Raleigh Sadler - Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking

This is the book about human trafficking I have been looking for. By sharing his story, Raleigh Sadler helps to demystify the issue, and provides us with keys on how we can play our part in bringing about solution. Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking , will challenge and inspire you to truly love your neighbor as you love yourself. A timely book for this hour.

Christine Caine , founder, The A21 Campaign

C. S. Lewis once described Christianity as a fighting religion. Those who are serious about following Christ into the world will also be serious about fighting against what is wrong in the world, especially where injustice and abuse are the norm. As the father of two girls, I am especially appreciative of Raleighs efforts in Vulnerable , which is a sort of roadmap for fighting for the hearts of, and fighting against the oppression of, girls and women who are potential or real victims of the sex trade. Much of the content and stories in this book are unsettling... and purposefully so. For when our hearts are unsettled, we are moved to action. I pray that Vulnerable will impact you and your community in this way.

Scott Sauls , senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of Befriend and Irresistible Faith

God has called Christians to come alongside and advocate for the most marginalized in our society. Today as we speak, there are thousands in our communities who have been trafficked against their will, whose lives are not viewed as valuable, but as property for the powerful. To engage in this important work of justice, Christians must be biblical in their thinking. This book helps unpack what it means to both fight for the vulnerable and realize our own vulnerability, how in our weakness, we find the strength to step into the mission of God. I urge you to thoroughly read this book, to let it shape your approach to activism, and then pass it on to a brother or sister in Christ.

Dan Darling , vice president of Communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and author of The Dignity Revolution

Ive had the immense privilege of seeing Raleigh grow from an interested bystander to a real leader in helping people understand the gravity of the global problem of human trafficking and what the average person can do to make a difference. We can feel paralyzed in the face of this immense challenge. Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking can help all of us find our place in helping vulnerable people find freedom, peace, and justice. Im so encouraged to see Jesus followers helping lead the way in combatting human trafficking. Come join God in his work of entering into the broken places with the light and love of Christ.

Kevin Palau , president of the Luis Palau Association and author of Unlikely: Setting Our Differences Aside to Live Out the Gospel

The church is at its best, and is living out the redemptive realities of the gospel most fully, when it is running toward the vulnerable and broken with truth, hope, and grace, rather than remaining in safety and comfort. In Vulnerable , Raleigh Sadler describes with vivid clarity one of the hardest arenas of our modern world. But, like the sound guide he is, Raleigh points to where and how the church can bring the light and life of Christ.

John Stonestreet , president of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview and coauthor of A Practical Guide to Culture

Human trafficking has risen into public consciousness over the past few years even thought this type of exploitation has been a global phenomenon for centuries. Trafficking is modern day slavery and is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. The stories and statistics can be overwhelming. The Bible does not hesitate to depict the harsh reality of violence and oppression, and it clearly calls us to fight for justice and mercy for all people as God intended. But what can an ordinary person do to respond? In Vulnerable , Raleigh offers wisdom and hope as well as tangible responses to fight trafficking.

Justin S. Holcomb , Episcopal priest, seminary professor, and author

This book is both a passionate call for help and a handhold for where to start. Before reading Vulnerable the gap between my everyday life and those who are being exploited seemed, if Im honest, almost insurmountable. But Raleighs stories invited me to walk right up to the hurting and look into their eyesnot as a hero, but as a follower of Jesus. I identified with them, I got a new grasp on traffickingand I got a conviction that I cant look away.

Grace Thornton , author of I Dont Wait Anymore

Raleigh brings a message that all churches need to hear. Through stories and lived experience, Vulnerable breaks myths and focuses on what trafficking victims truly needequipping all of us to make real a difference.

Rebecca Bender , survivor leader, author, and CEO

Raleigh Sadler is an extraordinarily important voice for the voiceless trapped inside of sex trafficking.

Mac Pier , founder and CEO of Movement.org and author of A Disruptive Gospel

Raleigh Sadler strips away our myopic view of human trafficking as an evil out there, far removed from our day-to-day lives. Its hidden in plain sight, anywhere theres an exploitation of vulnerability for commercial gain. Through candid interviews, personal stories, and examples of vulnerability, Sadler makes us aware of how humans are trafficked, and how we can help to stop it. The book is eye-opening, practical, and gospel-focused. Its radically changed my understanding of this pervasive evil, and what I can do to bring about change.

Chad Bird , author and speaker

Raleigh Sadlers work speaks to a new generation of Christians and carries a vital message: blessed are the vulnerable, for they will be strong.

E. Benjamin Skinner , author of A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face With Modern-Day Slavery

This is a necessary book. At once searing, revealing, and, yes, vulnerable, its an antidote to the paralysis that most people feel when they learn about human trafficking. Drawing lessons from the experts and from the Scriptures, Raleigh Sadler answers the perennial question, How can I help? with a lucid and practical call to arms, especially for the Christian Church. The problem is not too big for us to tackle. We dont need a police badge or training in cyber crime. We can fight human trafficking right where we live by training our eyes to see vulnerability, by educating our minds to understand its causes and consequences, by opening our hearts to care about the people suffering under its weight, and by summoning the courage to engage.

Corban Addison , international bestselling author of A Walk Across the Sun and A Harvest of Thorns

One of the greatest myths of our present age is that slavery is a thing of the past. In vivid and sometimes uncomfortable detail, Raleigh Sadler busts this myth to unveil the truth about a travesty occurring right under our noses. If you care about justice, human dignity, and the good news of Jesus Christ, then read this book post-haste. Vulnerable is a rousing call to confront one of the biggest human rights epidemics of the modern era that can be ignored no longer.

Jonathan Merritt , author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch and contributing writer for The Atlantic

This book achieves something rare and important: it opens our eyes, keeps the reader engaged, and empowers all of us to make a difference in our world. And Sadler does this while resisting the urge to nag or motivate people to act through guilt. By seeking Christ-like eyes, he helps us all detect invisible chains that enslave so many in our day. Instead, he centers his message on the way in which the good news of Jesus is able to open up new possibilities for ethical life in the world. I urge everyone who cares about vulnerable people among us to read this book and spread its insights.