Warning, the following video is true, scary and maybe rather harrowing:
The discussion at the end brought up two very good points for me:
1) We use words like pimp quite freely. ‘Pimp’ style has become acceptable, even desirable. There are real pimps in this world though and they are anything but acceptable and the things they do are far from desirable. Why do we want to associate ourselves with something so evil, so despicable?
There is a growing trend on MySpace for people to play games where they pretend to be mobsters or gangsters. Why would you want to associate yourself with that? Why would you want to find pretending to be a gangster entertaining? Gangsters break the law, commit evil acts and cause pain and suffering? Where’s the entertainment in pretending to be someone like that?
We need to stop normalising evil things.
Phillippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Pimps, gangsta’s, mobsters – these things are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.
Obey God or obey modern culture. Your choice.
2) How do we look at people? Have you ever looked at a prostitute and thought of them as a sinner?
Have you ever looked at a prostitute and thought of them as a victim?
Do you close your eyes to the possibility that the prostitutes you see are victims, possibly people who have been kidnapped and forced into prostitution, unable to escape, dying inside and desparately in need of help.
Our eyes get so closed to the truth, we become so infected by societal views. Society says that prostitutes are criminals, third class citizens who should be avoided like they are some kind of disease.
God says prostitutes and pimps and strippers and drunkards and addicts and the homeless and the poor and the needy are people. People He loves, people He sent His son to die for just like you. God says they are people who need help, who need Him, who need love.
Do you look at people through this society’s eyes or through God’s? Do you look at people and love them or do you look at people and judge them?
Matthew 25:34-46 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”