MoonglotexasVulnerable by Raleigh Sadler is not designed to be an easy read. It works to make the reader uncomfortable enough to make a change for the better, to engage with human vulnerability, what it means and how to recognise it. Raleigh remarks “Human trafficking happens anywhere there is vulnerability.” Slavery is at the heart of this discussion but it is woven with Biblical truths and a study what being vulnerable means, positively and negatively.
The book is filled with terrifying statistics which shock such as “After reviewing 116 cases involving 382 traffickers, it was discovered that 93 percent of the victims were trafficked by someone within their own community.“ but they are contrasted by stories and testimonies of those saved, those rescued and those who’ve helped them.
“When we are isolated in our vulnerability, we are not only less likely to flourish, but we are more likely to be targeted by those who wish to exploit us.”
From Vulnerable by Raleigh Sadler
Raleigh builds a solid argument that, as Christians, God set us a task to love others as we love ourselves and to seek the vulnerable. In doing so, each one of us can work to fight modern day slavery,
In order to help the vulnerable, we have to know what they look like. He spends a considerable amount of the book unpacking it. If you have been exposed to Brené Brown and similar authors, these principles will be familiar but the slavery context will reframe them for you.
Raleigh also explores the various forms of slavery, including forced labour, highlighting ways in which we, as everyday consumers, can fight slavery with our purchasing choices.
“The International Labor Organization estimates that 24.9 million people are currently victims of forced labor.6 In other words, you can rest assured that someone is paying the ultimate cost for your choice, even if you aren’t.”
From Vulnerable by Raleigh Sadler
If you are like me, you may feel squeamish picking up a slavery book, but rest assured whilst the stories are heartbreaking, they aren’t graphic. It is a book of hope, of what we can do rather than focusing on the horror of what is.
I found it a fascinating and enlightening read. There is a great resource at the end of 100 ways to combat slavery. It’s a four out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended.
From the back cover:
There are more than 40 million enslaved people in the world today.
This is overwhelming. A number so large leaves us asking, What could I even do to help?
In his book Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking, Raleigh Sadler, president and founder of Let My People Go, makes the case that anyone can fight human trafficking by focusing on those who are most often targeted. This book invites the reader to understand their role in the problem of human trafficking, but more importantly, their role in the solution.
Human trafficking can be defined as the exploitation of vulnerability for commercial gain. Using the power of story and candid interviews, Sadler seeks to discover how ordinary people can fight human trafficking by recognizing vulnerability and entering in.
As vulnerable people, we can empower other vulnerable people, because Christ was made vulnerable for us.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from B&H Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
