Labels of Society

In our daily lives, there are countless things that are so pervasive, so constant, that we rarely think about them. They simply become a part of the background of our lives.  

That’s true even of some of the most important aspects of our existence, like the air we breathe. We don’t give it a thought unless there’s a problem.  

It’s also true of other everyday things. Take labels, for instance. 

When’s the last time you got through a day without encountering, or maybe using a label? Labels are important, and they serve a useful purpose. Imagine going to the grocery store and seeing row upon row of canned goods with no labels. Or try storing household items in unlabeled boxes; not a good idea. 

But there are other kinds of labels besides the physical ones. I’m talking especially about the labels that we can’t see, that we apply to other people. That’s something that I’ve run into many times. 

When I was called to help victims of human trafficking, I had to learn what trafficking is, what it looks like, who is most at risk, and how widespread and severe the problem is. And because of that calling and as a social worker, I’ve seen a lot.  

Upon entering this field, I found a grave darkness in our society, that has claimed many victims. What I was commissioned to do by the Lord was to find these victims and survivors, love them, and offer them a path forward so they could rebuild their lives. 

All too often, I’ve found that these victims and survivors are dismissed and ignored by the rest of society because they’ve been labeled. Not physically, like cans on a supermarket shelf, but labeled just the same. 

Now as with my grocery store example, labels aren’t inherently bad. They can serve a useful purpose, to help us make sense of our lives and where we fit in. That’s why we sometimes put labels on ourselves. As a simple example, wearing clothing with a sports team’s logo is a way of labeling ourselves and identifying as a member of a group. 

But labels can also be harmful, by making it easy for people to write off individuals and entire groups of people by slapping a label on them.  

We are all familiar with LGBTQ, and various iterations of that like LGBTQAI+. That has helped people come together, but sadly it has also led to backlash and even hatred. It’s reached the point that some people refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of that term, and by doing so they effectively erase from society those who use it. 

Going back to my supermarket example, let’s say a grocery store received a crate of canned

goods with no labels on them. They could be anything from canned vegetables to soup to dog food. The store wouldn’t know what to do with them; they’d have to be sent back or discarded. There would be no space on the shelf for them. 

I suppose in some way, we all want a “space on the shelf” of society. We want to know that we’re accepted and that there’s a place for us.  

Whether we reject people because of their labels, or refuse to recognize the legitimacy of how they choose to describe themselves, we are telling them, “There is no place for you. You don’t fit in, anywhere.” This problem exists at all levels of society: families, friends, coworkers, organizations, and the government. These divisions exist and are like acid eating away at our relationships.  

When a child experiences the world in a different way from what society views as "normal," people around them sometimes react negatively. That’s understandable, because the child’s view of themselves and where they fit in may be diametrically opposed to how those around them see and understand the world.  

But as a result, the child becomes afraid and mistrustful of the people they need the most. They know they are different but they don't know why. Family members faced with that situation have a choice to make: do we love and support, or do we turn our backs on this child because this is too much to deal with? 

What I have seen in my line of work, all too often, is the latter. Children and teenagers being tossed out like trash, because they are experiencing life differently from others. 

That rejection is bad enough in itself, but it can lead to far worse consequences. What often happens when a teen is cast out before they are ready to survive on their own is horrific.  Predators lurk ready to harm, abuse, and traffic our children. We see the same phenomenon with children born into poverty: they are often left on their own, vulnerable to those who want to harm and abuse them. 

By labeling people, it’s easy to turn this into an us-vs.-them debate, causing division, separation, and less compassion for our children.  

Yes, I continue to call them our children. There’s an old saying that no matter how old you get, you’re still your parents’ child. And it’s true. When we have children, we have children for life. We have to let them grow and live their lives, but we should never stop loving them. 

I liken this to the lepers in Jesus' day. Most people said they needed to be literally removed from society. Yet we see Jesus going there, to the fringes where people have been abandoned: poor, destitute, and left for dead.

My directive from Jesus too, is to find these human beings, be they kids, teens, or adults, and love them. When Jesus directed us, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” he did not put any restrictions on that commandment. 

My calling is to make sure I provide a viable way to end a life of poverty and seclusion for those who see no other way out. To offer them a beautiful future. This is what the Lord wants me to provide.  

Therefore, I have spent the last decade answering the call to open Miss Julie’s School of Beauty for those who have no other support and have been effectively left for dead, much like the victim who had to await the Good Samaritan to come along and help, when no one else would do so. 

We must help each other, our children especially. Negative labeling and division breaks Jesus’ heart, and it's breaking mine. Too many young adults have been tossed out by society. It’s time for that to stop. 

If you can commit to following the path that Jesus laid out for us, that’s great. But if you would like to do more, I can use your help. Will you help me answer the call to love, to care, and to provide a path forward, for survivors of human trafficking? Are you willing, through your deeds, to love others the way Jesus called us to love? 

If you want to help, please reach out to me. No matter what your skill set or how you would like to help, you can make a difference. There is a place on the shelf for you. 

, 

From the heart and desk of 

 ~ Miss Julie-