Pursuing justice through a pandemic

Our Embrace coordinator, Lauren, writes some encouraging words about pursuing justice through the confusion and exhaustion of a pandemic:

Perhaps you are reading this and feeling ‘done’. The past few months have pushed on every button that could trigger loneliness, depression, fatigue, anxiety, stress, financial difficulties, relational strain, and more. Maybe you have wondered when this season will end. Hoped that the problem of COVID could just go away and things would go back to normal. Perhaps you have gritted your teeth to bear the consequences of lockdown, but your strength is all gone – your energy reserves depleted. And the thought of considering how to fight injustice feels overwhelming.

You aren’t alone. Even the men and women that fight hard against injustice, are worn right now. Even the mighty, are feeling weak. 

Often, we that love Jesus and want to show others the love we have received from him, are quick to soldier on, without acknowledging that our bodies can’t keep up with the pace of our passions. Or our passions are muted from a tired mind and body. You may want to push the fatigue to the bottom of the barrel and ignore the warnings your body is giving you because you feel there is too much to do to simply rest. 

You can rest. Because we are not gods. Our bodies and minds have limitations, and if we don’t tend to them, they will begin to wither and ruin. We must tend to them so that we can carry on fighting injustice, not just for the next year, but for entire our lives. If you are tired and the fight seems overwhelming, please rest. Sleep. Eat well. Take walks. Phone friends. Read books. Enjoy friends and family. Garden. Cook. Create. Sing. Pray. 

Let your soul rest in the good gifts God has given you. 

And while you rest, and you feel less tension in your body and mind, consider those that have been exploited. The feelings you feel, they feel too. The weariness you are experiencing, they experience too. Many victims and survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking have found COVID horrifying. Victims have been pushed further ‘underground’ during lockdown. They have been moved quietly around the country by their traffickers who have attempted to find places of work for them on farms, factories, and food delivery services. They have suffered physical, physiological, and sexual abuse. And yet, are kept silent – trapped in their misery. 

Those that have survived, have struggled with inappropriate housing, lack of technology, little social interaction, reduced amounts of support, and a delay on their asylum claims. 

Remember, that you are not alone. The men, women, and children who have endured modern slavery are feeling the affects of COVID, just as you are. 

How can we remember, love, and serve them when we are tired? We can engage in prayer for them, opening our hearts to feel the passion the Father has for the vulnerable. We can give money, actively searching for how to financially support anti-slavery projects. We can educate ourselves, remaining aware of the plight of those that are exploited in modern slavery and human trafficking. 

Your strength will return. And when it does, you may put on your armour and get more involved in the fight. But until then, pray, give, and make yourself aware of modern slavery.