All That Glitters Is Not Gold

The plane banks to the right. I look across over the wing searching for the ground below. The lights glitter across Atlanta, Georgia like lights on a Christmas tree. Beautiful. And just like the lights on a Christmas tree distract the eye from the imperfections of a freshly cut tree, the lights of Atlanta attempt to deceive my heart from the ugly truth: Beneath the lights of this bustling city, children are slaves, forced to have sex with the highest bidder.

I chose the window seat on purpose. I wanted to peer down over the city I had just heard so much about at the National Conference for the Prevention of Child Sex Abuse and Child Sex Trafficking.

Atlanta, Georgia is a hub for air traffic for the United States. Atlanta, Georgia is a hub for child sex trafficking in land of the free and the home of the brave. Every month, in the state of Georgia, 7,200 children are sold for sex. (Georgia Demand Study,” A Future. Not A Past., February 2010)

The city lights continue to glitter. But they don’t blind me from the truth—the truth I can no longer ignore. I hear the whine of the landing gear moving into position. I pray. One heart filled prayer from one concerned mother, 10,000 feet up, for someone else’s child. “Jesus, free just one child tonight. Please. Just one.”



Thank you for joining me on this journey. I know it’s difficult. But together we can and we will make a difference. Share what you’ve learned today with one person. Our strength builds with knowledge and a conscious decision to look past the glitter and embrace the truth.