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ASPIRATIONS
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Theological reflection Trafficking is made possible because of aspirations and desires. Human desire for perceived happiness, a perceived 'better life'; the aspirations of the women and men who want to escape poverty, inequality and all the consequences of living with the legacy of oppressive economic and social structures; whose desires for 'a better life' are twisted and distorted to trap them; the aspirations of the traffickers who want power and wealth at whatever cost; and the aspirations of each of us who are tempted to value our own comfort, our own status and privilege, without thought for how it affects others. It’s not that 'aspiring' is wrong; we naturally want to be able to live a healthy life free from hunger and danger. We also aspire to be able to use our gifts and skills and creativity, to realise the potential within us, and to be able to make choices about how we do that, to have around us people who love and care for us and to be able to celebrate that. For many men women and children who are trafficked, the reality is that their ability to fulfil their aspirations is limited, and they perceive the possibility of a better chance somewhere else. Reality is not always the same as perception: the images we are fed may be distorted, but those involved in marketing and advertising acknowledge the way in which our aspirations and desires can be influenced by appealing to our perceived emotional desires: emotional satisfaction, not rational necessity, drives consumer spending. In her book "Introducing Asian Feminist Theology", Kwok Pui-Lan comments that, "All over the world women are told to desire what western women are supposed to desire." What we aspire to has become increasingly influenced by the nature of the dominant consumerist culture, which is becoming increasingly globalised. To aspire is increasingly defined as to aspire to amass personal wealth, to 'have' rather than to 'be'. What we own defines us. Is trafficking of persons made possible because of the way we, living in a relatively affluent, relatively safe, country, unthinkingly collude in a way of aspiring, which is individualistic; so long as our decisions are right for us, then, that's ok? In focussing solely on ourselves, we risk becoming detached from things, from the people who sell them, and from their source. We know we should think about where our t-shirt was made, or who grew our cocoa beans, but we're caught up in our own aspirations; to be seen as successful, to be 'safe' and contented. And yet in doing so we risk increasingly becoming detached from ourselves; we become fragmented, dis-ordered in our relationships to others and our relationship to God. Again and again in the Gospels we see and hear Jesus speak out against those whose aspirations for wealth and power have resulted in the oppression of those who are most vulnerable; for example, the Scribes who are supposed to distribute wealth to the widows and the vulnerable (Mark 12:38-44), but who instead aspire to be seen as people of power and status. Jesus also shares a stark reminder that even the most seemingly unmoveable and powerful structures, like the Temple in Jerusalem, may fall (Mark 13:2). God's grace offers the possibility of re-orientating and reordering our aspirations, our desires, our whole lives, towards God. Christian communities are called to inhabit "a vision counter to that of dominant culture". Through Jesus, we have life, death and resurrection, and hope that communities and individuals can be healed and transformed. Jesus' disciples are challenged to be those who set aside what they had once planned for their lives (whether that be fishing boats or tax collecting (Matthew 9.9)), and to aspire to serve others, to work alongside 'the least', the vulnerable and suffering and oppressed. We are challenged to aspire for, and be engaged in, bringing about through our involvement in God's mission in the world, signs of the freedom described in biblical terms (Numbers 6:24-26, Ezekiel 27:36) as Shalom; liberation from bondage, the opportunity to develop one's potential, the well being of one's family and community, the freedom from warfare and other forms of violence, the availability of a life sustaining eco-system and a sense of hope and security for the future. We are called to see people who have been trafficked as more than just victims; but as people, individuals, who have been greatly wronged, and greatly hurt, but who have gifts, and strengths and potential, for whom we dare to hope that things can change.
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