new laws will not make the problem disappear. Traffickers are clever and determined human beings, unwilling to surrender such a profitable weekend because of a few new strands of red tape. Something greater has to be done.
Since I have no idea who will be reading this post, let me conclude with a statement for everyone.
- To my brothers and sisters in Christ: Pray, fast, and pray some more. I believe with all of my heart that the trafficking industry is one of Satan’s strongest footholds in our society. Pray for the women being exploited to remain strong and hopeful. Pray for the johns to find something else to do that night. Pray for the traffickers to see the faces of the women they control. Pray for law enforcement to open their eyes and rescue women and arrest traffickers. Pray that God would intervene in mighty ways by binding the powers of Satan and his demons at work in Indianapolis.
- To my peers at Cedarville University: Obviously, all of my statements above apply to you as well. Also, choose to participate in the 24-hour fast between noon Friday (Feb. 3) and noon Saturday (Feb. 4). Take that time specifically to fervently pray. At 9:30am on Saturday, we will meet in the BTS atrium to begin a prayer walk. Some will be traveling to Indy that afternoon to prayer walk in the city; others will stay on campus and pray here. The choice is up to you.
- To residents of Indianapolis, particularly hotel workers and law enforcement officers: Don’t be ignorant. And don’t be apathetic. If you see something suspicious (you can read about signs of trafficking here), report it. DO something.
- To any man who accidentally stumbled across this blog while looking for a Super Bowl companion: You’re sick. Yes, I said it. Need I say it again? Step into the shoes of the girl who will be in your bed, and ask yourself what she will be thinking about. Pretend the girl is your sister, daughter, wife. Because she’s somebody’s daughter, sister, or wife. Be a real man, a man who doesn’t need to exploit a woman or child to have a good time.
- To everyone: Sex trafficking doesn’t only happen on Super Bowl weekend. It happens every day, all across the United States. Don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Ignoring the enslaved women and girls (or worse, blaming them for their situation) only hurts them more.
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."
- Ephesians 6:10-18, NLT
