Two stories wore me out today.

1) The horrible masacre at the Colorado movie theater. (Our prayers are with the familes and friends connected.)

2) This video right here about two girls who were forced into sex trafficking:

We’ve all heard of random *and senseless* acts of *SIN* before (sin *is* senseless), but when one of the women in the story said, “These men are not Johns, they are criminals”, I thought about it in a broader since. Although this story is definitely an *extreme* example of the point that I’m about to make, “Isn’t it criminal to take advantage anyone’s mind/heart/body?” If people are not *safe* within our presence, doesn’t it imply that there must be some kind of risk? Shouldn’t we *all* care about the vessels that we encounter on a day-to-day basis? Shouldn’t we not be so numb to love and loving that it takes a story of this caliber in order for us to want to look at things and think, “If sex is not done within God’s will, then it’s hurting people”?

It reminds me of what an author by the name of Eric Jerome Dickey once said: “Sex without love is violence.” Sex without love is “rough” and “unjust” and “injurious” and “devastating” and…”damaging”. Sex trafficking is illegal by the world’s definition, but sex without covenant is in God’s order of operation. We really need to work on being good *for* people and not just thinking about doing what feels good *to* us.

Anyway, in listening to those awesome survivors’ stories. I must admit I was moved when, after being raped by *23 men* (whew!), they said they had forgiven those men and they were happy: “‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.'” (Matthew 18:3-NKJV)

God thought so much more of sex than what a lot of us are settling for. I pray we get to a point and place of really believing and accepting that.

We deserve more than any form of a “John”—a random person or object just to get a release. Anything less than God’s best *is* criminal.

Have a good weekend.