It’s a quote that’s motivated the entire FREEDOM TOUR.
You may choose to turn away, but you can never again say that you did not know.
Becky and I were touring The National Underground Railroad Slavery Museum in 2012 when we encountered this quote from British anti-slavery activist William Wilberforce. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more profoundly impacted by a single line of text.
In the following months, as we wondered about the craziness of inviting people on the first 500-mile FREEDOM TOUR, the same thought came up again and again.
We can’t turn away.
We learned about 22 kids, once destined to live in abuse and slavery, now with the opportunity to laugh and run and learn. Kids on the other side of the world. Kids we’ll never meet.
What could we do about it? We didn’t know, but one thing was for sure.
We couldn’t turn away.
+ + +
The problem with this sort of quote is it gets under your skin, and soon you realize it’s about more than human trafficking.
Last time I asked us to consider our response when we encounter something wrong.
An example: Suppose I’m tempted to judge (condemn) someone else’s behavior. I know about Jesus’ guidance to avoid that sort of judgment. I know he tells me to examine the plank in my own eye first.
I can choose to turn away from that guidance. I can decide to judge (condemn) anyway. But I can’t say I didn’t know.
Or I can rationalize. Or whatabout.
But I can’t say I didn’t know.
Maybe I’d be better off not knowing, but it doesn’t matter. Once I know, I know. The only decision is whether I’m willing to turn away.